Last Saturday, Malice Mizer’s three founding members (Mana, Kozi, Yuki) reunited on stage for the first time in almost a decade. The Deep Sanctuary II concert was a profoundly moving experience -– not only for the audience, but for the band members as well. The trio performed Beast of Blood. They hugged. Mana cried. And Yukiro and Count de Sang were right smack in the front row, witnessing it all. Let’s hear their story. (All photos by Yukiro.)

COUNT DE SANG: The brilliance of the July sunlight added a dreamlike quality to the Akasaka Blitz venue. In spite of the bright rays shining down around it, a kind of dark energy seemed to be gathering force as black-clad figures swarmed toward the building where history was about to be made.

YUKIRO: It was great to see so many wonderfully dressed up fans, even though the weather was hot and the wind messed up our hair and make-up. I was wearing a classic Dravarious look, and Count de Sang was of course wearing only Moi-meme-Moitie: we counted and it was about 10-12 items. He bought a Dark Sanctuary II shirt for 4000 yen.

COUNT: My fellow darklings and I found our way to the front row, directly in front of the platform where Mana was to stand in all of his darkly effulgent majesty. But first, Közi was determined to get the party started with one Hell of a performance.

YUKIRO: After we waited almost an hour and a half in the heat, Kozi’s band went on stage. Drummer Cha-ji had extremely sick make-up and his energy was beyond comprehensible. He gave 200% all the time even in the slow songs — and the guitarist played barefoot! Kozi looked fresh and younger, and had a cool hairstyle: a teased, forward-bended brown Mohawk, and he had fashionable black and red garments wrapped around him.

COUNT: While last year’s Deep Sanctuary left me with the distinct feeling that Közi had somehow lost his musical edge, this year I was blown away by the high-energy, nonstop onslaught of pure delight as only he can deliver it. Közi brought the venue to a fever pitch as he mentioned the day’s special guest…Yu~ki!

YUKIRO: Kozi called him “Hakushaku” so we had to scream HAKUSHAKU! They were referring to the vampire movie they did.

COUNT: The next song was announced as the piece that Yu~ki composed for Közi’s album. It was a beautiful performance, filled with power and emotion, and it left everyone breathless as Moi dix Mois prepared to take the stage.

YUKIRO: They switched the background to a Dix-pentagram and we waited, hot and smushed from every direction. When Mana entered, everyone screamed MANA-SAMA and went crazy. Mana was wearing a scandalously short skirt with a black and blue transparent fabric over it so you could see his gorgeous legs. He had, of course, everything in black and blue and a shining blue cross on his stylish black guitar (he switched to one with a red shining cross for the last song). K and Seth and the other two were all in black and red as always, but their clothes were awesome. They’d put a lot more effort in their outfits this year.

COUNT: The tight lineup gave a solid performance that skillfully blended classics, such as “Ange” and “La dix croix,” along with standard Seth-era pieces like “exclude” and “Metaphysical.” The ritual song “dispell bound” and “Immortal Madness” served to bring the entire audience together as one with the band. The set list also included two unreleased songs and one all new piece, which are set to appear on the new album (slated for early October of this year). Whetting the audience’s appetite even more, Seth informed us that “the Count” would not be resurrected unless we called for him loudly enough. And so, with shouts of “hakushaku!!” the long-missing bassist of the legendary Malice Mizer was called forth from the darkness.

YUKIRO: Of course they did the DIX ritual with the audience, and Mana gave a lot of energy, headbanging and spinning like crazy. It was wonderful to observe from up close.

COUNT: As the curtain closed on Moi dix Mois’ final song, the anticipation was nearly tangible as the entire audience stood with bated breath. The stillness was broken with only a few tones, soon followed by countless shouts of delight as the haunting melody of “Saikai no chi to bara” reached our ears. The curtains opened, and I saw a sight that I had never expected to see in my lifetime…Mana, Közi, and Yu~ki, on stage together for the first time in nearly ten years.

YUKIRO: Yuki to the right, Mana on the left and Kozi in the middle, each one with a red rose in his hand. Yuki wore a hat and his nostalgic Malice Mizer make-up. This sight was too much for me: the audience and I screamed my lungs out. When Kozi started to speak, we screamed so much that he wasn’t able to. It was so supreme and divine, it was like GOD himself had appeared in front of you and you just never wanted it to end. Pure ecstasy. There are no words to describe the feelings I had. It was too much; I could die happy now.

