Here We Go

Here is the new blogger for my new show gang! Tainted Reality will be a bit similar to Bad Transitions, how ever with some rather noticable differences. First of all, and most notably, the main factor of the show will be J-Rock. However, it will not be the whole show, as I will play a LOT of Goth, Industrial, Alternative, Metal... basically every kind of rock on the table. However, somethings never change, because, as before, I will honor any and all requests.

Also, I detest doing solo radio shows, so I will be looking for a co-host. You do NOT need to be a member of the station or the University for this, as you will be under my supervision. If you are interested, please drop a comment here.

I will also have a contest over the summer, but more info on that later.

As for this blogger, this will operate the same way as the Bad Transitions blogger, only with a few more suprises along the way! Like this, the transcript from the Psycho le Cemu Q&A I attented and participated in at Katsucon!!!!!

Q: What are some of the differences between Japanese and American audiences?

Daishi told us that, compared to the Japanese fans, audiences here scream louder and clearer.

Roger: Why did you feel it's important to play music in America?

Daishi said he didn't want to do a live in America, but the rest said, "No we have to!" He also remarked at the difficulty in fitting American sized burgers in his mouth.

Q: What is the significance of you guys always carrying around peaches?

Daishi asked if we knew of the story Momotaro and told us that it was based on the Japanese folktale of the little peach boy, but with a small twist. In the original tale, Momotaro is a very good character but in their world, he's a little yankee boy. He would be in a biker gang. In that scenario Seek is like a police officer.

Q: Who came up with the skit?

Daishi said that Yura-sama is the one who wrote the play yesterday. Then, addressing the crowd, he asked, "Did you guys understand our English?" He then mentioned that some of the lyrics to a song he sang last nigth were in English. He asked the crowd, "Did you realize this?" (crowd answers loudly, yes!) After singing them, he revealed that he had used a cheat sheet during the first show, but would try and memorize them for the second one. (Lots of cheering at this)

Q: What Manga do you guys read?

Yura-sama - Dragonball and Final Fantasy
Seek -Doesn't read much but likes Akira (Classic sci-fi series)
Aya - Deathnote (currently running in Shonen Jump)
Lida - Doesn't read a lot of manga, but likes American comics like Spiderman
Daishi - Bebop High School (Classic yankee manga)

Q: Do you have any western influences in your music and if so who are they? (Brian's of Centigrade-J's question)

We got some really vague conversation between the band members talking about how they were influenced by western music and each of them have their own likes and dislikes, using a little bit from each. Good going guys, way to not answer the question while answering it. I'm sure we all had hoped to get specific names of foreign influences. This was a common theme throughout the session.

Q: What Visual Kei bands did you listen to; did you listen to Visual Kei when you were growing up? (Another Centigrade-J question)

After looking at each other for several seconds as if they didn't understand the question, Aya picked up a microphone and said, "Pierrot." to a good deal of cheering from the audience. End of answer. This really disappointed the fans because they had been genuinely interested in hearing them talk at length about the visual bands they liked and who they felt influenced them the most.

Q: What did you think of the dolls?

Apparently Yura-sama had received dolls from some of the fans, he awkwardly expressed his thanks and intentions to bring the dolls back home to Japan, thus putting a period on this dead-end inquiry.

Q: Are you interested in playing outside a convention?

Daishi really would like to play small live houses, with an American band.

Q: What American bands do you listen to?

Britney Spears. Lida, flushed in the face, admitted as much. Daishi went on to say that he just likes watching.

Q: How did you come up with the band name?

Seek talked about how there really wasn't an idea, per se. Apparently, they thought it sounded cool and it was a combination of past band names

Q: What does your band think of file sharing and downloads?

Seek thought it was okay if you do so to check them out but added that he wished we would buy their CDs. Daishi added that if we don't buy their albums, the value goes down. I imagine he meant that they don't get anything.

Q: What do you think of the current music scene in Japan and if there was one thing you could change, what would it be?

Daishi said that the Japanese music scene is bad because Psycho le Cemu isn't number 1. He thinks American fans are better and wants to be number 1 in Japan. (Lot's of cheering)

Q: Are there any plans to do solo activities?

(Crowd boooos wildly) . Daishi did state that there might be a chance they would want to try and asked if we wanted them to do it, which was met with a resoundingly negative response. At which point they remarked that maybe because the crowd didn't want them to do, they would want to do it now. When asked the same question again, the crowd loudly cheered for them to go solo hoping to convince them not to go solo..., got it?

Q: What is your next project and what is the idea behind it?

This got a little muffled too. Their next song will be kind of heavy, with lyrics by Lida, the music by Aya.

Roger: Where do you come up with the concept for your videos or PVs?

They usually discuss it after rehearsing in the studio, while they're driving home in the car. Daishi made some crack about how since Lida is always the one driving, he doesn't get to give much input.

Q: Have you heard of Tiger Army and what kind of hairspray or gel do they use in their hair?
None of them had heard of Tiger Army and the second question prompted Daishi to ask if Lida and he looked like twins because of their hair. Daishi was sporting a longer grown-out version of Lida's cut.

Q: Where do they get the influence for their costumes?

