CaRaN

I translated it. Since neither Japanese nor English are my mother tongue, It's very likely that I made a lot of mistakes, so if anyone wants to correct anything, they'll be welcome to do so. But I think I got the message he wanted to convey tough.
 
 
Here it is:
 
 
It was published on our website, but xTRiPx is disbanding on 13th February, 2015.
 
I’m really thankful to all the people who were always supporting us. And I’m sorry.
 
I was thinking about writing the reason why we’re disbanding after disbanding, but if I was a fan I would want to know right away. So I’m going to write it.
 
We felt our limits. For better or worse.
In 11 years we didn’t feel it, not even when he were on hiatus. We ended up building our limits.
It’s just that.
It’s annoying but I feel like I can’t say a thing.
 
Since we were together for 11 years I’m sure I’m going to cry when we disband.
 
But I just want to do live shows with a smile like always until the day it ends.
 
Lately, we’ve been told from some of our band-man friends that we looked depressed, and the fans also told us that we looked depressed on the letters they sent us. I thought that was nonsense. But honestly, we were depressed.
 
But when we are performing, sometimes I feel like crying, but despite that, it’s really fun. It’s fun because you all look like you’re having fun.
We don’t have many live shows like that left, but we’ll laugh a lot.
 
Other than that, when we were returning from our 11th anniversary one man show, my brother told me that no matter what he wanted to release a last single. When he told me it was going to be called good trip I laughed, but when he told me that it means that we had a nice journey, I felt like crying.
The other day when I went to Nagoya I got to hear the demo and I cried a lot.
I could really feel it.
 
We haven’t recorded it yet, but we are going to make this last CD the best thing. Please, look forward to it.
 
We’re really sorry for making you suffer with this selfish decision. But we count on you until we disband.

I translated it. Since neither Japanese nor English are my mother tongue, It's very likely that I made a lot of mistakes, so if anyone wants to correct anything, they'll be welcome to do so. But I think I got the message he wanted to convey tough.
 
 
Here it is:
 
 
It was published on our website, but xTRiPx is disbanding on 13th February, 2015.
 
I’m really thankful to all the people who were always supporting us. And I’m sorry.
 
I was thinking about writing the reason why we’re disbanding after disbanding, but if I was a fan I would want to know right away. So I’m going to write it.
 
We felt our limits. For better or worse.
In 11 years we didn’t feel it, not even when he were on hiatus. We ended up building our limits.
It’s just that.
It’s annoying but I feel like I can’t say a thing.
 
Since we were together for 11 years I’m sure I’m going to cry when we disband.
 
But I just want to do live shows with a smile like always until the day it ends.
 
Lately, we’ve been told from some of our band-man friends that we looked depressed, and the fans also told us that we looked depressed on the letters they sent us. I thought that was nonsense. But honestly, we were depressed.
 
But when we are performing, sometimes I feel like crying, but despite that, it’s really fun. It’s fun because you all look like you’re having fun.
We don’t have many live shows like that left, but we’ll laugh a lot.
 
Other than that, when we were returning from our 11th anniversary one man show, my brother told me that no matter what he wanted to release a last single. When he told me it was going to be called good trip I laughed, but when he told me that it means that we had a nice journey, I felt like crying.
The other day when I went to Nagoya I got to hear the demo and I cried a lot.
I could really feel it.
 
We haven’t recorded it yet, but we are going to make this last CD the best thing. Please, look forward to it.
 
We’re really sorry for making you suffer with this selfish decision. But we count on you until we disband.

I can't translate the whole thing atm because I'm not home, but he says that the reason they are disbanding is that they felt their limit, and that they didn't feel it in the 11 years the band has been active, not even when they were on hiatus.
If nobody has translated it by tonight, I can try.

