This has been one of the most exciting weekends yet! This weekend I went to the V-rock festival in Makuhari Messe. Over 50 different visual-kei artists performed, including the GazettE, Marilyn Manson (don't really like him though, so I went home before his concert, as he was the last artist to perform on staurday, I didn't miss anything else), Kagrra, SuG, Plastic tree, LM.C etc. It will take too much space to list them all =P
So I went to this festival, being absolutely clueless as I had not listened any of them before. i just followed my friends to whatever concert they decided to go to. They had four stages (it was inside), two stages in each room, and they held two concerts simultaneously all the time (not in the same room of course =P), except for Marilyn Manson and the GazettE. Probably because they are so big artists, so the other bands wouldn't be able to compete =O. In the end, there were too many good bands =O Especially on Sunday, I will go bankrupt if I try to buy all their CDs, hahaha. Well, as I said, Sunday was the best day, and I think so because I had probably gotten into the mood by then, and realized what was actually happening. When you stand there and listen, it feels like you are not really seeing the REAL artisits, it's just people who happen to look the same, sound the same, act the same etc.
I also think that it was better on Sunday, because by then I knew the way better, and thus I was able to listen to the first band of the day. On Saturday, me and Marion (we met at the school at 8 o'clock, and then we went up together) arrived at 12 o'clock, and the concerts started at 10! Well, it took such a long time because we got off at Makuhari, and then we had to walk for an hour in order to get to Makuhari Messe. And when we got there, we realized that there was a station there called Kaihimmakuhari, which was right in the middle of Makuhari Messe =P. See now why the Sunday was better? No stress, no wandering around, just arriving quickly with your energy intact. Which was needed as there was a lot of jumping around to do when getting in there, haha.
One thing that struck me as different is that the audience here does not normally applaud after a concert. Instead, they wave their arms in the air, and the faster they wave, the more excited thay are. Even the concerts here are calmer! And a funny thing is when the artists stand on stage in their make-up, cool hairdos, looking fierce and grownup, and then jumping around, clapping their hands and asking the audience to do the same. Haha, really a contrast I must say =P. And some of the artists were REALLY energetic! They jumped around all the time, ran around on stage... Who needs a gym membership when you can just hold a concert? =P
There was also a sad moment when Versailles performed. Their bass-player died just a couple of months ago, and they had brought his bass with them, and after the concert, they held the bass between them and then bowed. It was a really beautiful and sad gesture. Also, the stage was filled with red roses. Really sad =(. One of my friends started crying =(
And a funny moment too! They held a fashionshow both days (they showed the same clothes), but the fashionshow on the first day was better, because then more artists were a part of it. Some of the performing artists starred in the fashionshow! Really nice! And the clothes were awesome! Really cool! i will have to buy, if not a new wardrobe, then at least a new outfit =)
I must also mention that this festival was the first time that I felt the scent of sweat. It is really unusual here in Japan, but when we went to one of the last concerts on Saturday, it was like a wall hit us when we entered the room. A warm, humid, sweaty wall =O Well, they might know how to prevent smelling like sweat normally, but they are still human. You can't hold a concert without dancing and sweating! ;)
Conclusion? V-rock festival... Definitely worth going to =)