You know, somehow I have a feeling that the date was chosen BECAUSE of the VAMPS tour (or perhaps VAMPS chose it because of the X-Japan tour?). I mean, TWO Japanese bands performing in relatively close proximity, one of which has performed in the US what will soon be three times already means that each band will draw attention as a result of the other. It's free market at its finest.

In terms of promotion, I think we've hit a pretty major curve ball. Those who have already purchased a ticket probably will be attending the VAMPS show, even if they want to see X-Japan (considering they're non-refundable). But for those who are undecided, there will probably be a lot people seeing X Japan. Like I said earlier, VAMPS have already performed in approximately the same area multiple times, but X Japan hasn't. Like someone else said earlier, X Japan is also a huge influence in the Japanese music scene. I mean, have you ever seen an interview with an artist in which he did not describe X-Japan as one of his/her musical influences? I don't believe there is -any- Japanese musician that isn't at least somewhat influenced by them. It's largely because of the late Hide that we have "HYDE" instead of his real name.

So, yes, this is definitely a problem, but it's only one show out of three US dates, so I don't think it will damage too much, especially if the prices differ drastically to that of VAMPS.

Also, don't worry Tokio! You are not alone! X-Japan are great musicians and I admire them for their influence on the Japanese rock industry, but they're not my cup of tea. I'll listen to them, think "Oh this song is pretty cool!" and never listen to it again. If you showed me an X-Japan song and asked me the album it's on, let alone the name of the song, then you'd only receive an "Uhhhhh..." I haven't listened to a single song by X-Japan at all since, maybe, February 2009? That shows how into them I am, lol. The thing is that I just don't have the passion in my heart for X-Japan that I do for VAMPS. I don't share the same emotional connection. So even if I had all the money in the world to go to either show and there was a chance I may never see X-Japan again, I'd choose VAMPS. =P - Chances are that's not what you meant though!

EDIT - As for getting the date to change, I don't that's possible. J will tell you the same thing. The shows are scheduled a year in advance. By now, all other available slots have been taken. No way they can go back on it now.

(07-10-2010, 01:58 PM)Tokio Wrote:

Quote:They're legendary and not seeing them when they're practically at your doorstep is just tantamount to epic fail in the world of JRock fans.

Lol, am I the only one who doesn't care about them? XD I wouldn't go see them unless they were within walking distance and tickets were cheap as dirt. And I'd only go because it's a concert, not because I actually care about them.

I think this really sucks for VAMPS though. A lot of people are X fans. Jrock fans are already a minority so they'll be competing for the same small pool of people. And many have already seen VAMPS/HYDE before so I'm sure many people would choose X...

Sucks =/ VAMPS announced their dates awhile ago. I'm sure X didn't know about it when they started planning but after VAMPS dates were announced they could have changed something. I don't think it would have been too hard for X to just move that one show to a different date, like the day before/after. Or drop that first show and tack it on at the end. They would already have all the staff and equipment, would just need to pick a different day.

Bands have changed dates before, so it's not impossible. And I'm sure the venues want a full house so might have been willing to work with them to re-arrange.

It would be an easy choice for me, too.....I would pick Hyde any day.

I think this will hurt attendance at the VAMPS concert for VAMPS. Poor planning happened somewhere. Those of us who are attending the show will benefit though from fewer people to contend with. So we need to yell, stomp, and clap louder to make up for the silly people who won't be there.

I don't think this is good :-p Choices will be forced. If one show was on October 1st and one on october 2nd, it'd be good, because you'd say: OH I can do BOTH shows if I get the money!!! That'd be a great plan IMO, as it is, I don't like it.

^ I agree, having them one after another would be best because everyone would already be in town. Maybe even people that didn't plan on going to one would end up going to both because they'd already be in the area.

As it is now they might both end up with half full venues. =/

Regarding Date change: I don't think it's impossible. I know they plan a year in advance, but I don't think the venues need to be booked so far in advanced. I would think most of the planning is stage design, getting equipment, getting staff hired, visas, salaries, etc. And of course plane tickets and hotels.
I've looked at venue calendars before and they usually have days open. If not, move to a different venue. And I'm sure all those small local bands don't book a year in advance.

I would think that as long as the band and staff are already going to be in the area then it wouldn't be impossible to move to one day before/after. Say, if they were going to be in the area for a couple days then they wouldn't have to change hotels or flight plans. VAMPS' plans were announced awhile ago so I think that would have given X enough time to adjust ONE show.

(07-10-2010, 09:21 PM)Tokio Wrote: ^ I agree, having them one after another would be best because everyone would already be in town. Maybe even people that didn't plan on going to one would end up going to both because they'd already be in the area.

As it is now they might both end up with half full venues. =/

Regarding Date change: I don't think it's impossible. I know they plan a year in advance, but I don't think the venues need to be booked so far in advanced. I would think most of the planning is stage design, getting equipment, getting staff hired, visas, salaries, etc. And of course plane tickets and hotels.
I've looked at venue calendars before and they usually have days open. If not, move to a different venue. And I'm sure all those small local bands don't book a year in advance.