Gaijin purikura is the scariest thing

Artist: ユナイト (UNiTE.) Single: レヴ (Rev) / ice Score: Armed with a new drummer, UNiTE. returns with a brand-new single!
Earlier this year, UNiTE. lost longtime drummer Yukimi to chronic back problems. Having been a member since the days of キャンゼル (Canzel), the ex-band of three UNiTE. members, he will be missed. With new drummer Sana (ex-EVE's Yoshi), UNiTE.’s 6th single レヴ / ice marks a new beginning. So how does Sana compare to Yukimi? Well, it's a bit early to say, but one thing's for certain: he's more into showmanship. If you watch the Rev PV, you'll see he plays his instrument about 35% of the time and spends the remainder of the time flailing his drumsticks around! But in all seriousness, his drumming has more of a robust sound and he already uses more double bass than Yukimi ever did. I'm looking forward to seeing how his future compositions compare to Yukimi's!

The single opens up with Rev, composed by guitarist Mio. Dark, ominous synth lines lead into an explosion of chuggy riffs one wouldn’t expect from a group of sparkling VK boys. Prepare to headbang! There’s an interesting rhythm that produces a sense of momentum-- almost a “rev"ving effect. While the initial part of the verse features some clunky Engrish lyrics, it is followed by much smoother, groovier pre-chorus, punctuated by light-as-air synths that squeak their way to the surface of the dense soundscape. This has to be my favorite section of the song. While the chorus is indeed catchy, it's not poppy to the point of disrupting the song-- something you can't say about many of the band's contemporaries. After the second verse, the song slows down for a dose of atmospheric synths and twangy guitar notes, before going into a guitar solo variation of the intro riffs and finishing out with one more blissful chorus. The keyboard outro might be a bit out of place, but it does help to tie the song to UNiTE.’s more typical style. Not to mention, Mio's synth arrangements are always a pleasure. Barring the Engrish, there’s strong vocals throughout the track by Yui. I can see Rev becoming one of the band’s premier “heavy” songs, so for this track, I suggest cranking the volume up to 11 and letting it blast!

Right away, fans can identify ice as the work of none other than guitarist LiN. Solidifying his reputation as the band’s quirkiest composer, this track stands out, vocally and musically. Of note from Yui, there’s a striking “itadakimasu” intro, a funky falsetto section (it’s not written in the lyrics, but is that English?), and a fast spoken word section reminiscent of oldschool VK. The song is very bass-driven and adds to the urgent, dancey beat. There’s also a slight spooky-tinge that recalls LiN’s classic B-side Love_Duck_Core_Nothing. “Squealing” pre-chorus guitar notes and a creepy “scratchy” fret board effect during that spoken word section are among the commendable moments of tight guitar work; this song outperforms Rev on a technical level. If you're not feeling the song, at least give the video a quick watch. It’s a contender for one of the best VK PVs this year! Just in time for Halloween!
The final track, 君は知らない (Kimi wa shiranai), is written by Shiina Mio. Keen fans (and eagle-eyed readers) will know that this is a “different” composer than for Rev. In fact, Shiina Mio is in general responsible for softer, poppier tracks, while the Mio “persona” takes over for the heavier, darker tracks. What’s most remarkable about this song is the prominence of acoustic guitar, which hasn’t shown up enough in the band’s repertoire. As soon as the first verse begins, one of the band’s signature traits appears in full force: ADD technical riffing. No other pop-rock band I know features such prevalent guitar work, but Shiina Mio and LiN will not stand for simple power chords. Instead, they trade off notes, go up and down scales, and show off with other riffing shenanigans. It's what makes UNiTE. stand out to me, but some listeners might be turned off by such unrelenting riffs. Yui delivers an emotional and sweet vocal performance, fit for this type of ballad. While the most conventional of the three tracks, Kimi wa shiranai is a welcome acoustic variation of the band's core sound.
With the double A-side Rev / ice, UNiTE. gained a new drummer and churned out three new songs. So what is the result? Is it “rev”olutionary? I wouldn’t go that far, but it is one of their best singles to date. As a maxi-single, there isn’t much concern about cohesion, so the band uses the three tracks to exhibit three wildly different styles – and they do quite well in all three! I’ve been looping the single for the past few weeks and each song offers something to keep me coming back. While I would say ice is my personal favorite (I'm a LiN fanboy, what can I say?), last.fm tells me that I've listened to Rev the most! Because of the variety and quality of the songs here, the single serves as an excellent starting point for new listeners. So if you’ve been sleeping on UNiTE., now’s the perfect time to give them a chance!
What did you think about the single?

