DOKool (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} dokool) wrote in ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} ellegardenrocks,@ 2007-05-29 01:57:00 |
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Shibuya JACK report (5/27)
(this is my SECOND time writing this damned thing because xJournal ate it the first time. I expect gratefulness and comments =P)
So, yesterday (Sunday, the 27th) was SHIBUYA JACK, one of the most important musical events to take place in Tokyo... ever. Basically, a fuck-ton (in all cases where a fuck-ton equals about 100) of bands took over around two dozen livehouses in the Shibuya area of Tokyo, making it one of the first all-day music festivals (if not THE first) in the city proper.
One of the bands was a group you might know called Ellegarden. Now, while this had the unfortunate side effect of detracting from the real purpose of the festival (i.e. it turned if from "oh hey, this is an awesome festival we're running" to "oh hey, this is an awesome festival AND ELLEGARDEN SHOW WOO!!!!"), I would be the last to complain about a chance to see the Elle.
Now, the catch of this festival? While the bands were known, and the venues were known, the schedules (timetables) were not known, and would not be known until 11AM on Sunday morning. Let's pick up my tale a little earlier.
10:30AM - I arrive at the Shibuya Tower Records, one of three "ticket exchange depots" set up for the show. I'm told to go down the stairwell where there is quite a line. As I walk down, I realize that everyone is stopping their conversations to look at me. I also realize that I am the only foreigner. Surprisingly I am pretty much used to this. About 60-75% of the people in line are wearing Ellegarden shirts, muffler towels, or both. As am I.
10:45AM - The line reaches the bottom of the stairwell and starts to snake back up.
11:00AM - Theoretically, the Shibuya Jack mobile site should be updated. Realistically, an unknown number of people are trying to connect to it and I can't load the page. This displeases me. The line doesn't start moving yet.
11:08AM - I finally get to the timetable page and discover that Ellegarden is playing at Club Asia. Having maybe heard of it once or twice, I decide that it is a small place and that today will be made of Win and Glory. The kids next to me have maps printed out from the Jack website and we determine it to be way the fuck out in Dogenzaka, about a 10-15 minute walk.
11:15AM - The line finally starts moving.
11:20AM - I exchange my ticket and get a white (20+) wristband, a "survival map" and a little pouch to hang around my neck to hold said map. I go outside, get my bearings, and head toward Club Asia.
11:35AM - I arrive at Club Asia. While Jack staffers are forbidding people from waiting in line at the club, about a dozen people (all Elle fans) are waiting across the street. I stop at the convenience store up the street to get a snack and a big bottle of water and join them.
11:55AM - We're kicked out from across the street. I wander back to Shibuya, find a bathroom, get some bubble tea, and go back to Asia, where people have gone... up the street and around the corner. I join them and get out my DS.
12:45PM - We're kicked out from around the corner. Everyone goes to the AM/PM, where maybe 50-75 Ellegarden fans are congregating. A trio of high school girls decide they want to talk to me, being the Only Gaijin There. There is mutual embarrassment all around, but it passes the time.
1:55PM - When they announce people can start lining up behind the gates, EVERYONE RUSHES THE CLUB. I did not get my spot in line (maybe 50 people back) so much as I was shoved into my spot in line. There had to be at least 500 people or more. I spot another foreigner near the head of the line, but since he's dressed normally (as in, no band apparel) I've decided he Does Not Count.
2:30PM - The announcement is made that one of the bands, LOUDNESS (note: caps are as written on the Jack site, not because I feel like emphasizing that the band was supposed to be loud) is not performing. This is met with groans; not of the "damn, I wanted to see them" type but more of the "I forgot my book/DS/etc what am I going to do for that 2 hours of downtime?" type.
2:45PM - Staffers are carrying large boxes that appear to be full of Ellegarden merch. I guess they're either defying the lawsuit or they're allowed to sell the stuff pending appeal?
