#concert scenes always have my motherfucking heart

[juneviews]

♪ Are we just friends or are we more? ♪

#bad buddy #bad buddy the series #patpran #nanon korapat #ohm pawat #thai bl #thai drama #my gifs #bypiningbisexuals #concert scenes always have my motherfucking heart

[comfyswitcherblanketfort]

Grunge-Metal Geralt

Hi, im fucking trash for the idea of Geralt being the front man for a Five Finger Death Punch type band and my brain wouldn’t shut the fuck up about it. This music genre is my bread and butter and I think Geralt’s repressed but highly emotional ass would fit right in. Yes im using another Hozier song, no i dont wanna hear anything about it. I’m a basic bitch and ive made my peace with it

Warnings: i honestly have no idea, its a little horny, little emotional, but theres no actual character interaction?, its at a concert venue? idk yall.

_________________________

Jaskier was… out of his comfort zone.

It’s not that he didn’t like the grunge-metal music, he just hadn’t listened to much and he was not used to the energy. People were yelling and screaming and the opener hadn’t even come on yet. He didn’t feel unsafe, far from it. Several people had checked to see if he was okay, seeing as he was the only person in the entire arena wearing a sweater that wasn't ripped or faded to hell. It was just a far cry from the shows he was used to. 

He played folky-blues. This was nothing like his shows. 

When the lights went down the crowd was deafening, all moving as one to rush the front of the floor, not giving a single fuck about tickets. 

The openers were exciting, and Jaskier was surprised by some of the concepts and messages behind the music. It wasn’t what he’d expected at all and he found himself searching them up on Spotify to listen later. 

Then came The Witchers. 

Eskel and Lambert made their energetic entrance, followed by Aiden calmly walking to his drums and sitting as if he were walking into a college class. But Geralt was nowhere in sight. The one person Jaskier had actually come to see. 

He’d seen a video clip from a previous concert where they covered one of his songs, and he was praying they’d do it again. It was lovely in a haunting-almost-threatening way, and the expression in Geralt’s posture alone was enthralling. He had to see it live. 

But Geralt was still absent as the band started to build a song. First Aiden with the beat, then Eskel’s bass, then Lambert with a melody on his electric guitar. It built and built and built to a fever pitch, taking the crowd with it. People were already jumping and screeching. Jaskier had to stand on his seat to see the stage clearly. 

Geralt’s voice echoed through the venue, low and closer to a growl than singing, but he was still nowhere to be seen.

Jaskier thought he’d been prepared, but his whole body was covered in goosebumps. He briefly wondered if this was what his friends were feeling when they listened to ASMR.

Geralt remained hidden for the whole first verse, getting the crowd even more excited than Jaskier thought possible, only for the band to go completely silent for a whole measure. When the crowd's screams reached their absolute loudest, Geralt dropped from on top of one of the jumbotrons, landing on one of the horse-sized speakers before launching into the chorus. 

Oh fuck, he was even more beautiful in person. 

He was… well he was a beast of a man. Jaskier really didn’t have another word for the way his muscles bulged and how lithe and powerful he looked springing from the speaker to join his bandmates on the main stage. His thighs filled out his black, tattered jeans and there were clear faded spots where his muscles strained the fabric too often. The thin black tank he wore did nothing but pretend the man was semi-modest. It was so tight, the only thing left up to the imagination was tan lines and the color of his nipple piercings. 

Jaskier was most entranced by his long, white, wavy hair falling past his shoulders. As the show continued and he started to sweat, a lot, it got curlier and curlier at the root. Jaskier wanted to give him a mask and some curl cream, but only after a, uhm, rough night of getting to know each other. He’d heard rumors about Geralt from hitting arenas not long after they’d left. He was quite sure they’d have a great time.

As he focused on the lyrics more and more, he was more inclined to want to wrap Geralt up in a hug and worship every part of him until he felt whole again. 

Either he’d been shown the shitty side of the genre, or The Witchers were exceptions to the rule of content. Jaskier was almost moved to tears a few different times.

Finally, about an hour into Jaskier mindlessly feasting his eyes on the front man, Geralt leapt onto another speaker and sat down, breathing hard and grinning from ear to ear. 

“You still with us?”

The unholy screech from the crowd left no doubt they were just as excited, if not more so, than when they’d arrived. 

“Good! Good..” he trailed off, chuckling as he lowered the mic to take a breath, “We’re gonna slow it down for a minute,” he leaned forward and held the mic away as Eskel shouted something up at him to which he laughed and flipped him off. 

“As I was saying, we’re gonna yearn for a minute or two and do a cover. Song by Jaskier called ‘Talk’.”

The crowd lost their shit again, various pride flags popping up throughout the stands. 

Geralt chuckled and raised his combat boot, showing off the bi flag colored treads, earning another round of screams. If this is what the grunge-metal scene was like, Jaskier had been missing out his entire life. Sure his fans were sweet and supportive and loving when he’d come out. But this was electric and feral and completely addictive.

Lambert struck the opening chord to Jaskier’s song and the crowd settled to a gentle hum, setting the tone immediately, as if they all knew exactly what was coming. 

Geralt closed his eyes as he tapped his thigh with one finger, keeping time before his rumbling baritone hit Jaskier like a freight train. 

“I’d be the voice that urged Orpheus when her body was found…”

Jaskier could have collapsed right there. He knew he was staring like a lovesick idiot, but hell, everyone around him was too. When the chorus hit and Eskel came in with a heavy bass line he nearly fell off his chair. Geralt’s intensity raised with the addition of the backup but he didn’t move. He stayed seated, swaying slightly, with his eyes closed as he crooned out the words Jaskier had sobbed as he wrote, broken hearted and miserable. 

It was surreal. 

Sure he’d seen other covers. Sure they’d been lovely. But he wanted to listen to this and only this as he fell asleep for the rest of his life. He’d never play it again if he could only hear it one more time. 

After the last verse Lambert launched into a guitar solo while Geralt jumped off the speaker and meandered to the center of the stage to slot his mic back in it’s stand. He gripped it like a lifeline when Lambert held one last note for as long as his instrument would allow and only started singing the last chorus when it was almost silent. 

“I won't deny I've got in my mind now all the things I would do

So I'll try to talk refined for fear that you find out how I'm imaginin' you

I won't deny I've got in my mind now all the things we could do

So I'll try to talk refined for fear that you find out how I'm imaginin' you”

His expression looked hopeless and utterly desperate as he crooned out the last two lines. He let his hair fall to cover his face and Jaskier could just barely hear his panting breath over the sound system as the crowd exploded. Geralt tipped his head back and took two deep breaths before straightening up and getting on with the show but Jaskier was stuck. 

He was vaguely aware of someone taking a picture of him, but he really couldn’t care less. The fact that Geralt moved right on to a song called ‘Burn Motherfucker Burn’ didn’t matter either. 

Jaskier jumped down from his arena seat, whipping out his phone and sending the band a tweet, because apparently that’s what musicians did now?

“Record it. Please. It’s either that or sing me to sleep every night. You choose.”

He stayed for the rest of the show and walked to his car in a haze. Before he backed out of his spot he checked his phone like always and his heart nearly stopped at the two top notifications. 

One public reply: “Both? -G”

And one direct message: “If you’re still here and want to grab a drink, I’m just backstage.” 

