Popularity of Jrock in Europe/Western World - Up to us, or them?

I'll get straight to the point in this thread. As most members here are either from America/the Uk/other parts of Europe, you probably don't have many friends that actually like jrock/jmusic. Do you think it is up to us, their fans, to make them more known to the outside world or them themselves? For instance Dir en grey did a Japanorama BBC interview, of course, that isn't enough. Also there stuff, for fans like us, is only available on the internet whether it's on p2p software, torrents(i use it), or www.ebay.co.uk www.amazon.com www.minitokyo.com . Should it be more accesible for non-onlien people? I think it is both, the fans and them that should make more of an effort to make it global, since, in my opinion, we are the lucky ones to hea the music and be hypnotised by it.

My friend started to like Jrock because of me. But well thats the only person in my near that likes it. Other are like ''how can you listen this crap?''

I think fans can do a lot of things to make someone more known. They can try to intorduce them to their friends or something. But then again, the band has to keep making good music, so the new fans won't get bored by listening them

I think the internet makes a big contribution to making music of all kinds better known. A year ago, I'd only listen to the music that I could buy from your regular HMV or second-hand music store. I had no idea there was a good rock scene in Japan! It was discovering about different types of music that encouraged me to get broadband, so that I could listen to more, and of course once you have internet access it opens up the ramifications of ordering albums/singles online, too.

So I think there should definitely be more accessibility for people who aren't lucky enough to have easy and/or quick internet access. For instance, music shops should broaden their stock to include more different countries. (Mind you, I was pleased to see that my local music shop - musical instruments, not CDs - has a poster for the Melt Banana album! )

But as far as plugging music to your friends goes - yeah, go for it! In fact, I don't understand how anyone can not do it! When I'm enthusiastic about something, whether it's a book, a sculpture or a band, I want the whole world to share it... which might be a bit irritating for other people at times...

Of course, there is some responsibility to the bands and/or record companies themselves to promote their music more widely, including other countries. I guess there are many reasons they might not - if it's not financially viable, they don't have the time, or feel that their energies would be better spent on other things. However, I think it is worth their while for their marketing agent(s) or whoever to take a scan of "interest" (especially through online activity), which would give them a good idea of where there are potential markets. I expect big-name bands do this as a matter of course anyway, but it would be more difficult if not impossible for indies bands. A shame, but hardly surprising.

And, yeah, keep making great music! When all is said and done, that's what will get and keep fans.

Hmm, actually, come to think of it, I've turned my friend Natalie into a Dir en grey fan. Yeah about HMV, they actually do have alot more than they used too. Well, the one in belfast does. Do you shop in Forbidden Planet at all Kinsao?

OMG, I JUST RELAISED, IT'S HALLOWEEN and it's pouring down in rain and i'm meant to be seeing my girlfriend today in belfast. ¬_¬ *rings her*

I do indeed shop in Forbidden Planet occasionally, Yokan!

Cool, so do I. Mostly to get manga books and posters lol. They have a wide range of Japanese games(for the consoles) I'm not a big game person, tho i have a gamecube. Too bad they don't sell Jrock. =(

Hello!!!

@Kinsao, Yokan: Sorry to disrupt the conversation but do you know if there are Jrock evenings in some bars or clubs in London??????

Thank you

Yeah - there's occasionally a jpop evening in London. There is someone called Paul B who started a thread for that, and whenever there's going to be another one, he pops the thread back up to the top with news of the date/place. I can't remember when the last one was...

Afraid I don't know about anywhere else... I'm so not with it...

melt banana is going too play 2 concerts in holland, and some in belgium (november, december).

i thinks might bring a lot too the promotion of jrock, thinking that one of the concerts
in holland is in a very famous club.

Yeah, that's right. In London there are quite a few jpop related gigs/concerts.

tough i dont like melt banana very much....

Too bad. =/

I don't know too many people irl who like jrock, and when I do we're all OMG YOU LIKE DESPA? ME TOO! HAVE YOU HEARD NIGHTMARE? NO? YOU MUST! YEAH, I SHOULD LISTEN TO GAZETTE MORE!

Yeah, it goes on like that, sorry for excessive iframes. I know D'espa had a concert near me recently, but nobody that I knew irl went.

Most people I know that love jrock ended up getting into it through anime...

For me, cause I'm not really an anime person, I was off and on with it for awhile, when I accidentally found my first song (umbrella by diru) accidentally a long time ago. Kingdom Hearts reminded me with it's spiffy little J-pop theme, and only recently did a friend of mine drag me back into it with her obsession for Shin and Isshi from Kagrra.

Eep, that was a long, dragged out explaination.

I remember calling the local radio station (it's called wrrv here) and begging the guy to play Reila by Gazette for me, but I think he had no idea what I was talking about.

Sadly, it's still not all that popular here, even with the large number of anime geeks that you'd think would fall into the blissful wor-I'm going off on a tangent. Anyway, not even the local suncoast (which is an hour away, mind you) has more than two L'arc albums and the ONE X-Japan one that I bought in Boston last year. Eep....I feel musically deprived now.

