#i enjoyed the music and production quality like it’s still the stage!!!!! even if it doesn’t have all the flair legends era actors gave it

[akkivee]

i was going to type out a huge post about the stage since i snuck in one last full watch before it went away but tumblr killed my post as i was making it and i don’t feel like making another one lol

so new encounter thoughts: clifnotes version!!!!! it’s fitting bc that’s what this stage was anyway lol

i enjoyed myself!!!!! i wasn’t disappointed by any performances, tho since i was ride or die for akira ichiro and ayukawa jakurai, i felt those losses keenly lol. i was also surprised how much i felt like i was missing aramaki sasara watching this play lol. there were some changes to the origin stories, ofc lol, but the stage has always had superior bb takes so i really appreciate them changing ichiro’s more shallow dismissal of his bros in canon to him being scared for them after what happened with samatoki and chuuoku. it’s his biggest conflict in these battles so i appreciate them making it a primary focus

i read a tweet from a fan idk who they originally stanned but said they were considering becoming a hama lady after the stage and abso-fcking-lutely LOL uehara-san is incredible as samatoki, yuki-san can also inspire the masses with his looks and dancing and flow and tho stage rio didn’t have much presence in the play, him opening his heart to samatoki thru their battle and then teaming up with the both of them after fighting together is a great slight change to their origin story

*slams thru the wall like the kool aid man* AND THE NEW BAT HAIYUU ARE ACTUALLY MAGNIFICENT like backwards order since i have Things to say about nakanishi kuukou lol but nakatsuka-san’s hitoya is very cool!!!! his voice envokes almost the same amount of hype takeuchi-san’s voice does for me, like it’s deep and rough when he’s going and it’s sooooooo good. stage hitoya in the legends era cared for jyushi certainly, but i don’t think he flat out babied jyushi as much as he did in new encounter like my god lmao. it might be more indicative of the difference between actor’s personalities lol and i suppose hitoya did try to get kuukou to lighten up on jyushi when they first got started. also, there was this look he gave kuukou when kuukou started to goad him into being on his team that exuded cool charisma i think nakatsuka-san might be another actor too cool for hitoya LOL

i didn’t think it was possible for a jyushi to be even more baby than daigo-san’s but goddamn i think sakayori-san managed it LOL and again i do think some of that is bc of the source material they were adapting. i saw reports that new encounter jyushi was kinda spoiled by his team and i could see the undercurrents of that in the way kuukou would pat his back when getting up or the way jyushi would lean into hitoya and hitoya would actually wrap an arm around him lol. but i’m not complaining ITS CUTE. sakayori-san’s silhouette is so crazy like his build i think is exactly the way i envisioned jyushi’s so i kept vibrating out of my seat whenever he did a flourish and i got to see his figure lmao. i saw a report commenting that he needed to work on his vkei mode voice bc it was hard to differentiate and maybe???? idk i could tell the difference just fine, even if his voices don’t have as much of a gap as sakakihara-san or daigo-san’s

i want to throw up out of excitement thinking about nakanishi kuukou which is how i know he’s officially part of the kuukou brainrot LOL he’s kuukou!!!!!! he is so purely kuukou that everything i feel about kuukou is pushed onto him and i feel like i should apologise rn bc that comes with a heaping dose of objectification!!!!!! but it’s chill!!!!!!! *kicks down a wall* HES GOT MUSCLE ON HIS TINY FRAME!!!!!!!!!!!! like when he gets going going, that jacket starts slipping off and the camera caught just the right angle and lighting to show the contours on his arm muscles and i started yelling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thick neck thick calves thick arms HES BUFF!!!!!!! BLESS NAKANISHI-SAN!!!!! and thankfully it’s not for the aesthetic like he’s athletic asf too with jump kicks backflips air somersaults and the like. he is probably the best person to have gotten the role after someone like hirono-san, whose kuukou has shaped the character so thoroughly that even in this new stage, direction choices were made to preserve the hype his kuukou envokes. if the writing on nakanishi kuukou stays the course, it’d honestly be a bonus to have that extra hype kuukou lol. and on that note

I DONT HATE STAGE KUUKOU WRITING LOL🙌🙌🙌

now it’s just an origin story so there’s plenty of time for shit to go awry but rn i’m feeling massively satisfied lol. there were some lines that were raising my hackles but frfr??? that’s just me being sensitive after all these years lol it’s fine. no nod to kuukou’s history with ichiro but tbh i don’t come to the stage for that lol but it made me think of the complaint that nagosaka’s get together story felt rushed compared to the other divisions. and they were lol but i’m not sure if that’s the stage’s fault or the source material. on bat’s side, bc they formed nagosaka alongside the og teams in the stage, ramuda’s development thru bat got axed in favour of jyushi falling for rei’s scam that brought dh together. it’s a choice that further isolates nagosaka so while within the stage narrative it makes sense (does jyushi’s character a disservice tho), it kinda annoys me thinking about the long term lol but it’s probably not going to matter in the long term either so ultimately it’s fine. i guess. maybe lol

one last nakanishi-san ramble and i’m done lol but that fanservice part really showed off his charm lol like when he rolled up on some fans arms spread wide and demanding their ears and attention!!!!!! 😫😫😫😫🙏🙏🙏🙏 and as he was heading back on stage, there was a lone bat fan along that aisle so he paused and leeeeeeeeaned back into that backtrack and flashed the bat hand sign at her and i couldn’t stop my unholy noises even if i tried he’s so cute omfg help he’s adorable like actually 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

#this is vee speaking #this is the clifnotes version yes lol the other post would have been much longer LOL #i didn’t say it but i was also reeeeeeaally charmed by new encounter ramuda lol #like…………… he’s so full of life and cute…………….. he’s so bouncy…………….. cute……………. #i enjoyed the music and production quality like it’s still the stage!!!!! even if it doesn’t have all the flair legends era actors gave it #another complaint i saw was over the team songs not being incorporated into the play and i understand but lmao #those are team songs so it wouldn’t make sense for them to be in the play itself when none were a team yet #the stage even kept the detail of no one having their team emblem in their design UNTIL those team songs #trust these guys lol they know what they’re doing

[studentinpursuitofclouds]

How about the towns people reacting to the farmer who despises joja. Like, think about it. The farmer left their soul sucking office job at joja behind only to see them again right across the bridge. I bet they would support the community centre out of spite.

They are normally a friendly and sweet person but the moment joja comes into the conversation they snap a little. Morris talks to them and their left eye twitches rapidly cuz this guy reminds them way too much of their old boss. They have dark dreams about the blinking lights of the work and rest lights and the bosses looming over them through the glass in their office.

Locals swear they see the light disappear from their eyes whenever they accidentally fish up a joja can.

Oh man, That's just about a perfect description of my OC Farmer. He is by nature a very kind and patient man, but every time he sees JojaMart, catching more trash with that logo on it, or sees people who use every means, even mean ones (remember that scene with Morris), to destroy the competition and become monopolists, he gets very sarcastic. Sometimes, it can be just pure rage.

But let's not talk about my OC, because the question here is about a neutral farmer 😅 So enjoy, dear anon!

SDV townies react to the Farmer who despises Joja:

Marlon's mind is more on protecting the Valley from monsters than on boycotting some store. He wouldn't have known about this until one day Farmer came in with a bunch of soda cans with the Joja logo on them, while swearing about the same logo. They told to the one-eyed adventurer that they had fished this cans of the mine waters at level 100. How these soda cans managed to end up in literal lava without burning or even deforming from the lava's temperature was a mystery to Marlon.

Stardew Valley has its own zest that makes the place unique, and according to Penny, JojaMart is ruining that uniqueness. Plus they constantly put promotions on the beer and ales they sell, which Pam just can't refuse. So Penny isn't too thrilled about Joja.co appearance in Pelican Town either.

How Willy understands them! There is already so much garbage floating in the sea from Joja's products that has endangered fish and other marine life. And the mart that was built here has only made the problem worse. So the old sailor will support the Farmer if they want to kick this corporation out of Pelican Town.

Not that George would care much where his wife bought the leek: from the farmers or from that huge store. After all, a leek is a leek no matter how you cooked it. Still, though, memories of his grandfather and his farm bring back fond memories of things that used to be both simpler and better. He's also annoyed by the loud music coming from the speakers in that supermarket, which is "supposed to attract customers" but distracts him from his nostalgic thoughts. Can't he have some quiet time in his own home anymore! If the Farmer wants to stage a boycott, then George will be the first of the participants!

Oh, this is so much fun! Abigail feel bad that she provokes Farmer on purpose, but it's not her fault that her friend gives such a funny reaction at any mention of Joja. "Look, Sam bought me a Joja cola, you want some?" *Possum hissing*

Haley thinks the Farmer is a fool. The only civilized supermarket in town, and Farmer looks at it as an insult to all humanity. Yes, the quality of the clothes leaves a lot to be desired, but there are a variety of sweets to choose from! And there's plenty goods for farming, too. The girl doesn't understand what Farmer's problem is.

Whoa whoa, easy, why the outburst of rage? What? Yeah, Alex bought a dozen eggs at JojaMart. After all, he needs protein. Hey! What's the Farmer doing? Give it back, why did they take the eggs?! If they wanted some egg, they could just ask! Wha?... Oh, the Farmer gave him three dozen eggs. These are from their farm? Uh, thank you. So big, and much better quality than he bought from Joja..... So, how's he gonna explain to Grandma that Alex now have three dozen eggs?

Gus sincerely hopes the Farmer doesn't vandalize his Saloon, at least as a sign of respect for the very owner of the establishment and his property. Because they've been looking at that Joja soda machine for too long. It's like they're trying to desiteng this poor vending machine. He may also have to take Joja Coke off the menu.

*Gasp* Hee-hee. Oh, Marnie can't stop laughing. To be honest, at first the young Farmer's angry stare and scolding caught her off guard and frightened her a little. But later, she can't stop giggling after every barbed comment towards Joja.co, their old boss and "colleagues".

Sheesh, wow. Sam would never have thought that a person could cringe like that at the mention of Joja. The young guitarist should think twice before opening a can of Joja Coke with Farmer standing next to him, because they will vaporize that very can with a look.

Jas already knows what natural resources are and has often heard from Miss Penny that many huge corporations often abuse and deplete these same resources. And this thought makes her sad. But she does not want to quarrel with anyone, so Jas will offer the Farmer to draw a poster together so that Joja will respect nature and makes products that do not harm animals and plants (spoiler: it won't work, but the Farmer was very touched by the girls’ idea).

Bad food? Bad store? But Mr/Mrs Farmer, why do you say that? Vincent doesn't really understand why they hate that store so much, where he often goes with his mother to visit his older brother and buy groceries. His mom even also buys him ice cream in the form of a dinosaur! Because dinosaur is so cool. What? Do they have a living dinosaur?! In a coop? Can he take a look please??? The farm is much cooler than this "Jodja'! Mom look, Mr/Mrs Farmer has a pet dinosaurs!

Oh, that whole blue trash things makes Leo and his bird family very sad. So he understands why the Farmer is so upset too. But the boy is not discouraged and wants to make a clean-up day together with Farmer, Linus and the parrots. Maybe the Joja people will see the beauty of nature and stop littering!

Oh, no, Farmer. You don't need to show so much negative emotion! Emily herself is not fond of Joja and their constant pollution of the environment with their waste, but absorbing so much anger and spreading it to others is not the best way to go about it. She does worry about the Farmer's mental state and will offer them meditation classes to get rid of the bad thoughts associated with the old job and Joja in general.

Shane would probably be the second person who truly hates Joja. Stupid, energy-sucking job, stupid boss who makes him work overtime, stupid uniforms that don't fit him and that make him itch. Can the occasional theft of beer and frozen pizza from Joja's warehouse be considered a form of protest?

Caroline nearly dropped her tea cup when Farmer literally hissed at the mention of Joja and Morris. The two of them were sitting alone in her sunny room drinking tea and Caroline was a little sad that her husband's business had gotten tougher since JojaMart had come to town. She had heard from the Mayor the reason for the Farmer leaving their old job and truly understands their decision (after all, life in the big city can be very tiring). Though the young Farmer's reaction to the mention of Joja.co has her a bit amused.

But when Pierre walked into the sun room (to pick up his gardening tools) where his wife and Farmer were sitting, and heard the conversation about his store and Joja, he started wailing and whining about the desperate situation. And the shopkeeper would wholeheartedly support Farmer in the idea that everyone would be much better off without blasted Joja! However, when the Farmers were about to leave, they thanked Caroline for the tea, and finally, with a sly smile, said that "Joja will not stay here for long". What this meant, neither Pierre nor his wife understood.

"Fuck! Fucking bitch ass Joja with their fucking cans and CDs! I want fish, not that dog ass shit plastic! Rot in hell, you goddamn corporation, bunch of bastards and rats!" Sebastian is used to Farmer's tirade by now, and watches from the kitchen window, sipping his coffee, as his poor friend has been trying to fish the mountain lake for the past two hours. Judging by their profanity, fishing was not going well.

