Do you ever wonder why?

[Newgi]

I'm having one of those hmm.... "Do Every Wonder Why" days for example:
It's frustrating when you have searched everywhere hoping, longing, wanting to buy the new Gackt CD Single "Black Stone" or LArc-en-Ciel "SMILE" CD but major music stores don't have the CD in STOCK (US NOT!) So you place an order for it online (not knocking the Internet) then you have no other choice but to wait two to six weeks for that CD! My question is WHY? and Do you feel similar frustrations. So here are a few "Do You Every Wonder Why" of my own


Why Hyde of LArc-en-Ciel and Gackt of Gackt Job never did a WORLD tour together or for that fact with any other JPop/JRock band?

Why it's so hard to find Gackt's or any other JPop/JRock CD's or DVD's here

Why don't Newsstands or Book/Music stores sale Japanese Magazines or periodicals (where you live other than Japan Oh boy I so want to move to Japan)

 

[mizerable_d]

i was wondering why BoA and the TRAX did a song together...kinda weird combo...

for the Hyde + Gackt concert thing, they are good friends, no? plus they did a movie together... and why its hard to find Jpop/jrock cds/books etc? well, there are j pop cds, but only from the arists that are "huge" enough to get to the western world(which is few)... and there are jrock CDs or books if you look in the right places, its just that its not well known or well accepted in western countries...i mean when i told a girl i liked j-rock she thought i made it up...baka girl...

 

[Illaparatzo-sama]

Why Hyde of LArc-en-Ciel and Gackt of Gackt Job never did a WORLD tour together or for that fact with any other JPop/JRock band?

Because there isn't a big enough market all over the world for a Gackt and Hyde tour.

Why it's so hard to find Gackt's or any other JPop/JRock CD's or DVD's here

It's not. Unless don't live near or in a major US city. Then I guess it is, eh?

Why don't Newsstands or Book/Music stores sale Japanese Magazines or periodicals (where you live other than Japan Oh boy I so want to move to Japan)

Because there isn't enough of a demand. Japanese people are not spread out enough in the US to support a consistent selection of magazines etc. everywhere. There are plenty of newsstands and book stores that sell Japanese magazines and periodicals. They're just around the Japanese population.

And if you're ordering from somewhere and don't get your CDs for 2 to 6 weeks there's a problem. Try YA or CDJapan. 3-5 days.

 

[MHtrStevie]

Well, I think Illaparatzo-sama answered these questions quite nicely... but I figured I'd add a little info of my own.

Why Hyde of LArc-en-Ciel and Gackt of Gackt Job never did a WORLD tour together or for that fact with any other JPop/JRock band?

Well, if you're going to count JPop through history, then there have been at least a couple of groups which mounted world tours... didn't Yellow Magic Orchestra have at least a couple in their day (late '70s / early '80s)?

And did they necessarily have to be the opening act? I know Sadistic Mika Band opened for Roxy Music on a European tour... and of course Shonen Knife opened for Nirvana on a tour, though I don't know if that was a world tour or simply a U.S. tour.

And of course, if you go WAY back, I'm certain Kyu Sakamoto did some world touring in support of his international #1 hit "Ue o muite aruko" between 1961 and 1963...

The other thing you're forgetting is this... plenty of JPop groups have tried (and failed) in the past to break onto the international (or simply U.S.) music market. Pink Lady tried it in the early '80s, Seiko Matsuda tried it in the late '80s, Hikaru Utada has tried it twice now... and the only one with any *real* success to show for it is still Kyu Sakamoto from 1963 (only Japanese artist to reach #1 on U.S. Billboard charts). And all of the previously mentioned artists would be considered by many to the the *most* popular or successful artist of their particular time period... so what message does that send to the rest of the pack of JPop groups? If the best can't make it...

So certainly JPop/JRock groups will flirt with the U.S. audience, but how many do you think are *actually* interested in trying to become BIG American groups? Utada is certainly trying, but she essentially grew up as much in the U.S. as she did in Japan... other acts like TM Revolution and L'arc~en~ciel may view their one or two U.S. concerts as simply a feather in their cap as artists... they can revive/strengthen their fanbase at home by showing that brief moment when they played to a crazed concert hall in Baltimore. TMRev definitely capitalized, finally scoring his third Oricon #1 hit with "Ignited" after his Gundam SEED work as well as his heightened exposure in Japan thanks to a successful U.S. visit...

