Mayohk Showcase#1

I think a lot of people are curious about this project. As a Hora and Közi fan this was such good news when they announced it! I went to the venue very excited about what they would end up playing and if there would be any cd for sale. 

Unfortunately no cd but Közi hinted that it will be coming in the future. 

It was my first time at this venue, it was really nice and they had s good selection of drinks. The drink ticket was a bit expensive though, 700yen…

Hora stood on the right side of the stage like always. He came in first to the intro song and Közi came after. They had a projector showing the logo and their names as they entered the stage. Their suits were really cool too, I noticed some of the paint glowed in the dark! The first songs were originals and then all of a sudden Synthetic Anthem starts playing! As soon as I heard it my arms flew up xD It was awesome to finally hear Hora songs played at a live house!!! They had added lyrics to it though so Közi sang over it.

In the middle Hora had his own time where he just played music by and Közi wasn’t even on stage. It really was a dream come true. I’ve told him before that I’d love to see a Hora solo live, and he smiled a lot so maybe this showed him that there are many of us who’d love to hear his solo songs live. 

The whole live was about 90 minutes, it felt really short, after they left stage we kept calling for them to come back. The light were turned on but no one left, then finally the staff announced that it was the end. 

Overall, the new songs sounded like Hora's lighter songs, the ones that are more pop (like Anima) but there were some heavier songs too. In the middle, efter Közi's break, when he came back they did a kind of instrumental guitar-noise piece but most songs were pretty danceable. Hora both did death vocals and sang though! This is a first time, on his solo he's always used a filter over his voice so it was nice to hear what he actually sounds like. I was impressed! He should definetely sing more. I've always felt the closest we've got to him singing is Ignition, in the verses you can somewhat hear what he sounds like. However in general Közi is the vocalist and Hora is more of a support vocalist.

I’m really sad I can’t go to their next gig, hopefully they’ll come to Osaka or have the live after on a Sunday.

For the merch, this time I actually didn’t get the t-shirt but I got 3 acrylic stands and stickers. i managed to get all the ones I wanted (I traded a double Közi for a Hora with my friend and a sticker as well <3)

Now I’m really sad about having to go back to Osaka. I haven’t left Tokyo yet and I already miss it. Until next time. 

EDIT

Közi updated his Twitter saying the day before the gig, during rehearsals, he had fallen off stage and hurt his arm. Thinking it was probably ok he just took some painkillers but the day after the gig went to the doctor and it was confirmed he had broken his elbow/arm! I didn't notice anything weird during the performance, either he took some pretty strong painkillers or he's super strong to pain. 

Schwarz Stein -another dimension-

There’s no better feeling than seeing Schwarz Stein. I could give up seeing any other band live for them. Because of an accident I couldn’t attend the Nairobi live or the signing event so I really looked forward to this. I don’t think i can describe how much i enjoy Schwarz Stein to be honest. I’ve followed them for almost 20 years but now and i still love their music just as much as i did when i first heard them. I feel like an empty battery going in to one of their shows and then I’m fully charged by the end. I was talking to a friend yesterday and she also  said all her problems just goes away once she gets to see them. 

This time they brought back the streaming service so I don’t really have to go through any details of the songs. I personally really enjoyed the remixes, Fester Love though I like the original more. That song has a special place in my heart. Since it was a remix live I feel like it was a high energy live from beginning to end and I love that. Kaya pointed out that the section with hard songs were shorter, and usually i would mind that because i love them but this time it was ok because the remixes are harder anyway.

I was very curious about the Corroded Cage remix and I loved it. After the gig they had a photo session and I told Hora that I think remixes are scary because you never know how much the song will change but I loved these remixes.

They haven’t decided on a new date for the next live but they have a fan trip planned and Hora’s bar event for his birthday (i can’t go to either because i have work). For Hora's bar there will be a Hora cocktail (even though he doesn't drink). They joked about Hora spitting in the drinks, Kaya saying some fans might even like that XD 

Other than that there wasn’t anything news worthy. Kaya and Hora just jokes a lot. 

I’m praying the next live will be on a Sunday xD

About the goods though, they sold clear files, a pack of 2. They're now up on Kaya's web store but at the Limehouse they sold them signed. They also added more random badges (I got Kaya from their greatest hits look and Hora's cat).

Moi Dix Mois Mana sama birthday tour 2025

I feel so lucky! I don’t think many people understand how hard it is to live in japan and yet barely ever being able to do what I enjoy the most; go to live shows, because I live in Osaka and I work Saturdays. 

This week was heaven sent, i had work off Wednesday to Sunday so I could go to 3 gigs in one week!!

First up was Moi Dix Mois, Mana’s birthday gig, first out of two. 