But poor Maru, who almost dropped the wrench on her foot, heard the Farmer's profanity for the first time and thought something was wrong. When she went out to inquire after their fortunes, they were already sitting on the shore crying... and surrounded by the garbage from Joja.co. The young inventor invites Farmer into the kitchen for a cup of coffee with her and her half-brother.

While the brother and sister consoled Farmer with words and caffeine, Demetrius, seeing that there was now a lot of plastic lying nearby, offered to the Farmer take his recycling machine and scheme if they wanted more machines. Recycling would help to bring the environment back to its former state, also the recycled garbage would become useful products for the farm! Demetrius thinks it's unlikely that they'll be able to boycott the huge company in any way, so it's better to help the ecology like that at least.

Robin almost died laughing. "Holy macaroni, you swear like an old sailor!" She really didn't expect such profanity from such a quiet and kind person, but her son and daughter were not the only ones who heard the poor youth's tirade after a bad fishing trip. But Robin doesn't want to tease the poor Farmer, so she goes along with her husband's offer to take their recycling machine.

Oh dear, don't be so furious, you get a headache! Evelyn can understand why the poor Farmer is upset, but she would hate to see such a kind and sweet youth in a constantly bad mood because of Joja. Maybe they'll drop by for tea? She just baked cookies, and didn't use Joja products, granny promises! *wink*

Linus can feel Mother Nature weeping and choking on all this garbage and waste. And how her crying has gotten stronger since Joja their big store in town. The wise man stays calm though and tries to comfort the Farmer, because anger clouds his thoughts and it's impossible to think of ways to help nature.

Hmmm, dear, but Joja is full of good gardening supplies and farming seeds, and at a low price. Jodi thinks they should look in there and get something for.... Oh, okay, fine. Jodi won't mention Joja again, or she gets the impression that nice Farmer is transforming into a beast before her eyes.

Now, now... There's no need to get so angry or you'll get high blood pressure, Harvey knows what he's talking about. Anger is inherent in everyone, but he is well aware of how mental problems later affect a person's physical health. So if Farmer doesn't learn to control their anger, then it will be Dr. Harvey himself who gets angry. And take his word for it, Farmer, he will scold you severely.

For all his desire to help Farmer, Rasmodius feels he should not interfere in people's lives, much less use magic for it. Plus, he feels that there's no point in looking for an answer to solve a problem when the answer is right in front of them. Hmm? What is he talking about? Ah, young adept, the forest spirits will show you the way, you just have to learn to listen to them carefully.

Leah knows what it's like to live in a big city at an energy-sucking job, under the all-seeing eye of a mega-corporation (also with her ex who mumbling everyday about more profitable professions). And when Leah sees JojaMart, her mind involuntarily returns to that unpleasant part of her life. To be honest, she would also start snarling and hissing like a Farmer because of Joja or any other company that is trying to greedily take Stardew Valley for itself.

Elliott bows before Farmer: to reach such a peak of eloquence, masterfully masking sarcasm in conversation with the help of barbs and epithets - such a level was not even reached by Elliott himself, even with his rich vocabulary. The writer doesn't know why this manager from Joja.co angered the always good-natured Farmer, but Elliott made a note to himself to never get on the Farmer's bad side.

All right, kiddo! Don't bark at the store like a guard dog! Do Pam a favor and move your bum away from the main JojaMart entrance, she has to get a dark ale on special, plus a 15% off coupon. Huh, don't like Joja? Then don't look at them and problem solved! Like a piece of cake.

The tired father had to put his hands over Vincent's ears more than once to keep the youngest of his sons from hearing the endless stream of profanity from their new Farmer about the greedy megacorporation. Though Kent would be lying if he said the whole rant didn't make him laugh. Still, he tries to hide a smile under his wife's stern gaze.

All right, enough! Why don't you stop swearing, there's little kids walking around! Lewis can understand anything, but not useless swearing. The town mayor really does miss the days when they were all at the old Community Center, but yelling at Joja won't do anything. What do you mean the "Community Center will soon be alive again"? Farmer? Where are they going? Yoba, they're just like their Grandfather. Sigh, what a daredevil...bless your soul, my old friend.

Satisfied with his work and how quickly the number of visitors to JojaMart was growing, Morris didn't even notice how, when talking to a new resident of the Valley (aka "potential customer"), the poor "listener" had a twitch in his eye and a cringing their face. Well, one gets a tic, he doesn't really care. Although when Morris was at the restored Community Center where people started boycotting Joja, now his eye started twitching.

#stardew valley #sdv #sdv headcanons #sdv shane #sdv emily #sdv alex #sdv sebastian #sdv elliott #sdv harvey #sdv penny #sdv maru #sdv abigail #sdv leah #sdv haley #sdv demetrius #sdv robin #sdv linus #sdv wizard #sdv marlon #sdv willy #sdv gus #sdv leo #sdv jas #sdv vincent #sdv jodi #sdv caroline #sdv pierre #sdv george #sdv community #sdv joja

[pythoneon]

not to be annoying about VHS christmas carols against but i’m gonna be bc

i can’t stop thinking about something curt said in his interview with james about starkid and how you can see the seams of the production in each performance, and how it adds to the experience, and i think that’s why so many people love starkid. not only is it extremely accessible for people who can’t afford broadway tickets (which are ABSURDLY expensive without a doubt) and exposes people to the joy of performance in a palpable and fun way. its unpolished sometimes, and not every run goes PERFECTLY, but that only elevates the experience.

as a recovering theater kid who’s also a fairly new starkid & tin can bros fan, its imperfections are what drew me in. my first musical i watched (TGWDLM) is AMAZING and still my favorite, but its not perfect, and i wouldn’t have it any other way. imperfections are human, they’re fun stumbles that can be brought up later as something unique that happened at that showing and no other. it shows the seams and doesn’t take you out of it. you hear people improvise lines to make their costar laugh, you see actors try really hard not to break character, you watch someone cry ACTUAL TEARS during a solo, so engrossed that you’re drawn in with them. you become a part of this world for a moment because starkid is nothing but passion and love for their craft, and they show it through ingenuity, creativity, and craftiness.

just like curt said in that same interview, VHS christmas carols is the embodiment of all that. its a small and intimate stage (MY FAVORITES), so the line between actor and viewer is blurred. there’s parts in the digital ticket where you hear clark laugh at a few line readings, which i love so much. it’s simpler than a lot of their other stuff, band wise and set wise, but what they DO have is excellent. the VHS-shaped stage, the play button on the box lids, the CANDLES UGH. they’re all enjoying themselves, putting their entire heart and soul into each performance, and it shows. even the happy songs brought tears to my eyes. seeing that reminded me of how much i loved being in theater and the friends i made doing it.

VHS christmas carols is like a reminder that starkid isn’t just a production company making high quality musicals for us to watch, it’s also a group of dorky friends having the time of their lives on stage.

#i don’t care if its not christmas anymore #i’m gonna keep talking about this musical #starkid #vhs christmas carols #curt mega #hello curt if you see this #which is apparently a possibility i hadn’t anticipated #you were amazing as jim and young scrooge #and i cannot wait to see what you all do next #please do VHS next year too so i can see it #if you’re not curt uhhhh #i love you #drink some water #start off your year well :)

[imkazz]

Rent?! No one ever talks about rent. Tell me rent things.

AUGHHHH RENT!!!!

i went to watch it at the stratford festival like three days ago!!!

(press for better quality)

I LOVE RENT! FROM SO MANY PERSPECTIVES! IT TALKS ABOUT THE AIDS CRISIS AND TRANS PEOPLE AND GAY PEOPLE AND DEATH AND GRIEF AND HOMELESSNESS AND SO MANY IMPORTANT TOPICS IN JUST ONE MUSICAL

keep reading if you want to see my theatre nerd side, i basically swoon over set design, backstage, lights, model choices, etc.

AS SOMEONE WHO LOVES THEATRE PRODUCTION A LOT MORE THAN ACTING, THE STAGE THEY USED TO CONVEY THIS MUSICAL HAS SO MUCH AS WELL!

LIGHTS, SOUND, PROPS AND MANAGEMENT OF SPACE WENT SO WELL AT THE FESTIVAL THEATRE!

its something called a thrust stage at the festival theatre, which is different than your usual type of stage, aka the proscenium stage. the thrust stage thrusts to the centre of the room, making it so that you can watch the play from all angles, and not specifically need to get centre, front row seats. you can see with the second photo below that even the people at the edge get an interesting perspective.

the actors and designers also have a fun time with thrust stages! you have to act with your entire body, as all pov seats can watch you, and designers have to be careful about props and use space wisely, especially since its a much smaller space than your usual, and theres no curtains meaning that scene changes have to be imaginative as well.

as you can see with the photo i took, i did in fact get centre front seats, only because a huge tour group backed out last seconds and my mom was able to snag the tickets.

(i actually watched it twice! first time at the festival was with the theatre group where i was looking at all the lights and cues and analyzing shit, but second time was bc my siblings wanted to watch it live and i could sit back and enjoy the show, looking at some things i wanted to rewatch that other campers had talked about that i missed (the first photo i took of the stage is from camp, on the balcony, while the second is the most recent and from in front of the stage))

from theatre camp, i also got the absolute privlage to get a tour of the festival theatre, and watch a changeover. since the festival theatre goes through multiple plays a day (richard III for a matinee, rent as a night show just as an example) they change the entire set.

i dont care about shakespeare, so were here to talk about the changeover to rent. they expanded the stage and made it much denser material, since people will be dancing on it, and changed the sudden drop to stairs, so the actors wouldnt trip on stage or while dancing. they also added that small platform to the centre of the stage, and did so much with it!

at first, that small platform was used as mark and rogers apartment, and there were metaphorical walls that everyone could see. even though collins was standing RIGHT NEXT TO THEM, he wasnt on the platform and was looking upwards, while mark was looking downwards, signalling they were on different floors.

for the 'la vie boheme' dance scene, they used it as a huge table to seat all the people around it, on the ground. they simly laid a cloth on the edges to make it a table, and the audience could take it as a table.

there was also a trapdoor in the centre of that thing, so for one musical number involving rogers and mimi, they were brought up, being the centre of attention while everyone else danced around them. it also became a small table for one scene.

the next thing the trapdoor did. it went down under the stage, where angel would climb onto it, and 'today 4 u' song, she rose out onto the stage in a puff of smoke and a badass christmas fit!!! so cool!

trapdoor was then used as a makeshift bed for angel, where collins helped her lie as she died of aids. they covered her with a huge cloth, which each of the group threw in and yelled 'im done!' and walked away, leaving collins still clutching it with angel underneath, the trapdoor going inwards as her grave.

let me tell you. they transitioned so well. the trapdoor went back into the trap room, where collins would also let go of the cloth and got it to sink into the hole. id assume the actor got out, the people down there would take the cloth, and while everyone on stage was doing the funeral scene, the people down there would put angels bucket with a bouquet inside and place it on the trapdoor.

theyd then let the trap back up onto stage, replacing the cloth and angel with her bucket and a bouquet in it. that made me sob the first time i saw it. holy shit.

now, away from the sad stuff and back to set design.

if you look at the photo, you can see windows in the backgrounds. they look like normal windows, until you look closer to see silhouettes in them. men and woman.

those were used A LOT to convey the scene. i cant remember the orders, but the main examples that stuck out to me:

for the 'tango maureen', the windows lit up red and you could see the people a lot better, which implies all the people shes slept with/cheated with

when they got together for the aids meeting, the windows lit up in rainbow colours to signify all the people who suffer to aids and the general lgbtq colours

when they were talking about homeless people with benny, the lights shone in different cold hues, showing all the people in tent city and how they must be freezing in the winter

'rent' the song, the windows were flashing with the song, and when the power got cut, all the lights went out except a faint blue from the lights above so the audience could still somewhat see what was happening

sound. all the cast used mics, id guess that the chorus would trade mics based on who had huge lines. before it started, you could hear general city sounds, cars, beeping, general business that you would get from new york that i found a bit cool. i think you can tell im not that passionate about sound.

alright, what else? costumes. costumes, costumes. I LOVED ANGELS FITS. HOLY FUCK, HER NEW YEARS EVE DRESS WAS SORTA TRANSPARENT BUT HAD A RAINBOW SHIMMER TO IT?! I LOVED IT SO MUCHHHHH AAAAAAAAA other than that i have little to no things about costumes... they were all wearing basic fits that were usual for the 80's, all sorts of hip-hop, t-shirts, jeans, your usual.

found some from the web! first photo is that outfit i scream about up there, and the second is her coming out of the trapdoor for 'today 4 u'!!!

okok now actors... I MET THE GUY WHO PLAYED COLLINS FOR THIS SEASON AT THE FESTIVAL!!! or, me and my entire theatre production camp did. we all got autographs, and got to speak to him bc we waited for everyone else to leave the theatre before we could go as a group, so all the actors had the time to change out of things and stuff. it turns out that someone he knew died of aids not too long ago, so his reaction to angel's death is pretty spot-on. he was so cool! the name's Lee Siegel if you wanted to look more into that.

last thing (i think). at the end, after an amazing scene where the cloth used on angel to lower her down the trapdoor was used to present all the little clips mark got over the year they all had together, angel came out of the centre door draped in this blanket, which all the cast would lay onto the stage.

and everything would go to applause.

in all, rent is amazing! <3 especially after watching tick tick boom!

