敲定了!! Yosh ☆
下個月19-26號日本之旅
(ah Qiu 看到一定大聲喊出來:"什麼!!? 妳不是剛回來嗎!?")
是的﹐不過有事情還沒做完.
(我不是指帶榴蓮過去賣啦...雖然這個主意不錯)

我想找回某樣東西罷了.
不多說了.

好不容易終於confirm了我的機票..
剛好上次的NW voucher 派上用場.
其實做決定之前真的好掙扎的...情緒上下波動﹐無心工作﹐心裡徘徊在十字路口﹐一直衡量著pros&cons.
我的問題是﹐我想太多了.

好啦﹐現在只有兩個live想去. 19號的mucc finale和25號的天嘉.
(是的﹐我最後決定留多幾天看天嘉..)
問題是﹐訂的票位子超差 (25號那個真的是[館頂]!)
這個時候正統訂票是這樣的啦﹐我知道..
只是日語不夠好所以還是放棄用BBS 了
到時希望現場可以換/買較好的票。
不用緊啦!! 大場面看的是不同的東西吧﹖
我想這點我也得做一點心裡準備..

Sharing some photos from The Art of Star Wars exhibition that's currently taking place in Singapore :)

I went to the launch together with my brother.. the President came to launch the exhibition.. there was this red button thingy which he had to press to get the 'passageway' open.. thereafter he was escorted in with the Lord Sith on his left and Darth Vader on his right
(egad!! so the President has gone to the Dark Side??!!! :O!! XD)

There were cosplayers galore.. besides the Singapore cosplayers, another group flew in from Hong Kong. I went in expecting to be transported into Star Wars world, but sadly, I gotta say I was a teeny weeny disappointed.. mainly because the portions dedicated to Episodes 4,5 and 6 were so small compared to Episodes 1,2 and 3, especially 3... it felt like about 40% (or so?) of the exhibits were from Episode 3!

Of course, some exhibits were still awe-inspiring, such as the Star Destroyer model which greets you at the entrance...woa~~~


Was extremely impressed as well by the original matte paintings used for Episode 6.
Amazing how even though there was a lack of technology, the beauty of intricate artwork can make the audience believe something 2D can be so 3D...


The other prize exhibits were the original McQuarrie paintings...wow...the paintings that brought the story to life and landed funding for the movie...*in absolute awe*

Of course, no one can miss Darth Vader's formidable presence..*heavy breathing*


There were a number of exhibits that were sorely missing... like TaunTaun from the Empire Strikes Back...in fact, ESB seemed to have the smallest exhibit.. which was kinda sad for me cos it was my favourite episode! T_T But hey, even the Yoda model was missing from the exhibition!

Well, later my brother found out that apparently the reason for the high concentration of art pieces in this exhibition is really because, as the name of the exhibition suggests, this exhibition is focussing on the 'art' of Star Wars. There are currently 4 Star Wars exhibitions touring the world today, and the one in Singapore arrived from Japan.

I didn't have to pay for entrance into the exhibition during the launch, but if you ask me, is the exhibition worth the admission ticket price (S$18)? Well.............*frowns*............ hard to say... you gotta ask yourself... is the Force strong in you??? ;)

Just so I remember this next time...
Houyoku jumped onto 11th spot on the Oricon Album Charts on the first day (おめでとう!), couldn't spot it on the 2nd day though.
If I recall correctly, Kuchiki was also 11th on the first day, falling into oblivion on the 2nd day.

On the new album again...

Sorry that I keep harping on the album, but all day i've been obsessing about it...peering into the albumsleeve to read the faintly-printed lyrics while riding to work in the crowded MRT...sneakily plugging in my earphones when i'm at my desk...mind drifting off to Houyoku-land during meetings...[モンスター] ringing in my mind almost the whole day...sigh........... story of my life.............

But you know... i love how songs change so much upon first listen, second listen, when you're not reading the lyrics, when you're examining the lyrics, when you concentrate on the vocals, bass, drums, guitars separately, when you concentrate on the flow of the album, when you recall the lives, when you imagine how the rest would sound like live, when you think about how the band would perform the songs live, when you think about how the songs came about...this is like one freaking paragraph already!!!!!!

Anyway. Just wanted to say that one good thing about this album is they're definitely exploring new styles and whether it fits one's cup or tea or not, I appreciate the effort that's gone into making this a well thought-out album. Seriously,.. it's not disappointing in that respect.

the main problem is i'm finding it hard to differentiate the album from the others out there. still trying to find the character, the playfulness, the enjoyment.

鵬翼

Album剛到手.
I bought both the DVD and bonus CD vers.
Watched the DVD briefly just now.. 32min in duration.. there were a lot of audience shots, i can just imagine all the euro muckers getting excited about it when they see it! :)

I love those random tourists at the Eiffel Tower who have no idea they'll end up in a DVD.. XD

Just started listening to the CD..
New renditions of Saishu and Kokoro in the album... i remember they used this new opening for Saishu during the lives.. can't make out whether Ame is a new rendition or not, but the guitars sound stronger & the strings softer..could it just be that i'm listening from my stereo..will find out when i plug into my Zen tomorrow morning..