3:00PM - They start orderly filing people inside. I do battle with a coin locker and eventually succeed in putting my stuff away, only taking my cane and my water, plus a Qoo pouch. I end up talking to the gaijin (Lucas, was his name?) and his friend (and his friends), who came out from Chiba. One of the friend's friends was a tiny Japanese girl who went to the Boston show, so we end up talking about how awesome that was.
3:30PM - It's more or less announced that if you have to leave main events to go to the bathroom or whatnot, you aren't getting back in as there are several hundred people who want to be where you are. Now, for the record this is a floor map of the club. Those of you playing the home game should note that this is roughly the same size as the Knitting Factory in NYC.
4:00PM - Showtime. Nothing happens. Crowd starts to get restless. Lucas complains about how he has to use the facilities and get food. He decides to leave and push his luck. I decide it was nice seeing him and maybe I'll find him outside after the show.
4:35PM - Guys wearing camo with bullhorns come in - they are part of the street team that's been promoting Jack, so obviously the show's about to finally get rolling. They proceed to announce the first band, BEFORE CHRIST BUTTERFLY. Their image is suitably schizophrenic, like a mix between a hardcore insane version of Lacuna Coil and... i dunno. Some random upbeat rock band. They're enjoyable if only in a "well, it's something to pass the time" way.
5:30PM - Jesse, RIZE frontman and founder of Jack, is on the air at ShibuyaFM 88.7, which is covering the day's events. He says that there are 500 people inside Club Asia and another 300 waiting outside.
5:45PM - The second band, YamaArashi takes the stage. Two guitarists, bass, drums, and two MCs decked out in whatever they think the latest thug life fashions are. The music was okay, but I could have done without the thugged-out style - their website presents more of an "extreme" image, so whatever. The set was actually over surprisingly quickly, so much so that I was almost disappointed.
6:30PM - Roadies start to set up for RIZE's set. It occurs to me that they better sound awesome given that they have so much time to do sound check.
7:00PM - ShibuyaFM mentions Ellegarden, everyone cheers. They play Salamander. Half of the crowd sings along quietly.
7:40PM - Not just on time, but 5 minutes early, RIZE goes onstage. They're... well, they're pretty good. Jesse is as energetic a frontman as I've ever seen, and the music isn't necessarily 100% my thing but I can dig it, especially since they have 3 or 4 videocameras and I don't want to show up as the one gaijin in the room who isn't having a good time. Plus, you have to give them props, as they're the only band on the lineup that can hold a candle to Ellegarden in terms of popularity. A small candle, though.
7:55PM - Jesse decides, while he plays the guitar, that he feels like crowd surfing. He does this right where I'm standing, about 3 rows back from the front gate, maybe 2/3rds of the way to the right. While some could interpret this as disaster, I determine that this is a チャンスゲット！ (Chance Get!). It turns out that I'm right, as a sea of people part as a result of his dive (and eventual dropping, and recovery, etc). By the time the chaos is over I'm at the front of the crowd, hugging the security gate for dear life. Jesse eventually gets back onstage and keeps on playing. Props to him.
8:10PM - RIZE ends their set. Some people I was standing with earlier see that I have a new position. Two of the guys give me identical "How in the name of holy fuck did you get to the front?" looks at the same time. I give them my asshat ear-to-ear grin.
8:20PM - Hosomi-san, listening to an iPod (I wonder what was on his playlist?) along with the rest of the band comes onstage to cheers and fangirl squeals to do sound checks. I should note that none of the other bands actually came out to do sound checks, they all sent their roadies. Continued proof that Ellegarden is awesome.
8:30PM - I notice that the roadies are setting up an extra mic stand, but this one they raise all the way up and point at the crowd. I'll bet even money that a recording from the show shows up on either a new single or on this digital-only EP I've seen mentioned a couple times.
8:35PM - half a dozen security staffers fan out in front of the security gate to prepare to catch crowd surfers.
8:40PM - Ellegarden goes onstage to their intro music and the room explodes.
1. Supernova
I swear to god Hosomi-san saw me singing and pointed at me during this. Unreal.