(sorry for ranting i love theatre (realised i should probably save this to talk about in drama class when school starts...))

#rent the musical #rent #stratford festival #theatre #musical theater #theater kid #musicals #mimi #roger davis #maureen johnson #angel dumott schunard #joanne jefferson #tom collins #mark cohen #lgbtq #lgbtqia #lgbt pride #gay #transgender #drag queen #lesbian #text post #sorry for ranting #lol #tick tick boom #aids crisis #aids epidemic #lgbtq history #queerness #new york

[colemckenzies]

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ultimate Edition

this easter It Is Time. using my years of fixation and research i present to you The Best Version of every song from jesus christ superstar, plus commentary. obviously subjective opinion so do feel free to discourse in the tags bc as you may have picked up i enjoy talking about the relative merits of jcs productions. also i might not even stand by this in a week bc i find it hard to keep multiple versions in my head at the same time for comparison and there are so so many versions.

please note that acting, vocal quality, music direction, and where available staging have all been taken into account. act 2 in rb bc of link restrictions.

heaven on their minds - 2012 broadway revival

obviously in terms of pure vocals carl anderson is unbeatable forever, but the staging of the 2012 broadway revival pips it for me. josh young's voice is still gorgeous and the judas/jesus/mary throuple is everything. i love versions where hotm is sung directly To jesus, and i love that in this version jesus actually listen and takes judas' concerns on board. the love and respect between all three of them is palpable and even though it is a serious disagreement, part of that disagreement comes from the fact that they care about each other so much. that's tragedy baby!

special mention to henrike tönnes on the 2022 rob carroll version, i specifically like the Ending of the song for that one. also the sarcastic clap along w the disciples that judas does in the 2013 hungary version.

what's the buzz/ strange thing mystifying - 2018 tv event

annoyingly this isn't on youtube but tbh the staging is nothing mindblowing. i think what's the buzz is a great song for showcasing the usp of each version and in this one i think being able to hear the real crowd actually cheering for jesus (john legend) really adds to the narrative. i also absolutely love brandon victor dixon and as i have said before he would be one of my favourite judases if judas were straight. sara bareilles does a great 'offended' face when he bitches about her lmao.

honourable mention to the 2012 uk arena tour for again showing off the conceit of 'modern day activists' really well in this song, not forgetting of course WOTS THE BUZZ #buzz tweet

then we are decided - 2013 hungary

(starts at about 9:49) obviously not a huge amount of competition for this one, i wish more versions included it bc it's a great song :( anyway i loveee the staging choice to have everyone else freeze-framed on stage with the priests walking among them, and i freaking love this caiaphas. literally inserting it into what's the buzz also works nicely

i do miss kurt yaghjian from the 1973 film tho, forever obsessed with his voice and facial expressions. extra shout out to the striving artists version for simply existing.

everything's alright - 2006 austria

something about the musical direction in 90% of versions of this song goes right through me, like there is always some weird instrument that makes me Cringe. but this version is Nice :) really enjoy how Pissed this judas is. and i love the way the long notes last into the next section of the song. i will say i prefer the alt melody for 'people who are hungry' but you can't have everything

this is a really nice one on the all-female cast recording as well, obviously it's already the most female-heavy song of the show but shoshana bean's judas is particularly good here i think. also of course carl anderson with tears in his eyes grasping ted neely's hands while the music swells is ingrained on my brain for all time.

this jesus must die - 1994 studio cast

this album as a whole is probably my Least Favourite JCS Ever, but i will admit that this song fucks. the haunting eeriness at the beginning. the way it kicks into a funky little syncopated rhythm. the disembodied hosannas. unexpected delight.

2012 uk arena tour is unfortunately disqualified for having possibly the Most antisemitic portrayal of the priests, which is a shame because it's probably my favourite casting. one of my favourite annas portrayals, but in general all of them are distinct and fully embodied which does make that version very fun to watch. i also really enjoy the 2019 castaway productions version for this song, the way they play instruments while they sing like a lil band, and caiaphas' eye make-up is sick. 1973 film is obviously also iconic with the little scaffolding tippy taps, and the way kurt yaghjian sings 'a trick-or-two with lepers'. i love this song sorry.

hosanna - 2017 striving artists

i kind of don't have justification for this one LOL i just like it. i know there are versions that are sung better and really the staging is quite important for this song but idk i just find this version really calming. i don't know if it's the music direction? i don't know enough about music tbh

admittedly this is another one that works really well for the 2018 tv event, but doesn't quite win for me as the crowd don't cheer in all the right places and john legend doesn't react at all to the 'would you DIE for me?' line which is crucial. for good reaction to that line the 2000 film where it elevates the bitchy gay tension in the love triangle really nails it.

simon zealotes - 2011 austria

EASYYY WIN FOR ME this is actually the song that made me want to pick a best version for each one because this version IS so much better than any other one for me. the guitar!!!!!! rob's energy!! the music design for this one really fucks so severely and then there's just rob jumping around hyping up the crowd (there is a film version from 2008 on youtube, but i wanted to capture the music for this one). iconic.

big love also to hungary 2013 for having a simon who's in a wheelchair, particularly notable when it's really the highest energy role in the show. i do enjoy.

poor jerusalem - 2022 rob carroll

i cannot find any information about this album other than what's on spotify but i do enjoy the slight alt melodies in this version and i like his voice.

not a lot to go into for this song really. i like the ben forster version a lot as well, and the 1996 london cast version. 'close your eyes' is a better lyric than 'live a lie'. moving on.

pilate's dream - 2022 all-female cast

may be biased bc I LOVE ORFEH but i just think this version is so gorgeous. i love the little vocal drifts without going too overboard and distracting from the song. the music composition is especially pleasing as well.

there's a lot of honourable mentions i could give here bc i think pilate has so much potential for power and gravitas, but 1973 film, 2012 uk arena tour, 2013 hungary, and east end theatrical ensemble. are also big favs. in terms of staging i love the fact that 2019 castaway productions has jesus himself on stage playing the backing piano like he actually is haunting pilate.

the temple - 1992 australia

australia 1992 habitually has some of the most interesting and creative music direction and this is one of the songs where it particularly pays off. love the whistles. i also like that the second 'get out' is spoken, not screamed. the second half is appropriately creepy with the sustained 'chriiiist'. pretty boring staging but at least the costumes are fun.

i don't know how to love him - east end theatrical ensemble

possibly controversial choice but ugh i love this version i even love how low the sound quality is. like listening to a vinyl. i think her voice is so gorgeous and i love her accent. deeply soothing to listen to. i feel like im in the 70s rn.

i'm also a huge fan of the 1996 london cast recording, joanna ampil has such a sweet voice and the way she emotes so that you can really Hear it works well for this song. special shout out to 2012 uk arena tour which i don't think is a particularly amazing version but we get the absolute gunshow from mel c at the end so we love it.

damned for all time/blood money - 1973 film

CARL!! I feel like 1973 film and 1996 london album are at a disadvantage in this bc they're what i grew up with so i kind of take them for granted but this is undeniably iconic. no one can commit to the tortured soul but belief he's doing the right thing like him. the way he can scream but it still sounds Good. i prefer versions that have annas suggest 'a fee' rather than caiaphas just repeating himself so that's here too. the weird keening way he sings 'on thursday night'. annas dropping the coins just as he reaches for them. UGH so good. a lot less brassy than other versions as well.

this is another song that kinda fucks in every version, but the original 1970 album and the 2018 tv event are particularly good i think. also that one bit in 2012 uk arena tour where annas is like '...... get up off the floor.'

#jesus christ superstar #jcs #jcsposting #please don't let this flop i spent all day on it. #will try to add act 2 on rb now otherwise it will be a new post lmao #Spotify

[e-the-village-cryptid]

Goncharov the Musical (1985)

with all this goncharov posting I still haven’t seen anyone mention the musical adaptation! granted, if goncharov is a lost movie, then the musical is fricken atlantis, but the little-known adaptation did in fact exist, if very briefly. as far as I’ve been able to find out, there were only two showings and somewhere between 5 and 10 previews before it was shut down for good. 

just as goncharov itself is full of bitter ironies, so too is the story behind the (partial) recovery of this musical. Cranston Park Theatre, where the musical was staged, suffered flooding in September of this year, forcing the theater to close for repairs. in clearing out their flooded basement, a few discs from the goncharov production were discovered, but not before the long submersion in water highly damaged them. yeah, the same flood that led to the discs’ rediscovery also ruined large portions of them. the irony is flawless, but I’m still mad about that lost history that may never be recovered. 

however, we do have a mostly intact rendition of the first two numbers, which are, as in most musicals, an ensemble opener and an “I want” song. (many thanks to the Cranston Park Theatre employee who got permission to post the recovered clips to youtube!) the song titles are lost to time as far as I can tell, but we have some footage and that’s what’s most important. let’s dive in!

the ensemble opener: it’s very militaristic, which is an interesting choice. the stately march-style opener evokes the mechanical, grim themes present throughout much of the film— or, at least it would, if the costumes weren’t so ridiculous. despite the attempted seriousness of the number, the set and costumes come off as quite campy— perhaps this was an intentional mockery of the militaristic march, to emphasize the existing irony of comparing mafia and gangsters to soldiers? my favorite part about this number is that the strong, steady beat is exactly 60 bpm— one beat per second, like the ticking of a clock. say what you will about the directors of this musical, but they knew their motifs for sure!

the “I want” song: usually the second song of a musical would be given to the lead to sing their “I want” ballad— think “Waiting on a Miracle” in Encanto where Mirabel just wants to be special like the rest of the family, or “Carrie” in Carrie (a musical from around the same time period that suffered a similar fate of early cancellation, but that’s a parallel for a different post), where Carrie longs for her classmates to stop bullying her and see her for who she truly is. now, in Goncharov, this song is given not to Goncharov, but to Katya. this is fascinating! the narrative is essentially establishing Katya as the central character, of equal or greater importance than Goncharov himself. I wish so badly I could make out the lyrics, but the recording is too damaged for me at least. the tone of the ballad is emotional, though, and Katya can be seen gesturing to Goncharov, who is staged out of reach and out of earshot. At another point, she also gestures close to the wings, where there appears to be a figure? the video quality is very grainy but at least in my mind this has to be Sofia. (oh how I wish the lyrics were audible here!)  and of course, the centerpiece of the number (and the whole musical, really) is the giant clock tower in the square, which the choreography and Katya’s movements places as an important element of the song. the song ends with the tolling of the clock bells, setting the characters into a hurry about their business as if the spell is broken. ok, a little heavy-handed at this point. oh well, I honestly enjoy it, this song strikes the balance between sincere and campy— the choreography could be considered over-the-top and even a bit ridiculous in other circumstances but weirdly it worked?? one of my favorites and definitely the one I wish the most that we had a better recording of.

I’ll keep the analysis to just these two songs for now, but if anyone on some off-chance has found any better recordings of this musical please share them! not much is known about this musical’s history since it fell apart so quickly, likely due to budget and conflict between several of the lead actors and the director, so it’s entirely possible they performed at some other smaller theatre or at least rehearsed there. let’s piece this musical back together!

#goncharov #goncharov the musical #unreality #an e original

[seasurfacefullofclouds1]

Hi Sea, the one reason I always think that Louis really is doing it for his love of touring as he says is because look at the ticket prices and then getting two openers for the show. That is pretty impressive. We can be assured that if Louis has bought them on, the tour openers will be full of energy and will have a good sound. Also, his production is always top notch.

He is really trying to give his audience a high class show.

The quantity and quality of the openers was what really impressed me yesterday. Surely Louis knows that many of the shows aren’t completely sold out, and he could have easily cut corners to save production costs.

For example, for LTWT22, Louis could have easily saved money on pyrotechnics. He could have let fans buy their own water (at exorbitant venue prices). He could have made his band stay in cheaper lodgings while he himself stayed in the Four Seasons. He could have gone out with only Oli and his security to clubs and other fun activities. I think LTWT Chicago was one of the earlier stops, and because of Covid precautions, Louis rented out an entire private club so his crew could enjoy some downtime and still stay safe. He paid for a cocktail cart to travel with the tour crew. He paid for tattoo artists to commemorate the NA leg. Louis did all of this even though the venues were small, and the profit margin was slim.

Louis could have made fans pay for the first Away From Home Festival. He could have charged for meet and greets. He could have used dynamic pricing. He didn’t have to donate all profits from the London Livestream.