As for the new songs..noticed especially [輝く世界]and[モンスター] during the round of listening... i'll listen more and comment another time... ... ...perhaps!

看DVD時倒是突然又好想念他們﹐又想看他們的live了。。。
他們忙完唱片又是live又是宣傳工作。。。真是辛苦了。加油﹐ムック。

i-Pod Shuffle-mode meme!

Well I used it on my Zen...
and I SWEAR my playlist doesn't just have Mucc and The Back Horn. Serious! The second last answer testifies to that (and i am SO EMBARRASSED about it..)
Yes there's a lot of nonsense on my playlist....>_>
So anyway, I'm really stumped why almost all of the answers come from these two bands.
Why, why???????

What do you think of me, Player?
The Back Horn - サニー
[I take it as a compliment :P]

Will I have a happy life?
Mucc - 9月3日の刻印
[So what am I supposed to make of this ans????!!!]

What do my friends really think of me?
The Back Horn - 夏草の揺れる丘
[Nice scene though]

Do people secretly lust after me?
Mucc - 心奏
[...]

What should I do with my life?
Mucc - 朽木の塔
[So... i just rot somewhere??]

Why must life be so full of pain?
The Back Horn - ワタボウシ
[errrrrrr]

How can I maximize pleasure during sex?
Mucc - 路地裏 僕と君へ
[Meaning...in an alley???!!!!]

Will I ever have children?
Mucc - 盲目であるが故の疎外感
[Looks bleak eh]

Will I die happy?
Mucc - 朽木の灯
[Result of rotting, lah!]

Can you give me some advice?
The Back Horn - コバルトブルー (Live)
[I need advice about this advice...]

What do you think happiness is?
Mucc - ガロ
[A dog? I knew it!!]

What's my favourite fetish?
Faye Wong & Aaron Kwok - Pepsi Commercial
[No way. NO. WAY. Give me Coke anytime.]

Am I a total freak?
Harry Connick Jr - A Wink & A Smile
[Answer seems to confirm it, ye? *wink* *smile*]

new maxi-single in jan? wonder why it's not been announced on their official hp..
http://www.hmv.co.jp/product/detail.asp?sku=1428217

看了Rice live DVD!!!
昨天看到目不轉睛﹐最後live reports 也忘了寫﹐今早出門前再看一點﹐結果整天腦裡都是[Stay]! YEAH!!! ^__^

超愛Hironbo!!! XD XD XD
Hironbo intro 時候的音樂和那個臉のdigital zoom﹐爆笑!!!!!!!!! 實在是笑到差點跌倒!!!!!!!!!!!!!
XD XD XD
好喜歡聽Hiro說話﹐不知為什麼﹐有份親切感~^^
(小發現:Hiro的確沒有屁股! 都是松松的!)

嗯﹐也很喜歡看Hiro打鼓﹐DVD裡他打得好自在﹐好enjoy呢
看了我也很enjoy~

Hung out with BH at the Sun with Moon Japanese Dining and Cafe @ Wheelock Place on Saturday...2nd time there with her, sat at the same seats. i like the place, atmosphere is neat and they have nice drinks & desserts.
This time round we caved into our konnyaku jelly craving.

look, heart-shaped jelly! haha..

but really, it's the yuzu honey tea that makes us come back. that plus the chance to people-watch. last time round it was a particular "Project Superstar" judge at the next table. this time round it was a couple of hip-hopper-wannabes XD

yeah, the place is turning out to be a regular hangout :)

今天做壞孩子﹐提早回家! 哈哈哈...因為今天是所謂的'Staff Day', 公司硬把我們拉到大太陽之下玩一些無聊游戲。 我看情況不太對勁﹐趁午餐時間就偷偷溜了出來﹐哈哈哈...(得意著!)

今早唯一有趣的一件事﹐就是做了DIY的henna tattoos.
其實也是‘無聊分組比賽’的項目之一﹐應該tattoo一些跟組名有關的東西﹐但是我才不管呢!
^_^


現在沖了涼﹐開始看我的Rice live DVD! ;P

Looking back at the lives..

I think I'll keep it shorter this time round... the next few entries will be about the 6 lives I went to during this Japan trip. As much as I hope to write more, I don't think I'm up to it this time, not sure why.. Will have to depend on yuj's reports. Actually, I've just read yuj's report on The Back Horn's live on 6 Nov...不只讀了一次﹐而是3﹑4﹑5次... she's awesome!!! ^^ i love the report... and I'm so very very grateful that the report forms part of my memories, it's something I can read next time to bring back those scenes to my mind. Thank you, yuj. 看了report突然覺得很感激。。。真的﹐能有同樣live同樣感受的朋友是那麼的難得﹐也不只是對於lives的感受。。 妳的PS2我完全理解也有同感.. はい，一緒に頑張ってしましょう..