I would think that as long as the band and staff are already going to be in the area then it wouldn't be impossible to move to one day before/after. Say, if they were going to be in the area for a couple days then they wouldn't have to change hotels or flight plans. VAMPS' plans were announced awhile ago so I think that would have given X enough time to adjust ONE show.

Yeah, but the TIME slot is the important part, not particularly the day. Local bands don't have to book so far in advance because they aren't quite as popular and therefore are looking for ANY sort of time slot. However, with big bands, there's huge competition for the 6-8 PM slot as that's the final show of the venue and therefore the one with the most lasting impression, among other special qualities. Plus, it would disorient those who had already made plans.

I think you guys are seeing it all wrong.

If you(the fans) really care about VAMPS you will go see them no matter what.

Even hydes seen X Japan play so it would be cool if you could see both,(and he went drinking with hide once).

(07-10-2010, 10:10 PM)Guest Wrote: I think you guys are seeing it all wrong.

If you(the fans) really care about VAMPS you will go see them no matter what.

Even hydes seen X Japan play so it would be cool if you could see both,(and he went drinking with hide once).

mmm yes, but some people are not very fan-like :-/
When MONORAL came to Mexico, the venues were half full because An Cafe announced they'd come months later and people decided they'd rather save for An Cafe than seeing MONORAL. IMO that was lame but it was done and we could no nothing to avoid it.

Although I already realized how important X-Japan is in Jrock history by the things mentioned in this threat...let's remember that L'Arc~en~Ciel is a HUGE influence in j-music as well...even when they are still called visual-kei more than one had admitted to feel admiration and the wish to make a song with them.

And let's remember that maybe the success in VAMPS last year tour in the US motivated some other bands to come to America as well [I've read rumors about KAT-TUN going to LA this year as well]. And the fact that in Japan when they talk either HYDE or VAMPS they always have space to mention 'when they went to the USA', so I think they opened the door to see more Japanese performers touring in America soon...

In the end, because of this influence I believe that ANY other act planning to perform in the US should check if someone will be there on the same dates...at least as a sign of respect towards the one who dared to come FIRST and is bold enough to do it again.

@Guest: Fans do care about VAMPS but people are fans of more than one band.

So it boils down to who do you want to see the most? People have seen VAMPS before, but not X. Thus, people who are big fans of both bands might choose to see X because it's their only opportunity.

And fans CAN'T see both because they're on the same day. The only way it would work out is if one band decided to do an early show.

@Time slot: Yeah, but there are several venues and VAMPS announced plans awhile ago. That would have given X months to rework something before they announced their own plans. If I was a venue owner I would WANT something worked out so we didn't have a half empty house.

I believe artists that are in direct competition with each other avoid having shows on the same day in the same area so they don't split the fans. This seems to be a bit poorly thought out.

Do the venues even have concerts at any other time usually? I've seen solo HYDE and VAMPS and waited in line all day and there wasn't any other shows earlier in the day. Only at night. Seems like it's usually one show per stage per night. So it's not just 'big' bands that get the night shows (Vamps and X aren't even big here)

I looked at some of the venues around here and it seems one show per day, mostly at night. There were a handful in the afternoon but most were around 8:30 with bands I've never heard of. The big artists are scheduled to play the bigger/more popular venues (Chastain Amphitheater and The Tabernacle).

I wonder how this is going to work out for everyone. I really hope VAMPS doesn't waste their money and play to a mostly empty house because of X.

(07-10-2010, 10:10 PM)Guest Wrote: I think you guys are seeing it all wrong.

If you(the fans) really care about VAMPS you will go see them no matter what.

Even hydes seen X Japan play so it would be cool if you could see both,(and he went drinking with hide once).

I think you kind of missed the point of the problem.

Most of us know we're going to see VAMPS regardless (except me because I can't go to any of the shows this year), but as fans, our job is to promote the tour, which is only made harder by X-Japan announcing a concert on the same day, and that's what we're having problems with. It's not to say one deserves more time to shine than the other, but since they're PROBABLY going to be going on at the same time, there's no way we can see both.

(Also, while yes, HYDE has attended an X-Japan gig and has drank with Hide, you failed to mention the more-important fact that K.A.Z used to be part of Hide's solo band =P)

Quote:Do the venues even have concerts at any other time usually? I've seen solo HYDE and VAMPS and waited in line all day and there wasn't any other shows earlier in the day. Only at night. Seems like it's usually one show per stage per night. So it's not just 'big' bands that get the night shows (Vamps and X aren't even big here)

There was a band playing right beside VAMPS, actually, in the same venue in Baltimore. Although the attendance, as you're aware, wasn't nearly as high as with VAMPS, and of course there was an opening entertainment band before the show. So yes, venues typically do have multiple shows per day.