I’m not well enough rounded when it comes to Moi Dix Mois, I have attended a birthday live in 2017 so that’s my only reference, but I think they usually do one day standing and one day sitting also implying harder and softer songs. At least that’s what it was like last time i went and the set list yesterday was pretty hard. 

My last Moi Dix Mois gig was in 2022 November in Osaka. I thought i had a bad number then (88) and yesterday i got 135…

I haven’t had a good spot for Moi Dix Mois in many years. I also feel like it has to do with that they play smaller venues. 

I aimed at going to the pre-sale for merch but i messed up at the station and took the wrong train… so I missed that. I only wanted the pendant anyway so I got it after. By the door we were handed these postcards of Mana, I love to get stuff like this. I was a bit surprised to see that only Kamijo had presented flowers though, I assumed Schwarz Stein would too… maybe today? Mana even mentioned them in the message mid-live. He talked about Takadanobaba(the place where the livehouse was at), that it was here he scouted Schwarz Stein, or as he corrected yesterday, Rudolf Steiner at the time. They also played with early Malice Mizer here. He had written that he had been to Big Boy to eat (it’s a hamburger restaurant, as in meat patty) back in the days. For those who do not know, since Mana doesn’t speak he always had a written message read by one of the members at every live, this time by Sugiya. He sometimes comes with comments by whispering in their ear, like when he corrected him that it was Rudolf Steiner. 

As it was Mana’s birthday Seth instructed everyone to light up their Moi Dix Mois lightsticks a d then Mana would blow out the candles, so everyone who had one lit it and then turned it off when Mana ”blew them out” ( he just moved his atm from left to right xD). I don’t have a light stick, I considered buying one because I have this vision of how I want to decorate my future home with my music collection and the light stick could be a nice thing to have with the Moi Dix Mois stuff , but I still haven’t got one. Anyway Seth was sweet and said that everyone who don’t have one, it’s ok just use your hands :) so those of us without light sticks just put our hands up during Peagent.

My highlights for the evening was:

The Sect

Dispell Bound

Mad ingrain

Night breed

Monophobia

Since they are making this a tour I’m considering going to one of the Sendai gigs. I’ve actually never been to northern Japan so it could be nice to see that as well as see Moi Dix Mois again.

Schwarz Stein DEMIGOD Tokyo

 Because I so seldom go to live shows anymore 1 month in between felt close in time! 

I’m so happy they did it on a Sunday so I could attend. I took the Shinkansen around noon and came to the club at around 4. This time I didn’t have a vip ticket so I didn’t manage to get a very good spot but it was alright. The  setlist was almost the same as in Osaka but they exchanged some of the older songs, so today we got to hear Transient and Lapis Lazuli! Two songs I really like so I was satisfied.

Kaya mentioned that there were a lot of foreigners attending and implied that the audience was a bit wilder than usual (Japanese fans tends to not respond that much unless the band initiates movement). Which was funny because all of a sudden when they started playing Succubus it felt a bit nostalgic; people half threw themselves forward during the chorus. I haven’t seen that since pre-covid. 

The after event was over pretty quickly. Some points that were mentioned:

• Kaya wrote Lapis Lazuli lyrics after an acquaintance had past away so he doesn’t want to perform it that much because it makes him remember.
• They mentioned Corroded cage again and Hora said he’ll try an recreate it for the next live.
• They might do an remix live and a remix cd. Hora said he’d like to remix New Vogue Children and I think it was Current…
• Originally they had planned on doing a fan trip again but they couldn’t decide on the destination so it never happened and during spring is very busy. Kaya said people can come with suggestions.

Hora released a new t-shirt last month (I think it was). I planned on buying it at the live but it was sold out pretty quickly. During the cheki photoshoot I asked him to make some more >_< 

They announced that there will be an outstore event in January. I’m happy about it but I really wanted to get my Queen of Decadence demo tape signed and I don’t have it with me…. Maybe I’ll settle with something of the new merch or I’ll ask my sister to ship it to me xD

Schwarz Stein DEMIGOD Osaka

Yesterday was the big day. I got to get leave my house XD

I’m so hungry for a gig these days it’s depressing. When I studied in Tokyo I went to different clubs basically every week and now I’m glad if I get 4 gigs in a year xD 

Yesterday was not just any live, it was the first live for Schwarz Stein’s new release Demigod. They announced it at their last solo gig in July and I think we all got hyped. The one thing that made me feel :/ was that half of the songs are previous releases. Kaya said at the announcement that the last singles will be included but I was very surprised to see two songs from Immortal Verses as well. A fellow SS fan sent me the songs so I could listen before the gig today and they are the same versions as previously released so honestly I don’t understand why they chose to include them. One more thing I noticed was that they have changed Blanc dehors, it does not sound the same as last year when they first played it live (correct me if I’m wrong). 

