La Carmina blog is always full of surprises and sharp turns… and here’s one that will knock your socks off. I’m tickled to announce that Sebastiano Serafini is the fifth member of DNR (Dreams Not Reality), the Italian Visual rock band! He will be performing as vocalist and keyboardist in DNR’s upcoming concerts, in Eastern Europe and the 10,000+ audience festival Notte Rosa.

DNR was formed on May 2, 2008 — ten years after the death of HIDE, legendary guitarist of X Japan. The band describes its sound as “Euro-Visual KEI,” a genre that mixes Visual Kei / Jrock influences with American 80s metal and Gothic; electronics and melodies meet powerful riffs. (You can hear tracks on DNR’s MySpace.)

☆ DNR has toured around Europe and been featured in many magazines, including All Star and Bravo in Russia.
☆ The band is recognized by Mr. Seiichi Hoshiko, called the “father of Visual-kei”. DNR is currently ranked fourth on Visualog.
☆ Guitarist Kira uses Hide’s signature guitar in the Beyond The World music video (see above). The song is available in English and Japanese on iTunes.
☆ DNR collaborates with Luminor from Cinema Bizarre, who will be touring with the band and Seba next month.

And… there’s a collaboration between DNR and La Carmina in the works! Seba and I will be in Italy soon, working on this secret musical project. (Can you guess what it might be?)

We’re currently tearing up Hong Kong and Macau. Tons of coverage and photos coming right up.

PS: Thank you to Sandi of Wearable Art Blog for interviewing me about Harajuku DIY fashion and crafts.

PPS: Agepoyo gyaru blog wrote a funny post about me and Sebastiano. How random!

Have you heard of the Italian Visual Kei band DNR? What’s your reaction to Seba joining them? Surprised? Excited?

Song of the Day: DNR – Beyond This World

I know many of you are fans of metal band Cradle of Filth. I had the opportunity to whip my hair back and forth at their Vancouver, Canada concert — as well as take photos, and interview guitarist Paul Allender for a video!

Watching Paul Allender’s fast-flying hands up close is a spellbinding experience.

Cradle of Filth are true professionals, when it comes to musicianship and performance. They played tracks from their latest album, Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa, as well as fan favorites like Her Ghost in the Fog and Nymphetamine.

Lumbering giants amidst a mad scientist set.

Vocalist Dani Filth raced around the stage with the enthusiasm of a little kid.

Rose and I hung out with band members Paul and David before the show. They’re good-natured guys, very chill…

Then they put on the makeup and spikes, and deliver a skull-crushing metal show!

Cradle of Filth is touring Europe until July; I hope you’ll catch one of their upcoming concert dates.

But wait — here’s the kicker! Rose and I interviewed Paul Allender about Cradle’s music, genre labels, and his horror photo manipulation project The Vomitorium. What does the metal guitarist think about Steampunk? Watch and be surprised.

My interview video is above and on YouTube. There are more Goth, metal and Visual Kei concert reports on my channel.

PS: Thanks to everyone who watched my Blog TV video stream yesterday. Wasn’t Basil Farrow a cutie-pie? I’ll do more live chats soon.

PPS: I recently got a request to interview Emilie Autumn. What other musicians would you like me to feature? Here’s a compilation of all my previous concert reviews, including Gackt, Moi dix Mois and Versailles.

Song of the Day: Cradle Of Filth – Babylon (If you liked this post, please press the blue Like button below.)

My “spooky friends” are the best. They’ve been working day and night on fcharity projects for Japan, as well as making waves in music, writing and fashion. Let’s salute them — starting with my Pirate First Mate, Naomi Rubin. (Above, with her boy-slave-of-the-day.)

Naomi created Help Japan Wiki, an editable compendium of ways to aid Japan’s earthquake relief. Anyone can add a Donation Resource or Fundraising Event to the charmingly designed site. The Resources page includes a list of reputable charities helping Japan, with info and links. Please pass the link along — www.helpjapanwiki.com — and add your events and charities to the listings. The more hands on deck, the better we can provide info for Japanese relief.

Cotton Bale and Mistress Maya (who you may remember from the Andrew Zimmern episode) are participating in ArtGigTokyo1, a series of art happenings in public places. The first event is free, and presents 15 music / performance art works that transform the club into an improvised art gallery. Art Gig will also hold a silent art auction, with proceeds to support relief efforts in Tohoku.

Come see them perform on May 8th at Bar Exit in Shinjuku, from 15:00 – 03:00 (full info here).

Another artist friend who’s helping Japan… Dienzo, who made the “Carmina Rising” painting of me, has been fundraising. He just launched a store, which sells prints, T-shirts and canvases of his dark, Gothic artwork. If you type the discount code LACARMINA (all caps), you get 10% off.

Congrats to my friend B.Jevanael, who published her first book. She gave me a sneak peak of her gripping novel, The Reality Filter. “The evidence of a murder turns up in your photography project. Evidence from your rocky-road past invades the dreams of your happy present. Your best friend is dead at your hands, and wasn’t who you thought she was from the beginning. The worst part is, you don’t remember a thing, and you’re trapped within a world you built up around reality to save yourself.”