Mana started to cry and that was too much for me and I burst into tears again. But they suddenly got a hold of themselves and started to play a normal rock song, a bit Motley Crue-ish. Kozi’s singing is really amazing. They don’t need Gackt or Klaha; they could work as the three legends.

COUNT: The friendship and camaraderie between the three simply radiated from the stage. I was dumbstruck, and could only be carried along by the force and emotion of the music.

YUKIRO: After that song the most amazing thing in my life (so far) happened. They announced they were to play “Beast of Blood.” The audience held their breath for a nanosecond to comprehend what Kozi just had told us – and then we screamed more than we ever did! It was amazing; everything I’ve ever wanted it to be. Kozi could sing it as well as Klaha, and they had an air fog cannon bomb in the last chorus. The audience screamed “Malice Mizer” which felt magical. All we had been longing for, for the last 8-9 years, was right in front of us.

YUKIRO: When they were supposed to go off stage, everyone screamed and screamed so they changed their minds and went back and did a GROUP hug. Mana jumped on Yuki and Kozi; it was heavenly to see. We all started to scream “encore” and they went out one more time, but Kozi sad that they didn’t had any more songs to do — so they just thanked us and did one more group hug — and you can see that they were really feeling it themselves. I was speechless and in a shock, and about to faint, emotion overflowing. I couldn’t have dreamt of a live this good.

COUNT: The curtain closed on what was certainly an all-too-short reunion, but as the three gentlemen of Malice Mizer left the stage with their arms around each other, I think everyone present sensed a certain amount of hope for the future. According to Mana and Közi, malice and misery are the very essence of this life itself, and as long as we live on, the darkly beautiful spark of Gothic romance that Malice Mizer inspired in all of us will never die.

Thank you to both of you for the heartfelt reports! Did you get chills up your spine as you read about the powerful moments? What do you portend for the future of Malice Mizer?

Japanese Word of the Day: Eda = Branch (of a tree)
Song of the Day: Malice Mizer – Bara ni Irodorareta – Saikai no Chi to Bara (“Because here they stand like they did yesterday at the concert.”)

Who loves kawaii Japanese nail art? I gave myself a cute manicure, inspired by these Giles Deacon nail art photos. I think the googly-eyed faces look a bit like Moomin, the Swedish hippo-like character. Using Daiso nail art polish, I painted white ovals and a black dot on top to create the eyes. Don’t forget to let the layers fully dry and apply a sealing top coat.

Blasting, flowing news: Yukiro Dravarious will be making a scandalous musical debut at Midnight Mess (Tokyo’s longest running Goth/Industrial club party) on July 31!

Tell me all about your project: how would you describe the concept and experience?
I would describe Dravarious as an art form that lets the audience get a taste of variation in music, visuals and of course elegance. Classical goth, Extravagant, Fashion-forward, Visual Kei, opera, tragedy, misfortune and scandalousness! I’ve always been a big Visual Kei fan so naturally I wanted to do something similar but with my own touch to it. The music I’m going to play is mostly covers, but also 1-2 original songs. Of course I’ve re-done the covers to make them more fascinating. I’m thrilled about finally entering the stage with my own project and it feels absolutely Freaking Fabulous.

Not everyone knows you write and perform music. How did you get started?
In my teen-days I had a dream of becoming a singer. I went to different auditions around the country but I was immature and didnt know how to sing. So I started to take lessons and even went to a musical school, then started making my own music. Lyrics and poems have I also written for a long time. But since I moved to Japan I put the songs on a shelf and focused on my model career, which seemed more appealing at that time. This year I started to take vocal training again and I’ve been so much happier since. I can’t really play any instrument (except piano) so I make it all by computer, with help from my dear friend Sebastien who’s been supporting me all the way.

Tell me about how you worked with Sebastian.
I told him what kind of feeling and atmosphere I wanted with the songs, and together we tried 10000 of different sounds until I was satisfied haha. He is very good to work with. Whenever we had technical issues he did quick research and fixed them smoothly.