My Favorite shop is Puresound. They always seem to have rares that I want from time to time. Like Vier la drain's Aurolla or びじゅ☆'s 大嫌い( Didn't get a chance at these since I don't really listen to VK anymore and don't stalk this site like I use to and now I'm super sad, but I will throw money at you like crazy if you can help me with these T.T), but they sometimes seen to have it out of stock when I email them and it's listed on their site still >.>
 
Second would come Adumaya. Their stuff is legit cheap with rares and the person handling everything is extremely pleasurable to interact with. I even found rares, like legit 100 copies or less stuff that I thought I would never see and got them. Except for that Panic Channel 2Days Oneman VHS(I hate you whoever got that TT.TT, I will throw money at you) And not to mention that even with EMS it's extremely freaking cheap for shipping!
 
Then for all my other wank I use fromjapan.

Just returned from Indonesia. 6 months eating tons of fried stuff made me lose some kgs

Are you guys like allergic to shirts or something what the hell

heyyy (taken a few weeks ago during my graduation photoshoot)

The fact is that these bitches are killing it, so we should forget all the haters and enjoy our fake music produced by sellout businessmen and performed by fame whore puppets
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSCRT7sDyWA 

1. I never asserted such a thing. I recognized that some people may dislike that J-pop singers are fronting a metal band with their singing and dance choreography, which is a complaint that I understand. Though what I disagree with, is this "Metal Purity" argument you keep trying to push:
 
 
"If they were sincere, authentic artists..." (You can't argue the level of "sincerity" that an artist has. This is another buzzword thrown around for weak justification for not liking a band, artist, etc.)
 
 
"But as such, as mere puppets to a pop idol industry..." (you also can't argue this because you have no clue on the inner workings of BABYMETAL. The only thing we can definitively state, is that the singers did not know what Metal was until the band formed. But =/= they are "mere puppets to a pop idol industry". This is another phrase thrown around without anything backing it up. Facts would be nice.)
 
 
 
2. Your argument is based off of baseless assumptions that can not be definitively argued because you, nor I, have the resources to do so. If you want to be irrational and are trying to justify your dislike for them, there's nothing I can do about that, and I don't inherently care; but trying to make an argument out of it is entirely foolish. You don't know what goes on with the band, and you are relying on terms that have 0 meaning when actually inspected ("puppets", "authentic artists", "famewhoring", etc.).
 
 
Further, your lack of musical understanding (in regards to Pop: something that even "idiots" can write -- which are your words), discredits everything you've said up to this point. And just to make things a bit clearer, for clarification purposes, there is an umbrella term called "Popular Music" (i.e., Pop) which Metal falls under, and is not exempt from reliance on Marketability that the "famewhores" and "puppets" supposedly latch onto:
 
 
 
 
"Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal"[1][2] and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music[3][4][5] and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local audiences."

There are quite a few problems here:
 
 
1. "This is a broad description, but it brings with it serious doubts about anything I said being entirely wrong" - This does not logically follow in regards to your previous comment. Now you're arguing about the Japanese Idol Culture and its existence, where as previously you were making arguments about "sincere", "authentic", and "famewhoring" artists (buzzwords that have 0 meaning when in consideration of their musical context -- i.e. the music they're making). I can see what you're trying to do; but it doesn't follow because there is a disconnect between the two points you're trying to tie together. Being an Idol =/= someone isn't sincere about what they're doing (remember: The Music Industry is a business at the end of the day, and these are people that WANT to get into this business, regardless of its musical merits, or lack thereof). "Sincerity" is not only a buzzword in this context; but it involves someone's motives which you have no clue of. Thus, that can't be argued. Second, notice the lack of citation in the long description regarding Japanese Idol Culture. Are we to accept a source for its lack of citation? To do so would be fallacious, but what's worse is:
 