We have also seen how exposure has really helped the bands that Louis takes under his wing. Only The Poets is a great example of a band that has blossomed when given a chance. Sun Room’s sound and stage presence became more confident and mature as a result of tour. Stone has amazing publicity from Louis. In many cases, we can see the bands’ growth in front of our eyes, getting better and better throughout the tour.

Louis does not skimp on stage production, but his focus is always on the music first and foremost. From his emphasis on solid songwriting for the tour (getting great musicians and songwriters to work with him), to the sound production for tour, to Louis’ focus on rehearsals and giving a good performance, to his appreciation for the audience, we can see in each step Louis’ focus on craft and his appreciation for being able to tour like this.

I remember something that Louis said once, “You start small and you work your way up.” This was when he was playing 1.5-3k venues after he had already played stadiums with One Direction, and knew that other guys from 1D were playing arenas. I’ll always love Louis for doing it for the music. Always always always.

[yuzukahibiscus]

“ENCHANTEMENT” Roundtable Discussion

(A “Roundtable Discussion” is a KAGEKI section magazine, documenting the talk between the director and the actresses about their performances. This time, I’ve translated the Roundtable Discussion of the ongoing current production of “ENCHANTEMENT”. I hope this discussion will allow you to know more about their insights!)

Adaptation/Direction = Noguchi Kousaku

Production = Fujieda Taichi

Actresses = Mikaze Maira, Kaga Ririka, Minami Maito, Yuzuka Rei, Towaki Sea, Hozumi Mahiro, Hoshikaze Madoka, Seino Asuka, Ichinose Kouki, Hoshizora Misaki

(Discussion below the cut, spoilers may follow)

Fujieda: From 2023 January 1 to January 30, Flower Troupe will be performing this revue in the Takarazuka Grand Theatre. Written and directed by Noguchi Kousaku, Takarazuka Spectacular “ENCHANTEMENT – A Luxurious Perfume–”. In French, “ENCHANTEMENT” means “enchantment” or “rapture.” And it is a perfume that captivates the people in this world. With these two meanings as the theme, Yuzuka Rei will lead Flower Troupe to open 2023, inviting you into this glamorous and gorgeous revue world so please look forward to enjoying this magical moment!

Noguchi: In Yuzuka Rei’s stage name, the “Kaori” (香 – meaning scent/fragrance) kanji strikes an impression and from there I can start to imagine and think of creating a revue that has “perfume” as a theme. This performance is also how perfumes are like, comprised of “Top Notes”, “Middle Notes” and Last Notes” and there are various of those characteristics featured. Also, with various kinds of notes as the foundation, this show also includes memorable famous scenes portraying Takarazuka-scented impressions. Before when we were discussing, Yuzuka-san talked about this “power word”. That we hope to deliver this “quality entertainment (performance) to the audience in the Reiwa year reverberating the audiences’ hearts”.

The colourful and vibrant perfumes

Noguchi: First of all, from Chapter 1 to Chapter 4 is the first part of “Top Notes”. Chapter 1 is “ENCHANTEMENT – A Luxurious Perfume – Prologue”. From the music composed by Aoki Tomoko-sensei and choreography arranged by Masaki Rino-sensei, this is a prologue that uses Yuzuka-san’s designed perfume “RAY YUZUKA” as the image. Yuzuka-san plays a perfumer Ray and invites you to an “enchanting night”. When she sprinkles some magic perfume, the world begins to shine in rose-color. Then there would be a two-storey perfume counter which operates like a merry-go-round and then the perfumer and the other performers will open this gorgeous and glamorous revue together. So this is a theme song about my impressions of everyone. Like Minami-san is the “Bewitching Sadistic” who’s sexy and alluring, Hoshikaze-san still has that diva vibe…and continues to sing on the theme song. Later on, Yuzuka-san and Hoshikaze-san share a duet dance and after that they all dance together. It’s like a royal revue with Ziegfeld Follies image.

Yuzuka: As Sensei just said, this show is making us excited in our hearts. But even when we’re just singing in the rehearsals, the song itself is dazzling, and the world view seems to change and transform, simply by listening it is enough to make us hyped up. The costumes have “THE REVUE” kind of style, it is the dream quality (revue). When doing the choreography, it was really fun how everyone thought of how to dance it well and that we’re all working hard for it.

Hoshikaze: I want to quickly experience how the songs and the set would look, and how I could pair along with Yuzuka-san. Even the theme song in the prologue, even if it’s the same song, there’s some changed arrangements, the choreography there…

Yuzuka: It was done by Masaki (Rino)-sensei.

Hoshikaze: Yes, it makes me excited.

Minami: As Sensei explained it, this time I’m looking forward to how the taste of those songs feel and the choreography as well. About the prologue, there were some hints that Sensei noted and I’ll try to practice embodying that “Bewitching Sadistic” vibe.

Mikaze: It’s very rare that there’s this grand opening from the start. I think the prologue also gives people a feeling of celebrating the new year, and we’ll all work to create that ambience together.

Kaga: Sensei combined the Flower Troupe members’ (names) with the perfumes…We’ll do our best as it seems that our personalities can go compatible with the given perfumes in the scenes.

Towaki: Even though Sensei mentioned wanting to let the perfumes be sprayed out from the theatres’ air conditioning with its given theme, that didn’t happen (laughs), we’ll try our best to deliver that atmosphere with the themed scent we are assigned to.

Seino: I’m very happy to sing with Kaga-san in the prologue, who is graduating this time. I think that the Oriental part I’m in has this mysterious vibe.

Hoshizora: The prologue has a wonderful flow. I’ll do my best to make the audience feel like This is superb!

Noguchi: Then in Chapter 2 “CITRUS”, the music composed by Aoki-sensei and the choreography arranged by Mitsui Satoshi-sensei. With the “DOLCE & GABANNA Light Blue” perfume image, we have Citrus Boy Towaki-san, Hozumi-san, Seino-san, Ichinose-san and Yuki (Daiya)-san singing “The beautiful you is like perfume”. Then as long-awaited by many, Kinami Raito-san appears in a daruma style as an otokoyaku…

Everyone: !! (laughs)

Noguchi: This unveils the rockette! Have you five flower boys thought about what name you have for this unit…what’s it going to be?

Towaki: MFG5!

Noguchi: Yes, yes. In the lyrics, we used the english translation of 「清く正しく美しく」which is “Modesty, Fairness and Grace”. (Note: Takawiki offers a literal translation as it to Pure, proper, beautiful). There’s some Takarazuka things about it, and it also serves as an homage to Ziegfeld Follies. We hope to combine the two in this Reiwa era and showcase something contemporary too.

Towaki: The number is a reprise arrangement of what Yuzuka-san in the opening. It’s very cute and stylish so I hope you could really enjoy it.

Seino: It's a wonderful song. Each of us sing a different phrase so I hope we could all show our different characters in it.

Noguchi: Chapter 3 is “AROMANTIC”. From the music composed by Kai Masato-sensei and the choreography arranged by Suzukake Miyuki-sensei, this is based on the “CARON” “POUR UN HOMME” perfume image. Inspired by Paul Verlaine‘s poem “Fêtes galantes”, the setting is a slightly different Paris in the Belle Epoque times in the 19th century. This is a scene portraying young men and women playing in a game of forbidden love in the depths of the Vincennes Woods. Minami-san’s finding her lost lover in the midnight forest. And Seino-san will be playing as an onnayaku (note: Seino Asuka is originally an otokoyaku, playing a male role but she will be playing a woman role in this scene.)

Everyone: Amazing! (cheering)

Noguchi: I used the bolero arranged version of “Pavane pour une infante défunte” by Ravel and the “Suite bergamasque” from Debussy.

Mikaze: Wataru, Haryuu, Itotsuki and I are the chorus singers and we act as the guide to invite you to this alluring forbidden world, a drastic transformation from the start of the scene.

Minami: It’s a wonderful song. It’s a moving song from the start of the dramatic tune so I want to sing it firmly. And I was also pairing up with Seino-san (laughs).

Everyone: (laughs).

Minami: Since the stage was already so gorgeous and mysterious, it was very interesting.

Seino: I had trouble when I started wearing the dress and was learning how to hold the skirt well while dancing. I’ll do my best to make the ambience look graceful.

Noguchi: Then changing from the night of the forest, there’s Chapter 4 “FLORAL”. This is the scene with the “CHANEL” N°5 perfume impression, a musical portraying how the men and women mingle in love in the stage of New York. The music is composed by Teshima Kyouko-sensei and the choreography arranged by Mitsui-sensei. I’ve also asked Lowland Jazz for the recorded performance. What if Fred Astaire and Marilyn Monroe performed together...expanding that imagination, I wanted to create a chic and fancy scene that looked like a show from the time when Ooura Mizuki-san was Top Star. Yuzuka-san plays as that Astaire and when she takes the perfume to her hands, some beautiful girls appear and later on, the scene reveals some perfume-bottled buildings. Hoshikaze-san plays as the Marilyn Monroe girl and she dances a duet dance with Yuzuka-san. Finally, everyone comes together and dance. I’ve used songs from New York-related composers such as George Gershwin’s “Somebody Loves Me”, Rodgers and Hart “Manhattan” and Cole Porter’s “You’re the Top”.

Yuzuka: I’m so grateful to be part of this wonderful scene. I respect Mr Astaire deeply and I learnt various things by watching Flower Troupe’s great senior Ooura Mizuki-san. The opportunity to challenge this scenes makes my heart quaking in rejoice. This is a pure, playful scene that have points I should definitely not overlook so I’ll do my very best in rehearsing this to make the audience feel this was a fantastic scene! I also found it fun that the musumeyaku were a little coquettish and cute. And of course the famous Miss Marilyn has an amazing entrance. Everyone was also shouting and are very hped.

Towaki: It’s hyped, isn’t it?

Yuzuka: With such a splendid entrance, everyone would probably imitate that when they return home (laughs).

Everyone: (laughs).

Hoshikaze: I really want to dance from the bottom of my heart, paying respect to everyone so that I can deliver the wonder of that scene to the audience.

Towaki: I’ll do my best to make this turn out chic and fancy. All of the girls there were cute.

Yuzuka: So, so cute! Please type that in bold (laughs). (Note: Kageki didn’t but I did lol...)

Everyone: (laughs)

Yuzuka: The otokoyaku dance moves are so great.

Towaki: People would probably think this looks hard. Since it’s essential to show something apart from dancing, it’s quite a challenge.

Yuzuka: I have to stand out as the person that’s having fun amongst others who are cohesive in dancing. In order to show that contrast, I discuss with others the way to establish their various personalities precisely and we work our best with it.

Towaki: Yes, please take care of us.

Yuzuka: Let’s work hard!

Hoshikaze: I’ll try to look into how to create that coquettish, adorable vibe and I’m devoting it all in rehearsals, hoping that we’ll all be hyped up when we perform this part.

Yuzuka: Our duet dance was mischievous and it felt like a conversation.

Hoshikaze: That’s right.

Towaki: There seems to be something sparking of chemistry just between the two of you.

Yuzuka: All those shouting, having fun and simple moves... this scene already struck an impression to me from the very start.

Noguchi: Then comes to the second part of “Middle Notes”. Chapter 5 is “Oriental”. The music is composed by Aoki-sensei and the choreography is arranged by Hayama Kiyomi-sensei. This scene was based of the impression from the “YVES SAINT LAURENT OPIUM” exotic perfume impression. First, the Pucchini opera of “Nessun dorma” is arranged such that you could listen to Seino-san, Towaki-san and Minami-san all sing to their different styles. Then continuing on, this is a CHUUZUME comprising of a collab mix from the legendary director Tetsuzō Shirai-sensei, who wrote Chinese famous pieces. Then, Yuzuka-san will sing “The Red Opium”, the theme song of Gu Bijin that is closely related to Flower Troupe (the show Gu Bijin was performed by Flower Troupe twice). Later, Yuzuka-san and Hoshikaze-san dance to a duet dance of “The Song of Love” in “The Emperor and The Witch”. Later everyone dances and invites the audience to participate in the choreography by using the fan that is sold in Quatre Reves. This is a extravaganza Chinese-styled club in the midnight.

Yuzuka: “Gu Bijin” was Minami and my second performance as Flower Troupe members, so I’m very happy to sing that song and dance to the choreography. Since there’s an exotic scent when you smell the “OPIUM” perfume, we hope to deliver this feeling for the audience to imagine this scent. I’m also looking forward to see what kind of duet dance I’d be dancing with Madoka-san (Hoshikaze)

Hoshikaze: How would my duet dance with Yuzuka-san turn out to be…for sure the scenery would feel different instantly and I hope to show a sexy and tempting appearance.

Minami: It’s been a while since we danced to Hayama-sensei’s choreography so I’m nervous and glad at the same time. There’s a task of how to strike a balance with the wonderful arranged tune and the costumes. I hope to dance to the amazing choreography confidently with my body and will do my best in rehearsals to present that.

