Before I get started, today is Memorial Day here in the US, and I'd like to take a moment to thank all the soldiers and their families for their service to our country. Your strength and sacrifice is deeply appreciated.
Starting this Quickie off with happy news! Alice Nine has announced their official comeback with their 11th Anniversary live, Re:Birth, at Toyosu PIT on August 23. What this means for their independent incarnation, A9, I'm not really sure, but it's exciting nonetheless. Check out the announcement trailer and try not to squeal.
More great news for fans of R-Shitei. Drummer Hirotaka, who has been out of commission due to a bad sprain, is back in action just in time for their nearly sold out summer tour. Hirotaka's first show back was May 23 at Shibuya Ruido K2. Make sure to grab their newest single, Suicide Memories, which comes out June 3.
The last couple of weeks have been light on the sucks, but it looks like it's come back on us this week, starting with the hiatus of one of my favorite new bands, My Bacteria Heat Island. The group abruptly announced they will be taking a break after their oneman on July 20. While I personally haven't been able to confirm the reason, fan blogs are citing health problems. Whatever the cause, we hope to see the guys back soon.
Another hiatus announced for all girl group, Magromance. The group will pause all band activities after their live on July 12 due to member departure. They aren't specific as to who exactly is leaving and they only have a couple of events left before the end, so make sure to catch their current lineup while you can.
It seems Kamijo is running into problems on his world tour. Just one day away from his show in Sao Paolo, Brazil, Kamijo was forced to cancel his performance due to the lack of an artist visa. In order to make it up to their disappointed fans, Kamijo held a completely free meet and greet in leiu of the performance at a local crepe cafe. They are hoping the show can be rescheduled for another date, but no details have been released as of yet.
And now, a lineup change for Vanikill. It seems bassist, Tera, left the group on May 12, citing differences in musical direction. The rest of the band plans to continue with band activities without him. Tera himself plans to take some time off to find himself before jumping back into the business once again.
Back to the good news, Kiyoharu has a new solo album slated for release in October. No title as of yet, but it will be followed by a live tour kicking off in December and moving through March 2016. Kiyoharu TOUR Tenshi no Uta 2015 [21] starts on December 23 at Yokohama Bay Hall. Check the homepage for more dates and details.
We'll wrap things up with a very cool New Band Alert: RE/V! I haven't heard any music yet, but the linup alone is enough to get me excited. Former Velbet frontman, Riuki, will be taking the helm for this one, joined by ex-BLACKLINE and SAVAGE bassist, Jun and ex- hyper pocket drummer, Fumiya. I expect very cool things from these guys. Their ohp is up and they have a few lives scheduled, so if you're in the area, check them out and let me know how they sound!
And, that's the Quickie! Rock on!