 
2. "You can also take the numerous scandal reports into account..." No, you can't, because said information is incredibly suspect, and based off of internet rumors that (I'm guessing) are found on Tumblr, MH, and various other sites where gossip on this topic is readily available. Do we have certainty that ALL of this is true? No. We don't even have a guarantee that half of it is true. The problem with making assertions from such sources, is that they tend not to hold up. Though, I'm not willing to go to the extreme to disregard ALL of it, because that oddly enough, supports what I said from the start:
 
 
3. You're making arguments based on an image, and not based on the merits of the music itself. I find it appalling that someone who stresses "authentic" music and artists is so hung-up on the image a band portrays, and not the very music that they make. You're upset that it infringes on your belief of what "true" metal is, when you don't even bother to talk about the music and what "true metal" is in the first place. Instead, you glossed over it in one sentence and called it "fine" -- if I recall correctly. This is the part of your argument you're failing to unite. You are trying to discredit BABYMETAL as artists without touching their music. Instead, you are critiquing their image based on what you think you know from Internet Articles and rumors, and trying to draw it into a musical context of "well, this is bad Metal, because it's not AUTHENTIC". If we are to even BEGIN talking about something being "authentic" or not, then you will have to develop heavily-scrutinized criteria to begin the conversation. If you can define this, we can perhaps go from there.
 
 
Sadly, when discussing music and its merits, the music needs to be discussed, not the "image" and stage gimmick of a band. But, you are unable to do so, so you attempt to make this idealized (and heavily Romanticized) argument that there is this magical (yet to be defined by you) difference between a "true" artist and an "inauthentic" one. Are Japanese Idols as skilled as someone who is a professional Opera singer? No (as the Wiki page mentions these are inexperienced kids being signed); but the lack of experience =/= a lack of authenticity, or a lack of sincerity. After all, Japanese Idols fall under their own niche of appreciation.
 
 
4. "As to your pop music description..gosh you're a smartass. Creating an issue where there isn't one." You seem to have missed the point I was making. You are arguing that BABYMETAL are not authentic because of the whole list of buzzwords you have mentioned up to this point. The problem is, by your logic, if you take those words ("famewhoring, pop idol machinery, sincere, authentic artists, puppets, sellout, and fabricated") you can just as easily slap that onto Metal, another Popular genre, that revolves around Marketability, and the music industry (i.e. labels) for distribution, to make a similar point that it's not "authentic" music when in consideration of Art Music. The reason why I refuse to do so, is because not only is that argument just as baseless; but it doesn't logically follow.
 
 
 
 
tl;dr: Attaching your problem with an image of a band to their music is detrimental, and irrational, because it says nothing about the music even though it's trying to make a critique on it as a whole. You have Romanticized ideals as to what music "should" be (though music should never be anything other than "art for art's sake"), and are unable to discuss the merits of the music to unite and better define your argument. Don't like the band? Fine, I don't either; but don't let your terrible idea as to what makes music "authentic" try to make comments on the music that you are unable to argue against (based on your inability to write a Pop composition).
 
 
 
 
"there is more in music than famewhoring and pure instrumentals...."
 
JS Bach would be rolling in his grave right now.

*facepalm*
 
yeah the discussion had a few points, but it's like running against a stone wall of unfounded misconceptions which just forces repetition, because a reasonable answers has yet to be given.
 
how would me writing a song/choreo/concept, but not performing it myself lessen my "authenticity"?
how does Leonard Bernstein performing a symphony by L.v.Beethoven lessen his "authenticity"? (or beethovens for that matter...)
do we all now get our "artist"-cards revoked?
 
what the hell do you mean with authenticity anyways and how is it in any way related to music? where do you get the impression that either the idols or the songwriters/producers are it not?
 