Like Lady Gaga, fashion must be an important part of your performance. How do you integrate style into your performance? What can the audience expect?
Fashion is very important to keep the audience interested in watching you. You can’t just wear some old T-shirt or whatever. I think that its almost an insult to the audience who paid for their tickets to not dress up; if they wanted to just hear the music they’d might as well listen to it on their computer. A live show is really important if you wanna be successful. Lady Gaga knows this and that’s why she always puts 100% energy and effort into it. I can’t deny that I’m taking inspiration from her. I’ve designed some of the outfits I’m gonna wear for the show myself, and the result is stunning.

The promotional photos are stunning. SO Visual Kei, with the blue-black roses and disappearing nose. Who is the photographer, and what was it like working with her?
Thank you, I think they really captured the essence of DRAVARIOUS. They were taken in the notorious “Studio-Violet” in Shinjuku (same place were most Host/VK-boys take their promo photos for magazines) by the legendary host photographer Alice. She’s extremely talented and the photo-session went by ghastly fast. She’s a friend of mine and also designs the Tokyo Decadance flyers, so I’m so glad she had time to shoot us before the live.

The lady in the photo, Maria – what is her role in the performance?
She’s my dancer and partner in crime. She’s an official member of the band and hopefully I’ll get one more dancer for the show. I did her make-up for the photoshoot and it suits her supremely.

What are your next goals? How would you like to take this project further?
If the live goes as well as I want, I’ll try to get more gigs and we are in negotiation with a film-team to shoot our first music video. Also Sebastien said that he would help me with the music again, so I can start doing more original songs. My true goal is of course world domination. Mohahahhaaa!

I can also reveal that I’m scheming to perform a vulgar act never done before on stage. And it will be a one-time-only act because I don’t think I’ll ever do it again. It will be a great show and people will not be disappointed if they come.

So come to Mistress Maya’s Midnight Mess at Shinjuku Club Marz on July 31, and see Yukiro in all his glory! Seileen (DJ SiSEN and Selia’s group) is celebrating their album release, and Roge from Bar Tram will be doling out Skull Absinthe at a special booth. For prices, directions, a map and more, check out my Tokyo Goth club guide.

Will you be there, in person or in spirit? If you have questions for Yukiro about his music and concept, please feel free to leave a comment!

Japanese Word of the Day: Kimon = Demon gate
Song of the Day: Seileen – Yokubaku

We met Miyavi! The Visual Shock J-rocker electrified our eyes and melted our hearts at his June 17th concert (at Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom). Let’s start from the start…

Miyavi’s North American tour is called “Neo Samurai,” and he’s beloved for his vivid makeup and ever-morphing style. So I thought it appropriate to dress as a Glam Rock Samurai.

My makeup is inspired by 1970s David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust. I contoured my eyes with green eyeshadows gifted by Aromaleigh (the latest Victoria’s Revenge collection is possibly the best yet). “The real gold” is gifted from Sugarpill, and the stickers are from Daiso. The photos don’t do the look justice; in real life, the effect is iridescent.

Gold sequins and feather headpiece: gifted by Cutie Dynamite. I love her handmade hair accessories, which go perfectly with Victorian, Steampunk and Lolita outfits. This one matches my hair and clips on easily with a large hair comb. You simply must visit Cutie Dynamite’s Etsy store for more gorgeous designs.
Samurai wrap top: by Dalegare. One of the most unusual pieces I own — it has long samurai sleeves and wraps around the chest and waist. I found it in London’s Camden Market years ago.
Pants: by Lululemon. Very comfortable.
Owl ring: Juicy Couture
DIY nail art: inspired by Miyavi.

I arrived about an hour before the doors opened, and encountered a snaking lineup of devoted J-rock fans. Some had even camped out overnight!

My friend Rose was sixth from the front, looking lovely in Sex Pot Revenge. She did her multi-colored leopard hair and all her piercings herself.

Rose: Part of why I like to get there early is to meet awesome new people, who share my interests. Even though I was teeth-chattering-freezing for eleven hours straight, it was still great fun!