Last week on Thursday Schwarz Stein had a coupling live with Moi Dix Mois and Közi, I had a bad feeling about that (meaning I was scared stuff would sell out) so I asked a friend yet again to buy me a copy of the CD and Hora’s DIABLO. And they actually did sell out 😳 which resulted in them setting a limit to one copy per person in Osaka (which was later during the night lifted though). The sad part was that some people seemed to have bought several copies just to put them up on mercari for double the price...

Anyway, I went early to make sure I’d be able to get the merch that I wanted. The badges sold out quickly, the rest was available throughout the night.

They played all the songs from the album plus Perfect garden, Current, Succubus, Sleeping madness and New Vogue Children. During the live Kaya hinted that they might play a song during the after event but they never did. We didn’t get to ask any questions either, it was just the two of them talking about the new album. So here are some things I remember:

Kaya said he really likes fixer, but that he actually likes the remix a bit better.

Hora said he also likes the remixes a lot. Apparently he usually likes the remixes better. He said he doesn’t like when there are remixes that are so different from the original that you can’t hear what song it is so he makes the remix side by side with the original (as I understood it).

Kaya mentioned that they haven’t really played Addictive Epicurean in the past at lives (meaning back in the early 2000). He said he, at the time, didn’t like to do songs that had long intros because he never knew what to do during that time on stage. 

They also talked about live streams. Many fans have requested them, especially from overseas, so they’re thinking about doing that again. But Kaya mentioned that he’d like everyone to listen to Demigod on cd while looking in the booklet (if I remember correctly he meant it as he think hearing the CD first is ideal and not on livestream).

About fixer, according to Hora, it’s been one of those songs he’s had for s long time (he said about 5 years). 

Last week Hora also released a new single/mini album; Diablo. It includes 3 songs: DIABLO, INVINCIBLE and STARFALL.

DIABLO is an original, I could not hear any sampling or what you might call it (fans of Hora are probably familiar with him incorporating melodies from his previous songs in new ones). STARFALL is a remake of Astral Nebula from DESOLATION BEAUTY and INVINCIBLE includes part of Pray to God -heir- from COCYTUS.

I'm really happy that Hora has started releasing some stuff recently. No song has matched Synthetic God yet though (OMG it's so good :O)

So, what did I think of DEMIGOD?

First, I'm so happy they remade Addictive Epicurean because I LOVE that song and I've been dying to hear it live. I love the remake, both the remix and the regular. My other new Schwarz Stein favourite is fixer... They played it last year once in Tokyo and once in Osaka and I loved it then too but now it's literally on repeat. (I went to Kyoto today and it was basically fixer with a bit of Lover remix and Addictive Epicurean for 4 hours).

Lover, first time when I heard it I felt like it was familiar. At first I thought it sounded a bit like Current (the chorus) but then I realised it sounds a bit like Haven from their greatest hits Licht. I always enjoy Hora's remixes but I rarely say I prefer the remixes, but in the case of Lover I actually. It has a darker sound XD if that makes sense...it probably doesn't because both are pretty upbeat. OK, it's heavier. I always turn the volume up really high when I listen to music and the remix makes me feel like I have a small rave inside my head XD

I acctually enjoyed the remix of Anima more than the original. It got this kind of 80s sound that I like. Anima is interesting, the moment I heard it I felt like this will become a Schwarz Stein song XD (I even wrote it on my instagram when I shared a picture of the cd). I think you can hear when Hora is planning to add vocals or not. Sometimes at least.

What surprised me was that there was no doom! They played a song called doom on Hora's birthday live 2023, which was a remake of his solo song Ignition. I was sure that would turn up on this release but nope. 

Looking forward to hearing the songs live again next month in Tokyo! 

Schwarz Stein 22nd Anniversary Live 2024-07-31

 I haven’t updated here in such a long time it almost feels like i should’ve kept it abandoned. 

I stopped updating because there were so many things going on, mostly bad, that i just didn’t feel motivated nor did i feel like i had the time. When covid hit a lot of bands started the live streaming too so it didn’t feel necessary for me to write live reports when everyone could see it themselves. 

However, that has changed and part of me also feels like i need to get back into my bangya era instead of just digging myself deeper down this hole I’ve been in. 

So for my comeback I will present to you the Schwarz Stein 22nd Anniversary live!

Recently Schwarz Stein has scheduled some lives on weekdays which makes it impossible for me to go. For those who don’t know me I live in Osaka, currently I also work 6 days a week so unless the live is on a Sunday or a holiday I can’t go. 

Unfortunately this happened with the anniversary too, it happened on a Tuesday but that Tuesday seemed like a very slow day at work so I asked if I could take the day off and I got an ok so of I went to Tokyo on Tuesday morning!