#listen i have a lot of feelings and the feral bitch took over idk what to tell you #i have done nothing but this for the last three hours #i need to do schoolwork but this bitch needed to get out apparently #geraskier #geraskier meet cute #geraskier modern au #singer geralt #rockstart geralt #grunge-metal geralt #singer jaskier #folk singer jaskier #pop-folk singer jaskier #modern au #music modern au #geraskier music au #geralt of rivia #geralt of rivia is a repressed emotional grimey mess and all the alarm bells went off in my head okay #jaskier #jaskier pankratz #jullian alfred pankratz #I might even draw this if i get my school stuff done? maybe? #i havent drawn in years #but what's gonna get me back into it if not thirst and gay fanfic?

[a-student-out-of-time]

Connections Review Part 2

This isn’t your average Love Hotel Event, this is an ADVANCED Love Hotel Event

Here we go people, we have returned and now it’s time for the next part of the review of Connections! Last time was quickly reviewing stuff that didn’t warrant its own part and all the time travelling discoveries into the Ultimate Seer Mikako, she is the Ultimate Seer now, not the Ultimate Exorcist, and some interesting visions. And in this part, we cover the stuff that everyone likes to talk about which is Harems! Whether it be Cuddle Puddle, Hotel Akane or Makoto’s currently unnamed Harem. Point is this Blog is a goldmine for Poly relationships and let the looovvveee spread! So, time for some fluffy reviews~

I’ll start with the only established harem at this point in time which is the Cuddle Puddle! Hotel Akane is planned for but still in development and we don’t even know if Makoto will be willing to go for a harem. So, the big major event which happens here is Hajime fixing the issues with Hiyoko’s family. She has serious issues with her grandmother as she forbids her from seeing her parents, and while Hiyoko can’t give a rat’s arse about her mother, she very much cares about her father, and as heir of her clan, Hiyoko has to marry a man of suitable status which Hajime doesn’t fulfil. So, with Izumi summoning Hiyoko back home to have a talk, Hajime joins her in order to try and get the racist boomer to approve of their relationship, and allow Hiyoko to see her parents, or her father to be more precise. This was a welcome relief mission because having fought two serial killers, busted a human trafficking ring and about to fight a cult, just talking to a racist problematic member of one of his girlfriend’s family is a very light mission for Hajime. Plus, because we all don’t like boomers having a boomer being called out for their racist and out of touch ways is catharsis at best. It helps that not all of the Sannoji family is completely terrible as Monoko and Teru, relatives of Hiyoko were more open minded, and agreed with Hiyoko and Hajime’s sentiments and if they weren’t there, I don’t think the meeting with Izumi would have gone well.

Thankfully, Hajime & Hiyoko, with the help of Momoko and Teru, were able to get Izumi to bless their relationship and since Sannoijis marry young, as soon as Hiyoko graduates, or ‘graduates’ because remember Hopes Peak Academy will only remain open for as long as Junko lurks and as soon as she’s defeated, Nikei’s article on why Hope’s Peak Academy is twisted and corrupted will be put up and the school won’t last long, she wants to marry Hajime. This brings up a legal problem with the Cuddle Puddle as Poly relationships are illegal in Japan, in fact I think they’re illegal in a lot of countries. Novoselic which is Sonia’s kingdom its legal, but Sonia can’t ask for everyone to uproot their lives and move there. The temporary solution is for everyone not named Sonia and Gundham to legally change their last name to Hinata, Hajime marries Hiyoko and when Kiyotaka becomes Prime Minister and he legalizes Poly Marriage, marry the other girls then. That’s a long-term solution though.

As for the rest of the Cuddle Puddle, they are bonding well. Gundham got a bit of focus on this Arc and I’m glad for it. The biggest issues with the Cuddle Puddle as it is very Hajime-centric but we don’t see how the girls interact with each other or even Gundham as he’s the other male in the harem as well. Gundham himself doesn’t get many interactions aside from Hajime and Sonia, so seeing him open up to Hibiki about his past and she comforting his worries about Storm is heart-warming. I always knew that Hibiki had a strong liking for Gundham as even back during the Concert Arc when Sonia and Gundham met the Otonokoji twins on their independent mission to find the ‘stalker’ of them, Hibiki took a liking to Gundham’s Chuunibyou nature almost immediately, and given all the growth that Hibiki has gone through since then, she is now in a position to comfort others much like how she was comforted by them. Gundham’s backstory is the usual brand of familial outcast and a devoted mother who gave her life into Gundham that too many people in the Quantum Crew have. Kodaka did say one of the pillars of being a Danganronpa character is having a broken family and it shows.

While the Cuddle Puddle got some development, it won’t be the only harem this blog has so let’s look at the founding of a new one, which is Hotel Akane. It’s an unofficial rule that the protagonists of the Killing Games get their own harems, but Sora doesn’t want a harem as she is content with having a relationship with just Yoruko so she transferred her ‘harem rights’ to Akane, who being one of the horniest members of the cast, is more then happy for that. Akane is seeing Ayame at the moment but they haven’t officially started dating yet, its still in the friendship phase at the moment. This will develop into romance at some point though, but Akane is considerate enough to go things at a gradual pace. Yuki makes his first appearance in this arc as well as he shops at the new supermarket that Akane is working for, and we get to see Sora’s conflict over Yuki. Due to Sora’s purpose in the Killing Game, being created to protect Yuki until Mikado could break him, she is worried as she doesn’t know how much of her affection for Yuki is of her free will or due to the protocols that Mikado programmed into her. Akane reassures her that her love for Yuki is of free will as when Sora broke free from Mikado’s programming shackles, her first act was to protect Yuki from Mikado, and the two did genuinely bond over the course of the Killing Game. As such Akane meeting and potentially getting romantically involved with Yuki is A-OK in Sora’s books. But of course, that’s not the relationship you guys care about. You care about Servant’s Column AKA the relationship between Akane and Nikei. And quite a lot of progress was made there as we get to see how conflicted our poor reporter is. Due to Nikei’s highly disturbing backstory, he is unsure on what his sexual ordination is. The other Voids know where they swing but Nikei despite his best efforts doesn’t know what his type is. This isn’t a situation that is going to be resolved quickly as victims of sexual abuse do struggle with sexual identity and I could see a situation when Nikei winds up being asexual as a result of the whole thing. We know that Nikei has a habit on crushing on anyone who is remotely kind to him, something I relate to on a personal level, and that he’s okay with PDAs, but anything sexual is completely off limits to him as it would give Nikei traumatic flashbacks to his past. Given the strong likelihood of Miaya getting involved next arc, he really needs to speak to her as she could help him with getting to gripes with his past and sexual identity and allow himself to heal. And Nikei does need to learn how to be comfortable with himself before he can be okay with entering a relationship with Akane.