Towaki: It’s rare that otokoyaku would hold fans but there’s a sexy and mysterious vibe to it so this fantastic scene really makes me excited. This time I have to challenge singing the songs in a scat vibe but I don’t think I’ve been able to do that yet, so I’ll work earnestly for it during the rehearsals.

Seino: I hope to deliver the “OPIUM” scent from singing and combined with Hayama-sensei’s choreography, I want to invite you this kind of world. It’s quite difficult to use a fan well, but I’m excited to see how we’re going to dance with the audience.

Noguchi: The music of Chapter 6 “Woody & Marine” was composed by Oota Takeshi and the choreography by Mitsui-sensei. With the theme of “JO MALONE LONDON”’s “WOOD SAGE & SEA SALT COLOGNE” perfume scent, this is a scene in the Italian seaside where young couples sing about their youth. Hoshizora-san sings a contemporary-arranged “I’ll Tell Me Ma” with the musumeyaku. Towaki-san and other beautiful sailor boys hold the boat oars, singing and dancing to the Irish Song “The Water Is Wide” and “John Ryan’s Polka”, the song that was used in the third-class cabin party scene in the movie “TITANIC”.

Everyone: Wow–!

Towaki: Amongst from the trendy, the forbidden love and other mature scenes, this becomes a lighter scene that’s brighter and more open, bringing a refreshing change to the ambience.

Seino: This is the first time that I’ve received Mitsui-sensei’s choreography in the performances I’ve done so I’m looking forward to dancing Sensei’s amazing choreography in the Grand Theatre.

Noguchi: I thought this would be the scene to show the charms of our young performers.

Towaki, Seino: We’ll do our best.

Noguchi: Then there’s Chapter 7 “Musk”. The music is composed by *Takahashi Megumi* and *SHUN-sensei.* With the image of “Frederic Malle”’s “Musc Ravageur”, this was a mix of songs composed by Cole Porter. Yuzuka-san and Minami-san sing “From This Moment On” with suaveness, going to a midnight club exclusive to male members. The men compete with their sexy aura, going in a dance patrol that is full of wild, sexy and dynamic moves. Arranging it with “It’s All Right With Me”, we deliver to you the scent of Musk. The red curtains open to a large deer set in the club, where all the otokoyaku-san are assembled and I want to showcase that ultimate edition of this otokoyaku number in Yuzuka Rei era.

Yuzuka: This was the first time we’ve received SHUN-sensei’s choreography and a great challenge now is how to take Sensei’s ideas and integrate them into our body and feelings. The scene shouldn’t end with just how cool the men looked, but it’s also about how to establish that in our body movements to deliver the idea of delivering the scent of the song and how to fully showcase the totality of male pheromones standing out.

Minami, Towaki, Seino: (nods)

Yuzuka: The impact of the stage set is powerful so we need to become an even surpassing presence to conquer! The presence of the deer! And for that we continue to rehearse.

Everyone: (erupting in laughter)

Minami: I’ll cherish the choreography that Sensei created and show something that’s unique to me. As if I want to show my true colours and scents, and in a good sense use our strengths to compete each other and demonstrate that this is the Flower Troupe otokoyaku of Yuzuka Rei’s time and in this generation.

Towaki: I believe it’s vital to grasp Sensei’s nuance when I practice this choreography. I hope this otokoyaku number could go down in Flower Troupe history.

Seino: Grapsing Sensei’s nuance and being familiar with the feeling of it in my body is hard but I’ll experiment it within my body and try my best to deliver that scene.

Noguchi: The music of Chapter 8 “Gourmand” is composed by *Saitou Tsuneyoshi-sensei* and the choreography arranged by SHUN-sensei. The “Thierry Mugler” “ANGEL” perfume bottle is in the shape of a star and I’ve decided to create this scene with this perfume. In a post-modern world, life is absent in this barren earth and some remaining stars sing and dance for new life to manifest…and it’s a scene glorifying how life is wonderful. “Gourmand” represents a fragrant scent that’s tasty like sweets. Hoshikaze-san sings while the STARS dance with THE STAR, Yuzuka-san. Then finally when everyone sings the chorus, Yuzuka-san dance powerfully with the others. It feels like “Sinnerman” avant-garde of a modern “Nova Bossa Nova”, but this is healing and cleansing for the soul…I hope this would feel like a sweet scent enveloping and embracing this dark world.

Yuzuka: For the “Musk” scene, it was amazing to catch the melody of the tune and feel the body movement, studying when to shift our gravity and focus. I already felt how Sensei was so sensitive to such details so this time for this star scene, I’m looking forward to what kind of choreography it would be like. I’d be happy to interact with everyone on stage and dance to this scene.

Hoshikaze: It was such a wonderful song.

Minami: It was very beautiful.

Hoshikaze: There’s this grand dramatic aura that could almost move you to tears when you hear it, so I’m honoured to sing it. There’s a great theme to it that when Yuzuka-san and everyone as the stars dance to this song, it’s like they’re trying to revitalise life, and also manifest that on the earth, and the lyrics also included the subtext (of the revue) “Luxurious Perfume” and the chorus had such a rich harmony…I’m looking forward to the choreography and everything of this scene.

Noguchi: Part 3 “Last Notes” is the FINALE. Chapter 9 is “YVES SAINT LAURENT”’s new perfume LIBRE” and we deliver this medley mashed up with famous musical songs. The music is composed by Oota-sensei. First, Minami-san, Towaki-san and Seino-san form an awesome 11-people team dancing to the contemporary-arranged “MACK THE KNIFE”, introducing to you the Flower Troupe otokoyaku you should look out for. Yuzuka-san and the musumeyaku-san dance to “MY FAIR LADY”’s “On the street where you live”, continuing with the otokoyaku black swallowtail ensemble from a mixup of “Come Dance With Me” “Shall We Dance” “I Could Have Danced All Night”, presenting to you a chic and cool dance. All of the above choreography is done by Suzukake-sensei. The duet dance is choreographed by Hayama-sensei, and with the classical “Some Enchanted Evening” song, I hope this gives a supreme Takarazuka vibe. And about that, the french of enchanted in “SOME ENCHANTED EVENING” is the title “ENCHANTEMENT”. I used a medley version of this song before the Prologue and now it connects back in full circle. Then the parade takes from the “Modesty, Fairness and Grace” motif: “The violets / Are bestowed with God’s grace / The Flowers / Would have that fragrance for many years to come / Now and ever more”, highlighting the theme of this performance with these lyrics.

Welcoming 2023 glamorously

Hoshizora: I hope to embrace the new year with the audience glamorously and do my very best.

Noguchi: Hoshizora-san will be doing the Etoile this time.

Hoshizora: Even though it’s a nervous way to start eh new year (laughs), I’ll devote my. all in rehearsals.

Seino: I want to approach this performance delicately and present the kind of perfumes that inspired each scene and will sincerely perform on stage.

Towaki: When you watch this show, it’s really a magical feeling so I’ll do my best to deliver a great performance.

Kaga: I’m graduating from this performance so I hope to deliver the perfume vibe paired up with each scene. Even if this is the last time I’m sharing this time with everyone in Flower Troupe to work out the process, I hope to be inspired by everyone and become a part of Flower Troupe’s strength to work hard in the rehearsals.

Mikaze: As we’ve said, I have faith that everyone would have a great 2023 with this gorgeous show, no doubt! (laughs) Now in this time, there’s not much time we could communicate and interact,  so I’ll treasure the time to have fun with everyone in the CHUUZUME.

Minami: This really is a show that we could enjoy showcasing these various scents to you all. I’ll work hard in rehearsals, remembering the motto of “Modesty, Fairness and Grace” as a Takarazuka sienne so that the audience could also feel that this would be an amazing year.

Hoshikaze: As Noguchi-sensei mentioned about the composition (of this show), I’m more motivated to perform well in this. In order to welcome this new year wonderfully with everyone, I’ll do my best and remaining gratitude for everything I do and work hard.

Yuzuka: In hopes that everyone who’d be coming to the Takarazuka Grand Theatre, and everyone watching in the livestreams to have a happy new year, I want us to create a performance making everyone feel this year is going to be great. I think perfumes can be a fond and deep memory to people that they think of their memories, they imagine the future, they aspire to visit the countries they haven’t been to and I want this performance to look something like that with this special influence. The power of perfumes is always great but I want us to deliver the respective perfumes in the scenes in our performance so that the audience could be enveloped with this scent when they come to watch us.

Noguchi: The first Takarazuka show I watched was “Fascination II -Neo Egoist!-” but I still remember how memorable it was that the performers can deliver their scents to the audience when the curtains raise at the start of the show. Of course, they didn’t wear perfumes, but I want to create a performance that the audience was able to imagine that there was such perfume with their imagination. Also it’s like taking your lucky bag to watch this revue going on your first shrine visit in the new year and I want you to feel satisfied. Let’s embrace shonichi first and let’s pray for a good health that we could perform successfully until Senshuuraku and work hard. Let’s all do well!

Everyone: Let’s all do well!

(Note: Takarazuka performances did not finish all successfully, having a suspension in performances from January 10 to January 19, the Takarazuka newcomers’ performance was cancelled. But the Tokyo performances were all performed without fail, and we finally had our newcomers’ performance recorded more than 3 years since the last time in Tokyo.)

#yuzuka rei #flower troupe #takarazuka revue #takarazuka #hoshikaze madoka #minami maito

[bettyg196]

My thoughts on Eurovision 2023 entries (part 3)

Here is the third part of the original post.

Enjoy.

Finland: KÄÄRIJÄ - Cha Cha Cha

Rank: #5

Rating: 9,5 / 10

Finland has chosen audacity ! Here is a chaotic entry, messy in the good sense of the term, original, unique and in Finnish please ! Clearly Lordi's Country wants to win the contest this year. The European public will love “Cha Cha Cha”, but what about the juries in the final? Let's be honest, Käärijä will go to the final but can he win Eurovision ? If the juries like it then it can happen.

San Marino: PIQUED JACKS - Like An Animal

Rank: #35

Rating: 4,5 / 10

The music isn't bad but "Like An Animal" sounds dated. The lyrics could have been written better, it lacks impact and it's powerless. San Marino will be one of the pee breaks in the second semi-final.

Poland: BLANKA - Solo

Rank: #36

Rating: 3,5 / 10

Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Blanka's vocal delivery in the Polish national final leaves something to be desired, it looks like she's just content to look pretty. The song itself is listenable but only in studio version. It's a basic and well-produced entry but which is sorely lacking of originality and which is not competitive at all. I could have rated Poland better if Blanka had done a better vocal performance.

Netherlands: MIA NICOLAI & DION COOPER - Burning Daylight

Rank: #10

Rating: 9 / 10

I can feel Duncan Laurence's touch on this song. It's a very beautiful entry with impact, the lyrics are inspiring and there is a lot of soul in this title. But, the Netherlands are in the strongest semi-final, and it's 100% televoting so it's not guaranteed that the country will make the final unless the staging is brilliant. I still hope the Netherlands will qualify because the entry is too qualitative to stay in the semi-final.

Cyprus: ANDREW LAMBROU - Break A Broken Heart

Rank: #31

Rating: 6 / 10

I didn't expect anything from Cyprus and I'm still disappointed. This song is too predictable, I don't understand why people like this entry so much, it sounds like a song that finished 7th in a national final. It's too garish, dramatic and Swedish, what saves it's its quality and the production but I had a hard time seeing the island in the final.

Germany: LORD OF THE LOST - Blood & Glitter

Rank: #14

Rating: 8,5 / 10

Finally ! Germany sends metal to Eurovision ! Ok, it's not Rammstein but it's still a german band with an international fanbase. "Blood & Glitter" is a very good entry, powerful as it should be, impactful, glamorous despite itself and memorable. It has a lot of personality. Germany can avoid the bottom 5 this year and I stand by my words.

Moldova: PASHA PARFENI - Soarele şi Luna

Rank: #7

Rating: 9,5 / 10

This is the perfect choice for Moldova. "Soarele şi Luna" is a great song, Pasha Parfeni returns to Eurovision not only to do better than in 2012 but also to honor Moldovan culture as it should. It's very catchy, repetitive certainly but memorable. Moldova will go to the final and who knows, maybe the juries will be more generous with the country this year.

Iceland: DILJÁ - Power

Rank: #21

Rating: 8 / 10

Iceland made a good choice even if there were better choices in the Icelandic national final but they were eliminated in the semi-finals. "Power" is a powerful, catchy and memorable song with a lot of impact. I could have put a 9 if the song had remained in Icelandic. Diljá is a ball of energy on stage, I think she will have a great time in Liverpool.

Serbia: LUKE BLACK - Samo Mi Se Spava

Rank: #6

Rating: 9,5 / 10

Wow! Serbia is truly in its avant-garde era at Eurovision. After "In Corpo Sano", here is its sequel named "Samo mi se spava". Musically, it's dark, mysterious and chaotic and that's what I'm here for. Luke Black exudes a lot of creativity and charisma, I really like his presence on stage. The public will love this.

