[Paris 2010] July 4th: X JAPAN, Benjamin, Seikima II
Paris & Japan Expo 2010
July 3: Flight, DVD, wasting time, waiting, YOSHIKI signing session
I woke up at 9:00 because I wanted to sleep… I was still very tired because the guys didn’t let me rest but well. At least my feet were there again xD
I picked the CDs and the art-book from Benjamin, my favourite illustrator, which I had carried from Spain.
I bought something to eat and drink and I went to the Garde du Nord. I was afraid to get lost but it was quite easy. I guess I didn’t look like a tourist because everybody was asking me this and that and panicked when I said “English??” next time I will speak in Spanish… I waited for a direct train and then I was there.
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Japan Expo
I followed the people until the entrance of the venue. Then I didn’t know where I had to go. I had a one day pass. But there was just people screaming something in French and I didn’t understand a word. There was a lot of people. I had been in the Japan Expo 2 times already but everything seemed to be different. I followed some people and then asked a guy if it was the right way to go. He said yes and I kept going. There were some fences and you had to walk in between, for a long time… yes, like a sheep. Then we entered a venue, and there were more fences. Then again under the sun, and then we entered the hall of the Japan Expo.
It was huge. It was bigger than the times I had been there. I picked a map and tried to guess how to go to the Live House. I saw the “restaurant” lights and arrived to the line. I texted Miho, a girl who was supposed to give me a T-shirt from Xplosion, and entered the line, then she saw me and I met her and other X fans.
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YOSHIKI & ToshI showcase
We waited and then we entered another waiting venue. There I lost the people and I was alone again. I waited more and then we started to enter the live hall. There was a lot of people already and we didn’t get a good spot. I thought well I’ll be able to see, people isn’t that tall. But then people started to raise their arms and cameras… I thought they would stop when the performance started, but no. I saw most of the performance between people’s arms and.. on tiptoe? But well xD
At first there was only a piano and blue lights. Then YOSHIKI and ToshI appeared in the stage an people started to scream. They started to play “Forever Love” and I loved it so much ♥. ToshI’s voice was perfect. I felt like I was in a dream. That’s something I never expected to be able to see. For me X JAPAN had always been “that band who broke up years ago”. But there I was :_) After that they played Rose of Pain, I.V., and Endless Rain in French and English. I liked this version of Rose of Pain, there is something in the original version that I don’t like… This one was perfect ♥ I guess I’m more a ballad-drama girl xDDDDD Endless Rain was way too long but I always liked what they did in Japanese lives, all the audience singing along, for a moment I felt like I was in a Japanese live.
There was a time when they were trying to start another song, don’t remember when, but people was screaming that “WE ARE?? X!! YOU ARE?? X!!” scream non-stop so they weren’t able to play. I don’t really like when fans are too loud. I mean I like it but it was too much for me. I was thinking, are you going to let them perform?? Then ToshI repeated it and fans kept silence again. When Endless Rain was over, they left the stage, saying “goodbye” to the audience.
Seeing how they left and used to other concerts, I thought they would come back and play more songs and then say goodbye properly. People kept asking for more, and we were able to listen to a studio version of “Born to be Free”. When it was over, a drum set appeared and I thought YOSHIKI was going to play again. But it was for another band, and people started to leave. I felt a bit disappointed. I actually thought they would play more, maybe I was expecting too much. I guess it’s because I had been “through so much” just to see them. And they didn’t play Tears :( I can’t say they were cold because they looked happy, but I expected some more interaction with the audience. Everything was very fast. But I was happy because it was beautiful :) Now I’m looking forward to an X JAPAN live. And I hope they play Tears this time :)
I took some pics with some X fans and the called to my Spanish friends and went to see them. I put the Xplosion T-shirt on. It was quite tight but I hope it will be expanded or something… xD Well, I talked with them for a bit and then we left the venue.
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Benjamin & VAMPS
It was 15:00 and I had to go eat something and I wanted Benjamin to draw something in my art-book. Also, I wanted to go see the VAMPS stand.
I picked the map and went to the Xiao Pan stand. Xiao Pan is a French publisher distributor of Chinese comics. There I saw Benjamin and Little Thunder. Benjamin was there to promote his new book SAVIOUR and Little Thunder her work featured in China Girls. There wasn’t many people waiting so I thought there would be no problem. But some time later a woman started to say something in French with a paper with a number written in it. I thought I needed that paper to get in the signing session. I didn’t understand what she was telling to me so I asked if she could tell me in English. She asked if I had a number I said no and she went to look for someone else.
A man came to me talking in English. I remember he was the same guy who I talked to two years before in the same stand. He was quite nice. He said there were too much people so they were closing the list, so people who didn’t have a number were not going to receive a drawing. He told me to come back at 17:00 if I wanted just an autograph but no drawing. I had nothing to do so I was going to come back.
I checked their stand and saw some interesting books. But all of them in French. I asked the man if SAVIOUR was going to be translated to Spanish and he said they were looking for a new publisher in Spain, maybe Norma. In the end I bought “Reload” from Song Yang, another illustrator I had seen in Chroniques de Pékin. Actually it’s quite similar to Benjamin’s sometimes.
Then I went to look for VAMPS stand. I had seen a paper with the name of the stand, Soundelicious, so I looked for that stand. It took me some time to find it. There were just J, manager of VAMPS, and another girl, and they were just there standing. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do. I was going to say “Hola” but since I’m not a VAMPS fan and I have just listened to one song, I just came back to the Xiao Pan stand. Then I thought I could have asked him if MONORAL was going to come back to Barcelona or what… But maybe it was not the right moment.
I came back at 16:45 and was there just walking around the stand. Now looking at him drawing, now looking at the book, then I ate something.
At 17:00 I was there and asked the man if Benjamin was going to sign or what. He told me to go there and I saw he had finished with the drawings so I asked him to sign my art-book. I didn’t know if he speaks English so I didn’t say anything just thanks XD 2 years ago I tried to say something and the translator was quite rude… I was in a hurry to go see Seikima II! He signed my book and looked to me said thanks and goodbye. I wanted to say goodbye to the man but he was talking with someone else so I left.
Seikima II
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At 17:30 there was the Seikima II showcase! That band everybody said it was the real origin of the visual kei movement. That band who played in Sevilla 92 in Spanish! xD I had never really listened to their music but I wanted to see them. And it definitely was worth it! :D
When I arrived there Anipunk had just finished playing. I wanted to see that band as well, but I was in the Xiao Pan store…
There wasn’t many people there. I waited until it started. I don’t know why I thought they would have left the visual appearance behind but no.
I don’t know what songs they played, I don’t know their names, and I didn’t like their music as much as the YOSHIKI & ToshI showcase but I found their show a lot more enjoyable. Not so many people, so I was able to see, and the relationship with the audience was awesome. Talking and asking to the people, looking at the cameras, telling jokes, games, Demon Kogure was just the king of the party!! It was very fun, I had a great time and it was very long!! I hope to see them again :D
After the live, I met Miho again and we left the Japan Expo venue. But then I said bye to Miho and the people and waited for my Spanish friends. Then Taku came to say hi we chatted a bit and then I waited with my Spanish friends until we left the Japan Expo and I went to the hostel.
This night I was able to sleep ^^