from the very get go they made clear that the songs where written/produced by some full-fledged metal producers (that damn well know their shit) and performed by idols who didn't know anything about metal in the first place but now probably have the time of their lives performing for huge crowds all over the world. 
 
going by the definition of
Fake = Pretending sth you're not
this is pretty much the very opposite of "fake" and in-authentic.
 
fun-fact: a quality indicator for a non-sensical argument is usually the phrase "This is not [genre]"
 
EDIT: and before you'll go with "i clearly stated TO ME" again and the usual "just MY opinion" stuffs, nobody would say anything if you'd just posted "meh i don't like'em, i like sweat, beards and tattooes better", but randomly throwing buzzword accusations (famewhores, sellouts, puppets, businessmen, pop-idiots etc.) revokes your freedom of personal opinion and make it a general case

What the hell does this have to do with her being Chinese? She just doesn't wanna date you dude, get over it.

Love it

Went to the first (kinda small) Hungarian version of Aerodrome Festival and it was a blast all the way!
 
Powerman 5000 opened the day around 5PM and played for a killer 45 mins. They mostly performed songs from their 2 "classic" albums and the new one, so lots of industrial-pop-metal bouncing around and shouting and even a bit of moshing towards the end. It was excellent, I felt like a teenager again, lol - especially at the end with songs like these:
 


 
Then came Battlecross who substituted for Megadeth... well, I duncurr for either of them, so just stood back and had some KFC + beer to replenish my strength. xD ...cuz afterwards it was Zombie time! I've been really really looking forward to seeing Rob Zombie perform live since he's one of my all-time favorite artists and the band gave a hell of a show indeed! Cool props, sweet guitars (and guitar solo!) from John 5, there was even a drum solo too and giant bouncy balloons. 8D They opened with Dragula, so everyone was in pretty high spirits from the start. Gotta hand it to Rob, he's almost 50 and still moving around like a maniac, haha. Great setlist selecting from all their eras (they squeezed in half a School's Out by Alice Cooper too, heh) - it was amazing, tho of course I could've watched it for a few more hours. XD
 


 
The main band was Limp Bizkit. I'm not really into them, tho one of my first CDs was their Chocolate Starfish... album, so I have kinda fond memories. I went in a bit skeptical but the whole energy was just so high and awesome that it was impossible not to bounce along with the crowd to all the usual hits. Great great experience, my legs still hurt, lolol. Amazing live band overall - tho that could be said for all bands of the night. Excellent gig it was! Just so you get an idea of the intensity, here's the end of the last song of the night:
 

Does it matter who pays for it? If they have a label/management that pays for it, it's most likely the label/management that sets the prices too, and they would add their expenses for costumes to the price as well, wouldn't they? Or are you thinking of sponsorships here, ie. brands giving the outfits for free as a sort of advertising? If that is a thing.
 
And assuming the outfits are the reason for higher prices to begin with (I have no clue to be honest, and I never really noticed. XD)

Ability to take normal photos: 0%

I'm sorry you don't like the way I presented my points. 
 
Let me be more concise.

1. Illegal downloading is still illegal.
2. Making music, playing concerts, and promotion cost money that the band and their management pays.
3. This money and promotion comes from cds.
4. Bands won't go to the US/EU/South America if they can't see sales.
???
 Result: No sales? No band for you.
 
 
You don't have to like the bands, but this goes for any visual kei band. And we're talking about visual kei bands right now, which is why I didn't bring up other musical genres. So, you're not really making any valid points.

I'm sure I'm going to get shit for this.
 
Let's begin with a simple concept: Illegal downloading is illegal. This is not a moral statement, this is just a fact. More importantly, those who host copywritten materials are actually breaking more laws than those who download songs. This is not a debatable fact. Now, are the current modes of selling CDs and other music outdated? Yes, they are. Are there issues with a international-based way of purchasing music? Yes, that's undeniable. But is it illegal at this moment to take music that you did not create? Yes.
 
