261. darkness, lynch.

On Sunday, November 22nd, was lynch.'s Dark. Darker. Darkness tour final at Tokyo Dome City Hall. It was really cold that day while we were waiting outside to get into the venue. Nicole and I didn't really bother about getting in the arena so early, so we both got our drinks and chilled for a little bit before squeezing our way to the front.

The show started exactly at 6pm, and to my surprise, with a live orchestra playing their introduction of their latest album. They opened to D.A.R.K. and it was almost the same setlist as their whole tour. I was a little bummed out because I really wanted to enjoy old songs again but they were good live that day. But... I feel like I'm dying to see all the old songs.

Setlist :

1. INTRODUCTION (D.A.R.K. live orchestra)
2. D.A.R.K. 
3. ANTARES
4. GREED
5. BEAST
6. NIGHT
7. DEVIL
8. GHOST
9. ILLUMINATI
10. GUILTY
11. FALLEN
12. MELANCHOLIC
13. the whirl
14. INVINCIBLE
15. VANISH
16. INVADER
17. COSMOS
18. MIRRORS
19. THE FATAL HOUR HAS COME
20. ALL THIS I'LL GIVE YOU
21. pulse_
22. MOON

ENCORE 1

1. ETERNITY
2. I'm sick b'cuz luv u. (RE ver)
3. GALLOWS
4. TIAMAT
5. EVOKE

ENCORE 2

1. ADORE

photos from gekirock.com

The concert hall that day was really packed, a lot of people bought tickets on the day itself. The crowd was really good today too, I finally felt like it was a lynch. show and could enjoy it but somehow, I think I enjoyed myself more in Yokohama because it was my first time seeing them play new songs. I was really happy they finally played Guilty! It's one of my new favourites. Vocals are way better live. MELANCHOLIC's lead guitar was a little soft this time round, I would have love to hear Reo's playing more clearly.

The lasers for this shows were really spectacular. Normally, they don't use much lasers at their shows but I really liked the lasers for MELANCHOLIC. I'm glad they decided to use fire again, especially on D.A.R.K. though I think fire is best used for MAZE. I expected them to put their band logo as the backdrop but they didn't this time. I really like it when they do actually.

I was surprised they played INVADER twice back to back. INVADER is one of the more fun songs and I think it'll become part of their permanent setlist. Again with fucking MIRRORS...

The last time in Saitama, a funny incident happened when MIRRORS was played because everybody was headbanging infront, and just one section at the back didn't headbang (the section where Nicole and I were standing lol), Hazuki pointed to the bunch of us and signalled to headbang but no one budged hahaha. 

This time though, I didn't realise AK was infront of me when MIRRORS was playing because now when they play MIRRORS, my face automatically go... =__= So, the whole bunch of people infront of me were headbanging and AK was right in my face. He was looking at my direction and I felt a little awkward and just smiled at him and he fucking smiled back. I was just like JESUS that is the most awkward thing I have ever experienced at a lynch. show. Nicole starting hitting me cos she saw what happened. Oh well, he is still cute. 

During MC, Hazuki announced new tour dates and it seems like they are not going to tour a lot until March and he asked 寂しいか？and I don't know why, I really felt a little sad I won't be seeing them for a while. I know, I have seen them so many times already but going to their shows have become such a big part of my life and happiness, it feels strange when I can't see them for a while. 

Hazuki changed into a white collar shirt for Eternity, I know it's a song for his late grandfather who passed away this year but I can't seem to feel anything for this song. So many girls around me started crying, some even sobbing when he was singing but I was a little... bored. Sorry, Hazuki. It's one of my least favourite lynch. songs.

I really enjoyed myself during EVOKE and ADORE. After the show, Nicole and I went for dinner because we were starving, we had curry rice and talked for a few hours. I wanted to meet her before this show but I had plans so we had to cancel a couple of times.

Next time I will be seeing lynch. are all two-man shows, MUCC x lynch., Crossfaith x lynch. I'm more excited for Crossfaith x lynch. It has been my wish for a long time to see lynch. play with a non-visual band and I'm more than happy that it is finally happening. I'm excited because I want to see how lynch. will fair with a non-visual crowd, also what their setlist and stage clothes will be like. They are nothing near the visual-ish look, they are really good live, have great energy on stage and are very engaging with the crowd. That's one of the many reasons why I love them so much. So, I'm really looking to that show. I really hope they follow Girugamesh's path and play with both non-visual and visual bands if they want to, it will make going to shows easier for me also. 

If they start playing with all the other bands I like, I will be able to see them even more often as well. I hope them playing with Crossfaith will kind of open them up to more touring ideas. Anyways, thank you Crossfaith for making this happen. I'm excited to see how my favourite band will fair next year, till then...