Seek handled this one, clearing his throat very loudly and talking about how they decide upon the story from the songs and the characters emerge from the story. After that, they decide what kind of costumes each character will wear. They've been doing this for a while now so they know exactly who will play what character. Daishi adds that the new costumes are already ready. Lida's costume cost a lot of money. He said that Lida won't wear much this time and asked if we agreed that this was "sexy da ne?" This prompted lots of cheering from the audience. Daishi then told us we were all hentai. He then asked the translator how to say "hentai" in English. She told him "pervert," which he tried pronouncing to adorable mangled results.

Q: Last time they were here at a conference, they didn't have girlfriends. Did they find girlfriends?

Daishi celebrated his birthday on Feb. 5th and he spent it with 3 guys. He then lamented that everyone was taller than him and asked the audience if they would be alright with a shorter boyfriend which, of course, prompted lots of cheers. Part way through his answer he came on to the sponsor of today's event Harry of Jpophouse.com, suggesting that they start dating. Harry was having none of it.

Lida mentioned something about us being much bigger, which of course was taken to mean fatter. He clarified that he meant taller or that's how I took it. I'm still wondering if this had been his fault or the translators.

Q: Will your next DVD include para para lessons?

Yura-sama said that, if we wanted it, they would include it. Daishi adds that for the next DVD they will have English with Lida and Yura-sama boxing each other. This may have been the translators bungle, as the word used was "naguriai" or "fist fighting". Daishi said that they became better friends because of it. Reminds one of Fight Club.

Q: Seek - How do you feel about always being the monster?

He thinks it's very fun to play the monster, but his parents don't like it so much.

Q: YURA-sama - During your Friday performance, was the banana supposed to fall?

This prompts lots of laughs from the audience. As you can probably guess, this wasn't supposed to happen.

Q: Do any members have pets?

(each member paused for effect before passing the mic on the next)Daishi: Lida
Lida: Aya
Aya: Seek
Seek: Yura-sama
Yura-sama: Daishi

Q: Aya - Would you ever date a non-Japanese?

Aya -"Hai"
Daishi then asked the crowd if they prefer Aya dressed as a female or a male? It was an even split.

Q: Seek - Have you named your guitar? If so, what is it?

He has a couple basses but the one he used at Friday's show was named Saba (Mackeral, probably due to the color)

Q: Lida - What is your favorite fruit?

He said bananas. End of pointless question.

Q: Aya - Boxers or briefs?

Aya says boxers. Daishi then adds that he (Aya) used to wear underwear bought by his mom that was blue and checkered.

Q: Do you have any embarrassing moments to share?

They have many embarrassing moments, but they can't tell us because they're too embarrassing to share. Seek did talk about how during yesterday's skit, the ball that was supposed to hit him in the back missed.

Q: What is your favorite type of ice cream or dessert?

Daishi was beside himself prompting him to ask in his rougher Kansai dialect: DO YOU REALLY WANNA KNOW THAT?! (To which everyone cheered) Daishi really doesn't really eat ice cream. Seek likes Vanilla and Hagen Daaz apple pie. Daishi asks us if we know about Maacha or green tea ice cream. He then tells us that Lida doesn't eat it because he gets brain freeze.

Q: Last night at your first concert, was the tour what you expected after last year?

Yura-sama says that they made many mistakes yesterday, but since we didn't notice, it was alright.

Questions were picked from random fans in the crowd

Q: Aya - What is your favorite video game?

Aya: Ridge Racer

JuuJuu-Sama: Aya-kun!!!!!, will you marry me? (enthusiastically)

Aya: "Sankyu, Sanyku" (Thank you, Thank you)

Q: When you're thinking of which costumes to make, do you think of how hard it will be for cosplayers to make?

Seek mentions that his next costume will be a very simple one, you can just pick up any rag on the street. Daishi will wear a traditional Japanese school uniform (a gakuran).

Q: Aya - How does it make you feel as a man playing a woman character?

Every time he plays a female character, he wants to try to be that character. He's working on being a real woman.

Q: What do you do on the plane ride?

Daishi and Lida apparently pined for the stewardess, who was apparently very good looking but they didn't talk to her. Daishi and Lida were childhood friends, so they've know each other for a long time. Yura was the roadie for the band that Lida and Daishi were in. Now Lida is like the roadie. Seek was the person in charge of the lighting for a live house they performed in. They performed together once with Aya at a live house. At the time, Aya had a Mohawk and was topless.


That is courtesy of my good friends at www.centigrade-j.com. With classes and all, I was unable to finish the transcript myself, so Centigrade-J graciously allowed me to use their's!

As for me? I have one final to go, and then I begin packing for my trip to Mexico to go on tour with BLOOD and direct their new PV, Gothic. Check back here for a full account of my of my adventures, as well as photos, soon after May 9th, the date of my return.

Also, check back here for many many updates over the summer, such as Otakon, plans for the new show, and a schedual of interviews. That's right gang. Tainted Reality is going to specialize in Interviews of J-rock, Goth, and Industrial bands!!! This site will be very very active, and will give you tons and tons of content as, I assure you, Tainted Reality will be more than just a simple college radio show!

As always, I sincerely hope to hear from you all, as I deeply deeply love getting fan comments. Let me know what you hope to recieve from the new show, what you want to not change from Bad Transitions, and what you think overall!

-Roger