The Weekly Quickie: LUNA SEA, AN CAFE, ViViD, Yoshiki, Oneness, REALies, Acid Black Cherry, CELL

Spring is here and summer is rapidly approaching which means SUMMER FESTIVALS!  Visual kei veterans, LUNA SEA, have announced they will be taking part in their very own festival, Lunatic Fest, June 27-28 at Makuhari Messe.  No other acts have been announced as of yet, but you know it's going to be great.  Planning a summer vacation in Japan and want to attend?  No problem!  Tickets are available for purchase from overseas through their special ticketing system until April 20.

The Weekly Quickie: the Lotus, ViViD, VAMPS, Hizaki, Sukekiyo, nue

Yo, dude!  Check out my banner!  It's a pretty cool banner.  How much do you love it?

Okay, enough goofing off.  Down to business.  Good ol' PSC, the company we both love and love to hate.  They've brought us great bands like The Gazette, ViViD, Kagrra, and Miyavi just to name a few.  Now, they have created a new label together with Bellwood Records titled "Nouveau Parfum."  The concept is creating a 'new scent' within the scene of visual kei.  The first release, or rather releases, on this label will be LOTUS' three month "Providence" series.  Providence of Bionic releases April 8, Providence of Jesus May 13 and an as yet unnamed mini-album (I'm betting it has 'providence' in the title) in June.  I'm curious to see what exactly this new scent entails.  I'm thinking....lavender and hairspray.

The Weekly Quickie: Sukekiyo, Perfume, ViViD, Crossfaith, X-Japan, Yeti, ONE OK ROCK

Super group Sukekiyo will be holding a one-man performance in Shanghai, China.  The show is part of their national tour, The Unified Field, commemorating the release of their first mini-album, Vitium, and will take place on March 15.

The Weekly Quickie: SCREW, ViViD, SCANDAL, MEJIBRAY, The Black Swan, ALSDEAD, The Kiddie, the:Ø, The 3rd Birthday, MUCC, Anisong World Tour, LiSA, X-Japan

 I'm baaaaaaaaack!  And, boy do we have a lot to catch up on.  So, let's get to it, shall we?

SCREW has announced a hand full of new releases for the upcoming year. Their tour final held on December 28 at AiiA Theatre will be released as a DVD. This was their final performance with all five members. No release date yet, but I’m sure you guys want it. The group will continue on with four members with the release of a mini-album titled, Konsui on April 22, followed by a second mini-album, Kakusei, sometime in August.

The Weekly Quickie: BIOSPHIA, ViViD, CELL, Vent Croix, Minori, Tokami

 I hate to say it, but I've got a whole bunch of bad news for you this week.  To start things off, the disbandment of BIOSPHIA.  The band released a brief statement on Tuesday announcing that they will disband following their one-man live on April 2 at Osaka MUSE.  No official member comments as of yet, just a few apologetic and very disappointed tweets.  Their latest single, Suicidal Diva, coincidentally released the same day as the announcement and there don't appear to be plans for any further releases.

The Weekly Quickie: My Bacteria Heat Island, GRIEVA, QuaLiA, DEATHGAZE, D.I.D., ViViD

We have a mystery this week, folks.  I took a visit to My Bacteria Heat Island's homepage and....countdown?  No clues as to what it means, but boy does it have me excited.  If you aren't familiar with My Bacteria Heat Island, it is the new band fronted by ex-Chemical Pictures vocalist, Tenten and it is....REALLY good so, needless to say, I can't wait to see what surprise they have in store for us.

The Weekly Quickie: VAMPS Halloween Party, ViViD, Magistina Saga, Crossfaith, XENON, The Black Swan

It's almost Halloween!  So, guess what that means.  It's VAMPS Halloween Party time again!  This year's party, spanning over two weekends and five days, will include performances from DAIGO, Momoiro Clover Z, Kishidan, Tommy heavenly6, May J. SID, Nogizaka46, MUCC, Silent Siren, Golden Bomber and, of course, VAMPS.  The first three days will be at Makuhari Messe Oct 17-19 and the final two days at Kobe World Hall Oct 25-26.  The party will also feature performances by the special live band, Halloween Junky Orchestra, made up of performers of all participating groups.  This is going to be VERY cool, so if you happen to be in the area, you should really check it out.  If you need to purchase tickets from overseas, they are available at NEXUS Ticket Center.

Con Report: ViViD Panel

ViViD's Q&A panel was held Friday afternoon before their live. The band was already seated at a long table at the front of the room when the small but excited group of fans was ushered in. They all looked dashing and cheerful, flashing wide smiles at the crowd as we shuffled in. I took a seat at the edge of the crowd, trying not to be distracted by the wild Ken-chan lurking about taking pictures and futzing with the sound (as an avid AGENT, this was difficult for me). Shion of Babel Entertainment acted as MC and with an enthusiastic "Let's kick it!" we got started.

Con Report: Orlando Nerd Fest

 
Can I just say...wow.  I've never been to a music festival of such epically nerdy proportions.  And I mean that in a good way.  Orlando Nerd Fest, held August 7-12, is the first of it's kind.  A music festival dedicated entirely to Nerd Core music and nerd culture.  Usually, first-time cons make me a little...nervous, but with an all-star lineup that included big names such as Final Fantasy composer, Nobuo Uematsu, World of Warcraft composer, Jason Hayes, the crazy android band, Steam Powered Giraffe, and Nerd Core rapper MC Frontalot, you know it has to be good, so I went in with high expectations.  I have to say, despite a few minor frustrations that I'm sure will be cleared up by next year, I was not disappointed.