I love them no less.

260. comatose

My long weekend was really good, there was so much going on during the weekend that I'm still tired today. On Friday, I decided to skip class because it was just an excursion to Ikebukuro. I stayed home and painted something up for Palm and was really happy with the result. Rock-o-Rama was on Friday but I decided not to go because the lineup didn't impress me enough.

On Saturday I made my way down to Nakano Broadway again because there was an artist meet-up and also because I wanted to see James Jean's exhibition again before it was over. I'm glad I went to view his work again because I could slowly look at some details I have missed out last time. I bought his book, Pareidolia, at the gallery. I'm more than happy with this book, I think it's worth every penny. The packaging is really beautiful and it comes attached with a two-side poster of Adrift and Pagoda. The book also included a lot of my favourite work by him and his sketchbook drawings. Best purchase I have made in a while.

I missed out these two pieces the last time I went. My new favourite now is actually Kali ( the one on the right). After the exhibition, I was able to find my tumblr-art store again. It's just next to the gallery and spent quite some time there. There was some new stuff and a small exhibition going on also, so I took my time to browse through some stuff. I really love Nakano Broadway so much, anytime I can get lost in all the art makes me a very happy person. I found some rare Aquinox Uno and Junji Ito badges and bought them. 

I went to the artist meet-up after that, and walked around and played some gachapon since there was Ranma 1/2 again. I was really lucky this time, I got Shampoo and P-chan with just two turns! Yay! After everything, I went to Bar Zingaro for coffee and to look at my book. It was kind of crowded since it was a Saturday. I didn't stay for too long and made my way to Kichijoji to meet Kenta.

I met up with Kenta outside Club Seata since he was still watching some bands at the Obscene Extreme music festival. Caught up for a little bit, actually kind of long... we just stood infront of the venue for close to 45 minutes. I didn't even notice the time. I gave him the art I made for Palm and chicken rice cookies I promised to get him the last time I was in Osaka. It was nice seeing him again, wish I could have seen Toshi and Akira but didn't want to bother them since they were watching bands. Also, finally got Palm's Honorable Death shirt that I wanted since they posted it online.

I was really happy with the feedback I got from my art on Saturday. It reminded me of why I love to do art so much. I haven't felt that way about my art in a long time. I guess I always give myself excuses to not do it but now I make more time because art is my number one priority in life. I need to do something about it.

Went home not long after saying bye to Kenta and slept early since the next day was lynch.'s tour final. (See next post)

Now with the help of friends, I feel like I am going in the right direction of my art. I just need to spend even more time drawing because I want to make some merchandise. I have changed my sleeping habits into waking up earlier and sleeping earlier so I have more time to do more things and revise my Japanese. Actually, I have been more productive this way.

December looks like it's going to be a very very busy month for me. My mom is coming to visit on the 1st for a week. She bought her airplane ticket on impulse, she must really miss me. H is back in my life, so I have to make time to meet him. Again, he took me by surprise in so many ways. I'm slowly starting to believe he might be the one. 

Once my mom leaves, I have a couple of shows to go to. Right off the bat, I have MUCC x lynch. , and after that it's all In Hearts Wake x Crystal Lake shows. I'm excited for all the upcoming shows. Also excited about the future now.

Today I finally watched A Clockwork Orange, and it fucked with my mind so much. It's one of those movies that makes you question a lot of things. It's not generally my style of film since it's a dystopian crime film but I did really enjoy it. No one told me that the main character, Alex, made famous of his trademark outfit (all white outfit with a bow hat and long eye-lashes on just one eye), was so short-lived. His outfit I mean. It has a lot of great artwork and cinematography in it too. As always, I'm always finding new films to make me feel something.

I hope I don't tire myself out too much. I still have exams to study for in the midst of everything. Life has took another turn and I really hope as long as I work hard, I can get to where I want in life. 頑張ります。

259. the five hundred

The weekend was so relaxing, I intended to go to a flea market in Chofu but my friend had to cancel in the end. I figured, well, I should just chill at home then, besides, it was raining really heavily on Saturday. I spent the weekend painting and just resting. I've been busy lately and it felt nice to be at home for two whole days.

After class on Monday, Jaz and I made our way to Roppongi because we both wanted to check out Takashi Murakami's The 500 Arhats exhibition at Mori Art Museum. We grabbed a quick bite at Tokyo Midtown and there was the same illumination at the back of it again, the same as last year's.