So, legally, Nocturnal Bloodlust does have a right to state that it is wrong for people to illegally download their music. So, they do have a right to say what they want, even if we disagree with it. Can they sue? Yeah, they can. Will they? Probably not, because I'm pretty sure they wanted to prove a point more than anything. Should they? Honestly, I don't think so, but it would definitely help bring changes to the way we see illegal downloading. Bands going after illegal downloading doesn't happen very much... and for a Japanese visual kei band to go against a foreign fanbase? Pretty much unheard of.
 
Now we get into the rest... like moral dilemmas.
 
But before we get there, it's important to cover what a CD sale (or MP3 sale) actually means. 
 
You're correct to assume that a CD sale does not go to the artist directly. Typically, the money goes to the label, and a portion of that income goes the the musician themselves. The label typically pays for the production of music (time at the studio, audio and visual equipment, artwork, mixing, raw production materials like CDs, jacket covers, etc.), the purchase of raw materials for the band itself (make up, costumes, equipment vans, sometimes actual equipment, etc.) the production of memorabilia and other goods, travel, food, airfare, payment of their staff (I'm not sure, but last time I saw Nocturnal Bloodlust they had three permanent staff. Their roadie, and two people from management) as well as payment for space at lives. 
 
In regards to the 'lives' payment, visual kei venues require you pay at the end of the night, after performing. It's not unheard of for small/medium venues to cost between ¥150000-¥500000 ($1500-5000) and you damn well better prepare to have that money on hand. At Taibans, yeah. It's split between the acts, but even then, that means you need to sell a lot of tickets. Why do you think a lot of band members sell at their own tables? Fans are far more willing to pay money to their favorite member than to a staff member... who'd have to be paid as well. 
 
I once saw an indies band back in 2012 at EDGE and then accidentally met their guitarist at Ikebukuro Station. He was actually debating on whether he should eat a bowl of ramen or walk the 4 kilometers home, because they were short that night and he had to give all the money he had in his wallet except for a ¥500 coin. I bought the guy a ramen cup because it was just so depressing. Bad nights happen, and if you don't have the money, don't be surprised if you have to actually dig it out of your own funds.
 
Then again, I lived across the street from 7-11 where a super indies bandman worked nights. Because most indies band members have to have two, sometimes three jobs. Hell, Natsu of Nocturnal Bloodlust worked in a 7-11 for a long time to pay for his band activities.
 
Being in a visual kei band is expensive. So, while sales don't go straight into the member's pockets, you can bet that they're just as important for the band to survive. A band can't make or sell music if they don't have the money to play or even record. 
 
I'll also put here that there is always complaining when a band disbands on here-- I've seen it time and time again people saying it isn't fair that an indies band disbanded, that they were such a huge fan of the music. But it never seems that we actually talk about why they disbanded. "They're not selling tickets or cds" is a good reason. In fact, one of the first comments on here was about how bands just conditionally disband if they're not doing well. We think that's stupid (or at least I do) but then when a band takes it into their own hands to say something about why people shouldn't illegally download their music, people throw a hissyfit. I don't understand the logic. If you want a band to survive, you buy the music. Because supporting the band you enjoy doesn't mean you make a few gifs and put them on tumblr, or draw fanart. We live in a time where, for musicians to thrive and actually continue with their activities, they need money.
 
Then you have to factor in the importance of selling CDs in a less understood way. Every time a sale of a cd is made, it shows the interest in the band. In Japan, charts are still important to knowing where a band stands. The better your sales doesn't just mean how many cds you sold, it directly effects how much advertising your next single or album receives. It can mean the difference between your video getting played on repeat on the tvs in Tower Records or getting shoved in with all the other releases. It directly reflects how many interviews the band receives offers from, how many spots they get on television, how many radio stations play the songs. We're not going to get into super big details in regards to marketing of visual kei, but it is extremely temperamental to the wants of the market.   
 
And here's where things get interesting: Visual kei isn't as popular as you would think. This is still a niche market not with an unlimited amount of funds, space, or attention. In an industry like that, you have to understand what it means for a band to lose out on a 'sale'. Even a handful of sales abroad DO matter to a band that's fighting for recognition.
 