Asta had newly-dyed aqua-colored hair as well. We were on the guest list, so we ducked into a nearby bar for red absinthe cut with egg whites. Yes, I’m obsessed with absinthe. (Remember these photos from absinthe bars in Ebisu and outside Tokyo…)

Thanks to everyone who entered the Miyavi ticket giveaway — it was lovely to meet you at the show! (I kind of look like a Hare Krishna, hence the psychedelic Photoshop…)

I was among the eight individuals who got to watch Miyavi’s soundcheck. He was dressed all in black and wore sunglasses — but that didn’t hold him back from tapping and coaxing his guitar as if he were performing for an audience of thousands. Miyavi ran through several songs that weren’t on the setlist, apologizing in advance for mistakes (“I haven’t played these in a while.”) A needless apology — it was wonderful to hear his voice ring out in a bare room, backed only by drums and keyboards.

At 7:30pm, the doors opened and the fans rushed to the stage. At 9pm, Miyavi walked on and gave a big wave. (Photo from Miyavi’s management.)

Rose: From that second, I was totally captivated by his cute, charming and energetic stage presence! He seemed to be enjoying himself so much — I couldnt help but have a stupid smile plastered on my face the whole time. I was right up front, pressed against the stage… I had to be so I could have a close up view of his cuteness the whole time!

Carmina: Now THIS is a rock star. Everyone went nuts when Miyavi lifted his guitar behind his neck and shredded it. His English is quite good, and it was fun to yell along to his call-and-responses, like “Funky Monkey” and “What’s my name, what’s my f***ing name.” When he spoke about becoming a new father — “Already, my daughter is this tall, running around. They grow up so fast don’t they? You have to savor it…” — oh, a few tears were shed.

Rose: He seemed so happy to interact with the crowd, getting us going with his silly sexy gestures. It was so cute when he jumped up on the speaker to play up there — and did the splits, in tight jeans! I am very flexible and I can’t do that!

Carmina: Miyavi had microphone stands all over the stage, so he moved around and got close to everyone. Drummer Ryo Yamagata, with his years of jazz training, brought the heat to a boil.

Rose: I was excited to hear the two new songs he played, “Torture” and “Gravity.” I liked them very much. Now I can’t wait for his new album!

Carmina: Miyavi did an encore, squirting water from his bottle onto the crowd. When the lights went up, Rose and I went to the side of the stage… because we were two of the eight lucky people who got to meet Miyavi himself!

Rose: I always appreciate when musicians are willing to meet fans after a show. I know if I just did a live with so much craziness, I definitely wouldn’t feel up to meeting anyone. I don’t know how he has so much energy!

Carmina: As you’d expect, Miyavi was charming and gorgeous in person. He spoke English well, with endearing “hep cat” turns of phrase. Miyavi graciously signed a tour postcard and gave us a sticker.

Need I say it was an unforgettable live? I’ll soon be posting GPKISM, Kaya and SaTaN reviews, so please bookmark my blog and come back soon. For a report on the San Francisco show, check out Kirsty Evan’s article in East Bay Express.

Have you seen Miyavi in concert? What did you love best about his performance?

PS: I added more designer items to my wardrobe clearance extravaganza, including a red and black velvet Lolita dress for only $86. The Japanese clothes and accessories are disappearing fast, so come browse my Online Garage Sale before everything’s gone!

Japanese Word of the Day: Erande kudasai = Please browse
Song of the Day: Miyavi – Aishiteru kara hajimeyou (live in concert, 2009)

V-fingers! Tokyo readers, are you ready to “danse macabre” all night long with your favorite Goths? Come to Midnight Mess, Tokyo’s longest running EBM/Gothic/Industrial/Darkwave event, this Saturday at Club Marz!

Don’t be intimidated by the vampire teeth: we don’t bite. Nor should you feel intimidated if you don’t know Japanese. As we said in the video, “we speak every tongue… including yours!” (Yukiro, Comte de Sang and G-suS are regulars. That’s Japanese, Swedish, German, English and Satanic between them…)

Midnight Mess attracts colorful characters with colorful hair. I love Kenny Creation’s blue-purple dye.

It’s not hard to find Club Marz (map and directions are here). Just look for the spooky kids taking photos and drinking convenience store alcohol.

Every event has live performances by international acts such as Covenant, Skinny Puppy, Spanking Machine. Backstage, G-suS makes a cute face before Xenophobia and Rose Noire’s performances.

Warning: you may encounter random shenanigans…

Who else might you run into? Luke Chaos, and my minion Kanae. You can see more photos of my Innocent World dress and eyelashes in this post (as well as an Evil Queen makeup tutorial).

