J-Rocktober Asian Invasion! – Lilac’s, VAMPS’, Echostream’s, and Zamza’s Worlds of Awesome!
Coinciding with NYAF and the various Asian fall harvest festivals, the first 3 weeks of October in NYC were full of Asian rock music events—from Hiroshi Kono’s Mar Creation’s J-Summit showcase at Webster Hall (10/2) featuring Lilac, to supergroup VAMPS appearing at the convention and rockin’ Roseland (10/9), to an Asian street fair (10/9) on the Upper West Side courtesy of Takaaki Ando and his team, to a complete Korea Day in Korea Town (10/9), and another Korea Day on Randall’s Island (10/10), plus XJapan’s first concert ever in the States at Roseland (10/10) after Yoshiki’s press conference at NYAF, and Hayden Brereton’s Superglorious Productions’ Far East to East Showcase (FETES) at Irving Plaza (featuring Puffy AmiYumi, Boom Boom Satellites, Zazen Boys, and Echostream—after their press conference at NYAF), plus extra nights for supergroup Boom Boom Satellites and Hiroshi Kono’s Mar Rock Record’s Zamza (10/20) at the Bowery Poetry Club (with BBS later in the week opening for Gary Numan in Times Square). Here are my fav picks of the shows I could run to cover.
Our local and inexplicably unsigned guys, Lilac (Toshi, Cha-Cha, and Jun), turned in a sizzlin’ 45-minute set as the featured band on the preview Saturday’s J-Summit. Toshi’s musical sensibilities and stage presence remind me very much of the sensuality of Hyde and L’Arc in all the right ways, meshing well with the exuberant Cha-Cha’s power on drums and Jun (from Gelatin) on bass with his ethereal style. Songs like “Vanity,” “Feel,” and “Realize,” get the crowd (including fixture fangirls) going, and Toshi had some real moments on lead “in the zone,” while I swore that Cha-Cha was going to crack a cymbal or break a head. Their ep, “You Could Be In a Higher Place,” has a very indie sound and a lot going for it, and whilst Toshi’s lyrics do have something to say, I look forward to lyrical growth in upcoming efforts. And a special shout-out to Typherus from Boston who were a great complement on the bill with the amazing Le-ak on both lyrical power and screamo vocals. Hope to see more of them down here. A Lilac/Typherus double bill would definitely rock any veteran or potential J-Rock lover’s world. J-Summit happens approximately monthly and there’s always an eclectic and interesting artist line-up, reasonable bar prices ($3 Asahis), and slim cover ($12 at the door) for up to 7 hours of music. See you there!
Japan’s nicest bad boys, VAMPS, lived up to their songs “Trouble” and
“Devil Side” —in a good way. What can I say about them that I haven’t
already said in the preview? When asked what he wanted this new album to
convey at the NYAF press conference, Hyde replied, quietly, like a
mischievous kid, “Awesomeness!” They lived up to all the hype. ($35
tix, $20 CDs/t-shirts)
L’Arc~en~Ciel’s HYDE and Oblivion Dust’s K.A.Z. and talented cohorts
played a tight 2-hour set without an opening act and covered their most
recent album, Beast, and their previous release, including fun covers of
Bowie’s “Life on Mars” and the Beatles’ “Lucy in the Sky with
Diamonds”. Roseland was full of the screams of fangirls—the guys are
sexy, after all, and play on that, big-time. This is unabashed
rock-n-roll of the Asian Persuasion…think the most fun of arena rock of
the ’80s, like Def Leppard, updated. The lighting was basic, moving
coloured spots that gave everything a bit of a hellish, surreal feel,
and the sound sometimes was so cranked as to totally distort—but it was
all about the party, man, and almost every J-Rock artist in town who was
anyone showed up to party with them. Hyde taunted and teased the crowd
and they responded in kind: “I can’t hear you!” “What do you f—king
want?!” and “SCREAM!” K.A.Z. plays a vintage Gibson Flying-V and slings
it like a bad-ass guitar desperado, including the flying,
around-the-shoulders move, without missing a chord or lead note,
whipping folks into a frenzy. The diminutive demon-godling Hyde’s energy
never flagged and he continuously stirred up the crowd without missing a
beat, supported rock-solidly by his rhythm section. He remains just a
tad kawaii, the dark Peter Pan. I miss the songs that give his real
voice, which can be chill-inducing, a chance to soar, but he’s obviously
having fun and it’s infectious. Thus, I remain a fan of him and his
music and I look forward to more good bad-boy antics and happy fans upon
their promised fall return.
Though they were the FETES ($25) opening act before the formidable Zazen Boys, Boom Boom Satellites, and Puffy AmiYumi, Echostream’s track record and pedigree need no apology in the J-Rock world, over here or over there. Guitarist Tomo Asaha (a J-Rock veteran from a Visual Kei background), lead vocalist Ryoko, and keyboardist/programmer (and french horn player!) Tony (both from the Royal Conservatory in London), with Jen and CJ on drums (great synthesis between them, acoustic and electronic—no bass!), deliver music that is at once thoughtful, visceral, powerful, and delicate, where lyrics matter. Tomo claims not to play lead guitar and, technically, he doesn’t. But his intricate and sophisticated rhythm playing, whether on his Gibson SG or his Fender Telecaster, are so full of details and riffs that you never miss the usual shredder leads popular with most Japanese guitarists. His sound is smooth and powerful and he moves on stage with an unselfconsciousness that’s compelling and graceful. Ryoko is like a faerie goddess with claws—feminine but never timid in voice and demeanor. Tony is the mad scientist professor on keys and the addition of the horn on one of the yet unreleased songs acted as a sort of back-up vocal for Ryoko that was juicy and dense. The foundation and drive that Jen and CJ lay down are perfect and a joy to watch, as well. They have 2 albums out and a 3rd in the works (of which Tomo says in a recent interview that it would be a good anime soundtrack) and each one takes a somewhat different direction for these bold explorers of sound and meaning. Their too-short 30-minute set was tight and satisfying and left me wishing for a solo bill from them.
Wednesday eve had me down in the East Village at the Bowery Poetry Club ($10) for the double bill of Zamza and Boom Boom Satellites (see May Young’s coverage of BBS on Facebook). Zamza is a hard rock, heavy metal, Visual Kei power quartet + keys originally from Tokyo, all veteran musicians, supporting their mostly-English release, Manga Rock. The guys love American audiences—and they love them right back, from NYC to Boston! Zinc, the lead vocalist, is a cat with a bit of the helter-skelter in his eyes and a nod to Ozzy with touches of Dio and Halford in the voice, but a style all his own. He plays with the audience and prances around, keeps constant eye-contact with fans when he’s singing, and delivers lines both romantic and cynical about love, money, and world politics with equal passion. In short—he’s fun! Love Hiroki’s guitar sound—classic, not stale—and he is fine to look at. Bass player Banshee is an homage to Nikki Sixx and Gene Simmons with the huge hair, skyscraper boots, leather, and chains, playing a Warlock bass with the relentless thump that this music could not do without. KOHTA on drums is almost low key, by comparison, but never anything but strong. Their one-hour set pleased and teased and the sound was excellent with no-frills lighting that allowed us to enjoy the music, so much dancing ensued! They are said to be the nicest guys and I was sorry that, in all the chaos and crowded space, I never got a chance to chat with them. The guys are hoping to return this spring.
I just can’t wait to see spring!