L'Arc~en~Ciel in Manila? Why not?

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L’Arc~en~Ciel in Manila? Why not?

The Japanese visual kei band L’Arc~en~Ciel is taking votes for where they’ll be performing next. Their Filipino fans are campaigning like mad to get Manila as one of the places where the boys (dare we still call them that?) will fly to next. It’s a lofty dream, but something that is not impossible right?

While I’m not a super fan like some people I have met over the years, I had the privilege of seeing L’Arc~en~Ciel perform live. It took a lot of sacrifice to save up and travel to another country just to see them. Was it worth it? Heck yeah! But then again, wouldn’t it be so much better if they come here right?

Here are some things you’ll experience (in no particular order) and possible reasons why you should vote for Manila as the next L’Arc~en~Ciel destination.

You’ll find that you’re not alone

When I first heard of L’Arc~en~Ciel, the fandom for J-rock wasn’t that big. In fact, in my high school batch of a hundred of so kids, there were only about five or six of us who watched anime, read manga and listened to J-music. No one could understand why I love them so much.

But when you go to their concert, you’ll be surrounded by hundreds, possibly thousands, of people who love L’Arc~en~Ciel as you do. These people know the songs by heart, possibly have all the CDs and various memorabilia in their collection. You all speak the same language (that is, the language of love for the band) and you won’t feel weird at all.

Not to mention, you will meet new people. You see all sorts of quirky characters roaming around and you know that they’re all there for their love for L’Arc~en~Ciel.

Concert goods

Shallow reason, I know, but have you ever envied fans in other countries for having collectibles that you can only get if you 1) ask someone in that country to buy it for you or 2) buy it on eBay (and at a ridiculously expensive price)? Yeah, I know that feeling. So, L’Arc~en~Ciel here, concert goods here too (barok on purpose).

My experience with Hong Kong was, after the concert they sold nearly every album the band released in the past 20 years. Who knows, with the boys here, you can finally complete your L’Arc~en~Ciel album collection.

Hearing them speak in Filipino

It seems that the guys —- Hyde and Tetsu specifically —- would take time during concerts to talk to their fans in their language. They did this in Hong Kong, and I felt nothing —- because I could’t understand Cantonese. Someone was kind enough to translate what they said, but it would be better to hear them say something we understand.

Hey, wouldn’t it be fun to hear Tetsu say, “Gusto niyo kainin saging ko?” (Shoutout to amoontonight for that one.)

You’ll see THEM and hear their music live

There can be thousands of reasons why it would be amazing to have the guys here, but the bottom line is, it’s all about them and their music. That’s what drew us to them in the first place right?

So, why L’Arc~en~Ciel in Manila? You’ll hear them perform the songs you’ve only heard on your music player or on YouTube. You’ll see how they’re not just performers but real musicians in their own right. You’ll feel the power and the passion of their music no matter how far in the arena you are. Believe me, nothing is as awesome as seeing them live and in person singing to you.

Spread the word. Vote for L’Arc~en~Ciel in Manila! See you there!

Important links:

L’Arc~en~Ciel Philippine Street Team: Facebook, Twitter

Photos by me. :) Post here.

strangely out of place

L’Arc~en~Ciel in Manila? Why not?

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