And now for the last harem and the only one without a name and that is Makoto’s harem. Thing is though, this is the harem I’m the most on the fence about. Because…is it going to exist? Cuddle Puddle are a thing, Hotel Akane is going to be a thing, but Makoto hasn’t made any noises about wanting to get into relationships with other girls, he’s may just be content having a relationship with Iroha. Granted he hasn’t even met the other girls who would be part of his harem and he won’t for a while so maybe attitudes change once the other girls become aware of him and he starts talking to them. The big event regarding this is that Makoto Naegi’s Worst Day ever happens during this Arc, which is the highly elaborate chain of events which leads to Makoto entering Hope’s Peak. I won’t talk much about this; it goes like it does in canon and just read it up online if you want details. Iroha wants to help Makoto during this but due to the enormous butterfly effects resulting from it, no interference can be done and it’s probably the only time we allow the Ankle Effect to make its noises. The results shows that the Ankle Effect isn’t an inherently evil force, it just wants history to stay the same. Unfortunately, history is tainted and the world would end if it is prevented so the Quantum Crew do have to meddle. The one thing Iroha CAN do with Makoto on his worst day ever is to comfort him and make his night memorable for all the right reasons. He is going to be a character though who would become more centric to the plot as soon as Junko enters the scene…unless things happen and he gets in sooner. I could see Makoto getting tangled up with dealing with Mikado as he has some association with the Voids now, and I think Makoto will NOT sit ideally if Mikado tries to mess with the Voids. As for Storm…I dunno.

And that’s all the harem developments, Hajime resolves Hiyoko’s family issues, Gundham exists in the Cuddle Puddle, Sora has Yuki identity problems, Nikei really needs as much hugs as possible and Makoto has an awful day, but he gets to be in line to being the hero of civilization and makes out with Iroha so all is good! At this point I would normally make my rankings but then a certain Motherfucker decided to get more screen time and thus he needs his own part. When we come back, I will discuss the most problematic part of the Arc, which is Maverick Storm. Until then byeeeee! - Review Anon

#danganronpa #a student out of time #submission

[meibemeibelline]

highlights from that 32k word doc i wrote when i marathoned gazette’s songs (2002-2007)

PART 2 | PART 3

Some quick notes:

This is a combo of thoughts on music, lyrics and sometimes just funny things I found while I was hurriedly typing at 11pm listening to these songs. Not every song will be featured in these, sorry

At times I directly quote translations and when I do I’ll specify who I’m quoting, but just so you know first they are all either Defective Tragedy, Heresiarchy or Trauma Radio

Also, I’m planning on writing some longer essay-type things with these notes so there might be some things I skip over (such as a recurring theme in their songs) bc I want to use them elsewhere

CONTENT WARNING FOR LYRIC DISCUSSIONS: suicide (Ganges ni Akai Bara). i will bold the title so you can skip it if you want. it’s one paragraph long

HHHH this is already 2k words but anyway hope u enjoy my ramblings

 “I’d have to take a break from feminism to appreciate [Akai One Piece]”

“His delivery is still highly emotional and [Okuribi] overall is really emotional. Like the fact you can still hear and FEEL the sheer bittersweet feelings (mostly sadness) of someone you love passing away is like...really telling of 2002 gazette’s potential”

(Doro Darake no Seishun) “Bitch Aoi and Uruha are serving LOOKS like the red tartan blazer with the black shorts???? And Uruha with the red tank top and the pleather skirt with the garters THE OTHER GIRLS WISH THEY WERE HIM”

(Haru ni Chirikeri, Mi wa Kareru de Gozaimasu) “it’s about a flower that’s in love with a one-winged butterfly, and i imagine the point is that even though they sing songs for each other, they’re just so different that they don’t understand each other and they can’t be together. and they’re just...fated to end, and maybe try again next spring. and you can see that in human relationships too.”

“Akuyuukai i think is such a significant turning point musically like i just FELT a significant shift where they were really painting with their music and having it be more closely connected with the lyrics”

“[Linda Candydive Pinky Heaven] is a happy and fun song!! it’s doro darake no seishun’s cuter and cooler older sister. this also gave me a lot of serotonin and i’m glad this is a classic. it’s also this band’s first fan song (or closest to a fan song) and i think it’s quite meaningful because they were picking up as a band and were starting to really connect with people which is always so so great. and i think it’s cool that many songs before this were fun songs to jam out to but linda is specially DEDICATED to that. it’s so carefree and i think like...this is the exact thing many musicians love about performing and what fans love about concerts. it’s the escapism and just the SPACE to be yourself and have fun. it’s so freeing.”

(Black Spangle Gang) “I can’t believe GazettE were doing 2005 Miyavi before Miyavi did 2005 Miyavi”

(The Murder’s TV) “I think it’s cool how playful they make it sound -> like a creepy show that kids might see and the last chorus is pretty good. it’s a bop AND THE BASS AND GUITAR SOLOS SLAP. The lyrics are really interesting too and I LOVE the way Ruki embodies them with his voice”

“BITCHHH MAD MARBLE HELL VISION SLAPS. THIS IS WHAT I CALL NOISE MUSIC!!!!!!!”

“The composition on Kawareta Haru, Kawaneru Haru is actually SO good (and the costumes are fucking ICONIC). And Ruki is STILL getting better at singing. The chorus is melodic and the effects on the guitar just go so well like I think the others (probably since Akuyuukai actually) have been really getting to play with all sorts of effects on their instruments to make this new variety of sounds which is super rad. AOI SOLO SUPERIORITY BTW.”

“Indie gazette really love their key changes in the bittersweet songs in the last choruses.”

“Comparing the lyrics of [Sumire] to many of the last ‘goodbye’ songs, there’s a lot more imagery and scene-painting as opposed to like, just direct thoughts and feelings. And that’s really Ruki developing as a writer, I think, as his lyrics are becoming more subtle and open to different interpretations which is super cool! Like this is really him finding his voice and I know he’s going to be doing more of this over the years.”

“ANATA NO TAME NO KONO INOCHI SLAPS BUT THE LYRICS ARE FUCKED. LIKE, I KNEW THIS FROM THE BEGINNING BUT I REALLY WISH I WAS JARED, 19.”

“I LOVE MISEINEN SO FUCKING MUCHHHHH. I can only begin to imagine just HOW significant this song is for Ruki. This is him acknowledging his weaknesses and his flaws, looking around him and seeing the people he has, he writes about what he’s afraid of, he writes about how he’s going to change and move forward, what is MOST VALUABLE to him. This is A LOT. This is A LOT for anyone. It is a song about GROWTH – how he wants to grow yet is terrified of change, but even so is going to do it with the help of his support system. This is EVERYTHING. It’s raw and brave and so very beautiful. It has Wakaremichi and BEST FRIENDS energy. These three songs are best friends. And also like, for the last couple of releases Ruki’s been doing lots of wordplay and metaphors and using euphemisms, but this set of lyrics is just completely honest and STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART. Like, there ARE metaphors and symbols but he’s talking COMPLETELY about himself and his FEELINGS. I get emo whenever I listen to this song.”

(Carry?) “Apparently it’s about Frankenstein’s monster, so I guess this is another Concept Song. So this explains the flat vocals – the monster is undead but also…very sad and confused about what it is and its place in the world. ISN’T THAT ALL OF US ON SOME LEVEL…HAHA…”

“Zakurogata no Yuutsu is that 2010 fb meme where someone sees their partner right before going into a heart surgery only to wake up to find they’re gone and the doctor is like ‘omg who do you think gave you the heart😔’”

“WHAT THE FUCK WHY DID I SLEEP ON HANAKOTOBA. THIS IS AOI SONG SUPERIORITY. THE GUITAR SOLO IS ALSO GORGEOUS. Also love what he did with the melody getting higher in the end when the narrator questions the existence of the love they lost. AND THEY DIDN’T RESOLVE THE FUCKING CHORD PROGRESSION OHHH MY GODDDD BECAUSE “I’LL WITHER AWAY, NEVER KNOWING THE ANSWER” //THROWS. THESE GENIUSES. THIS IS THE BEST SONG ON THE ALBUM SO FAR AND THAT’S👏ON👏AOI👏SUPERIORITY👏Also I know that, literally, Hanakotoba is a flower on the side of the road but LISTEN. This is a soul that just wants love...This is the anthem for us lonely invisible bitches <3 This song has the MOST yearning. Thank u Aoi for my life. Like he is TRULY the composer with the most emotionality.”