The party goes from midnight to 5am, and you’re free to take a trip to the Family Mart for drinks and then re-enter. Arina squeezed G-suS’s stomach so hard that he peed his skirt. (Just keeding! Or am I… Sebastien…?)

Come this Saturday, June 26th to Midnight Mess at Club Marz! It costs 2500 yen if you wear dress code, 3000 yen advance (email RSVP@midnightmess.com) and 3500 yen at the door. Say hi to DJ and organizer Mistress Maya for me!

For maps and other Goth/cyber/alternative club nights in Tokyo, please check out my comprehensive club guide.

Do you and friends have a regular hangout? Such as a club night or recurring event?

Japanese Word of the Day: Shakuhachi = traditional bamboo flute
Song of the Day: Theatre of Hate – Legion (I hereby declare that this shall be post punk / early Goth music week.)

Maoo maoo! How is your weekend? I’m still reeling from meeting Miyavi and seeing his electric live performance. Be sure to check this blog on Monday for a new giveaway contest and more Miyavi mania.

Several of my Tokyo spooks are involved with Dr. Sketchy’s Tokyo. What’s it all about? Naomi (of Horror High School fame) has the scoop:

On the fourth Wednesday of every month, Tokyo’s multi-national community of art-monkey saunters in to the Pink Cow in Shibuya for the city’s hottest life-drawing class: Dr. Sketchy’s Tokyo.

Dr. Sketchy’s is an event held in over 80 cities across four continents where artists of all skill-levels gather to drink and draw — using local burlesque dancers and performers as models. The Tokyo chapter is held in a warmly-lit bar with the sounds of DJ Dailight, and is hosted by Tokyo’s own international burlesque sensation Cherry Typhoon.

At the last Dr. Sketchy’s, the self-proclaimed “chubby-tiny-dynamo” Cherry Typhoon looked to themes of rain and candy (which are both pronounced “ame” in Japanese) to create a surprisingly sexy frog outfit, and a sweet pâtissier’s apron with cake-hat. She performed her trademark striptease, inspired by traditional Japanese fan-dance, and the crowd drew her voluptuous figure in action.

The event was also a launching point for Cherry Typhoon’s world tour. From June onward, the Typhoon will be making her way across America, Canada, Europe, and Asia — so make sure to follow her antics on her home page and Twitter. She might be coming to your town!

Tokyo friends, my cupcake battle frien-emy (friend-enemy) Cotton Bale is this month’s model! “A Southern belle with a severe case of gender dysphoria, Cotton Bale exposes gender for a glamorous hoax.” So bring your sketchpad and make your way to this month’s anti-art event to draw her sassy pout.

Dr. Sketchy’s Tokyo.
When: Weds, June 23rd, 19:00-22:00ish
Where: The Pink Cow, Shibuya
Price: ¥2000, including a free drink.

It was a treat to see Japanese nightlife/subculture photographer Qhoto again at the Osaka Black Veil 10th anniversary ball. Here are some of Qhoto’s photos from the event (my full report is here).

DJ Taiki emailed me, telling me he uploaded a video of Black Veil. Remember the debacle over YouTube arbitrarily removing my video? Well, Taiki’s video shows frontal nudity, fetish whipping: basically the same thing as mine. But YouTube hasn’t taken his down. Yet. Hmm…

Have you ever been to a Dr. Sketchy’s event? What did you think of the experience?

Japanese Word of the Day: Active = Kappatsu (na)
Song of the Day: KISS – I was made for loving you. (Been listening to this KISS playlist as I work. 1970s glam metal yeahhhhh!)

Mon dieu! C’est Antoine de Caunes, French TV presenter and all-around funny-man. Perhaps you know him from Eurotrash, the sensational British late-night show he co-hosted with Jean-Paul Gaultier.

As you know, I was in Tokyo to co-host a French documentary (for the station Canal Plus) about theme restaurants, subcultures and all that jazz. Antoine de Caunes flew in from Paris, and we kicked off our epic journey with a dinner boat cruise in Odaiba.