Let's also talk about people requesting that a band travel abroad to play lives for foreign audiences. I don't think msot of you realize how expensive that is-- it's obscene. Let's talk about a 'normal' tour (like Dir en Grey, or D'espairsray for a second.) 
 
If a band wants to play in the US, they actually have to compete for visas. They have to prove the worth of their music and show that they are not going to affect the American music industry negatively. To get an entertainment or artist visa in the US, it's piles and piles and piles of paperwork, because the US goes out of its way to protect their music industry. The fees for getting a band to tour art astronomical on their own, but to tour the US? It's horrifying. That's actually why a lot of bands skip over the US and play in Europe. The visa requirements are far less stringent and it's cheaper.
 
This is why a lot of bands end up playing at conventions. It's typically cheaper for the band, because the convention has people who know the laws and are willing to pay the fees required. However, it isn't unheard of for bands to play on the promise of being paid when they arrive... and never getting paid. Or, not making the money they expected and being unable to recoup that money. And, during that time they're abroad, they aren't playing for their core audience, meaning... they're missing out on that much money. 
 
It's amazing how many times I've gone onto official youtube channels and seen the requests for a band to go abroad... and then see those same names pop up in filesharing places. Because guess what? The band sees that, too. They're tech savvy. They know where they're selling cds. They know where they're not selling cds. So, by looking at that, they can tell that they aren't selling enough in Europe, in the states, or wherever they are getting requests for lives from. And you know what that does? That influences the band against going abroad. They see that their cds aren't selling in that area, so they don't believe they would be able to recoup the money they spent on going abroad. They don't believe enough fans exist to pay for their visits. 
 
Illegal downloading is directly affecting who you get to see go on tour abroad. 
 
So while we can debate over how big of an asshole Masa is for saying that illegal downloading is wrong, you have to understand where they're coming from. It isn't unheard of for labels to drop bands for not making sales, no matter how great the music is or how talented the band is. 
 
I'm also stunned by the sheer amount of self-righteousness and entitlement going on in this thread. No one is entitled to free music.
 
There are 'needs' and 'wants'. Needs are things like water, food, shelter. Wants are internet, computers, music made by men who are wearing ten pounds of makeup and are waving around guitars. 
 
You want the music. You will survive without it. I'm not sure of the ages of anyone on this board, but I will say this: I had that same opinion until I actually had to pay for my own bills.
 
Before I became an adult. 
 
Now, let's talk about Nocturnal Bloodlust themselves for a second. 
 
This is the closest thing foreign fans have gotten to an internationally-minded band in a very long time. They make sure their music is available for fans abroad, two of the members are fluent in English and regularly converse with fans, and they have been going out of their way to bring foreign fans into the fold. They even made it so foreign fans could become members of their fanclub. They want to go abroad. And let's remember how a band can find it viable to go abro--oh. Right CD sales in foreign countries, not the number of requests a band receives.
 
In addition... they run their label pretty much on their own. All of the costs? They pay for them. Iris and Crisis is Nocturnal Bloodlust's label. They have connections to Raiz Entertainment (their old label) which has connections through the industry... but for the most part, they're the people who have to pay for everything. We can debate on if they should have gotten into visual kei until the cows come home, but the fact of the matter is: Shit is expensive. 
 
'Fans' are also pissed off because they got called out on it. The band knows people are illegally downloading, and brought it up. They want to talk about the problem. It isn't even the first time the band's done this--they did it last year, and the year before that when they released Ivy. Now, rather than having a discussion about illegal downloading and what the foreign fans want... people railed against him. They said he was overbearing and an asshole, and that he didn't have a right to speak out about illegal downloading. That's not the conversation they need.
 