(Tokyo Shinjuu) “I LOVEEEE THE BASS. This has a very old, classic Japanese style and it’s just…so good. You can really hear it in the melody. Also there’s just something SO feminine about it and I KNOW it’s that classic Japanese sound and like…god I love this gender bending with music. I adore the guitars too I think there’s such a good balance between them.”

(Shichigatsu no Youka) “I love how the lyrics are between sections too – the most emotional parts are in the big, emotional chorus, and the verses are more mellow when the narrator is sort of…more detached and Not Crying… The guitar melodies are really pretty and the solo is just GORGEOUS. It’s such a bittersweet song as well (god GazettE just do bittersweet EXTREMELY WELL) like bruh…already being sad over a breakup and OH DOUBLE WHAMMY THEY’VE MOVED ON like. Ruki sweetie I’m so sorry.”

[a rant about how I know Saraba is well-meaning and is about the peace and unity of a nation and is EXPLICITLY anti-war which I can definitely appreciate but my Chinese ass was just NOT having the whole painting the Japanese army as heroes deal]

(Reila) “Ruki’s vocals are SO GOOD here. ALSO YELLING AT THE BASS AND KICK DRUM BEFORE THE SECOND VERSE WITH THE PIANO. THE WAY THE KICK DRUM PANS THRU THE EARS. MOTHERFUCKER. AND THEN TO COME IN WITH THE GUITAR SOLO HOW DARE!!!!! YOU PLAY WITH MY EMOTIONS LIKE THIS!!!!!”

“COCKROACH SLAPS. Love that he reframes being compared to a cockroach as like, resilient (I’ll never break through -> I want to believe I’ll break through), and he’s embracing his crudeness and taking a huge dose of PHUCEMOL.” (Cr: Defective Tragedy)

(Sugar Pain) “God Aoi’s intro though………..I HATE THE BREATHING SO MUCH. No I’m actually really angry right now why is it actually good. YOU’RE NOT ALLOWED TO BE GOOD.” (I then had to stop after the first chorus for obvious reasons)

“Idk why the first thing I thought of when Bite to All started was ‘yeehaw’…[Also] I hate how I know exactly who is screaming at the end and when.”

“BTS 🤝 GazettE Gunshots in songs”

[My personal interpretation of Nausea & Shudder is not that it’s about the pressure of being true to oneself in the face of success, but rather that success itself is not what Ruki expected it to be and he’s figuring out how to navigate that and move forward. It is also just a really good set of lyrics.]

“There’s just a hopelessness that’s so profound in [Bath Room]. Like if depression was a song IT WOULD SOUND A LOT LIKE THIS… Up until this point this is the Darkest song AND WE’RE ONLY GONNA GET DARKER FROM HERE *sweats in DIM*”

“I love these unsaid words Ruki leaves in the booklets. Adds layers and messages for the listener (usually of hope)”

(Silly God Disco) “After reading the lyrics I love this song soo much more. Like it’s actually really nice to think about dancing and living life because you have rock music and it makes you happy. Also the FUNK. The flavour. Not only that, but the way Ruki SWEARS he will live happily, without fear, and always moving past pain and towards freedom and glory. And he INVITES the listener with him. This is just SO nice.”

“I think it’s interesting that like…for an album that is sort of Known to be depressing as hell, there are quite a lot of songs about resilience and just…living and moving forward. Depending on what the rest of the albums are about, NIL might actually be, weirdly, the one with the most hope in it.”

(Worthless War) ““Do you shoot first so you won’t get hurt? / Do you call that sort of thing ‘justice’” damn Worthless War spilled. This sounds like a whole lot of anxiety surrounding war, and a very strong criticism against the government for caring more about power than people. Even though violence is despair, he also says that this age of political tension and FEAR is also despair. And he is correct. Ruki: ALSO THE EARTH IS DYING???” (Cr: Defective Tragedy)

(Rich Excrement) ““Lyric killer is erectile dysfunction” + “Biters should check it out too” -> you’re a limp dick who rips off other people’s work I AM SCREAMINGGGGGG.”” (Cr: Defective Tragedy)

(Crucify Sorrow) “The main metaphor here is someone who is an insect with a broken shell – an empty person. With depression, probably…And I cannot help but think about Utsusemi, in which he uses this EXACT metaphor to describe himself and his own depression, his loneliness and his desire to disappear. Was this a coincidence??🤔”

(GANGES NI AKAI BARA) “I really like this song – music and lyrics both. Like even though it’s sad that the girl was in a lot of pain, kills herself and is condemned by her church, the narrator bringing her to Ganges and doing a sacred ritual for her so that she can find salvation is actually really really kind and meaningful??? Not only because it’s an act of kindness but also because the pain she was experiencing was emotional/mental (with the constant tsu-tsu-tsura-tsura-tsurai), salvation could relieve her soul from exactly that.” (Apparently Ruki said the narrator is Buddhist but in the context of the song Hindu makes more sense, so I’m just going with that)

(Calm Envy) ““If you could love even these words I’ve thrown your way / I could keep trusting only you as you stand in front of me / It hurts every time you bring up the past you’ve suddenly shown me / I want to love even that empty space where I don’t exist / I’ll wipe away my tears so you wouldn’t notice them / So don’t smile in front of me anymore than this” – SHUT UP THIS SHIT IS REALLY UNCONDITIONAL BUT THEY’RE TIRED OF BEING HURT. GOODBYE. GOODBYEEEEE.” (Cr: Heresiarchy)

(Circle of Swindler) “Ruki writing "how much do you buy us for? let's negotiate [the] value of pain" in circle of swindler to demand respect and acknowledgement of his worth from the higher ups of the music industry because it's the music born from his pain that's making their money is Quite sexy” (Cr: Defective Tragedy)

“[Stacked Rubbish] is about the baggage we have, the baggage we give each other, the Errors we make precisely because we are People who have souls. I think the point (of this album being like an anthology) is that everyone could find something in this album that speaks to them.”

#the gazette #the gazette ruki #uruha #the gazette aoi #reita #the gazette kai #ruki #aoi #kai #if you're on mobile and following any of these tags i'm SO sorry #if this pops up without the cut #also wow i'm really procrastinating HARD

[nyarisu]

St. Paul liveblogging

So they drunk. I too may be a little tipsy so that goes hand in hand let’s start >w<

Spiel mit mir

Oh look a little human. More little humans.

Is that a face?? Oh it was just the fan behind the drums XD

Ooooh it’s the entrance through a drum thing!

I like Till’s boots. Also it’s the first live I’ve seen with the leg brace. I’ve only seen it in that one picture

Interesting jacket with only one arm

Oh god he’s sucking his thumb again did yoU WASH YOUR FUCKING HANDS??!? (i swear it’s got nothing to do with the current situation it just bugs me seeing people do that)

Cryptid Ollie<3

This is one creepy song

Yes Till we know you’re horny you don’t need to grab your dick every few minutes XD

Wow something new happened with the instrumentals there

Did I miss that part?