After that we made our way to Roppongi Hills and went to Mori Art Museum. We spent quite a while at the exhibition actually. There were 4 three meter-high, 100 meter-long- paintings of the arhats of Buddha, some large sculptural pieces  and abstract paintings as well. Other than the long cultural paintings, there were also paintings of his characters. I can't remember all their names but I enjoyed his exhibition, there were some hits and misses for me. Jaz wasn't as impressed because she prefers his old style. 

*This is going to be a photo heavy post. I was surprised we were allowed to take photos of the art this time because all the times I have been to Mori Art Museum or actually most museums and exhibitions in Japan, we're not allowed to take photos so I'm glad we were allowed.

258. send my love to the dancefloor

It's official, all the bands that used to make me so happy when I was a teenager have disbanded. Even my dearest Cobra Starship. Little sis and I were just talking about them on the phone last night and a Facebook update from Gabe was posted not long after.

Cobra Starship... where do I even begin? It's so foreign and strange to me writing about them because I have never wrote about them here. But they were a really a big part of my life, and also partly why I am the person I am today.

I'm going to be completely biased and say that even though I supported them as a band, it was really only Gabe. I first met Gabe back in 2007 and he is the warmest person that I know, till today. I'm lucky enough to have hung out with him so many times, from time periods between 2007 all the way to 2012. The 2008 Australian tour with them and my (then) love,  was honestly the best time of my life. Nothing has ever come close. Gabe was my buddy on that tour and at that time, I was still struggling as a artist and as a person. He always knew how to cheer me up and encourage me to chase after my dreams. He was really supportive of my art since day 1 and I will never forget that and am eternally grateful to him because if I didn't have him at my life at that time, I probably wouldn't be drawing right now.

Cobras brought a lot of light into my life, a lot of good things came along with them. Unconditional support, my relationship with my sis got insanely better (believe it or not, we used to really hate each other), I think they were the VERY first band I lost myself in music and one of the reasons why I love music so much, I never thought I could feel so strongly for music or a band. Seeing them for the first time in 2007, I will never ever ever ever forget that day. 

I'm really sad that this chapter of my life have officially come to a close. I will really miss all those times I went to their shows, hanging backstage, drinking at bars, Gabe singing to me, teasing me and randomly calling me out of the crowd, hugging me till I can't breathe, forcing me to take photos and just being there for me. Thank you so much for everything, Gabe.

I hope we cross paths again someday, you really do have a special place in my heart. 

Cobras never say die. 

Wait no... my favorite photo is actually the one below with my sis.

P.S. It looks like I will never dance again because the only time I actually dance is when I'm at a Cobra show. I will really miss this band dearly.

257. kiss my eyes

my lullaby for the last 6 months.

256. parallels

Yesterday I met up with Jaz at Nakano because we both wanted to go to James Jean's Zugzwang exhibition curated by Takashi Murakami. There was actually a book signing at 4pm but we were both busy so we went for the opening reception instead. I've never been to an opening reception so it was a good experience.

So, we made our way to Nakano Broadway, and there was a crowd outside Hidari Zingaro as we went in. It was really crowded and there were cameras around. The exhibition was really amazing, I have been a big fan of James Jean's work for years so I was really happy to see his work for the first time in person. Jaz said she has seen his work several times since she went to the same art university as him. It was funny because she was telling me how everyone in her school wanted to be like him (I mean, actually I would too. The guy is mad talented.) and used the pens he used. She told me that the quality of the tools he uses are really A* or maybe even S for Super.

Listening to her talking about the art in the U.S. makes me feel as if there are so much more opportunities there, it was nice to know though because I know no one in the art scene there.

This piece is actually painted on 12 copper panels and is the biggest piece at the show. The first piece on the right is actually Yayoi Kusama inspired, because there's dots and the furry things she makes all the time. Actually I didn't notice it, Jaz pointed it out and the piece was even named after her, "Yayu". I love the attention to details in James Jean's pieces and I especially love the lines in them, I really wish I can draw like that. 

Since it was so crowded at the gallery, I couldn't get photos of all his work. I would probably go back and look at his work another time before it ends so I can absorb everything and get inspiration from there. 

After the exhibition, Jaz and I decided to go around Nakano Broadway because she hasn't been there before. I'm starting to fall in love with Nakano Broadway honestly. I love how there are so many interesting shops, and it's not only because of the design of them but also the things they sell. All the obscure art that I really love and reblog on tumblr are mostly sold there and I can even find old merchandise from Ghibli and a lot of 80's anime which I really love. 

I really love the 80's to early 90's Japanese anime and art, there's a certain feel to it that I can't seem to get enough of. We went around all stories of the building and it was fun because I got to discover new shops.

if you zoom in on the UFO catchers, it's actually NSFW toys and figurines.