I'm fine with my favorite Japanese artists staying Japanese, honestly... part of why I like them is because they're Japanese artists speaking from a different point of origin than myself. I have had little difficulty getting any J-CDs I could possibly want thanks to the Internet... and if these artists ended up changing themselves in some way in order to please a mass U.S. market, I would end up not liking them as much (UTADA's "Exodus" is a great example of this for me).

So just enjoy the music however you can, be it from a Tofu Records CD sitting at your local Borders *or* from an imported CD that ended up taking six weeks to arrive... none of that should change your enjoyment!

 

[Endsight61]

Did you ever wonder why East-West Japan never came out with "Bust a Groove 3"?
I MISS FRIDA!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

[geist_seig]

ever wonder why the what the question the answer of the universe is?

 

[Newgi]

Because there isn't a big enough market all over the world for a Gackt and Hyde tour.


Why I beg to differ, Besides Gackt Job or L'Arc-en-Ciel (Hyde held concert in Baltimore MD), there are other bands (soloist/groups) that are high in demand. To name a few: (1970-2005 regardless how old) Glay, B'z, Malic Mizer, Luna Sea, and T.M. Revolution (also held concert in Baltimore, MD)

 

[Illaparatzo-sama]

M'dear, the United States of America is not the world. I KNOW that there are plenty of people in the US who would love to see Hyde/Gackt/B'z/GLAY. Luna Sea and Malice Mizer have been out of commission for quite a while so that's a moot point. TMR could not sustain a US tour. I was responding to something I thought said "world tour", not "US tour", hence that response. It would have been different if you had said "US tour".

Lydia

 

[Newgi]

M'dear, the United States of America is not the world. I KNOW that there are plenty of people in the US who would love to see Hyde/Gackt/B'z/GLAY. Luna Sea and Malice Mizer have been out of commission for quite a while so that's a moot point. TMR could not sustain a US tour. I was responding to something I thought said "world tour", not "US tour", hence that response. It would have been different if you had said "US tour".

Lydia

Why not start with these, Sidney, Germany, France, Japan, Australia, Korea, China,(of course there are political issues but lets all get along) Russia, South Africa and maybe US. Why I would like to hear you tell that to T.M. Revolution and Tofu Records!

Why who cares if some groups have disband (If a world tour with Jpop Now & Then soloist/bands is promoted)it's all the more reason I would purchase a ticket in heartbeat!

 

[MHtrStevie]

Why not start with these, Sidney, Germany, France, Japan, Australia, Korea, China,(of course there are political issues but lets all get along) Russia, South Africa and maybe US. Why I would like to hear you tell that to T.M. Revolution and Tofu Records!

Not to really rain on your parade, but do you really think Tofu Records has the financial capability to mount a world tour for TM Rev? They're a mighty small operation, and they haven't exactly racked up the sales numbers to make themselves much bigger... and getting together a tour of the entire world would require a HUGE financial investment. Why do you think that only the biggest of international artists have even tried that?

And of course, the talk on this particular forum might give the illusion that there's this monstrous fanbase for these groups, but the membership of this forum is only a *tiny* fraction of the amount of people needed to attend concerts across a successful tour of even one country... the audience that saw L'arc perform in Baltimore is quite possibly a significant portion of the entire U.S. L'arc fanbase. While some people might have been complaining that they couldn't make it, LOTS of people travelled across the country to be there for that show... not to mention the concert was basically free admittance for attendees of quite possibly the biggest anime convention in the country, which means that there was probably a healthy amount of people there who wouldn't be there if they actually had to pay.

If the band does a tour, that attendance figure is going to end up diluted across the country... sad to say, but the Otakon attendance doesn't guarantee they're going to get 11,000 to go to every show of a multi-show tour. So let's say they mount a 10-city tour and end up attracting about 50,000 total paid attendances... well, L'arc would attract 5-10 times the audience on a Japan tour, and the expenses for actually putting that tour on would be a fraction of the cost of that U.S. tour.

I think at best we're going to see these isolated shows from time to time, and that's probably enough for the artists themselves... and I think as a US fan, that's enough for me too.

 

[mizerable_d]

Why not start with these, Sidney, Germany, France, Japan, Australia, Korea, China,(of course there are political issues but lets all get along) Russia, South Africa and maybe US. Why I would like to hear you tell that to T.M. Revolution and Tofu Records!

Why who cares if some groups have disband (If a world tour with Jpop Now & Then soloist/bands is promoted)it's all the more reason I would purchase a ticket in heartbeat!

i dont think there are enought fans to attend to concert... it would be great for them to have world tour tho...