Tier

I like the guitar solo so much!

Paul has dark hair??

Lol slut Till at it again XD imagine if he went that hard with Flake during Buck dich XDDD

Belly<3

That was one long "schlief"

The chest hit<3

The Flake jump

"doch nur ein Tiieeeeeerrrr"

Did he just finished the song with a head tilt??? I’VE SEEN THE PICTURE!

Bestrafe mich

<3 way to win my heart so early into the live also Till got shirtless pretty quick so it’s always a plus

When did Ollie got to the other side of the stage? Is he wearing shorts??

Look at this dumb bitch whipping himself again....

"du. darfst. mein. Bes.trafer seeein" the perfect song to headbang on

I love the melodic part so much<3

Ups there goes that bottle I wonder if it hit someone

Oh that back~ I love how Till’s back has clearly some muscles but it’s also most probably very soft too

Schneider is having such interesting moves

I love Till’s headbang while crouching

Weisses Fleisch

THE BOOTS! YES!!

Those scratching motions are probably a little more entrancing than ment

He just dropped it XD

Paul and Richard are in synch again going back and forth

"MIIIIICH" 

Where did Richard go? Ach, yes. He let Schneider do his hypnotic hip thrusts and Flake his spazzing. I don’t think anyone can dance quite like him :)))

Didn’t Till’s voice on this song used to be a little more melodic? Or maybe the audio was better...

Sehnsucht

The fireworks were nice

Did Richard just vanished?? XD where is he?

Oh he’s back he was just hot (with that coat :D)

Yes, Ollie has indeed shorts

I swear to god Till has such interesting poses/moves, especially while crouching or being bent

I like that 2.5 till hammer during the chorus

They changed places again and IS OLLIE ON BACK VOCALS? ON SEHNSUCHT??

What if Till trips over the mic wire?

Why do you hit yourself bby?

From this angle a part of the drums looked like a sombrero *Wilder Wein flashbacks*

And of course he slams the mic on the ground

Asche zu Asche

I like how Richard and Paul always come to the front for the instrumental

"Heißes Kreuz" and he does a little cross with his fingers

The whole mimic druning this song is fun

„in zehn Tagen” YES he counted 10 days on his fingers I love that!

Ok Richard what was that with the solo? Weird flex but ok (was this the guitar version of sexy motherfucker?)

Shouldn’t something be already on fi- oh no there it is nevermind

Till is one hunk of a man but he has such dainty and delicate poses

Seemann

If DRSG doesn’t come after this song, I’m rioting

This is such an interesting song to see Till sing because it’s very sad and you can see his suffering with every move and word and voice inflection (expression too if the visual would’ve been higher)

Go Flake go! But be safe!

Wow that was one wierdly short ride I too would’ve wanted to get out as soon as possible

Stripped

Ugh. Again... no wonder I didn’t recognise it. This song doesn’t even exists to me (same for the english versions)

Will Till be a slut with this tongue again?

That’s the whole song? XD What’s happening?? :))) they changed their minds and went home XD

DRSG

Ok I won’t be rioting after all but... what happened?

Uuu Reesh is shirtless we’re getting serious now!

I like Paul’s very serious pose

And Till slicked his hair back<3

Till and Paul are doing again that thing that gives me a heart attack and Richard is flirting with someone in the public why is he always going to te side?

Did Till put something on his head?

Lol there it went XD

I like how Richard was strutting around the scene and started slamming his guitar. Then Paul came on the other side of Till and symmetry

Is Richard wearing paltforms? He’s already taller than Paul what more does he want?

Them singing on a side was cute

For a moment I thought Till was stalking Paul :))

What the fuck I lowered my eyes for one fucking second to see what I’m writing and Richard disappear again?? When? Hoooowwwww??

I’m hearing some keyboard thingies I’m not usually hearing on the album version and what just happened?

Is Till baptizing the audience? Wait didn’t they already do the dramatic stop once? Did they do it in another part of the song? I’m so confused do I have to watch it again?

Yeah ok they were definitely on something XD

Du hast

THE FIRE BOW!! I really love some of their effects :D

Richard is on the side again? He even moved his mic stand what??

That laugh<3 It’s a shame they never sung Eifersucht I love that song so much

I really like the drums or whatever those drum like sounds are at the beginning and the keyboards in this song

Oooh so this is where the phone scene came from? Or were there multiple lives with this?

OH MY GOD of course he had to fuCKING YEET IT

Yes, I really like seeing Till pour water on himself next question

What are Paul and Ollie doing? XD disappearing, that’s what they’re doing :))

Buck dich

At first I was ok that’s some explosion and then 2 second in I realised what it is, the who who machine o(≧∀≦)o fire edition ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Oh now he has a platform~ and of course he stuffs the mic in his pants XD

The guys sure are switching places huh

It’s let’s sodomize Flake time

I like how he always turns after Flake when he runs away and the whole song is like this with little acting scenes

There went another bottle

I like how Flake came on his own

I wonder how it’s to be a fan at a concert seing Buck dich for the first time I’m sure some eyes popped out of the heads

Or how it is to be a fan jizzed on by Till Lindemann’s squirting dildo XD “Welcome to Rammstein“

OH MY GOD OLLIE look who’s the thirsty bitch XD

Engel

This song will slap forever and ever

Did they trip over something or...?

FIRE!!!

Wait what? Is this really how the song goes?

But Schneider was the sparkling drumsticks so I can forgive anything. Literally the only way to sing that part right is using the sparkling drumsticks! Everytime the solo starts I’m lowkey disappointed if no sparkles are involved. And my brain plays the song with those on the background

Do they actually whistle or the just mimic it? This is something I’ve always wondered

Flake solo? are they all having their own initiatives today or....? XD

I like how Richard casually threw the towel over his shoulder

Rammstein

Is Flake wearing something on his head?

YES! The coat! Asdfghjkl the audience is delighted too :D How cool was seeing that for the first time??

You are one crazy motherfucker, Till

Lol @ Ollie and his cryptid moves XD

Laichzeit

*insert that “Beyonce??” meme here but instead of Beyonce is Laichzeit*

Oh ok that was cool

Till is dancing again XD

OH MY GOD THE WAY THE MIC STAND WENT XDD IT FLEW SO SMOOTHLY I need a compilation with all the times he’s throwing that stand away

How come he’s not doing his usual slutty moves? This song is peak slut when it comes to moves

Oh, he’s pulling his hair. Oh.

Did the just say pew?

I need to dance while high on this song

UBERALL FISCHMILCH

The keyboard part before the last verse is strangely elevating? majestic? ascending? Yeah let’s go with that. for the topic of the song but it kind of goes with the last part (nevermind I kinda still haven’t’t figured out what that last verse means)

Wollt ihr das Bett in Flammen sehen?

I never know how to write „wollt” I always add an “h” instead of the first “l”, it sounds like a word with an “h” in it

Wow the screeches didn't use to be this loud but I like how Till rises his head everytime (open mouth is optional)

OH MY GOD YES the tongue made an apparition. I need to make giffs out of it and add it to my collection

I love those gloves but was Paul simply walking into the sparks?