If you want to have a conversation with the band about how to better market themselves to foreign fans, do it! I think it would be a good idea if they opened an international webstore where fans could buy goods and CDs. A way of buying songs off their website that are bundled with lossless versions and photos. Add special goodies for people who buy mp3 versions. It's cheaper to buy the versions of all their releases off itunes in USD than it is for Japan (example, their newest single costs ¥250 a song but in USD is only $1.29.) This is also a band that makes sure the cds are available within a week of their release in Japan, because they understand that once the cd is out there... they're not going to sell as many copies. But even a few matter. 
 
 I think it would be great if they tried to use more English and worked to try and make themselves more internationally minded. Rather than getting angry that the band is mad at foreign fans for illegally downloading, make it so the band knows what you want. And you'll buy.
 
There will be people who continue to illegally download. That won't change. People who think they somehow deserve music and the work of other people. People who think they're entitled to music (the reason I can't even begin to imagine.) And there's nothing any of us can do about that. But buying a cd or MP3 will at least show the band where fans are, and will make your voice heard.
 
And this isn't just for this one band. This is for any band with a huge foreign following. Most bands are ignorant of how popular they are in foreign countries, because they just don't sell many cds in those areas, so they don't know. What you have to do, as fans of a band, is be loud about your love for a band. Otherwise... this will just happen time and time again.

gurl there is not enough dick in this show what are you even talking about. idk why the hell ppl keep saying this when we've only seen Theon, Hodor (which was prosthetic), Loras' twink friend, and like a glimpse of Gendry's dick. Compare those four scenes to the gratuitous full frontal female nudity found in just about EVERY episode of the show. Bitch I was robbed of my Robb Stark dick, his booty wasn't even that nice!

I get where NB are coming from, and I kind of agree with the comments in the first post.
 
Let me first say that I used to download loads of music illegally, but since the advent of Spotify, that's become my main thing to listen to music. As for Jap music, I still mostly download. But... if I think  a certain band or release is good/epic, I will buy the original. I have about 300 CDs, and loads of vinyl, DVDs, and casettes.
 
I think that if you claim to be a fan of a band, you should support them in any way you can. Buy an album, buy a T-shirt, I don't care. If physical stuff isn't readily available, email them and you'll probably be able to work something out (I did this with Tokyo Heroes), or bring it to their attention that there's fans willing to buy their stuff in other countries as well. If not, platforms such as Itunes exist. You can't claim to be a diehard fan of a band but be unwilling to support them.
A non-Jap band I'm fan of released 3 singles, all for $1. I bought each of em for $3-5(Bandcamp), just because I love their music and sincerity and want to support them. Each time I got a personal email back saying "Thank you Bryan, this means more to us than you think!" They make music for their fans, and if their fans support them, they give their personal gratitude in return.
 
I agree with what Tokage said about music as a form of art. I have to add though, that many artists, and even mostly the smaller ones, also put time and creativity in the CD's artwork and packaging. If you just get the music, you only get 75% of the complete piece of art.
Then again, I also agree with his remark about originality, haha.
 
Oh and also, I'm pro-buying directly from the band, no intermediates. Tons of bands use bigcartel or bandcamp or their own webstore and sell CDs, downloads and merch through those channels. If you buy it from there, you'll know the money ends up where it belongs - in the hands of the artists.
 
TL;DR I think you should support bands financially when you claim to be a fan, in any small way you can. I have no problem with downloading music to try it out, but if you like it enough to call yourself a fan, fuck'n buy it and don't be a pretentious freeloader.

I went to see this band called Vita Imana on Friday night. I've already seen them 3 times and they always deliver! This is the best video i could find on youtube:
 

 
I think you can't see me on the video but I must be somewhere in the mosh xDD

With all due respect, I'm not sure if I see what the problem is. No one has gone into the "New VK vs. Old VK." thread and asked the topic to be changed to "New Japanese music vs. Old Japanese music". Likewise no one has done that for Zess' thread on where VK finds inspiration.
 
Furthermore if the topic had been "Your favorite Japanese ballads", then we'll see things like:
 


 
which might be nice in itself, but probably deserves a separate thread so that people of reasonably similar interests can have some sort of focused discussion.