All the Mandarake shops are nicely themed and the design and decor, just love. I especially love this one :

The lighting in this shop is really good for photographs and selfies, perhaps? I love how the entrance looks like Fushimi Inari shrine in Kyoto. They even sell old signs, like Osaka's famous Gilico man from the 80's (I think, could be older) is going for 60,000 yen. I don't know why, but whenever I get to see vintage toys I immediately feel happy. 

After we were done exploring Nakano Broadway, we went to get sushi at O1O1 nearby, we didn't do anything much but just sit and talk till it was about 11pm. It was nice talking to someone about art again since none of my friends here are into it. Liking it and actually doing art are two completely different things. A mind of an artist works very differently, I don't know how to explain it. I have never felt lonely in Tokyo but I am very lonely when it comes to art if I make sense? 

I don't have anyone to talk to about it or even understand the terms of it. So, I'm really glad to have Jaz around. She said she feels the same too and she hasn't been doing anything art-related till yesterday. Talking to her makes me miss my college days to some extent, it was so easy to explain to her what our projects or critiques were like. It was also nice to hear stories from her college days. We're also planning to go to Takashi Murakami's exhibition at Mori Art Museum because she really likes his work. I look forward to that.

It was a nice break from music also, I always want to talk about the bands I listen to or just going to shows in general. You can never have too much of a good thing. Especially for me, if I have too much of it, I'll grow to hate it.

Another thing I am happy about is that Nakano is less than an hour away from my apartment and it's on my way home from class everyday so I can drop by anytime if I feel like I just want to roam around. I'm starting to really explore more of this side Tokyo and I can't wait till my sister comes in February so I can show her all the little gems I have found. 

254. november rain

Yes, I stole the title of this post from a Guns N' Roses song and no, this post has nothing to do with them. Yesterday was the perfect day to go see THE NOVEMBERS, it is November and it was raining. I especially love to listen to them when it's raining, it adds a certain dreaminess that I'm always intoxicated by.

After class, I had dinner with Junmin and Jihyon before heading to Shinkiba Studio Coast. It was also the perfect day to have ramen. I'm not a big fan of ramen but the gigantic bowl of ramen I ordered made me really happy.

They were playing Erik Satie as their background music when I got into the venue and it made me so sleepy because Erik Satie is my lullaby. They started playing at about 7:15pm. They opened to their a new song, I can't ever for the life of me remember any of their song titles. I know which song it is when I listen to it but just not the titles.

They played their entire new ep, and I was really happy to hear 裸のミンク live. It has been on loop for a while now. That song has a nostalgia to it, it reminds of me of the 1980s. There's a line in the song I really love because it's so cute, I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice-cream.

They didn't play much of my favourite songs, there was a couple of old songs here and there but when they played old songs, it really did bring back a lot of feelings for me. It's been a long time since I've started listening to them, actually around the same time when I discovered lynch. It is kind of amazing to see how the bands I love grow.

About 2 years ago, when I went to see THE NOVEMBERS, they were always playing in small venues though it was always sold out, I was so used to seeing them play to a smaller crowd. I won't deny that them getting more famous puts me off a bit. I'm one of those people that lose interest in something if they get more popular. The venue was about 3/4 full.

I really enjoyed them when they played fast songs, the visual effects were really pretty and their fast songs always put me in this trance state and I always lose myself in their music. It was definitely different seeing them play a big venue. I prefer their usual small shows actually.

They played for close to two hours and closed to a song which is my least favourite from them, 今日も生きたね. I know everybody claims this song is a masterpiece but I really don't care for it. While exiting the venue, we were given reprints of their very first demo. I was really happy to get it because that means my collection for their CDs is complete, until they release something new.

I didn't have the time to listen to their new mini-album until about a week ago because all my favourite bands decided to be assholes and release their albums on the same day, 7 October. lynch., Crystal Lake and THE NOVEMBERS and since I was going to see lynch. and CL first, I gave their music more attention. Also, as you already know, lynch. is always my number 1 priority.

Going to the show last night really was a nice break from all the noisy music though. As much as I love metalcore  and as I call it myうるさいmusic, I always need a break.

Also because lately, I have been losing interest in them quite a bit, their fans are really the worst. Not in a horrible bitchy way but their fans are so so so dead during their shows, it makes you feel bored which is such a shame because this band is amazing live. I decide to not care and just sway and dance to their music. Honestly, the fans do play such a big part of going to the band's shows. That's why I enjoy going to see my other bands more.

I don't know when will be the next time I will see THE NOVEMBERS but for now, I'll just listen to their music until I fall asleep.