Oooooh this one is new~ (editing Rena here: I have no idea what I was talking about)

Conclusions:

I had to google the spelling of lots of words. My fingers stopped cooperating and I wasn’t even drunk

I don’t know how drunk they were but Richard was definitely at least a little high (the time frame is right too) and there were also some tehnical problems

I need to know if the Engel whistling is genuine or not

Throwing mic stand. Compilation. Now. (the Klavier one will always be first place in my heart)

And I need to get high and dance on Laichzeit

#rammstein #rammbois #liveblogging #Rena's R+ ramblings

[mondoholic]

Josh Homme spoke to Kyuss World Radio about the 25th anniversary of KYUSS's final album, "…And The Circus Leaves Town". The Californian four-piece split three months following the LP's release, resulting in it being less critically and commercially successful when compared to the two KYUSS albums which helped birth the stoner rock movement — 1992's "Blues For The Red Sun" and 1994's "Welcome To Sky Valley".

"I'm not good at keeping memorabilia and I'm not too nostalgic because I guess it makes me feel a little sad sometimes," Josh said. "And I feel like there's such a huge pile of things to do. And sometimes I feel like when I look at a picture or something, I go, 'Man, it'll never be that. That's only where it was.' So I tend to focus forward.

"Hearing that [the album] is 25 years old, that makes me happy. It makes me a little bit proud that I got to do something that long ago, and I'm not dead yet. [Laughs]"

Asked if he had an inkling that "…And The Circus Leaves Town" would turn out to be KYUSS's swansong when he chose the LP title, Homme said: "I think the way Brant [Bjork, drums] left [after] 'Sky Valley' was a real shock, and it was very much like the rug being pulled out from under you. Because I didn't really understand [why he was leaving], and he was never able to make it really clear. Because I think it's difficult, too — when you're young like that, it's difficult to say, 'I need to go this direction.' When he left, he had our manager tell us that he was leaving, so we didn't really get to speak to Brant. And one of the things that he had said was, 'I think the band should be over.' And I really loved Brant. And I think that was a difficult moment to hear your friend was gone and he wasn't explaining why and that he thought it should be over.

"One aspect that I always agreed with is that bands, especially at that time, I was adamant that bands shouldn't go on too long," he continued. "At the time, I really felt like you do your best work, and when you realize you've done your best work, that's when you should explode the band — to preserve it is to destroy it; that you end [the band] at the absolute apex of your creativity as a group of people. And for me, personally, and I probably should have shared this, but in my gut, I was, like, 'We'll do one more record, and it'll be everything we have.' And so when I suggested that title, I think I knew that that was it, or I felt that it was coming to a close. It just felt very sort of Edgar Allan Poe, or it felt like 'Something Wicked This Way Comes', which is one of the [most] beautiful I've ever seen for a book. It's just got this beautiful ominous darkness to it. And so '…And The Circus Leaves Town' just felt timeless, and it's over, and you watch the exit on the horizon."

In March 2012, Homme and ex-KYUSS bassist Scott Reeder filed a federal lawsuit against Bjork and ex-KYUSS singer John Garcia over their involvement in the band KYUSS LIVES!, alleging "trademark infringement and consumer fraud." Five months later, a judge ruled that Garcia and Bjork could not release any recordings under the name KYUSS LIVES! and warned them that future concerts under the KYUSS LIVES! mark "might continue to subject them to liability for trademark infringement."

Asked if there is any scenario under which he would consider taking part in a KYUSS reunion of some kind, Homme told Kyuss World Radio: "My philosophy has always been, never do a reunion, never do a sequel. It's not what it was; it's what it is. And that's kind of how I've felt. A legacy that involves having been at the epicenter of a scene that got created, it's so fragile; it's like an ice sculpture. And I don't wanna be a blow dryer on that thing. That being said, I was in full support of KYUSS LIVES! and I would go to the shows and I told them as much, until what Brant and, unfortunately, what John tried to do. And that was terrible."

Elaborating on the breakdown of his relationship with Bjork and Garcia, Homme said: "All you have to do is show each other respect and say, 'Hey, we wanna do this, and we wanna talk about it.' Once Scott Reeder told me they were wanting to put out an album, I said, 'Let's sit down and talk.' So Scott and I went and talked to John and Brant. Sorry, it wasn't Brant — it was just John, because the band as it is, Brant had quit, so he wasn't part of that, what it was when it stopped, [which was] me and Scott and John. So I said, 'This is a discussion for me and you and John.' So I went and talked. And I said, 'We should find out a way for you guys to continue that's respectful.' You don't trample on what the legacy is and that you kind of let everyone understand what's going on moving forward. And the name they chose was a little unfortunate, 'cause it's actually literally saying KYUSS is alive again, which wasn't my favorite thing, but I was, like, 'Who cares?' But unbeknownst to me and Scott during that meeting, they'd already applied for a trademark to steal the name away. So I'm sitting there talking to these guys in good faith, and their managers, and they'd already applied, and you have, like, 20 days to object to the application. So the notion that I'm sitting there talking in good faith about how they could continue, and meanwhile, at that exact moment, in another room somewhere, they're applying to take the trademark for the name KYUSS so we wouldn't own it anymore, so John and Brant would own it. And so John had felt like he was robbing himself for something, and that's just not right — I don't play that way. And it also meant that they couldn't be trusted to be honest. 'Cause I'm sitting in a room, and instead of telling you that, it's like being stabbed in the back, essentially. There was no choice but to actually take action, because you can't sit down and say, 'Let's talk about this,' because now you told me that I may say something to you with my right hand, but my left hand might be stabbing you in the back. It's made it impossible to trust what was going on. And Scott and I both were, like, 'Jesus.' And it was only three people — me and John and Scott. It was, like, 'John, what are you doing? You are allowing you and Brant to take the name from you and me and Scott.'"

Homme continued: "I suppose at the end of the day, they didn't need a blessing [to play KYUSS music], but I was giving it to 'em. I want those guys to do well. And they were playing KYUSS music for a generation that had only heard of it and never heard it. I didn't see the harm in that. But trying to usurp it and take it away was just like dirty pool. The problem with all that stuff is that in a lawsuit or something like that, everyone loses; everyone looks bad. People that have loved KYUSS for so long go, 'Fuck these guys.' And that's terrible. That's why I say it's so fragile. That's why I say I've always wanted to err on the side of don't finger bang the ice sculpture; it's gonna break. If you don't touch it, it's just classic. But you don't punctuate the end of a band with a lawsuit. Those things are tragic, and they're awful. And then they lost, because, of course, you lose when you do things like that. But that damage is awful.

"But to be honest with you, and to answer your question, there have been times I thought it cannot end that way, and the only real way to end it correctly now would be to play," he explained. "And because they sort of perverted the punctuation and they knocked the wing off this beautiful dragon that's an ice sculpture, and the only way to put the motherfucking wing back on would be to [play again].

"I have thought about this, especially in the last few years, to do something special, and even to make up for that mistake of Brant and, unfortunately, John, to make up for it. [I thought we should] play and give all the money away. Like, play for the fans — cover your costs and make it five bucks. Figure out a way to be, like, this is how the punctuation will end the sentence of this band. Because it was never about money — it never was about money. It never was about fame, and when it felt like that was the move they were making, I was so sad."

After KYUSS split in 1995, Homme went on to form QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE.

