After both attending and performing in a few livehouse events, I’ve noticed how tame everything is. The artists mostly drive to the events, so that cuts out drinking. I feel like the lone alcoholic with my multiple drinks I have throughout the night.
I can’t help but compare it to my time in China where I’d say the audience and performers are pretty crazy and unpredictable at times. Despite the heavy hand of the government, I’ve seen weed and cocaine everywhere, both attendees and artists stripping on stage, violent mosh pits, singers dangerously throwing equipment into the crowd, etc.
I’m not complaining, I love the music scene here and everyone I’ve met is incredibly kind, but it’s definitely a different vibe. Curious to hear your stories of attending or performing in Japan. Do you have any crazy stories?
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Those shows exist (well, minus the drugs), you just have to know where to find them as with anything else in this country.
Personally I’ve been in a ton of amazing pits, but if they were actually *violent* to the point of risking injury, that stops being fun, and in that sense Japan’s got it figured out (though goddamn, kids these days crowd surf an excessive amount compared to 10-15 years ago).
Quite frankly if the majority of shows in Japan were as you describe them, it would kinda suck. Do your thing and let loose and whatever, but everyone’s supposed to have a good time and go home safe at the end of the night, that way you can do it again next weekend.
Been to the local live house once and saw a Motley Crue cover band. They were great, and I’d like to go to other shows, but I’m out in the inaka so I probably have to go in blind on some Japanese bands.
I adore the livehouse scene here. Yes people are quiet, but it’s out of respect for the performers—people treat going to a livehouse like going to an art gallery to appreciate the art.
The great thing is that individuality is respected at livehouses perhaps more than anywhere else in Japan. So if you wanna go nuts and dance in the front row (as I often do), you are more than welcome to.
There are definitely acts that set the room alight though. bed and Otoboke Beaver have done it best, out of the ones I’ve seen. The ska scene also gets everyone skanking haha.
I’ve been playing hardcore music in Japan for 17 years.
Check out one of my my bands “Dead Lennons”
In terms of hardcore shows you just need to keep your eye on the scene as they happen every week.
I’ve literally dived off stage guitar in hand, crowd surfed, got flipped upside down, and walked on the ceiling all while playing hardcore riffs.
One time I broke my entire tooth on the mic, spit it into the audience and actually found it after the show when the crowd cleared out.
So much crazy shit happening in the underground scene almost every day of the week.
You just gotta look it up.