ViViD Merch at Nerd Fest!

Be sure to swing by the merch booth while you're enjoying Nerd Fest!!

Shirts 35 

Towel 30

Singles 15

Album (Pendulum) 35 

Keychain 20

Nail stickers 15

Wristbands 10

ViViD Livestream Tonight!

Orlando Nerd Fest is live streaming shows from this year's festival via Twitch TV.  That includes ViViD!  Showtime is at 8pm Eastern Time, so check it out!  The next best thing to being there!

The Weekly Quickie: TAG, THE MICRO HEAD4NS, MINORI, Shin, Yoshiki, D.I.D.

HOLLOWGRAM vocalist Ryo has announced his third release with his collaboration project, TAG.  Called Synapse Wall, this six track release promises a more electronic, industrial feel than we are used to from his previous projects.  Synapse Wall will release on July 30.  You can grab it, along with their previous releases, from iTunes or AmazonMp3.

The Weekly Quickie: MEJIBRAY, BLACKLINE, BABYMETAL

For those of you that have been following the condition of MEJIBRAY drummer, Meto, since his terrible fall a few weeks ago, you will be happy to hear that he has been released from hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.  The band has also released their new tour schedule and announced the release of a new single!  Titled "Theatrical Blue-Black" , it is slated for release on 9/24 and will be available in three types.  And, how about that new look?  Nice, yeah?

Heavy rock band BLACKLINE has separated from their management company, Fuji Production as of June 12.  There aren't a lot of details regarding the separation, but it appears to be an amicable one.  What does that mean for BLACKLINE?  I wouldn't get too worried as of yet.  With the release of a new EP, This is War, on June 11 (available for overseas purchase next month) and a full touring schedule, they don't appear to be slowing down.

Speaking of touring fools, BABYMETAL is kicking ass with even more US tour dates!  This time with Lady Gaga.  They will be appearing at a handful of Lady Gaga's artRAVE:  The ARTPOP Ball dates from 7/30-8/6.  By the way, pre-sale tickets for their LA headliner show sold out almost instantly, so DON'T HESITATE!  Get your tickets early so you don't miss out.

Oh, have I mentioned I'll be hanging out at Orlando Nerd Fest?  You should hang out with me.  ViViD want to meet you.  They said so.  It's all in their comment video.


See?

And that's the Quickie.  Love you!

Get Nerdy with Me! Nerd Fest Orlando 2014

 

I once tried to describe Nerd Core to a coworker of mine and she responded with, “That's a thing?”.

Yes, it's a thing. A wonderful, glorious and supremely dorky thing. A thing that tickles our inner otaku and celebrates geeks. A thing that allows gamers, anime fans and role-players to come together and revel in the things that might otherwise bring them ridicule. A thing that let's them know that someone else gets the joke.

2014 Summer Rock Schedule

I know we've been loading you up with LOADS of North American event and tour dates lately, so we thought we'd hook you up with a Quickie version (see what I did there?) to help you plan your summer.  Check the list below for appearance dates and ticketing links for your favorite Jrock act.

ViViD and Earthbound Papas at Nerd Fest Orlando

Dates:  August 7-11

Event Homepage:  http://orlandonerdfest.com/

The Weekly Quickie: Nerd Fest, Mejibray, SPYAIR, Moi dix Mois

It sure seems like I talk about ViViD a lot lately, but, guess what.  I'm doing it again!  ViViD announced early this week that they will be headlining Nerd Fest in Orlando, Florida.  Nerd Fest is a music-centered, four-day nerd party featuring acts such as Earthbound Papas, Critical Hit, Steam Powered Giraffe and MC Frontalot.  It will take place August 7-11 at Orlando Airport Marriot.  See their homepage for details on passes and scheduling.  There's also about a 98% chance I'll be there, so if you see me, say hi!

The Weekly Quickie: BORN, Lycaon, ALSDEAD, ViViD, DaizyStripper, GazettE

This week, it's all about lives and new releases!  First up, BORN and Lycaon just announced an EU Tour!  The tour, called RAMPAGE, will consist of a series of two-man lives across Europe.  Schedule and ticketing information to be announced via MJP on May 23rd, so keep your eyes peeled!

Guess what.  I don't have to eat my hat!  ALSDEAD just held their much awaited JUDGEMENT DAY live on May 16 where they announced the official induction of drummer, Nikky, to the ranks and the release of an as yet untitled album later this year.  If you were lucky enough to attend the live, you had the opportunity to grab a limited edition of their newest single, STAR LESS , which officially releases 6/4.  It also means I hate you.  I lot.  Check out a preview below.

The Weekly Quickie: ViViD, TSUKASA, D=OUT, The Black Swan

Ever wondered how to get the attention of your favorite band member?  ViViD drummer, Ko-ki, has all the answers.  He has decided to use his blog to give the fans insight into the inner workings of bandman life.  He's calling the project バンドマンのためになる話 (Useful Bandman Talk).  The information, however, doesn't come free.  The price:  RETWEETS!  The more retweets his blog posts get, the more in detail he will go, so make sure you follow him on twitter and hit that button!