In a May 2012 interview with RolllingStone.com, Bjork stated about Homme and Reeder's lawsuit, "They don't want to mention that they trademarked the name KYUSS after I left the band, assuring that I had no rights in KYUSS's future. They're both accusing John and I of doing something that they actually did themselves. Their inner conflict is this: both Josh and Scott want control and money from KYUSS LIVES!, but they don't want to participate and they ultimately don't want us to exist. The double standard is unbelievable."

He added, "Josh and I were the creative force within the band and after the completion of our second record, 'Blues For The Red Sun', we developed an opposing view on how the band should exist and operate. In 1992, Josh discovered publishing, which is the financial revenue stream for songwriting. After that, he wanted to write all the songs. As a drummer, I couldn't make him play my songs. I wasn't going to compromise my heart and soul and play drums for Josh to make money in a band I started. So I left the band. I was a confused, angry and sad 19-year-old idealist who sacrificed my love of my band for what I believed in. Two and a half years later, Josh would break up the band after John confronted him about the same thing; his need to control the band for personal gain."

#Josh Homme #Kyuss #QOTSA #Queens Of The Stone Age

[hottentots]

This is how a sugary confection and a circular piece of plastic saved my life.

I always loved camping, concerts, festivals, all of the above, but never dove into it as much as I would have liked. One of my best friends travelled around the country, gathering up a squad I only knew through tagged pictures on facebook. I watched them from afar, focusing on a life at home with my boyfriend, being domesticated and compromising with activities he enjoyed. Fests were never his thing, so I kept it to about one a year, actually it was less. Why would I want to go away every weekend if he wasn’t going to come with me?

I don’t blame him though. He never forced me to stay home or “miss out,” it was all my decision and I just let the time pass. I didn’t realize I was stifling myself. How did I let so much time pass just sitting here? Suddenly I was 26, but I still didn’t realize it. It took a fest to put us both in our places. The aforementioned friend got a couple comped tickets in exchange for selling them, and I basically had no excuse not to go. At this point it had been two years since I had gone to one at all. So much for one a year I guess.

FARM Fest July 2017, 4 days of bass music in the middle of the woods. No noise ordinance, no cops that were trying to drive 2 miles down a dirt road to intrude. Nothing but pulsing beats and a bunch of people I only knew through pictures. It didn’t take long to fall in love with each and every one of them.

On the last night, there was a storm. We needed the rain after 3 days of temps in the upper 90′s, but the lightning wasn’t what we wanted, and the music was quickly shut off. Right in the middle of Boogie T. We ran back to the campsite and decided the party was not fucking over, we’re all gonna continue sending it till the sun comes up. Through a series of silly spunion events, some jelly ended up on a plate. It became our beacon. This plate of jelly was to be carried around the fest, because why the fuck not. We asked people if they wanted some jelly, used “jelly on a plate” as a thing to yell out to find each other, and it was also the answer to any question that was asked. 

Once the rain stopped we decided to venture out to see if the Yheti sunrise set was still happening. The jellyplate came with us, and the rest is history. It went home with my friend and was encased in polyurethane, like a fuckin mummy (we still have it btw and it comes everywhere with the fam). It’s hilarious, and if by some weird chance someone is actually reading this and you think it’s weird, YA GOT DAMN RIGHT IT IS. And you know we love it.

But the thing is, I didn’t know that the best weekend of my life would be immediately followed by a total upheaval of everything I knew. You see, while I was out getting weird in the woods, my boyfriend was at home realizing he wasn’t in love with me anymore. The day after I came home, he ended it. We never fought, we never had “issues,” but for some reason, we still held each other back. It sucked at first, obviously. I don’t think I even have any recollection of the entire month of August. Then I went to Basscenter with the fam, and jelly on a plate, a trip that had been planned since way earlier in the year, before I even knew them. I spent the weekend reflecting, having great conversation, seeing a FUCKING AMAZING SHOW HOLY SHIT, and parading jelly on a plate around to spread (haha) the luv.

That weekend, I made my transition. I realized that I was happier. It was something I didn’t know I wanted until I just knew. I still love my ex so much, we were friends for 6 years and dated for 5. He’s one of my best friends and he always will be. After a month or so of weirdness, we finally settled past the tears and petty post breakup arguments. We’re okay. We’re happy. We talk every day, and some people might think that’s weird, but we did that before we dated. It’s almost like I got my friend back. It’s hard to explain.

But the main reason for my happiness and new found confidence is my motherfucking jellyfam. The people I have met the past couple months make me cry all the fucking time because of how beautiful they are. I feel like I finally, really and truly, fit in somewhere. I always loved the music, loved the scene, but never immersed myself in it because I was being held back. I was holding myself back. And not only do I love the events I get to go to, but I get to do it with the most amazing, kind hearted, and fun humans I’ve ever met. 

Last night at my friend’s housewarming party, myself, the friend I mentioned at the beginning of this post, and a new friend (who is an angel on earth) were chatting outside. I happened to mention this thing we did back in 2010, and angel-on-earth said “holy shit you guys have known each other that long? why haven’t you shown me her before!!!” This is a conversation we’ve all had a bunch of times. I tell my friend all the time that I regret missing out the past couple years, and more than a few new friends have verbatim told me that I was the missing piece to their squad they didn’t know they were missing until I was there. I don’t think I’ve ever had people appreciate me this much in my entire life, except for like my mom. 

Jelly on a fuckin plate has kept us all connected, and I’ve even been crocheting mini jellies for everyone since we can’t always be with the OG jelly. Sometimes I wonder how close I’d be with everyone if jelly on a plate didn’t happen at FARM. Like, if it was just a crazy weekend then we all went our separate ways. But the fact that a legit weird thing happened that carried over into our real lives made me think it was fate. Especially because my ex chose to break up with me literally the day after. I also think, what if we were still together? There’s no way I’d be doing everything I’ve done the past couple months. I feel like I fucking found myself. I have CONFIDENCE. Real, true, I’m-the-shit confidence. I spend my time bettering myself, and using that positivity to make everyone around me happy. I care about this family so fucking much, I can only hope I make them even a fraction of how happy they make me. I owe everything to my friend for adopting me into this squad, and for everyone else for instantly accepting and loving me. 

All of this because a bunch of spunions got some jelly on a fucking plate.

As we creep towards the end of the year, my reflections get heavier, and I start to think about the person I was in January. I think about what I’ll be doing this coming January. I can’t stop smiling, and shaking my head, like if only you knew, Past-Amanda. If only you knew.

“There will come a time in your life where you will ask yourself a series of questions: Am I happy with who I am? Am I happy with the people around me? Am I happy with what I am doing? Am I happy with the way my life is going? Do I have a life, or am I just living? Do not let these questions restrain or trouble you. Just point yourself in the direction of your dreams. Find your strength in the sound, and make your transition. Make your transition.”

#personal #hey tumblr its been awhile #i'm feelin chatty this evening #make your transition #jelly on a plate

[northenn]

My 100 yens about the album...

I’ll be brief. The worst album ever made. By humankind.

It’s so bad that if I were about to die and had some blood to waste, I’d probably use it to write this album name on the cold, hard ground. It’s so bad that my cat was in the same room while I was listening to the whole shit and she abandoned me on the side of a trafficked highway. It’s so bad that Death came at my door and when I asked her how bad I was she was like “nah man, you know, you’re kinda in a bad position but not as bad as this album”.