253. halloweentown

Only 365 days left to Halloween. Halloween is over and I'm bummed out, like I already said in my previous post, Halloween is my favourite time of the year.

I was pretty excited for this year since it was my first time dressing up. I didn't really plan ahead on what character to dress as, so I just went to the Cosplay shop last week to check which outfit would suit me the most and just mixed what I like together. I always wanted long purple hair, so I bought a wig and the character outfit I settled for was Fate Stay Night's Tosaka Rin. To be honest, I would actually wear her outfit on a normal day if the outfit wasn't made out of costume materials.

So, on Halloween day itself, I made my way down to Shimokita to meet up with Laura. I didn't want to wear my costume out of the house, so I brought it along to change. But I realised, as the train was getting closer and closer to Shibuya, you'll see more people all dressed up and ready for Halloween. It was pretty exciting actually.

Laura and I went for late lunch/dinner at 8jours and after our meal, I changed into my costume and we went to take some purikura. We walked around Shimokita for a while more and decided to head to Shibuya since there was nothing else to do.

It was really really crowded when we arrived in Shibuya and I was amazed with the number of people who dressed up - almost everyone.

Okay, I wanted to take a photo of Shibuya crossing but it was IMPOSSIBLE. It was so crowded, we could hardly walk. It reminded me of all the times when I went to sold out music festivals. People will be pushing their way through. We did manage to see some cute outfits along the way while trying to escape the crowd. I didn't take much photos but Laura took more with her camera.

We decided to go to Harajuku since we figured it will be less crowded.

Yay Finn and Jake!!! Excuse my derpy face in this photo but I was happy. We slowly made our way to Harajuku, on the way there was a yellow cab filled with girls dressed as Minions! They were really cute and there was music blasting from their car. Once we arrived in Harajuku, we decided to take more purikura. We took a total of 3 times that night, it's a record for me since I don't ever take purikura, haha.

After purikura, Laura decided to go to Alice on Wednesday to take more photos since she was dressed up as Alice. I have been wanting to go there but I keep forgetting to whenever I am in Harajuku. 

This guy decided to photobomb me but his outfit was funny so we took a photo anyway, haha. We walked around Harajuku somewhere and back to Takeshita where we saw some girls dressed up in goth lolita. They looked so pretty! Laura took more photos and I just stared. I really admire people who put in so much effort into their costumes, it's crazy. The details and all. 

We were both getting hungry by this time and decided to go and chill at a cafe, we just randomly popped into a cafe at Harajuku Street. Jaz joined us after that. So, it was just the three of us talking about Jaz's current crush, lol. 

We chilled at the cafe till it was about closing time and parted ways to go home. To my dismay, the train was so crowded that when I arrived at my station, I realised my entire pouch carrying my suica and house keys was missing. The string must have snapped while being entangled to someone on the train. I texted both Laura and Jaz and decided to crash at Jaz's place for the night since she lives in Shibuya.

I finally got to her place close to 2am and we talked for almost the entire night. I've missed sleepovers. I haven't had one in such a long time. The last time I stayed out all night was months ago, I don't exactly miss it but sometimes, it's fun. Also, you get closer to people when you hang out with them the whole night. I guess there's where you get your close/best friends from. 

Also, Jaz has a cat named Mochi who slept next to me the entire morning. He's really hyper and would wake me up every 2ish hours. The first time he jumped on my stomach and the second time he kept rubbing his head against my face, I had to wake up and pet him. I love cats because they're annoying pieces of shit.

We both woke up at about noon the next afternoon and she made breakfast. We got out of her house at about 2 in the afternoon and I went to my housing's main office to get new keys and she went to meet her friend. I was lucky because the office was only 5 minutes away from her apartment. So we parted ways there and I'll be seeing her in class tomorrow.

After discussing about getting a new set of keys, I grabbed my favourite coffee in Harajuku and made my way down to Ichigaya because there was a free show at Hosei University. I really wanted to see Girugamesh but I had to meet up with my housing manager at 6:30pm, so I had to leave the venue early. I only managed to watch a band I don't care about... I even forgot their name and about 15 minutes of Sailing Before The Wind's set. They were pretty impressive live, I can't wait to see them play in December again.

Still bummed I didn't get to see Girugamesh but somehow, I think I will eventually see them again. I left the university at 5:30pm and got home at 7pm, finally. 

My weekend was tiring but so much fun. Despite losing my keys, I enjoyed my time talking to Jaz so maybe it was a good thing after all. Lately my life has been so busy, I hardly have time to stop and think. I can't believe it's already November, so much has happened this year and I don't know if I'm ready to welcome the new year just yet.