2. Gunpowder Valentine
3. スターフィッシュ
During the interlude, just as at the Makuhari Messe show, I give an impassioned should of "アメリカへ帰ってください！” (Come back to the US!) Because of this (or maybe unrelated to this, who knows?) he talks about how Eleven Fire Crackers is getting a US release. He jokes about how maybe ELLE Magazine in the US will sue him too and flips the double-bird. Everyone laughs.
4. Fire Cracker
My head gets sandwiched between two crowdsurfers and two security guards trying to keep them from falling. I almost lose my glasses (having flashbacks to Makuhari), then I find out that they're in the plastic bag that was hanging off my cane (which was firmly wedged on the "other" side of the guardrail. I decide they're better off staying there for the rest of the set.
5. Acropolis
Near the end of the song (the final "You scream out... I hear that...") a girl apparently falls in the middle of the crowd, far to my left. Hosomi-san instantly cuts the music and brings out the house lights, rushing to the edge of the stage. It takes about a minute to make sure she's okay, they joke about a keitai (maybe she dove down to get it?), and then they pick up exactly where they left off.
6. Salamander
7. 高架線
8. Missing
9. ジターバグ
10. Red Hot
The band leaves the stage to riotous applause. A chant of "エ！ル！レ！” (E! RU! RE!, the band's shorthand in katakana) picks up, and they return to more cheers. Hosomi-san talks a little about the lawsuit (the tone of voice seemed to be a "how stupid is this?" thing), and tells the audience that his throat's a little tired from all the touring, so if they could help him sing the last song...
Encore. Make a Wish
The place explodes one more time. After the cheers finally subside, everyone stops to pick stuff off of the floor that was dropped (mostly towels, a couple cell phones), and then turns to congratulate their fellow Ellegarden fans and thank them (お疲れ様でした - "otsukaresama deshita!" It's a concept that doesn't really have an English equivalent but it's more or less "thank you for your hard work). I was approached by a couple dozen people thanking me after the show. We stumble out into the night, drunk with bliss and victorious. The line around the corner for Ellegarden merch stretches down the street. There is no line for RIZE merch. How surprising.
So, that's the latest from Tokyo - I will, of course, keep everyone updated with any future news regarding the recording.
(this is my SECOND time writing this damned thing because xJournal ate it the first time. I expect gratefulness and comments =P)
So, yesterday (Sunday, the 27th) was SHIBUYA JACK, one of the most important musical events to take place in Tokyo... ever. Basically, a fuck-ton (in all cases where a fuck-ton equals about 100) of bands took over around two dozen livehouses in the Shibuya area of Tokyo, making it one of the first all-day music festivals (if not THE first) in the city proper.
One of the bands was a group you might know called Ellegarden. Now, while this had the unfortunate side effect of detracting from the real purpose of the festival (i.e. it turned if from "oh hey, this is an awesome festival we're running" to "oh hey, this is an awesome festival AND ELLEGARDEN SHOW WOO!!!!"), I would be the last to complain about a chance to see the Elle.
Now, the catch of this festival? While the bands were known, and the venues were known, the schedules (timetables) were not known, and would not be known until 11AM on Sunday morning. Let's pick up my tale a little earlier.
10:30AM - I arrive at the Shibuya Tower Records, one of three "ticket exchange depots" set up for the show. I'm told to go down the stairwell where there is quite a line. As I walk down, I realize that everyone is stopping their conversations to look at me. I also realize that I am the only foreigner. Surprisingly I am pretty much used to this. About 60-75% of the people in line are wearing Ellegarden shirts, muffler towels, or both. As am I.
10:45AM - The line reaches the bottom of the stairwell and starts to snake back up.
11:00AM - Theoretically, the Shibuya Jack mobile site should be updated. Realistically, an unknown number of people are trying to connect to it and I can't load the page. This displeases me. The line doesn't start moving yet.
11:08AM - I finally get to the timetable page and discover that Ellegarden is playing at Club Asia. Having maybe heard of it once or twice, I decide that it is a small place and that today will be made of Win and Glory. The kids next to me have maps printed out from the Jack website and we determine it to be way the fuck out in Dogenzaka, about a 10-15 minute walk.