The TV crew boarded a quaint boat in Tokyo Bay…

Navy jacket: Alice and the Pirates, from Closet Child Harajuku
Turquoise Lolita dress: Carina e Arlequin, from Closet Child Harajuku
Yellow boots: John Fluevog
Takoyaki-chan plush toy: from an Osaka convenience store

Behold, the traditional Japanese dinner we feasted upon! Sashimi, tempura, edamame, chawanmushi (egg custard). And alcohol. Lots of it. Nama-biru, sake, umeshu (plum wine), shochu… my memory gets fuzzy from this point onward…

Sound director Steve and I show ‘em how to pose like an Asian. (Remember my CNNGo dissertation on this serious subject?)

Apparently, the oysters were laced with LSD.

Monsieur de Caunes and I compared our new Canon cameras (I have a Powershot S90).

Once we were plenty juiced, I got the karaoke started. Driver Hiroshi and I did the Bon “shovel dance” together.

The TV crew was hand-picked from all over the globe, and everyone clicked from day one. By the end of the shoot, we had accumulated a Mount Fuji of funny memories.

Antoine didn’t partake in the sing-a-long. When the producer took over the microphone, he pretended to vomit and jump out of the boat!

Have you watched Eurotrash? Any French readers here who know of Antoine de Caunes? He’s as hilarious and nice as you’d expect…

Japanese Word of the Day: Biko = Nostril
Song of the Day: The Devils Blood – Christ Or Cocaine (Suggested by Akie. Satanic psychedelic rock and roll… soundtrack of our past lives.)

YouTube, this is my ANGRY face when I think of you right now!!!

YouTube removed my Black Veil Goth party video. Not for copyright reasons (I had permission to film and all the footage belonged to me). No, Herr YouTuben decrees: “Your video has been disabled for violating Community Guidelines.”

The Tube Nazi doesn’t tell users WHY they supposedly violated their “Community Guidelines.” Nor does it let users respond. Nope, YouTube simply removes your video and slaps you with a penalty, and that’s that. “Additional violations may result in the temporary disabling of your ability to post content to YouTube and/or the termination of your account.”

My guess is that Herr YouTuben removed my Black Veil video… because it has 20 seconds of a fetish performance at the very end.

I’ve uploaded the “offending” video above and here on MetaCafe. Watch the fetish clips at the end and decide for yourself. The submissive girl is not naked: she’s wearing underwear, and the lighting is very dark so you can hardly see anything. Yes, she is being flagellated, but the context is quite clear: this is a consensual stage performance by adults at a Gothic party.

This is not porn, gratuitous violence or shock material. This is more of a dark arts performance than anything sexual.

And I think if you watch the entire video, my intent is quite clear: I’m reporting on what goes on at Osaka’s Black Veil event. Most of the video is about DJ Taiki’s set, Kozi’s appearance, and The Dark Marchen’s avantgarde stage show. It wouldn’t be honest coverage to leave out the fetish clips — because this is a part of Gothic/Industrial subculture; this is what goes on at almost every Tokyo and Osaka Goth party. I don’t think it was right for YouTube to flag my channel, and leave other videos of animal and human cruelty standing.

YouTube has been engaging in other Nazi-like behavior lately. For instance, artist David Choi got his channel shut down for performing covers… hello, what about free use?

I’m not happy with YouTube. But they’re the leading video host, and a major connecting ground.

And so, I’ve posted the original video here on Metacafe. I put an edited version back on my YouTube channel (also above) with a RANT about their actions (so that my subscribers know what’s up). Let’s see if they take my free speech down, eh?

I’m curious to hear: what are your thoughts on this YouTube debacle? If you found this enraging, please Share this post on Facebook, Twitter and other social networks — let’s get the word out.

PS: don’t forget to read the story of DJ Taiki’s Black Veil Goth ball in this post.

UPDATE: This is getting more ridiculous by the minute. Metacafe pulled my video as well. But DJ Taiki uploaded a video of Black Veil that shows naked boobs, fetish whipping… and YouTube hasn’t taken it down. Yet…

I’ve covered Tokyo’s Goth parties, but what’s the Osaka scene like? Four words: DJ Taiki’s Black Veil. A phenomenal deejay, Taiki’s monthly party is known as one of the best Goth/EBM gatherings in Japan, if not the world.