With a Gothic horror aesthetic, and an eloquent plunge into mental delusions, it’s a read I bet you’ll enjoy. The Reality Filter is available as an e-book from Amazon and Barnes and Noble; more info here.

Sophia, vocalist of Blood Stain Child, never ceases to inspire me. She sings on several tracks of the new Princess Ghibli CD, a collection of metal covers of Studio Ghibli. That’s right: Miyazaki meets metal. More info and song previews here. (Coming up, Blood Stain Child will perform at A-Kon in Texas, June 10-12.)

Last but not least, thank you to Katy Kamikaze for sending me this adorable, handmade wallet. Basil Farrow loves the cute bentos and animals. There’s more cuteness on her Pineapple UK Etsy store. (The sparkly butterfly ring is gifted from Soho Hearts.)

Thanks to everyone who supported the Iron Fist auction; congrats to Rochelle for triumphing and donating to Japan! I hope you’ll pass along the HelpJapanWiki resource and contribute to it. Let’s keep putting our efforts into helping Japan.

Song of the Day: Imaginary Flying Machines, “Princess Ghibli” album trailer featuring Sophia

The Evil Queen Bitch is back! Yukiro Dravarious will be doing some guest posts, so you’ll see more of his Fashion-Forward looks on my blog. And guess what. He’s starting a Visual Gothic band in Tokyo. Can’t wait to tell you more.

Let’s begin with Yukiro’s concert review of Diamanda Galas, the witchy-woman vocalist and pianist. Take it away, my dark one. (All photos below by Yukiro, except the third by Kristofer Buckle.)

My Swedish partner in crime Linn/Johan bought tickets to the Diamanda Galas concert in excitement. We went to Uppsala by bus from Stockholm, which was a big mistake. It took twice as long as the train and was not one kronor cheaper. We noticed that we had come to the right place when “interesting” looking people started to gather. The new Konsert & Kongress hall was beautiful and big — a perfect place for a gothic Mega Queen like Diamanda.

We had second row tickets, so we were basically as close as we could be to Diamanda Galas. Before she entered the stage, some guy screamed HAIL! and everyone shut their traps. At first we thought it was part of the show but we soon realized it was just some random guy screaming. Awesome.

Everything turned black and then a lot of foggy smoke spread from the stage. One spotlight shone on a black classic piano standing in the center. The diva came out and the audience went crazy. She didn’t look as old as someone told me she’d be. I’d say she looked vampire-ishly fresh for her age.

The half-Greek, half American performer played the piano like only she can. She’s described in a Swedish paper as an undead salamander-queen out to take revenge upon the living. Serious, unlimited and frightening: Diamanda puts on an emotional show that is unique and amazing.

The concert tour was called “The Refugee.” It’s dedicated to people who have been forced to flee due to their lifestyles or ethnic backgrounds. Diamanda is a well-known fighter against homophobia and religious dogmatism. Her voice breaks all the boundaries; the piano was explosive and virtuous. With her provocative ways, she tells us not only that it’s possible to break every wall of discrimination but also to live out your inner mad world.

The repertoire was mostly old Greek traditional and re-made tunes, or songs by Jacques Brel. She played both of my favorites, “Heaven Have Mercy” and “Gloomy Sunday”. They’re covers, but you can barely hear the original similarities.

Her Highness played three encores. When she finally took her flowers and thanked the audience, all of us stood up for the fabulous queen! It was an honor to see her live, and I hope she continues for a long time.

Coming up… Yukiro will bring you exclusive dispatches from Tokyo Spookyville. Is there anything in particular you’d like to see?

PS: Today, Seba and I had a thrilling phone call with a Goth-cute fashion brand that I know you love. We’re working with them on a fashion design to benefit Japan! More info ASAP — as well as a giant clothing giveaway.

Song of the Day: Diamanda Galas – Gloomy Sunday

A few weeks ago, Ashley Purdy of Black Veil Brides emailed me because the band was headed to Tokyo/Osaka for their very first Japanese concert tour.

The bassist had seen my video interview with vocalist Andy Six, and thought it’d be cool to meet up in Tokyo if I were there. (Like me, Ashley is a fan of Visual Kei, Japanese dark fashion and rock bars, so we’d have a lot to explore together.)

Unfortunately, the band’s tour dates coincided with the giant earthquake… which hit right before their concert in Harajuku.

Despite the constant aftershocks, Black Veil Brides still put on a show that night and made it back to LA safe. The group is keen to support Japan’s recovery, so I interviewed Ashley about their earthquake experience for Huffington Post (currently on the front page of the Travel section).

We met up with Ashley Purdy and Jake Pitts at the Guitar Center (on Sunset Boulevard), to do a photoshoot with the Japanese flag. Nope, that’s not Andy Six, but Seba in the middle!

The BVB members signed the flag, and are doing their best to help Japan’s recovery.

You can read my interview with Ashley Purdy of Black Veil Brides below and on Huffington Post. I really appreciate if you’d Tweet, Facebook or blog the link. (Flag photos by La Carmina; others courtesy BVB and fans.)