To be continued in the next post

#eurovision #eurovision 2023 #esc 2023 #esc #united by music #liverpool 2023 #finland #san marino #poland #netherlands #cyprus #germany #moldova #iceland #serbia

[commajade]

you guys over here completely sold me on watching the complete Sing Again 2nd season, and I have to say, it seems like quite a unique show from where I'm standing? Not just the format of it but the production, stage design and even the edits seem very high quality, like a whole lot of work has been put into them equally for everyone and this is not all that common for survival type/judging shows I don't think. Which also brings me to, I wonder how the judges for this were chosen. I can't quite tell if Sing Again is popular in SK, I understand quite a bit of it from my limited Hangul, but dear me! It is such a lovely lovely atmosphere, and I was SO pleasantly surprised by this panel of judges actually having chemistry and working. I know Yoo Heeyeol from Sketchbook and Kim Eana of course - I feel like both almost always have the more poignant/seasoned remarks to make, but somehow the chemistry in the junior panel manages to keep up. I won't lie, I'm incredibly surprised by the inclusion of Mino and Sunmi over other potential candidates, from what I know neither of them are exactly considered creme de la creme in their respective fields, but I get the feeling at least for what I know of Sunmi that she is quite loved in variety/producer circles and that may go a long way. Still curious as to how exactly they were chosen though - was it popularity, skill or connections? I can see the skill aspect for Lee Haeri (whom I adore) not to of course diminish the rest of the junior panel, just wondering why them over say, Taeyeon. Either way I found that they all fell into a soothing pattern of judging/commenting that makes the show fun and easy yet impactful to watch. By the end of it I knew which judges would comment almost poetically, which ones would sit there in wonder, which ones were most likely to get emotional or scream UNNIE SARANG HAE lol. It really really works. And of course, the contestants. Wow. I feel so blessed to have known so many new artists. And so many genres too!!! Jazz included which I very rarely hear about in the k-music context. Anyways I'm sorry to have soliloquized in your inbox about the show. Just wanted to share and ask for some thoughts and thank you for introducing me to it. It has quickly shot to my favourites, I wonder if it will have a third season?

hello!! glad u enjoyed the show i rly like the atmosphere it's v comforting and heartwarming! singagain is extremely popular in skorea, esp in the first season the top 3 esp were completely household names like so much popularity they got a spin off variety show with a big budget and the top 10 r all booked for osts all the time. s2 was a hit too, i'm p sure s3 is already in the works but can't be sure until it's announced lol.

idk what u mean about mino and sunmi tho they're both like the top of their fields in the niche of like respected and seasoned multi entertainer. i don't like mino that much but he's extremely popular in sk and in demand for variety. sunmi is literally representative icon of second gen, equal with taeyeon that's why sunmi and tiffany were the 2 judges for girls planet 999. u need big names to balance out the legends on the panel like lee sunhee yoon dohyun yoon sang and yoo huiyeol. taeyeon is just busy as hell lmao and used to not rly do variety for a few years until amazing saturday and now queendom.

#asks #singagain

[demoreelrewound]

Episode 1 excerpt: Company Trailer

The screen shows TRAILER - DEMO REEL PRODUCTION STUDIO. The classic countdown plays.

Important sounding music starts- the logo moves as it does in the show intro, then match-cuts to a live-action clapperboard closing then revealing DONNIE DUPRÉ. He reads the contents of a folder in his director chair with an obviously arranged set of '"tools of the trade" on shelves behind him - some in boxes, some loose. There's an identical clapperboard to the one just used on the table beside DONNIE.

DONNIE looks up from the folder on his lap and smiles, at once charming and staged.

DONNIE: Oh, hello! My name is Donnie Dupré, and you've reached the official website for my production company, Demo Reel.

Now you may be asking, "what is Demo Reel?" Well, I'm glad you asked! We are a group of like-minded creatives ---

Shot fades as he continues. A selection of soundless clips play, showing low budget recreations of various films gradually zoom in, beginning with a scene of DONNIE laughing directly at the camera (laughing at the viewer).

These scenes include one or two clever shots hampered by very obvious set dressing, as well as cheap digital effects and actors who only stuck around for one film - this is made clear with two of them of the exact same build and ethnicity playing characters originally played by the same actor. (Likely a Black actor to call forward episode 2's focus.)

DONNIE (voiceover throughout): -- dedicated to crafting high-quality homages to some of your favourite movies, all in the name of furthering your appreciation of them. As you can see, we opt for a home-made, minimalistic style, so all the focus can go on what's most important, recreating memorable moments for a new audience...

The montage ends by going full view on a scene of Braveheart also including REBECCA STONE trying her best with the material she's got.

[Blogger note: I've not seen Braveheart so I've no idea which scene would be best here, but the parody is clearly in the self-referential style of Channel Awesome and HISHE-era YouTube parodies, only with slightly better production value. They're in a real woodland but the sky has been cut out as much as possible and changed to sunset with greenscreen. A flat orange filter has been put over the actors in post-production.]

The clip ends and we cut back to Donnie in the chair smiling proudly and nodding once.

DONNIE (wryly): Felt just like the real thing, didn't it?

The shot switches to that of another camera - this one has a tighter shot of DONNIE'S head and shoulders but you can see the very edge of the previous camera.

DONNIE: With the help of my talented crew of both local and international talent --

Beat. He realises his redundancy then shakes his head.

DONNIE: (regains confident mask) I hope to eventually take the Demo Reel Production Studio beyond the Internet and into the real world. And who knows, maybe even Hollywood!

The shot lingers just a bit longer than it's supposed to with his face still on the last syllable before it switches to a screen grab of a basic looking website.

DONNIE (voiceover): Here on our official website, you can access our trailers, contact information, and the opportunity to become a part of the Demo Reel VIP club, featuring a newsletter, exclusive behind-the-scenes content and previews for our upcoming releases.

The things said appear on screen. As well as DONNIE and REBECCA, one of the candid shots catches KARL COPENHAGEN in profile, intently working on repairs to his camera - he's turned his head away sharply enough to blur his face. Another shows TACOMA NEWELL smiling in surprise with a pen in his hand, having been going over a typed-out script to edit. One image shows all four, implying a fifth person, but it's followed up with a close up of a gross-looking microwave meal.

DONNIE: We hope you enjoy your stay on our little corner of the web, and experience the magic of movies all over again.

(Beat)

Demo Reel: we don't make films, we remake them.

DONNIE lifts the spare clapperboard.

DONNIE: Aaand cut!

It claps shut and the video ends.

#{reel rewound} #reel rewound: donnie dupré #(not sure if I should tag the others as they only appear in picture form)

[galaxymagick]

📝[INTERVIEW] VIXX returns after 4 years with exciting mini album and talks about visiting Brazil @koreain | @revistakoreain

VIXX , one of the darlings of the very talented 3rd generation of K-pop formed by Jellyfish Entertainment and which counts N , LEO , KEN , and HYUK as members, brightened Starlights ' end of the year even more by making their long-awaited return after 4 years old.

The comeback came through the mini album CONTINUUM, which contains five tracks — and mostly compositions and productions by the group's own members. KoreaIN had the pleasure of speaking with LEO , KEN and HYUK about this newest work that seeks to demonstrate VIXX's love for their fans.

KoreaIN: Hello VIXX, it's a pleasure to have the opportunity to do this interview. Firstly, congratulations on the success of your newest mini album CONTINUUM . Could you tell us a little about the process that led to the final product?

LEO: CONTINUUM is about VIXX's unique perspective and the members' story as they participated in the production of the album. I think that having participated in all stages of production, starting with the lyrics and compositions, was to communicate the path VIXX has taken, the growth we have achieved and the infinite possibilities that lie ahead when it comes to our fans. .  KEN: It's been 4 years since we released a new album for our Starlights, so I think we've worked really hard on it. We prepared a lot, as there are songs and lyrics composed by our members, and even if we didn't compose them, we provided significant contributions to the composers; aiming to create an album that meets the expectations of our fans.  HYUK: I even participated in the MV as Creative Director. I created a more cinematic worldview and story so that our members could showcase their acting skills that they had achieved through musicals and other individual activities.

KoreaIN: Still talking about your new mini album as a whole, if you could describe it in just one word, what would you choose?

LEO: I choose “Beginning”. KEN: I would like to call it “Memory” because I want to remember every moment from preparing for this album until now!  HYUK: I think the title of this album, “CONTINUUM”, is a word that really shows the relationship between VIXX and our fans.

KoreaIN: CONTINUUM talks a lot about continuity and your journey as a group so far. So I would like to ask, if you could give one piece of advice to your younger self who just debuted, what would it be?

LEO: “You’re doing great, keep working hard.” KEN: “KEN! Help me fill my 20s, 30s and 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and my whole life with VIXX, okay?” That's what I'd like to say! HYUK: “I know you will work hard, so I would like you to look around a little more, enjoy yourself and grow to be more mature.” That's what I would like to advise myself.

KoreaIN: This new concept combines your individual attributes with your attributes as a group. Could you talk about the strengths of VIXX as a group and the individual qualities of each member?

LEO: The strength of VIXX is that we have a unique identity and the members have a great balance of expanding our capabilities through solo activities.   KEN: My strengths as VIXX are… countless! We are cool, sexy, cute, friendly and funny. Plus, all the members are talented! They are intelligent and excellent at everything from singing to dancing! HYUK: As a genre, VIXX has already managed to showcase our unique vibe and energy, vocals, performances and visuals. And if you take the qualities of each member, LEO has an overwhelming charismatic presence and energy on stage, and KEN seems to have a vocal tone and power that no one can imitate.

KoreaIN: Continuing on about you as a group, VIXX is well known for always presenting unusual visuals and stories through various concepts. What has been your favorite concept out of the ones you've done so far? And would there be any concept that you haven't done yet and would particularly like to explore?

LEO: I want to choose “Fantasy” or “Chained Up.” If there's a concept I want to try in the future... We tried so many different concepts that I don't know what's left (laugh). However, I believe that members will be able to do well in any concept. KEN: Personally, my favorite was when we promoted “Scentist”! I really liked it, because our precious memories of the time are aplenty in the music and the concept of “Scentist.” And if there’s a new concept [you’d like to try]… Something even more unrealistic! I think it would be cool to try something a little fantastic!   HYUK: What I liked most was when we were promoting “Voodoo Doll.” We have good memories of our first win and I like the line “It's all going to get real” from “Voodoo Doll”, because it represents VIXX very well.

KoreaIN: We noticed that the members participated in writing the lyrics for this mini album. How do you feel participating in the production of your songs (including personal feelings and as a group)?

LEO: It was really cool to be able to include VIXX's true feelings on this album. There were many difficult moments during production, but also a lot of fun and happy moments. We finally managed to meet our fans again with several new songs after a long time, so I think VIXX made a great effort to communicate our true feelings through the album.   KEN: To be honest, I feel kind of disappointed that compared to LEO and HYUK, I wasn't able to contribute as much to the production of the album. I also felt bad for the rest of the members. However, I was very proud, because I was able to go deeper and share my opinions with everyone who helped us maintain the musicality and identity that VIXX wanted on this album .  HYUK: It was great to be able to clarify the theme and message we would like to convey while participating in the production of our song. More particularly, we know the story of each member's journey and the journey we have been following as a group, so I believe we can bring the colors of VIXX by participating in it ourselves.

KoreaIN: Now, talking about Brazil, you have visited the country a few times. How was the experience? Furthermore, could you imagine receiving so much love from a place on the other side of the world?

HYUK: We were one of the first K-pop artists to visit Brazil, so we didn't realize how much love we would receive until we visited. Thank goodness so many people loved us and loved K-pop so much that we were surprised. Furthermore, we remember how our fans in Brazil and South America showed their passion through vibrant animation and shared their love for music, in turn revitalizing us with contagious energy.

KoreaIN: Still talking about your Brazilian fans, among the 5 songs on CONTINUUM , which one do you think will be especially impressive for the Brazilian Starlights?

LEO: We were extensively involved in the album and tried our best to capture the essence of VIXX through it, so I think they managed to find a different quality and side of VIXX in each song. If I have to choose one song, I think our fans will be most impressed with “If You Come Tonight” as it genuinely communicates the story I want to share with Starlights.

KoreaIN: Before we finish, CONTINUUM is above all an album that showcases VIXX's love for STARLIGHTS. Could you please send a special message to the fans who have been waiting and rooting for you?

VIXX: STARLIGHT, hello, we are VIXX! Thank you so much for supporting us endlessly until we came back with our mini album CONTINUUM! As we knew that you have been waiting for our comeback for so long, we worked hard to show you the VIXX you missed and the VIXX that got better through new songs and promotions. Please give us lots of love and interest during these promotions and we hope we can meet in person and have an amazing experience together soon! Thanks!