Our trip to Osaka coincided with Black Veil’s 10th anniversary ball, so we plastered on the makeup for a nightcrawl. Who else was there? Kozi (Malice Mizer) and Fuki (ex-BLOOD)… Read on to find out why he’s officially my soulmate!

At the very last minute, I was inspired to do KISS makeup. I used the same zig-zag shape as glam metal guitarist Ace Frehley, but instead of all-black, I mixed in red and blue.
Goth dress: h.NAOTO, from Closet Child
White Rabbit purse: Innocent World, from Marui One Shinjuku

Spider and flower rings: from Closet Child. The purple one reminds me of Jasmine You, sigh.
Red knee high socks: from LA’s 99 cent store! Amazing what you can find in there.
Mary Jane shoes: Yosuke, my favorite brand. Well made and comfortable. From EST, a young women’s department store in Osaka.

Osaka’s Black Veil always takes place at Club Neo in Shinsaibashi (the shopping district with all the Gothic Lolita Cyber Punk stores). Guess who we immediately ran into? Fu-ki, vocalist of now-defunct Vampire Visual band BLOOD. You may recall that when we visited his Bar Midian, I was wearing a Black Sabbath shirt and he was blasting Paranoid. Do you see what he’s wearing now? A KISS tie! (That’s proof that we’re soulmates, right?)

DJ Taiki also runs an occult store, Territory, and had some goods for sale at the party. In general, the fashion at Osaka’s Black Veil is more Goth-fetish-sexy than in Tokyo…

And I was impressed by the level of flamboyance. Theatrical eye makeup, undead aristocrat outfits, elaborate hairstyles.

We saw our ridiculous new buddy from the Ridiculous store (I’ll tell you about that adventure in an upcoming post). He had a subdermal implant in his hand — pretty ridiculous, eh?

DJ Taiki spun one of the best sets I’ve heard in a while. He’s not afraid to mix obscure cyber-rave with Abba, 80s Goth and Mylene Farmer. No matter how much your feet hurt, his music will grab you by the neck and drag you to the dance floor.

*** VIDEO SHOULD BE EMBEDDED HERE but YouTube removed it for violating “community guidelines.” Hold on, I’ll put it back up and discuss censorship in the next post… ***

A pretty boy with a brown emo haircut joined Taiki… who introduced him as Kozi! The ex-Malice Mizer guitarist was adorably shy and ran to the back, but not before I caught him on video. You can watch Taiki and Kozi in the video… that got REMOVED so I will put it in the next post.

(For now, check out footage of Kozi and Mana from the Moi dix Mois concert last summer here.)

If you’re seeking a killer Goth/industrial nightclub in Osaka, there are only four words you need to know: DJ Taiki’s Black Veil. You can find upcoming event dates and RSVP for a discount on the website. I have much more Gothic and Lolita coverage from Osaka around the corner, and don’t forget to check out my Tokyo Cyber Gothic club guide.

Have you been to DJ Taiki’s Territory store or Black Veil ball?

Japanese Word of the Day: Monozukuri = Producing things with skill and precision
Song of the Day: Desireless – Voyage Voyage and Tainted Love from DJ Taiki’s fabulous set.

Are you a fan of BLOOD, the deathrock/Goth/Visual Kei band that disbanded last year? (Do I even need to ask?) Dravarious and I heard that vocalist Fu-ki opened up a rock bar in Osaka — so we went on a treasure hunt to find Bar Midian. It was quite the adventure, with scandalous boy-on-boy action along the way…

I’m wearing an Alice and the Pirates jacket and Algonquins skirt. I found my cute Takoyaki-chan in an Umeda convenience store (he has a smiling octopus on his forehead!). As for my shirt… it has special significance. Read on for the story…

Listen up, my little vampires: you will get LOST looking for Bar Midian. Even with this map, Doyamacho is mad confusing — we back-tracked and detoured for 40 minutes. So before you set out to hang with Fu-ki, study these photos and instructions carefully…

How to get to Bar Midian
† Walk east from Umeda station. Head towards the Hep Five shopping mall with the red ferris wheel.
† When you see the yellow Tsutaya bookstore sign, you’re getting close.
† Go to that side of street. When you see the red Big Echo and Drug store signs, turn left.
† Welcome to a maze of side-streets and gay bars. When you spot the magic dragon (ahah), you’re going the right way.
† Keep going until you see the BINGO sign on the left, and the red fish sign on the right. You’re almost there. Turn left…

† … and look up at this mess of signs. Do you see 2F, Bar Midian?
† Walk up to the skull entrance. Congrats, you’ve reached the goal!