I’ve stopped taking the highway buses, I guess I’m too old but it hurts too much xD so going to Tokyo for a live only will result in at least a 30,000 yen train fee x_x I also hate stressing so to be able to participate in the after party, as they decided to call it this time, I actually stayed the night making it even more expensive x_x

I used to always wear the same outfit for Schwarz Stein, the original Hora t-shirt, but I feel really nostalgic for it so i don’t want to overuse it xD therefore I’ve left it in Sweden and have been dressing up a bit more for their lives. BUT Hora announced a new t-shirt for his birthday live in May which a friend kindly bought for me, so I decided to restart the Hora t-shirt dress fashion once again. Also Japanese summer is like walking around in a sauna so didn’t really feel like getting dressed up just to sweat through layers of clothing.

This time the live was at the 二万電圧, a club I’ve never been to before. It was very small, even though there can’t have been more than 80 guests it was full. 

My ticketnumber was pretty bad, 30, despite reserving my ticket within 5 minutes of the release (I now have the theory you get the number based on when you pay because I waited until around 9p.m that day to pay, if anyone knows how it works please leave a comment).

There were some new merch, a Hora keychain, compact mirror set and a signed photo included in the new Hora release Anima. I had already ordered Anima from his online store but i wanted to photo so I bought one more. I actually also got the keychain but I resisted the mirrors despite Hora’s cat being very cute. I just don’t have space to buy endless of merch anymore and i don’t use compact mirrors. This time they sold extra cheki tickets for the after party (since a couple of years back one cheki with the band is included in the afterevent/party price and they stopped selling tickets for it but it made a comeback this time). So i got an extra photo >_> because I feel like the risk of me closing my eyes or doing something else stupid is too high….

Being an anniversary I hoped they’d play a lot of the old classics. The setlist started with 黒揚羽 so I was pleased. I was even happier that they continued with Fester Love, Queen of Decadence and Apocalypse.  For Hora’s birthday live they played a new version of Addictive Epicurean, this made me so happy because it’s one of my favorite songs and I’ve mentioned that it would be nice to hear  a couple of times <3 and fortunately they played it this time too! It felt a bit slower than the original but i liked it.

Kaya mentioned in one of the short MCs that they’d keep it short and talk more during the after party. They had already announced there would be news so that came during the last MC. As I had thought, the news were that they will release a full album containing 11 songs in October. The new songs they have performed live will be included and then he said there will be new songs, at least that he grant sung before so i guess that’s a hint that there will be more remakes from Hora solo songs. The album will be followed by one live in Osaka and one in Tokyo. Then in December there will be a live with Közi as guest. Kaya had made a new flyer for this and had accidentally written that it would be Közi’s project E//+Z xD

They did keep the Mcs shorter but what surprised me was that the afterparty literally was them asking if people would be interested in a fan trip again and then discussing where to go, and they also played Perfect Garden. That was it. No question corner so it felt very short. I never ask questions but this time I actually wanted to. 

When it’s time to take a picture with them I never know what to say so it’s usually one thanks and bye xD Kaya complimented me on my shirt when I came in :p

I immediately checked my schedule and
realized I can attend all the planned lives so I’m really looking forward to both the album and the gigs ^^

Corona in Japan -is there a pandemic going on?

 I've been in Japan, Osaka to be more specific, for almost 3 weeks now and although it's different from the other times I've been here, it is nowhere as different as Europe is at the moment. TV still promotes going out to eat and there seems to be no social distancing. I went to the supermarket the other day and one lady even cut the line because she didn't seem to get that I was keeping distance to the person in front of me.

I went to Umeda the other day to meet a friend and was kind of shocked by the amount of people going out shopping. I know I also contributed by going there but in my poor defence I haven't seen my friend in over 1 year and he's not from Osaka so I don't know when or if I'll be able to go see him in Tokyo. I also made sure I didn't go during the rush hours.

Back in Sweden though I felt much more aware of the virus and all the safety precautions, people would stare their eyes out if someone sat next to them on the train and here people don't seem to care how close you are. I guess many think they're safe because basically everyone uses a mask, but maybe half of everyone in a mask as a high quality one and wear it properly. The thin polyester masks seems very popular and those don't even filtrate.

I work part-time at an eikaiwa and the first child arriving on my shift shows up with her mask half way down her face, coughing and sneezing. But she didn't have a fever and it seems that it's the most important thing here. No wonder the virus is spreading like crazy I thought.

Then the other day it is announced that Tokyo has declared state of emergency, but everything remains open and the limit of people who can assemble is 5000. Not sure what they think this will result in. I really hope the numbers will go down soon and that we can all go back to a more normal life.

Nabe every evening