Visual Kei of the Day

Challenge: Kissing the Homies Goodnight

Warnings: boyxboy don't like don't read

Here's a performance at Club Citta in 1990...

And here's one at Tokyo Dome in 1989, cut down to only the most important parts.

Comment: You have no idea how long I dragged myself through the depths of YouTube trying to find a better-quality upload of the first video. I love it when you're watching a live recording where the bandmen Do A Stagegay and you can hear screaming on the live audio. Live Fujo Reaction. Also, I had to share this fanart. Truly adore how Atsushi is always putting his whole pussy into the seduction and Imai's like For Legal Reasons I Have To Establish That I Do Not Know This Man, Have Never Met This Man, And Am Not Participating In This Nonsense He Has Decided On. oh and also the song's good i guess

Warnings: Imagery of forced feeding and forced restraint in a mental hospital setting

Comment: You know, in JPN-speaking fandom, they call them kamiban. The term comes from the idea that they were simply too good to exist in this world, that the gods had to take them away, visit misfortune on them. It sucks so profoundly what happened to Lyrica, especially because it feels like they were capable of so much more. They were only able to release a few songs, but they're all solid bangers. They had plans to perform overseas! Anyways, picked this song because it's a song I chose for a "characters from X franchise as vkei songs" post I'm planning on making*, but it's really wonderful, I love the pounding background beat and Usagi's almost-pained vocals- he may have had Standard Vkei Voice (tm), but he knew how to use it, and in all of this band's MVs, he looks like he's having the time of his life acting his little heart out. Wherever he is now, I hope he's doing all right.

Warnings: Lyrics are kind of warlike

Comment: Been digging into more Pierrot lately, so I've been wanting to post a song of theirs for a while, but it's hard, because there's very little overlap in the songs that I find musically interesting and the songs of theirs that I find lyrically interesting. GOD BLESS xmexxxx falls in the latter category, as the main thing I like about it is the guitar bit at the end (it's just a bit too slow for me), but the lyrics.. Hey, if you find another vkei song that's probably about critiquing the US's actions in the Middle East after 9/11, then by all means, send it to me!

Warnings: Some flashing lights

Comment: Happy Pride Month. When Atsushi was asked about this song, he said, "There are all kinds of men and women so rather than discriminating them, I was hoping that [this song] would give them a sort of upbeat feeling, like “It doesn’t matter whichever way you go. Let’s just dance and have fun!”

It seems we lost a good egg.

Warnings: None!

Comment: This song is so damn fun and peppy and bouncy. Taiji's bass riffs here do things to my ovaries.

Warnings: None particularly.

Comment: Dadaroma were artists who dared to ask the question of "what if we direct our vkei decadent gothic energies towards making a song about being a stray kitty cat? And it fucking rules.

Warnings: None!

Comment: I'm doing a new thing on my vkei Tumblr where I post and analyze an iconic vkei visual once a week, and as I was digging through Jrocknews' "new look" tag for ideas, I kept seeing this band over and over again and I just sort of... fell in love with their visuals? (And maybe their bassist. He's so damn cute!) So I decided to check out their music, and oh my god, their music is what happiness sounds like? I think I might be in love... This song is cute and poppy, but it's got nice strong electric guitar and a very motivational feeling. Listening to it, I feel like an anime protagonist setting out on their journey, and the lyrics fit this theme too, it's about facing the future no matter how scary and rejecting convention (or at least I think that's what they're about, they're using a lot of complicated old Japanese..)