#vixx #taekwoon #leo #vixx hyuk #vixx leo #jaehwan #ken #lee jaehwan #vixx ken #han sanghyuk #sanghyuk #hyuk #vixx 5th mini album <continuum> #*v:p #🖤 #💕 #🐻 #me forever wishing theyd come to the uk.... id make it to london some how even tho im not fond of it lolll😭😭 #him saying fantasy for his favourite conception 😭 oh original sexy reaper death man i love thee 🖤

[carverthomassen63]

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[coachsecure2]

Headphones Amplifiers

Only used a handful of times, to play guitar indoors. I’ll throw in an aux to amp adaptor too, in case you’d like to hook it up to an amp. Advancing our tradition of unmatched audio performance and functionality, the BHA-1 Balanced ... Be the first to be notified about sales, exclusive deals, contests, workshops, concerts, and news. Established in 1968, we've been family-operated for over 50 years. https://bestreviewsca.com/headphone-amps_10537/ The cost has verified An only thing displeased was that if your boss has the for the mic (4director/4pole/trrs) he wont work with this amp. So only the (3director/3pole/trs) without mic or has balanced work of bosses with this amp. It is of entity partorisca know, that you need to buy conversores the solid is planning on using this with the headphones or the frames of audio ossia connector . The conversores poor will give you an impression that these produced does not operate, when in reality it is a surface of contact in a conversor that is likely a subject. The sound adds, very better that my start of telephone or my start of laptop of the work.

It has been expecting more tolerance, but now has to that buy the USB isolator for another $ 50 on one $ 100 I is spent.

It does not look to do to transmit voice in mine headset this in spite of.

A quality of his this a lot of well, improves a sound of the mine HTC 10 with beat audio, has used regular headphones without the Mic, fearful to break a mic.

We recommend not exceeding 50% on the mixer’s headphone volume control to limit the amount of noise and hiss introduced. Add any further volume using the more noise-efficient headphone amp. We use a Mackie ProFX10v3 audio mixer with a Mackie HM4 headphone amplifier splitter in the accompanying video, but these methods will work with a wide range of equipment. But i've heard in flights to/from the US they can be pretty...over the top about things. Outputs include a ¼” TRS headphone jack, as well as both fixed and variable single-ended line-level RCA stereo pairs. 30 years experience in the Hi-Fi Audio, Home Theater, and Electronics Industry! Bringing exceptional service, knowledgeable sales, and professional installation to Newmarket, Aurora, Barrie/Simcoe, and Toronto GTA. EQ Audio Video is listening to your needs. At Fleet we sell over 500 different product lines of professional Guitars, Basses, Drums, Keyboards, Sound, Lighting, Video, Special Effects, Staging, and related accessories.

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Honestly, for a gaming sound card around $40 it is excellent value, just don’t expect perfection. The next sound card is one that really surprised me from a performance and feature standpoint. It is the Syba Sonic gaming amplifier at around $40 USD. It is driverless, powered with mini-USB, has both digital and RCA out at the back, while at the front we have a line in, mike in, headphone out, and even a full-size 6.3mm headphone out as well. The toggle on the left changes between the 3 hardware EQ modes with bass boost, default, and treble boost.

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My early work-from-home setup wasn't exactly spacious or private — but I was still able to enjoy high-end sound thanks to the compact iFi Audio ZEN-series headphone amp. Hotone British Invasion 5w amp head These are great little amps, voiced to sound like the ac30. Great for practice and has a headphone jack and effects loop. Lastly, the Syba Sonic gaming DAC is feature packed, but at $40 it sounds like it too. Sennheiser’s HDV 820 is the next generation of its acclaimed digital headphones amplifier, designed .. IFi's most powerful portable DAC and headphone amp for pure sonic performanc.. The cost has verified This thing is surprising, is the definite upgrade of the mine onboarding paper of sound. His estupefaciente for the estimativa or judge of start AMP. While plugged in with the usb boss to mine Sennheiser play zero, is not relieved by mine pc. I have looked around for enough the bit and I have not seen the solution that done for me. This is kind of a perfect example where features outweigh the build quality and the sound quality, because out of this entire roundup I like the sound quality of this thing the least. Dunlop Headphone Amplifier in Very Good condition . Originally marketed as a copy of the legendary and rare MXR M-157 headphone amplifier pedal, this more recent version has become just about as rare as its progenitor. Built like a tank, it's a perfect accessory for any home studio or pro pedal board. It is unfortunate that it is of such poor inner construction that the can not be used. They are class of there is disappointed so only would send me rubbishes. The only launch was and discount a unit if it can not be used. Adds DAC would recommend has changed them my description behind reason results is not that DAC this has caused a question but some settings to my computer whoops. It would buy again if a need would owe that arise. Shopping again if a need would owe that arise. Likes listens the music with this amplifier together with mine Sennheiser auricular. A sound is clearer and much stronger that my onboard audio. An only negative thing in this product when common alive, takes interference like the fast beeping, almost like drumming sounds. Disabling it And/or changing a sound playback does not act. An only solution is to unplug a device entirely.

#headphone amps

[wham-bam-thank-you-jam-wrestling]

WWE Love (Smackdown Edition)

I'm watching the June 18th episode of WWE, the one that opens with "No Chance in Hell" blasting from the arena PA system and Vince McMahon himself walking to the ring with that still all-too-familiar strut that just screams "I'm a scared little boy who has spent the past 70 odd years trying to convince myself I'm a man".

In case you've missed it, there has been a lot of drama happening in the WWE of late. I'm not going to get into any of that now, suffice to say that none of it is good.

What I am going to do right now, is zag when the rest of the world is zigging and list a bunch of aspects of the WWE product that I am really enjoying right now.

More of this sort of thing, please.

Montez Ford - Not only is he a bonafide main-eventer in waiting, but he is also going to bring something brand new to the main event scene with his combination of charisma and athleticism. The wholesale theft of The Rock's catchphrase a few months back, as well as the weak, pious-man Twitter game aside, the dude is a STAR.

Pat McAfee - this man is a pure delight. His energy, his idiosyncratic delivery, his one-liners and references. Not everything he contributes is a home run (wrong sport, I know), but he adds so much to the presentation of WWE Smackdown that I don't think I could get through the 2 hours (including commercials) without him.

Xavier Woods - I'd like to believe that this man is also on his way to the very tip-top of the card and the WWE universe. Alas, that appears extremely unlikely. If we could give him a sustained push at some point, that would be great. The New Day have remained crazy over for a long, long time despite the, at best, inconsistent booking, yet Xavier Woods is the only one of the three who still hasn't sniffed a solid singles run. And he is the best promo guy in the group! Give a him a chance WWE, just do it confidently, unlike how you treated Kofi and Big E.

Butch - the Brawling Brutes trio, as it is currently presented, is a bad idea that is going nowhere. Sheamus, despite being a big lad who can still go when given the right opponent and enough time to work, is apparently not someone WWE is going to get behind again. Ridge Holland is green, in and out of the ring, and just doesn't inspire any kind of reaction. The former Pete Dunne, however, is playing his part as well as he possibly can, given the material, and is someone I would love to see given a solid 15 minutes with a quality opponent on a premium live event

Also, a quick shout-out to Sheamus's music and entrance. I think it's great.

Sami Zayn - I'm not gonna lie, I started writing this one before he even appeared on screen. There is a guy on the other WWE show for whom you can pretty much copy and paste the next few sentences, but we'll get to him another day. In the meantime, it's been said by pretty much anyone and everyone, Sami gets it. He understands his character better than anyone, he elevates bad material, and he can tell you the story that needs telling without leaning too heavily on cliche and the standard pro-wrestling tropes. Plus, maybe not to the same level as 10 years ago, but he can still put on a banger between the ropes.

Gunther - Just don't screw it up, WWE. Keep the title on him until Wrestlemania at the very least and give him some class competition.

Brock Lesnar - Just to be clear, I am not referring to the booking on Brock Lesnar, of which I am not a fan. I get that he is a monster and needs to be booked as such, but there is a way you can accomplish this without making every other wrestler on your roster not named Roman Reigns look like a complete and utter piece of trash. But Brock has a physical charisma that is undeniable and is still, 20+ years removed from his debut, a talent you can build a company around.

That's all I've got at this stage. Let me know if you agree or disagree with any of these. Let me know if you think I've missed something. And let me know if you'd like to see more of this or if you'd like to see a little bit of WWE Hate instead.

Cheers

#wwe #wwe smackdown #brock lesnar #sami zayn #the new day #xavier woods #kofi kingston #big e #wrestling #professional wrestling #montez ford #pat mcafee #vince mcmahon

[slavghoul]

Interview from Rock Hard 3/2022

This is the interview where the quote from my last post comes from. I know some of you wanted to read it in full, so there you go :) It’s quite interesting actually.

(Note: The interview was done mid-February)

How are the shows going at the moment?

Considering the current conditions, I'd say it's going pretty well. We're playing in smaller cities than mega cities like New York, where people are very cautious, tend to be suspicious all the time and avoid going out to shows. But in Camden, New Jersey, where we played last night, people want to move on, to get on with their lives. Of course, we're losing a few people because of the vaccination requirement, but all in all, we're happy with the tour. Several thousand people come every night and enjoy themselves: we can already consider this a victory.

Impera is your fifth album. As I know you have always viewed the band's career in the very long term, does this record sound like what you had imagined?

It was difficult for me to predict the musical evolution of the band. I can see things in the long term in terms of the aesthetics or the trajectory of Ghost, but certainly not in terms of the musical evolution, which is linked to meetings, things I'll listen to, etc. And even for the rest, I'll tell you honestly that a lot of things I had in mind turned out totally different from what I had planned, or didn't turn out at all. There's everything you plan, and then there's life (laughs). It's a bit like war: you have your tactics, but you can't always guess the enemy's tactics. Sometimes you have to get around a lot more obstacles than you expected.

Roughly speaking, does the band's career evolution follow your initial plan?

Anyone who knows me well, and for a long time, would say that the vast majority of my dreams have come true. If I want to answer very pragmatically, I always dreamed of just making music and making a living from it: it's done. I wanted Ghost to be successful, it's done. I wanted to be able to have access to bigger stages in order to set up the production I dreamed of, it's done. Have I ticked all the boxes on my list? No. Not at all. I'm always setting myself new goals and that's what keeps me going. I already have another album in mind, which I'm looking forward to making and which will be different from Impera. Obviously I can't look four years ahead and be sure I know what tomorrow will be like, the pandemic has proved that to be an illusion. But I always have the next move in mind.

The occult dimension of the early Ghost, especially in the lyrics, seems to have disappeared completely. Why is that?

If I had reproduced Opus Eponymous (2010) ad infinitum, that would have led us to a dead end. The semantic field of our first album was very limited. Only Venom managed to make three and a half albums of good quality by repeating the same thing, the same subjects. And this miracle could happen because they were pioneers. I quickly felt that if I stuck to what I had done on the first album, it wouldn't get me anywhere because it would be totally empty of substance. For this reason, I preferred to turn to lyrics that say more about my philosophy of life. I am certainly a 'heretic', but I cannot be reduced exclusively to occultism. On the other hand, this kind of satanist subculture to which I dedicated most of my life is still present in some way in everything I do, especially in the band's artworks. So I don't have the same perception as you. For me, nothing has changed, except the way I express it. Let's take Black Sabbath as an example, they are considered THE occult band par excellence. Even on their first album, not all their lyrics are about that. Some of them are very humanistic, very societal, almost political in a way. They were ultimately about everyday life. I feel much more in this state of mind today, that of my heroes, than that of some current bands whose lyrics are only based on the ritualistic side of Satanism. I was quoting Venom just now, but there is no shortage of examples among my teenage heroes: Possessed only managed one album, Morbid Angel made three that deserve eternal recognition... However, it's an understatement to say that I love this genre, that I worship it, but I'm just saying that you quickly go round in circles with this kind of lexicon, and I have no desire to write the same song over and over again. There isn't that much vocabulary, and I didn't want to spend the rest of my life looking for synonyms for the word "profanation" (laughs).

On Impera, you have called upon three co-composers: producer Klas Ahlund, as well as Salem Al Fakir and Vincent Pontare (editor's note: who have both worked with big names like Madonna and Lady Gaga). Is this new for you, and how was the experience?

It's not really new because since Meliora (2015) I've been working closely with Klas. Before that, I admit that I was a real dictator in all the bands I was part of. A little bossy. I had to meet Klas to prove to myself that I could work with someone and, more importantly, that it could work. And he was right. I may be a dictator, but when I respect someone, when I trust their instincts, I can work with them. After all, when you go to the prom, try to kiss the prettiest girl in school and she refuses, it doesn't mean she's a loser. That's the big problem with a lot of bands: there's always someone trying to impose their ideas and not succeeding. This doesn't mean that the person who refuses is a bastard, it can also mean that what the musician is proposing does not meet the required quality standards. The big advantage of working closely with a sparring partner who understands your music is that it creates an emulation: it allows you to become a better composer and, above all, to repeat yourself as little as possible. Outside influence and advice is always good, and many young bands should consider this option. All the people I've invited to collaborate are people I can trust to take me down new paths, to push me further. As Dr. Phil likes to say, (he takes on a quavering voice): "Sometimes it's hard to see your own face without a mirror.” So it's good from time to time that someone at my side disagrees with me on this or that point: "No, you should keep that". "But I've done it before, haven't I? "Maybe, but one more time won't hurt!” It's very strange because I realise that on my own I might have avoided certain ideas, which in the end work very well. And sometimes, on the contrary, I start on things that I don't master, that I'm not good at, and I'll persist in trying at all costs to get these things done when they're not going anywhere. In that case, it's also very good to have someone in the same room who says to you, as a friend: "You know, you're usually funny, but this is not funny. Forget it". That's something I like and recommend to every composer. You learn things.