11:15AM - The line finally starts moving.
11:20AM - I exchange my ticket and get a white (20+) wristband, a "survival map" and a little pouch to hang around my neck to hold said map. I go outside, get my bearings, and head toward Club Asia.
11:35AM - I arrive at Club Asia. While Jack staffers are forbidding people from waiting in line at the club, about a dozen people (all Elle fans) are waiting across the street. I stop at the convenience store up the street to get a snack and a big bottle of water and join them.
11:55AM - We're kicked out from across the street. I wander back to Shibuya, find a bathroom, get some bubble tea, and go back to Asia, where people have gone... up the street and around the corner. I join them and get out my DS.
12:45PM - We're kicked out from around the corner. Everyone goes to the AM/PM, where maybe 50-75 Ellegarden fans are congregating. A trio of high school girls decide they want to talk to me, being the Only Gaijin There. There is mutual embarrassment all around, but it passes the time.
1:55PM - When they announce people can start lining up behind the gates, EVERYONE RUSHES THE CLUB. I did not get my spot in line (maybe 50 people back) so much as I was shoved into my spot in line. There had to be at least 500 people or more. I spot another foreigner near the head of the line, but since he's dressed normally (as in, no band apparel) I've decided he Does Not Count.
2:30PM - The announcement is made that one of the bands, LOUDNESS (note: caps are as written on the Jack site, not because I feel like emphasizing that the band was supposed to be loud) is not performing. This is met with groans; not of the "damn, I wanted to see them" type but more of the "I forgot my book/DS/etc what am I going to do for that 2 hours of downtime?" type.
2:45PM - Staffers are carrying large boxes that appear to be full of Ellegarden merch. I guess they're either defying the lawsuit or they're allowed to sell the stuff pending appeal?
3:00PM - They start orderly filing people inside. I do battle with a coin locker and eventually succeed in putting my stuff away, only taking my cane and my water, plus a Qoo pouch. I end up talking to the gaijin (Lucas, was his name?) and his friend (and his friends), who came out from Chiba. One of the friend's friends was a tiny Japanese girl who went to the Boston show, so we end up talking about how awesome that was.
3:30PM - It's more or less announced that if you have to leave main events to go to the bathroom or whatnot, you aren't getting back in as there are several hundred people who want to be where you are. Now, for the record this is a floor map of the club. Those of you playing the home game should note that this is roughly the same size as the Knitting Factory in NYC.
4:00PM - Showtime. Nothing happens. Crowd starts to get restless. Lucas complains about how he has to use the facilities and get food. He decides to leave and push his luck. I decide it was nice seeing him and maybe I'll find him outside after the show.
4:35PM - Guys wearing camo with bullhorns come in - they are part of the street team that's been promoting Jack, so obviously the show's about to finally get rolling. They proceed to announce the first band, BEFORE CHRIST BUTTERFLY. Their image is suitably schizophrenic, like a mix between a hardcore insane version of Lacuna Coil and... i dunno. Some random upbeat rock band. They're enjoyable if only in a "well, it's something to pass the time" way.
5:30PM - Jesse, RIZE frontman and founder of Jack, is on the air at ShibuyaFM 88.7, which is covering the day's events. He says that there are 500 people inside Club Asia and another 300 waiting outside.
5:45PM - The second band, YamaArashi takes the stage. Two guitarists, bass, drums, and two MCs decked out in whatever they think the latest thug life fashions are. The music was okay, but I could have done without the thugged-out style - their website presents more of an "extreme" image, so whatever. The set was actually over surprisingly quickly, so much so that I was almost disappointed.
6:30PM - Roadies start to set up for RIZE's set. It occurs to me that they better sound awesome given that they have so much time to do sound check.
7:00PM - ShibuyaFM mentions Ellegarden, everyone cheers. They play Salamander. Half of the crowd sings along quietly.
