Eve
of Destiny: (November 2005, Geisha@Inflation,
Performance: 3.5/5)
I head about this two-man
band playing in Melbourne by mistake and with just a week to spare.
I wasn't 100% certain I would go until I saw that the guitarist was
none other than Kozi from Malice Mizer. I just had to go and see him
and that other guy... who has the appearance of the previously
raised dead.
I went alone,
my friend of the genre too afraid. I wore black (how original) over
a blue male kimono that I'd bought in 1999 in Osaka and had never
worn out before. It still fit, but then something that is really
just a sheet and wraps around can't not fit. The gig was being held
in the CBD and I took the tram in, but wasn't the most conspicuous
person on the tram: that was presided over by some drunk
Aboriginals. I was wearing the kimono 'off the shoulders' there
until I arrived at the back of Inflation and went downstairs to the Dark
Events Geisha night. I had thought that the night would be odd
but not in the way that actually happened.
Because at the bottom
of the stairs taking the money was my cousin, one whom I had seen in
a very very long time but was still recognisable. Definitely a
surprise. I got cheaper entry. Then there were more surprises as it
turns out that the guy who was running the event is my cousin's
boyfriend!!! (I had heard that my cousin was a 'goth' from my mother
a few weeks before: she'd met the boyfriend so I was sort of known
about because of my travels - fyi I was wearing my trekking boots,
the ones that carried me through Afghanistan and other places and to
Everest) I was in a state of surprise and wonder for about two hours
until Eve of Destiny arrived. The good thing about the situation was
that I wasn't completely alone and isolated and got to meet the hierarchy.
I could spent some more time writing about all that but the reason I
was there was to see the band and its about time I tell you about it
and show the photos (Sony 7.2 megapixel cybershot bought just for
the event, and to replace the digi stolen by Mongolians).
The pair
and accompanying girl with camera arrived half an hour late and went
through the inadequately crowded club quickly. Some Japanese (asian
anyway) girls screamed as Eve Of Destiny charged past. A bit after
they mounted the stage and got down to the business of playing loud
hard music that certainly wasn't Malice Mizer, being classified as
industrial goth-wave, whatever that means. I started off
on Kozi's side but the front was blocked by the fans who knew who he
actually was and instead moved over to the left to the singer,
Haruhiko Ash and wormed my way to be in front of him, huge speakers next to
my ear and started taking photos and showing appreciation to the
music. Unfortunately I don't think the majority of the poor
attendance of the night showed much appreciation. Of the less than
forty (tops, mostly regulars) people in the club only a handful
probably knew who Kozi was and less had any idea about the genre: a
few Japanese (or asian) girls, some out of place blonde guy in a
blue kimono (off one shoulder Samurai style) and a cheap
Anti-Feminism transfer t-shirt, and a vague assortment of others.
Only the front rank moved at all to Kozi's guitar work and as the
songs progressed the 'crowd' actually started to thin out until
there would have been no more than twenty people watching. The pair
played for close to an hour before Ash said 'now you can get another
beer' and he and Kozi dashed again behind a curtain. I'd read from
one of their German gigs that they did this and that was the end of
it, and this time was the same and I wasn't surprised: the forum I'd
found the gig mentioned at said that for the night there might be a
second set but I couldn't blame the two for not bothering with it.
There just wasn't enough attention. Certainly a horde of Nepalese
youths would have livened the place up; they're pretty good in loud
or dance music situations. As Eve of Destiny were packing up Kozi
tossed his empty water bottle in the small crowd, it was funny.
Throughout the performance I'd returned my gaze to his footwear,
quite high heeled boots and he didn't have any trouble hopping about
on them at all.
Even though the club's turn out was a disappointment,
except for one guy who had in the weeks before homemade a suit of
lamellar Samurai armour, I enjoyed watching Ash and Kozi perform.
The music is strong, the lyrics - well, I can't understand any of it
- fit the music and black Japanese style goth image. I would
recommend seeing them if they ever come your way and I'd go again
too. Unfortunately there were no CDs on sale or I'd have picked one
up and added it to my quickly growing collection of jrock/visual kei.
Set
List:
- m01 I.NO.RI.(SE)
- m02 Bless This Mess
- m03 Nervous and Innocence
- m04 Garden for a Zealot
- m05 Dead End (Electro)
- m06 Iconoclast
- m07 Desperado
- m08 Void
- m09 Logos
- m10 Mother
- m11 Dead or Alive
- m12 Eve of Destruction
gallery
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Eve of Destiny
Haruhiko Ash (R), Kozi (L) |
Kozi. The white makeup shows up when using
flash. |
Bang a Gong, lets get it on! |
Kozi again. Multiple ear piercings. |
Aiieee!! the light, it burns! (or: Gaijin!) |
Check out Haruhiko's fillings. |
Fangirls and front-rankers. |
Kozi and his guitar. |
Haruhiko Ash. |
Just ate a bug. |
Guitar and hand. |
All attention to the chords. |
Ash has a bad back |
Letting rip. |
Portrait style whilst playing. |
Something is about to happen... |
The pair at it. |
Pre-EoD dancing. A guy in a skirt waving at
me, I think @_@;;; |
V.nice headdress and smile. |
A typical night (I believe) on King St. |
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He made that. Fantastic lamellar style Samurai
armour. Like me, he probably wished he could carry the
two swords. |
The Fetish zone. Get tied up, trod on, all in a safe
environment. |
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