Knowing how much you like to be in control all the time, the first step to open up to outside opinions must have cost you a lot...

Ah, but I'm still a control freak, that hasn't changed! (laughs) Just because I work with outsiders for a few days in two years doesn't mean that they have any right of veto over my work. When I come into the studio with a demo that's six months old to record the final version, I'll always change things at the last moment, both in the text and in the music, because I know exactly what I want to do with it and nobody will make me deviate from my path. I let people I trust interfere to come up with new ideas. Nothing more. And yet nothing is written in stone. They won't necessarily make me change my mind. They have the right to make suggestions, of course, but in no case to ask me to change this or that thing on one of my albums. I'm still the boss. My job is to make sure that the film works, that the album works. And because I've worked with different people, they don't all have an idea of what the record will sound like in the end. I'm still the only one in charge, overseeing the whole artistic realisation of the album, the different scenes of the film that I had in mind. I'm the only one who has the keys to what it's going to look like in its entirety: our look, our sound, what each album is about, the covers, the scene designs... But over the years I've learned to discipline myself and admit that it's humanly impossible for me to control everything, if only because I'm not available, because I can't be in the thick of it, but also because some things are not my sole responsibility. There are many, many factors to be taken into account and I can't decide everything. There is a very accurate Swedish saying that you learn, with age, to realise that there is never one and only one chance in life. With another ten years of maturity, I have learned to let some things slip through my fingers: "We did 80% of what was planned today, but it's not the end of the world. I would have preferred us to do 100% of the job, but we did what we could. We prefer to look at the full glass than the empty one. It's back to military tactics: we took over a bridge, which allows us to launch the ship. Ideally, we wanted to take control of all three decks, but the enemies burned one and kept the third. Nevertheless, we have one left and it will still work. It's just that it's going to take us a bit longer than we thought. If you don't think that way about the war, you're bound to lose it. Same thing when you're a control freak in a band: if you don't accept certain arrangements with reality, you go crazy.

Has not being anonymous changed much?

No. Not really. It has altered some things and improved others. But not being anonymous has not made me a very famous person. Even in Sweden, where the band can be said to have a certain popularity, where it is known to the "general public", we are still the rock band with a guy dressed as the Pope on vocals. I'll never be as popular as the figure that Papa Emeritus is or the band as a whole. And I have a lot of gratitude for the fans who sometimes acknowledge that my goal is to lay low and get behind a character. They are very respectful of that and I respect them for the same reason. Some, fortunately much rarer, are of course a bit more burdensome, and have decided that I have now passed into the public domain. So sometimes people come and take photos of me without asking as if it were their due. Uh, no, it's not... In this case, I politely stop the person and say: "Ok, why not? But the least you can do is ask.” But I admit that it makes it much easier in Sweden to book a table in a restaurant when it's full! Being a celebrity doesn't only have bad sides! (laughs)

When and how did you decide to make your identity, which had become an open secret, official?

On 17 August 2017, I was invited to a cult radio show in Sweden, which takes place every summer and is very popular. It's called Sommar i P1, and it's broadcast by P1, the biggest national radio station. It features personalities of varying degrees of fame who are given free rein for an hour and a half to talk about whatever they want. Some really famous people, and others much less so. But you have to understand that being invited on this programme, on a national scale, is a real recognition. The programme has been around since the 1960s and it doesn't matter if you're a soap opera hero, a musician, a politician or a former Prime Minister. I accepted the station's offer when the whole story of the lawsuit with my ex-musicians broke out (editor's note: Tobias Forge was sued by the original Ghost line-up for unpaid royalties, and won his case). It gave me a chance to introduce myself, to reveal myself a bit more, and I'm glad I did because it all worked out really well.

On 1 February 2019, we also had a make-up-free appearance in France on the programme Quotidien on TMC, during which you were briefly interviewed with your face uncovered.

Yes, and it was very strange because it wasn't originally about that. We were just coming to perform a song live on the set, full stop. But that day, two French journalists who were hostages abroad had just been released and were supposed to come and speak live. At the last moment, their state of fatigue did not allow it, and the programme's production had to find a last-minute solution to fill the planned sequence. I was then asked if I would be willing to be interviewed face to face, and I said yes. It was quite unexpected, but I thought, "Why not? It's not going to change the world". It was quite a strange moment...

The way you move on stage has also changed radically, from the early days when you were static in your pope's robes to today's concerts in your little Cardinal Copia suit, where you move almost like Freddie Mercury. You must have boiled a lot of times when you were stuck under your alb and mitre...

Yes, you can say that. It was on the tour for Infestissumam (2013) in the US that I realised that if I didn't come up with something else soon, the band's popularity would drop rapidly. We were starting to play bigger and bigger stages and we needed to fill the space at all costs. When you play a club like the Trabendo, putting on a static show is not a problem because you can create some pretty cool lighting effects to get some scary effects. But when you start performing on huge stages, you have to rethink your approach. On the Opus Eponymous tour, we were already playing big venues, but only as an opening act. So it wasn't a problem because we had limited space to play on stage. But during the Infestissumam era, we started to play in the same kind of venues as a headliner! And that's when I realised how much our hyper-static stage act was limiting us. I thought that if we didn't come up with anything new and visually interesting, we would soon look like a too small band playing on too big stages. And then my legs started to get really itchy! So when we toured to promote Meliora (2015), we did several costume changes during the sets. There was always a ritual in the first half of the shows, before I changed into Civilian Papa to be more mobile, which made the second half of the show more... rock'n'roll. Today we still have a mixture of that. I like to combine all this, to start a concert with a bang, to slow down in the middle of the set and then to start again. Now there are more costume changes, but also a lot more things to look at around the stage where before I was the only focus. There's always something going on somewhere.

You've been dreaming about these huge stages for a long time.

Yes, even the big halls quickly became too small, because in the United States most of these theatres have a capacity of 1,500 or 3,000 people. Then, when you play in arenas, it's a bit of a lottery because their capacity is very variable depending on the place. You have to fill them, and sometimes it's not that easy. Sometimes a small, crowded venue is more reassuring than a sports hall that is only half full. But my main concern was elsewhere. I wanted anyone who came to see Ghost live to get the same show whether they lived in New York or Bismarck. I promised myself that this was important to me. I don't want city people and country people to have two different images of the band. And that's what playing arenas now allows me to do: to play the same show in any city I play.

Let's talk about Bercy (Accor Arena in France), as you will finally perform there on April 18, 2022. Did you feel it coming when you played at the Zenith in Paris on the previous tour, on February 7th 2019? It's still a place where few metal bands play...

I could feel it coming on a bit in the sense that we were already starting to talk about it in 2018, even though we ended up performing at the Zenith. It's understandable that promoters want to make sure that you're able to fill this or that venue before scheduling you in the biggest arena in the country. It seems logical to me. The thing is, tickets can sell out very quickly and your show can be sold out long before the scheduled date. This can be rewarding, but also frustrating. On the other hand, I have to tell you that the European tour is really starting to worry me because, unlike in the US, half of the European venues are closed at the moment. If the decisions are not harmonised, we're going to have to cancel it. To come back to Bercy, yes, I've known this venue for a very long time, I've dreamt of playing there so much... The other place I dreamed of playing is the Espace Balard because Venom and Metallica played there (editor's note: on February 9th 1984, date of Metallica's first concert in France) and, for me, it represented the quintessence of prestige... But it won't happen, obviously, because this venue (editor's note: it was in fact a big tent) no longer exists. After that, I'm not going to complain: since the 1998 football World Cup, I dreamed of playing at the Stade de France and we did it with Metallica. It's one of my best memories of playing in front of such a crowd. To come back to Bercy, I'm not so presumptuous as to say that I was convinced that it was the next step, but yes, I was hoping... It's funny, these dates in places you've been fantasising about for so long... You imagine them all the time, months in advance, you say to yourself "it's going to be like this and like that"... And on the big day, nothing goes according to plan. You're super stressed, and at the same time you remember that you might have forgotten to put someone important on the guest list, it's raining, and the restaurant you were thinking of going to after the concert is closed! (laughs) And finally, time flies and you find yourself sweating after the concert, saying to yourself: "Damn, we did it, we played at the Stade de France, I can't believe it!

On this current tour with Volbeat in the US, the two bands are sharing the headlining slot. This of course means shorter shows than your headlining dates. Isn't it a bit frustrating?

Um... I'm looking for a diplomatic answer to that question (laughs). Let's just say that after two years of not being able to tour, it was safer to share the bill with another band. I won't talk too much about the business because it's boring for the readers... We're living our dream, everything's going well for us and I'm delighted to be where I am, but the fact is that putting together a tour that's going to happen today is very, very difficult. A lot of people who were in the business are no longer there because they've gone bankrupt, and those who are left have thousands of tours to run at the same time. It's mind-boggling! This year, in the US, people are going to see every band on the planet in their city. So we decided to play it safe and go with another band. We play 75 minutes each and it's true that it's a bit short, but it should be seen as a warm-up for the "real" tour, a way to reconnect with our audience: after all, our album is not out yet and the shows we will play on the headlining tour will still be quite different from the ones we play now. As I said at the beginning of our conversation, it's really a reset for everyone, the audience and the musicians. So we try to make the best of it. Not all the rooms are full for X and Y reasons, 99% of which are related to vaccines (people too scared to come, others who can't because they are not vaccinated, etc.), but the machine is starting again. To be perfectly honest with you, our tour will run until mid-2023, and all the final production stages are not yet complete. If you see several dates on the tour, you'll probably never see exactly the same thing because the timing didn't allow us to get everything in on time. Which, for the control freak in me, is unbearable because I wanted to have everything ready when I said "Go".  But that never happens, you make progress date after date. You don't have to tell the people who were there that night, but the first show of the tour with Volbeat was absolute fucking chaos! (laughs)

A silly fan question, which I already asked you: when are you going to introduce "Idolatrine" in the setlist?

Oh, well, we played it on the first part of the US tour for Prequelle, and yes, it's a song that passes the stage test very well, so it's quite possible, even likely, that it will be included in our shows for the next tour, on which, now that we have five albums, we're going to try to offer a balanced setlist, but also play songs that we've never played live before.

For a Ghost fan, it’s probably a bit more interesting than hearing you play, for example, “Enter Sandman”.

(Silence) Tell me, why do you think we’re playing “Enter Sandman” live on this tour?

Because it’s a killer song, your version is great and everyone will sing along?

(Smiles) Partly, but not only. We play this song almost every night because the money from the rights to our cover go to a charity that we have chosen, which allows transgender teenagers to go on vacation to summer camps, so they can find their space and rest at least for a moment.

In this case, it makes sense to play "Enter Sandman" as much as possible. My bad.

The plan with Metallica from the beginning was that the royalties from all the covers on the Black Album anniversary box set would go to the organisations chosen by each of the cover bands. So we're trying to maximise what we can contribute to the one we've chosen. The idea is to see this type of initiative become more widespread and this type of organisation become more widespread. It is a cause that is close to my heart.

One last question for the road: you started your career in Repugnant, a death metal band, and you're a big fan of the style yourself. What are the last death albums that really slapped you in the face?

I'm very rarely stunned by a new death album. That's not to say that I don't like it anymore because I'm still an absolute death metal fan, but I have to admit that I'm pretty much sticking with what I listened to as a teenager. In the last ten years, few records in the genre have appealed to me, and when they did, it was usually stuff that reminded me of old stuff: Deathspell Omega, of course, Negative Plane, the latest Gorguts which I thought were really good... In extreme metal, I always listen to the new At The Gates albums because I know they'll definitely surprise me and I'll find what I'm looking for. I also like Tribulation a lot. Apart from that, I'm still very attached to the records I grew up with. And, above all, when I'm on tour, as I am now, the music I listen to is quite far from metal. You have to recharge your batteries. The albums that speak to me from start to finish at the moment are Boston's Don't Look Back (1978) and Renaissance's A Song For All Seasons (1978). I also listen to a lot of Mike Oldfield, especially the records he made with singer Maggie Reilly, things like Crises (1983) and Discovery (1984). I'm also going through a bit of a Locanda Delle Fate period, an Italian band from the 70s, and I still love Uriah Heep's Demons And Wizards (1972), a classic that never gets old.

#tobias forge #interview #the band ghost