我回來了.
不過一踏進Changi機場﹐怎麼不像是‘回家’的感覺呢?
感覺反而好像是﹐把某東西留在遠處﹐還在讓我牽掛著.

上飛機的時候﹐很偶然的碰到一位美國留學的朋友剛好乘同一架飛機回國.
說來就覺得好奇妙﹐我已經不是第一次從日本返回國時碰到他了!
這次有點尷尬的是﹐碰到他時﹐眼裡泛著淚光. 不知道他有沒有被嚇到!

我怎麼那麼傻呢... 為4個不認識我的人落淚.

After 3 mucc lives,
after listening to the new songs during these 3 lives,
mood is not so good..
& it's not because the trip's coming to an end.
shinpai desu.

Back Horn live @ Hiroshima Quattro.

Major discovery today... --->

The Back Horn is super amazing. Simply~~~Amazing. Period. I could go on gushing about them here, and guess what, i will! hahaa...;)

Four brilliant musicians. You never would have guessed it from their demeanour and dressing (they came out to tune their own instruments...after the live, they also carried the equipment into the van...oh yes, and we also bumped into Kohshu...outside the livehouse...twice!)
Masashi is the kind of vocalist that any band would dream of. Sounding exactly like the CD, his stage charisma was so strong that i found it difficult to peel my eyes off him anytime when he's singing.
That's not to say the other band members didn't command stage presence either. No, they did, and so naturally too! Eijin' spasms!!!!!! See him go on those strings!!!!!! Kohshu looked and sounded like he had merged into one with his bass, eyes closed, totally immersed in the music. He seems older since the DVD live...really, the DVD live footage does not do them justice at all...As for Matsu, it seemed as if his drumbeats united the other members' music into one tight performance.

Am determined to catch their one-man live. 27 Dec...where they're going to perform their seldom-played-songs... so tempting! >_<

Just back from Mucc Kochi Yukke B'day live! ^^
Happy Birthday, Yukke!!!
A short report first, as I have to go pack..moving to Hiroshima tomorrow morning..

Live was great fun :)
I was standing near Yukke's side, but then, in a mucc live, you never know where you will be pushed to next ^^;... was pushed to the left, then front, then back, then front again.

Tatsurou's voice sounds much better, compared to last year, very glad about that..:)
But his eyes were rather red..
& there were plaits in his hair!
They had some trouble with the instruments, so after about 4 songs, they stopped for a while to fine-tune the instruments again..
(edit: turned out to be Satochi's drums..see their hp for the pic! ^^)
Listened to the new album songs for the first time. Tsubasa wasn't quite what I expected.. all four members were singing during the chorus! Kokoro and Ame's intros sounded quite different from the recordings, but nonetheless, they were interesting takes too.

We were all given a slip of paper when we entered the livehouse, telling us not to shout "Yukke Omedetou!" during the live until the appropriate time. During the pre-encore MC, Yukke came out and talked about what happened last nite. Can't really catch all the MC (zannen desu!) but something about going to a game centre last night and winning himself 300Yen ^^; and then when he went back to the hotel, he found everyone in one of the rooms watching DVD quietly, he was wondering what was going on... then just after midnight he got emails (smses) from them wishing him happy birthday ^^ first was from miya i think, then couldn't quite catch the rest... and some of the muccrew members jumped into the room and popped some streamers and surprised him or somethin' like that...
(edit: yuj told me that turns out it was a game they were playing, that's why they were so quiet...write more about it when i get back ne!)

Yes! B'day cake for Yukke! Yukke took a swipe at some cream on the cake there and then ^^

Oh yes! When Satochi came back out for the encore, he came over to Yukke and said 'Omedetou'... yasashii ne... I liked that a lot ^^

Yosh!
First time blogging after coming to Japan!
It's been only 3.5 days but somehow it seems rather long!
Why ne..

First live was Rice.. good to see Rice again exactly 1 year later. :) It was my first time at Ebisu Liquidroom. It's better than the previous Liquidroom (at least, no 7 flight of steps this time!), though smaller. We stood in the middle, but still had a good view. Live was good. Yuki's voice was in top form, but somewhere in the middle his throat irritated him a bit. He was wearing a purple bandana, so he joked about not being able to properly headbang, heh. They played 3 new songs during the live. Hiro was wearing a...erm... flowery shirt. When he came out during the encore, the jacket was...ahem...i can only find one word...'ah peh'!!! ^^;

2nd live was Billy/Jinkaku Radio at Rock Maykan. My first time seeing both. Billy was forgettable. Jinkaku was, one word -- awesome. Extremely tight performance. All 4 were very, very, skilled. Hearing the songs from Shyouku (sp?) for the first time live, gawd, sounded great. Plus the new single's songs. And 1 new song from their upcoming album. I am so definitely wanting to see Jinkaku live again.

Oh yes, and Naoki is so very pretty. And graceful. *melts*