Well i'm worse, I can't get anywaything musically Japanese in this country. unless it's Spirited Away Album which i bought I awhile back, and Princess Mononoke. Yeah I have this idea to send a big long letter to the BBC and asking them to play this song for me. Any jrock song, I would put a cd in it for them. They should considering they did that Japanorama show. ^^

I'm not so sure they will do what your letter says Yokan ☝
You are like the only one in your place who likes Jrock

Dear BBC,
I am writing not to complain, but to comment on your radio stations music choice. Well, what I am going to say really does go to every single radio station in the United Kingdom. You're meant to be a learning program. Where people can learn about all cultures and musical types. Seems to be the only music you ever play is Rap, Rock, and Pop from America and our own country. Most of those people mime and can't actually sing. You can't possibly like Kylie Minogue, the only thing she is good at is waving her so-called 'sexy' bum about! These rapers are also a bad influence on our kids of today. Turning them into gangsters themselves, making them want to follow the example of, for instance, 50 Cent. The music now is getting dire, and people are running out of ideas. Well not so much out of ideas, but the ideas aren't getting any better! Really this is my own debate for the UK, but as you are a TV program, I thought you would want to hear what I think, as you are good in that way.

Japanorama, the show you did a couple of years back, you included an interview with one of the greatest jrock band at this current time, Dir en Grey. Dir en Grey are a band I listen to all the time, and I like many others which I will get to later. I just want to take this time to congratulate you on interviewing them, as they are very interesting, BUT they are not a ﾂ'gothic Japanese rock band.' If you must say that, it is called Visual kei, when a band dresses up or/and uses makeup. Many other bands do this which you did not mention such as Malice mizer, Gazette, kagerou, Kagraa, Nightmare and when X Japan was still in bandment they used Visual Kei as well. It was a good interview otherwise, and I enjoyed it myself. Good to see them on UK television!

My type is very rare, I am a jrock fan. I only know 2 in England, and, to my knowledge, I may only be the only jrock fan in Northern Ireland. So why is that you ask? Simple, the music of Japan is not accessible enough to Great Britain. The last time I went into HMV, the only thing I saw musically Japanese was the soundtrack to Princess Mononoke (an anime by the creator of Spirited Away)!! So I feel, and my jrock fan friends also feel that the music should be shown, and played on local radio stations. The music is not 'weird', or 'strange', the only difference is that it is sung in Japanese! But actually, most will sing in English as well. You may want to ask me back 'Why do you like jrock/jpop?' This is a question I have asked myself after seeing this thread on a forum which I am Yokan on it:


I suppose I like to be different. A lot of people are taken back when I say I like Japanese rock, or else, if they're just a know it teenager like in school, they will call it ﾂ'weird', but, well, these people have NEVER heard jrock in their lives, so how can they judge?


THAT'S IT SO FAR!! lol! of course, they will listen, it is the BBC HEHE

I hope you are right!!

The problem with them not being main stream is this: even on amazon.com you still have to Import any J-Music that you order meaning it costs $40+ per CD!!!! I mean, how in the heck do they expect us to pay that?! And because the only way to get their music is Import stores over here don't carry any J-Rock/Pop Artists...unless you count Puffy Ami Yumi which I don't.
The band that's closest to getting main stream over here is L'Arc~en~Ciel, they've actually performed here and released their latest two albums here but one band isn't enough. So the problem is, we can spread the J-Music verus to others all we want but it won't make a bit of difference if we still have to Import.
The bands need to get smarter and release albums over here, and the fans need to push for it with all their might. But if bands continue to not release albums over here then there's really nothing we as fans can do. Which irks me :auch:

I guess one of the problems is, if they're going to produce albums at their foreign markets too, they'd have to produce probably at least twice the quantity of the albums, which would obviously be more expensive for the record company. So I guess they'd only do that if they were pretty damn sure of making a profit on it.

My feeling is that as more people get the internet access, and new communications (and audio) technologies become mainstream and more accessible, the music industry will begin to become global in the same way that other industries have already. I wish it would happen quickly... but... I think it will take some time...

In the meantime, we can just carry on supporting the artists by buying their music, downloading what we can't afford (yes I do think it helps rather than hinders as long as people still buy CDs too - it enables the markets and potential markets to be tracked, and for bands to find out where they have a strong following), and introducing other people to jrock!

$40+ per CD is still way too steep. I'm broke so I can't buy albums and I can't download either. I've been getting a lot of my J-Rock from my girlfriend lately. It sucks 'cause the only whole albums I have are "Rebirth" by Gackt, "Smile" and "Awake" by L'Arc~en~Ciel. And the only reason I have the last two is 'cause they were released over here. And I had to Import "Rebirth" which cost a LOT of money. I was saving up for MONTHS to get it.
I need to move to Japan. I hate living here if for no other reason then I can't get my J-Rock fix easily over here.

I know - albums are waaaay expensive. I also have the poverty problem.

Yeah, I'm an Actress so I have no money. It sucks and not in the good Yaoi way.

40 bucks? X.x I didn't think amazon carried it but nevermind anyway. That's rediculous. I'm a high school job AND college hunter, I can't afford that for one lousy cd at all! I know suncoast sells L'arc and one X-Japan album...but that's too long a drive for me anyway, considering it's in NYC. Yeah, sure, I'm gonna go to the city to buy meself a cd.

Well, maybe when I'm in college in manhattan...but no, definitely not now. Since most of the kids nearby like emo (which I don't, I like all kinds of music but emo just...I dun like it), I have a very slim chance of getting too many people into the music. Maybe people are too closed-minded anyway, I don't see how you can just listen to one kind of music and ignore all others.

Eh, this probably is just nothing but nonsense now XD...so I'm gonna stop...

No, what you're saying makes sense. And you think $40 is bad? Some Gackt Albums on amazon.com get up to near $50!!!!