 

[pinkkillerkisou]

Well that doesn't stop some bands... Muse (not-Japanese) is touring the US. They are used to performig 10,000+ crowds (this one concert was so packed there must have been like 30,000 people... it was insane) and they come here and perform in small places for 100-300 people. No complaints here... that means I have a better chance of meeting them when I go.

It would be a great idea to have a Japanese music festival world tour thing... I would die... it would be the greatest thing to happen to me.

I guess we as fans need to work harder to spread Jrock love all around so we can reap the benifit, ne?

 

[mizerable_d]

i dunno, japanese bands having world tours are kinda expensive so it might not be worth the money, i mean diru is going germany i guess because there are many fans there? but do wish they'd come

 

[Illaparatzo-sama]

Muse has US sponsors, whereas most Japanese bands do not.

 

[Tamer Brad]

Thing about Gackt is his record label is Nippon Crown. They won't even let him tour the rest of Asia without a lot of arguments. What makes you think they would let him even do anything in the US?

 

[Illaparatzo-sama]

Psycho le Cemu is on Nippon Crown and they don't seem to have a problem with overseas shows.

 

[pinkkillerkisou]

Muse has US sponsors, whereas most Japanese bands do not.

I'll sponsor them...
First I need to get rich though

Just on a side note... I guess it's still on topic. Which top 5 bands would you guys like to see live?

my list:
-Dir en Grey
-12012
-D'espairs Ray
-Vidoll
-Gazette

They should tour together... it would make me very happy

 

[Illaparatzo-sama]

Hmmm... Sex Machineguns... Lareine... Dir en grey, Imitation PoPs Uchuu Sentai NOIZ and B'z.

Sex Machineguns and Lareine would be really great.

 

[mizerable_d]

1. DIR EN GREY
2. Psycho le cemu
3. Moi dix Mois
4. Silver Ash
5. Orange range

 

[Newgi]

Beautiful

I'll sponsor them...
First I need to get rich though

Just on a side note... I guess it's still on topic. Which top 5 bands would you guys like to see live?

my list:
-Dir en Grey
-12012
-D'espairs Ray
-Vidoll
-Gazette

They should tour together... it would make me very happy

Why not! Lets have all of them tour together that would be something. (then turn it into a Movie)

 

[Endsight61]

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! Goodie goodie goodie!!!! Gackt....*drool* , L'Arc~en~Ciel...*dlooooooooling* :win: , Koda Kumi...*cool*... I kinda lost my train of thought. :? Oh! That's right...MOVIE!!!!!! Biru for everybody!!

 

[Newgi]

Why do people long to see these two J-rockers smooch so much? *not that it's a bad thing,to each is his own, looks sexy too* :?

Why do people think Gackt is ugly and Hyde's not, but they love them when they are together? *note picture below (Oh dear, I'm drooling again)* :? ☝

Why is Hyde sooo sexy, but Gackt is just sexy? :?

I wonder if anyone has ever heard of Big Mommas? :?

Why have I not heard anything about Toshi Kubato? :?

 

[pinkkillerkisou]

Hmmm... well first. Why wouldn't j-rockers smooching be hot? Either way though. That's not the reason I like j-rock or anything... just an added bonus. I would be just fine if j-rocker never did fanservice. Besides... I care about the music first. Anything else is just tasty toppings on the cake.

Too be honest I find both attractive, but on completly different levels. Hmm... and really I feel no differently about them "together". Maybe I'm completely alone but silly girls should stop fantasizing over them as a couple.

Hyde isn't soooooooo sexy. He's adorable to me... ocassionally hot. Sorry but I could pass for his mother he is so young looking... not really but you get my point. Gackt is pretty... occasionally hideous.

Nope... sorry.

Neither have I... who is that?

 

[Newgi]

Nope... sorry.

Neither have I... who is that?

Beautifully stated, I might say First Big Mommas are an all girl Jpop group that I once heard on a cable channel called International Videos. Their sound is unique. I have not been successful in finding more about them. ☝ Toshi is Jpop singer living in LA who also was on that same cable channel. I listen to one of his many singals "Nothing but Your Love" He just released a new album too. He is good but different :?

 

[Endsight61]

Oooooo!! I know Toshi! Not personally though. Does anyone in here know anything about Utada Hikaku? :? I wonder why I don't hear much about her? I heard she has a great voice!!!