7:40PM - Not just on time, but 5 minutes early, RIZE goes onstage. They're... well, they're pretty good. Jesse is as energetic a frontman as I've ever seen, and the music isn't necessarily 100% my thing but I can dig it, especially since they have 3 or 4 videocameras and I don't want to show up as the one gaijin in the room who isn't having a good time. Plus, you have to give them props, as they're the only band on the lineup that can hold a candle to Ellegarden in terms of popularity. A small candle, though.
7:55PM - Jesse decides, while he plays the guitar, that he feels like crowd surfing. He does this right where I'm standing, about 3 rows back from the front gate, maybe 2/3rds of the way to the right. While some could interpret this as disaster, I determine that this is a チャンスゲット！ (Chance Get!). It turns out that I'm right, as a sea of people part as a result of his dive (and eventual dropping, and recovery, etc). By the time the chaos is over I'm at the front of the crowd, hugging the security gate for dear life. Jesse eventually gets back onstage and keeps on playing. Props to him.
8:10PM - RIZE ends their set. Some people I was standing with earlier see that I have a new position. Two of the guys give me identical "How in the name of holy fuck did you get to the front?" looks at the same time. I give them my asshat ear-to-ear grin.
8:20PM - Hosomi-san, listening to an iPod (I wonder what was on his playlist?) along with the rest of the band comes onstage to cheers and fangirl squeals to do sound checks. I should note that none of the other bands actually came out to do sound checks, they all sent their roadies. Continued proof that Ellegarden is awesome.
8:30PM - I notice that the roadies are setting up an extra mic stand, but this one they raise all the way up and point at the crowd. I'll bet even money that a recording from the show shows up on either a new single or on this digital-only EP I've seen mentioned a couple times.
8:35PM - half a dozen security staffers fan out in front of the security gate to prepare to catch crowd surfers.
8:40PM - Ellegarden goes onstage to their intro music and the room explodes.
1. Supernova
I swear to god Hosomi-san saw me singing and pointed at me during this. Unreal.
2. Gunpowder Valentine
3. スターフィッシュ
During the interlude, just as at the Makuhari Messe show, I give an impassioned should of "アメリカへ帰ってください！” (Come back to the US!) Because of this (or maybe unrelated to this, who knows?) he talks about how Eleven Fire Crackers is getting a US release. He jokes about how maybe ELLE Magazine in the US will sue him too and flips the double-bird. Everyone laughs.
4. Fire Cracker
My head gets sandwiched between two crowdsurfers and two security guards trying to keep them from falling. I almost lose my glasses (having flashbacks to Makuhari), then I find out that they're in the plastic bag that was hanging off my cane (which was firmly wedged on the "other" side of the guardrail. I decide they're better off staying there for the rest of the set.
5. Acropolis
Near the end of the song (the final "You scream out... I hear that...") a girl apparently falls in the middle of the crowd, far to my left. Hosomi-san instantly cuts the music and brings out the house lights, rushing to the edge of the stage. It takes about a minute to make sure she's okay, they joke about a keitai (maybe she dove down to get it?), and then they pick up exactly where they left off.
6. Salamander
7. 高架線
8. Missing
9. ジターバグ
10. Red Hot
The band leaves the stage to riotous applause. A chant of "エ！ル！レ！” (E! RU! RE!, the band's shorthand in katakana) picks up, and they return to more cheers. Hosomi-san talks a little about the lawsuit (the tone of voice seemed to be a "how stupid is this?" thing), and tells the audience that his throat's a little tired from all the touring, so if they could help him sing the last song...
Encore. Make a Wish
The place explodes one more time. After the cheers finally subside, everyone stops to pick stuff off of the floor that was dropped (mostly towels, a couple cell phones), and then turns to congratulate their fellow Ellegarden fans and thank them (お疲れ様でした - "otsukaresama deshita!" It's a concept that doesn't really have an English equivalent but it's more or less "thank you for your hard work). I was approached by a couple dozen people thanking me after the show. We stumble out into the night, drunk with bliss and victorious. The line around the corner for Ellegarden merch stretches down the street. There is no line for RIZE merch. How surprising.
So, that's the latest from Tokyo - I will, of course, keep everyone updated with any future news regarding the recording.