Rocked by the Earthquake: Metal Band Black Veil Brides Urges Relief for Sendai
Huffington Post Travel

About the author: This exclusive interview was contributed to The Huffington Post by La Carmina: TV host, coolhunter, author & blogger at LaCarmina.com. She did a video interview with Black Veil Brides in Seattle.

Makeup-smeared Hollywood band Black Veil Brides landed in Japan for the first time last week. The Visual-metal rockers were amped to experience the culture and perform in Tokyo and Osaka.

Their plans were ripped apart by the 9.0 earthquake, which hit while the group was in soundcheck. Vocalist Andy Six Tweeted it was the “most terrifying experience of my life.”

Bassist Ashley Purdy shares the band’s story, emphasizing the warmth they encountered from the moment they stepped off the plane. Black Veil Brides urges people to help Japan, and donate to well-vetted organizations like Doctors Without Borders.

How was your arrival at Narita?

This was Black Veil Brides’ very first tour in Japan. I was particularly excited because we have lots of fans here, and I can’t enough of Japanese culture and Visual Kei bands.

When we got to the terminal, we saw people waving. We stopped and asked each other, “Are they here for us?” It turned out that fans had been waiting several hours for us to arrive. Of course, we took photos and signed autographs. We got in a van, and when it reached the hotel, fans had gathered here as well.

It was a long flight and the band was exhausted. But we wanted to hang out with our fans. So we checked in and came right back down, to have drinks with them at a Shibuya rock bar.

What were your first impressions of Tokyo?

From the start, it was a great experience all around. Everyone was so polite, so kind. It was surprisingly easy to communicate – lots of people could speak English at least half way. To me, it was the cleanest city I had ever experienced. Everything seemed manicured. I kept thinking, where’s all the dust and dirt?

I had a bit of free time, so I asked my translators to take me around. We sang karaoke; it was neat to order sake and party in a private room. I went to a ton of alternative clothing shops in Harajuku, and the more upscale designers in Omotesando. I loved the sales girls, with their perfect hair and cute dresses with stockings and heels, and how they welcome you with high voices.

Our first concert at Shibuya-O-EAST went off without a hitch. There were a thousand people there. At first, it felt like a library: the crowd was polite and silent. But we started playing and they got wild and crazy, chanting along to our songs.

Tell me about the earthquake.

The next day, we were scheduled to play Astro Hall in Harajuku. We were in the basement around 3pm, getting ready for soundcheck, when everything started moving. Our Japanese crew and sound guys said, “Don’t worry, this happens all the time.” We weren’t worried either; we’re from LA and used to small earthquakes now and then.

But then it started shaking harder, and stuff was getting knocked over. That’s when we realized this was serious.

The band and production staff ran upstairs to get outside. It was insane: we could hardly walk; I was stumbling all over. When we got outdoors, I looked across the street at the Forever 21 and H&M buildings – and they were swaying back and forth like trees. Through the glass windows, I could see merchandise falling off the shelves.

People around us were crying. They were trying to make it to an open area while everything around them was crumbling.

The earthquake lasted a long, long time. A minute passed, and I kept thinking, when is this going to stop? None of us knew what to do. We just kept bracing ourselves. It’s hard to talk about what happened, to describe how it felt to someone who hadn’t lived through it.

What did you do after the quake stopped?

We tried to contact family and friends, but all communication was down. It took us a while before we could send a mass email to the people close to us, letting them know we were ok.

There were huge aftershocks soon after, major earthquakes in and of themselves. They were around the same magnitude as the one that devastated Northridge, California.

The production people told us we shouldn’t perform that evening. Pretty much every concert in Tokyo was canceled. But we were set up and ready to go, and there were fans waiting outside. So we decided to go on with the show, and played for the 40 or so people who turned up.

The aftershocks rumbled through the night, putting everyone on edge. We didn’t get any sleep. The next day, we found out all our shows were canceled due to immense structural damage. We were told we had to fly out ASAP, for our safety.

Did you have troubles getting out of Japan?

There were mad transportation problems because of the train stoppages and power outages. It took one of our promoters five hours to get into the city, and she lives thirty minutes away. And it took us two or three times the normal time to drive to Narita airport.

It was insanity at Narita. Everyone was trying to get out. Big line-ups and cancelled flights. Everywhere, people were huddled in sleeping bags provided by the airport. We arrived around 9am, and our flight to Los Angeles didn’t leave until 4pm.

What is Black Veil Brides going to do now?

We’re soldiering on, and getting ready for our AP tour. But the earthquake is an experience I can’t shake, and the band wants to get the word out on the need for relief. I also want to go back to Japan as soon as it’s safe, to spend more time experiencing the culture.

How can people help Japan recover?

I saw The Huffington Post has a page about what various organizations are doing to help, and how people can donate. I urge everyone to give directly to an experienced relief organization like Doctors Without Borders, which has already deployed medical teams to the hardest hit areas. Let’s all do whatever we can to help.

Thanks to BVB and everyone who has joined us in rallying for Japan. And thanks for taking a minute to share this post (it’ll greatly help us to get the word out).