As soon as I entered the small red room, I knew I’d found my new favorite watering hole. Skulls, axes and dragons… an undead heavy metal wet dream!

Who was behind the bar, mixing drinks and ominously hacking blocks of ice with a pick? None other than Fu-ki himself!

Visual Kei bands are notorious for abusing makeup and Photoshop to look pretty (Blood was no exception). But in real life, vocalist Fu-ki is a looker with long black hair.

You’ll be glad to hear that he’s in great spirits. Fu-ki was smiling and having fun all night, mixing drinks and rocking out to 1980s heavy metal.

The cocktails have names such as Black Rose and Satan. Fu-ki made me special one, which was so strong and citrus-delicious that I ordered another. He’s friendly and chatty; when he heard this was our first time in Osaka, he insisted that the round of drinks was on the house!

The TV screen blasted metal music videos (Poison, Def Leppard). I freaked out when he put on a Black Sabbath tape from the early 1970s — I happed to be wearing a vintage Sabbath shirt that day.

There were about 10 other people on the barstools — tattooed and pierced rocker-types who entertained us with their yaoi antics. Let’s just say in any situation, boy-on-boy action is always a welcome addition.

Although BLOOD disbanded, Fu-ki is still very involved with music. He has an entire wall of CDs and DVDs (left photo) and sings in an Osaka-based Motley Crue cover band. Bar Midian was the perfect enterprise: Fu-ki gets to blast music and hang out with fellow metal-heads every night.

If you’re ever in Osaka, you must visit Fu-ki’s bar. Follow our treasure hunt instructions carefully, and give him the devil-horns from us!

Bar Midian
大阪市北区堂山町10-16 叶第一レジャービル2F
2F, 10-16 Kanai First Leisure building, Doyamacho, Umeda, Osaka
Tel: 06-6312-8281

Are you surprised and pleased to see what Fu-ki’s been up to?

Japanese Word of the Day: Itazura = Playful, mischief
Song of the Day: BLOOD – I Remember You (Because none of us will forget his amazing band.)

The fin-de-siecle decadents and I have many things in common, but above all, oh we love our absinthe! Same goes for my Tokyo spooky-spooks — so we gathered at Bar Tram in Ebisu for a date with the green fairy.

I love playing around with colors that match my newly-orange hair. Deep purple and turquoise work quite well, don’t you think? I accented my eyes with Aromaleigh eyeshadows, glitter dot stickers from a Japanese dollar store, and fake eyelashes. My lips are actually drawn and colored with a lip pencil: a nice trick to get a perfect outline and unconventional shade.

Bar Tram (which once had a booth at Midnight Mess) doesn’t have a website, but here’s a map. It’s northwest of Ebisu Station. Look for a giant stuffed raven and empty absinthe bottles outside.

Bar Tram carries over a hundred varieties of absinthe from all over the world. I tried Blanche de Fougerolles from France and a secret, ultra-strong herbal absinthe that isn’t on the menu. The waiter brought sugarcubes, absinthe spoons and a water drip to the table so that we could light our own fires. G-suS drank so much that he turned into the Green Fairy! (“Just keeding,” as Sebastien would say…)

Naomi expresses her happiness at the plush couches and old-time French decor.

Michelle brought tarot cards and gave Comte de Sang an exceedingly negative reading. I’m not sure why Kana is wearing a face mask…

Comte de Sang now has three tongue piercings. My dress is Carina e Arlequin, a Lolita brand. Found it in – you guessed it – Closet Child Harajuku. More photos coming up…

I leave you with a shot of my kawaii rings. From left to right: bought in fairy kei store Nile Perch in Laforet, gifted by Komodokat, and a gift from my mother. The rainbow nail polish colors are from Daiso.

Have you ever tried absinthe? Does it give you hallucinations or visions? The green fairy always brings me lucid, architectural dreams…

Japanese Word of the Day: Fairy = Yousei
Song of the Day: Yoko Nagayama – You’re My Love, You’re My Life (Japanese Italo Disco!)