When they told me they were going to ask random artists the write them shit  they didn’t tell me said artists had already this shit written and that they used it to wipe their asses. Is this some kind of poetic revenge? For having forced so many good souls to play with Nishi on Sunday afternoons? Is this a dream? Is this a reality? Did I slip over the blood coming from my ears and died? Is that Subaru over my dead body? Is that Subaru that tiny, sad old man running in the distance with a bras in hand? Hold on, where’s my bras? Is that my bras? SUBARU YOU LIL PIECE OF SHIT COME BACK WITH M-

02. IMA That. Motherfucking. CRESCENDO. Them nanaNANANAAAANAAANAAAAA. I can’t. They did put it basically everywhere. Even the damn line before the chorus (that is the crescendo) basically grows on a crescendo. Subaru sings in crescendo. The violins go in crescendo. You know what else is in crescendo in this song? My balls. You have managed to get my balls in crescendo and I’m not even a man. You had Yoko Kanno for this one and you managed to lose her like that. It’s almost like having the chance to bring back Dax Johnson from hell and being like “Yo Dax, man! Since you’re gimme some of them Daft Punk vibes, will ya? Love you man, you the man!” Like. WHAT THE EVER LOVING FUCK IS EVEN WRONG WITH YOU YOU PIECES OF PIGS SCRA-

03. DO NA I For some reasons I dance the chorus of this one as Aserejé. Don’t ask, don’t know. It’s a good song after all. Kinda summerish, kinda happy, doesn’t pretend to be too much if not a song with two lines counted and a Gorilla that had a perfect chance to rap with the others during Egetsunai (hold on asshole, it’s not your moment yet) but probably during the recordings was like “I don’t mix with the plebs” and went out of the studios like a diva, flipping his fur coat all over his shoulders even tho it was mid August. It had me dancing like a polar bear shoot in the shoulder, which is always a good sign when it comes to the songs I like, so it’s okay. I guess.

05. YUME HE NO KAERIMICHI Okay, listen to this. Now go and listen to Aladdin’s A Whole New World. And don’t tell it’s not the same basic hook ‘cause I’m going to hire a llama to spit you in the face. I know the right people, I have the possibilities to do this. They needed an encore song. They needed it so badly that probably the writing of the song went on like: “We need LALALAS for people to sing over them while branding our new balls shaped concert torches”. “So you want a song with some LALALAS?”. “No, we ain’t need a song. We need LALALAS”. “LALALAS?” “LALALAS motherfucker.” They’re going to put this in the encore. We’re going to be forced to sing sixty-two hours of LALALAS while Subaru gropes everything on stage, Nishi watches him in awe from behind the curtains and the Gorilla thanks even his mother for having porked her husband 40 years ago and so having given him the chance to perform that day. Watch them. Get your balls torches ready and watch them.

06. EGETSUNAI I kinda want to hate on this one but at the same time I can’t ‘cause I know this is going to be FIRE during the lives. Ohkura asking Yasu if he needs some phone books to stand on to be seen. Subaru wondering if Yoko has fried his last brain cell left while doing the sauna. Yoko reminding us that Subaru drops his videogames in the toilet and then spends the evenings crying about it. Like. They’ve improved the dragging game so much that I feel that I, as a common mortal, all I can do is stare at them awe and praying for their benevolence. At least five of them are going to stab each other in the eyes during this performance before the end of this tour, god bless their hearts, this song has taught me so much.

08. NEVER SAY NEVER Imagine. You’re in theatre, watching with pounding heart uncle Ben getting shot for the sixth time in the span of seven years while all the hands of the uncles in the sala misteriously disappear between their legs, right where balls are supposed to be, and a general grasp grasp starts to be heard in the dark of the theatre. Uncle Ben dies in the middle of a busy street. And then, during a funeral full of black umbrellas, rain and people watching the ceremony from under a tree 4 chilometres away, the opening of Hamtaro starts playing. Now. Dwarf, with all due respect. NOW. I’m not saying the song is bad, what I’m saying is that all I’m hearing is “hey hey bon bon” and so will probably all the people attending to uncle Ben’s funeral. I’m not saying this is bad, but Elektra get an Amy Lee singing for her while all Spidey is going to get is you and other six crippled old men singing “dance dance”. Just. Just think ‘bout it, ‘kay? Friends as before, we’re chill.

10. S.E.V.E.N KOROBI E.I.G.H.T OKI “S.E.V.E.N KOROBI E.I.G.H.T OKI” *this going on for some time*

12. SEISHUN NO SUBETE Yume V 2.0 but this time we decided to cut Ohkura’s atrocious tower of babel off to give him that white, angelic voice that every boy under the age of eight has but that we don’t have enough money to hire so he can sing that one line. Also. You get a season, and you get a season, and you get a seaso- 13. ANSWER Q: Is George Michael really dead? A. No. I honestly have no idea what’s bothering me more in this song: if the Broadway Cool Gang Entering In The Scene Snapping Fingers, if the people happily clapping their hands while Yoko is singing in a futile attempt to cover his voice, if George Michael appearing in my room as the ghost of the past, the present and the future everytime the chorus starts or if them throwing up sounds towards the end of the song. Debate is opened.

14. NOSTALGIA AHAHAHAHAH. FUCK. YOU.

The regular edition is not around yet, so I still have no idea what Jam Lady and Ikiro are going to be. I’ve heard that for Ikiro members were requested to write their own scores, so I’m kinda curious for this one. Never mind, good souls exist and they’ve helped me to find Subaru’s long lost daughter. So, for the members song I have:

1.1. TRAFFIC If you’ve read the entire shit or even the first paragraph then you probably have a pretty clear idea of my opinion regarding this album. I did only pre-ordered one limited (the B) as soon as YesAsia released the album infos and that was it. By the end on the week I’m probably going to get myself the Regular, cause that’s how much this song is good. TRAFFIC is hands down one of their best band songs. It has balance, it has balls and guts and in certain ways it has managed to change their game when it comes to band songs. The classic guitar opens the song and is chaotic and never going to be heard again. The bass plays the boss role and appears predominatly during the verses. It’s loud and tight and it has the drums following closely, step by step. The trumpet appears only in the pre-chorus and speeds up the tempo. Then, all the instruments have this match midway song. Even the way the members split the verses has changed: Yasu challenged the beginning, Ryo forgotten his central role during the chorus and went second, Subaru and Ohkura somehow ended up together, speeding up together during the pre-chorus, Maru is first heard during the last bit of the song and funny enough the only instruments following him are the drums, keeping this strange balance of bass and drums, bassist and drummer. It’s refreshing. I guess there’re no other words to describe it: a refreshing, intense band song that dares to challenge the usual positions of the members.

1.2 IKIRO Subaru’s songs always have this weird “you can do it!” feeling. It’s kinda hard to explain, but it’s almost like you’re watching a romantic comedy and there’s this guy that realizes last minute how much he loves the girl that now is leaving the country and so he runs to the airport. Subaru’s songs are basically how I see the dude’s brain working as soon as he realizes he might still have a chance, if he manages to make it in time. Ikiro is not any different, with the only exception that before writing his guitar score the Dwarf went on Hendrix’s grave and spit on it in a challenging way. Ikiro is good song after all even tho it has some of this “already heard” feeling, some bits of LIFE, some others coming from their ballads I can’t really put my finger on. But you can still pick that hopeful, weird Subaru-ish sound and that’s the reason why I promote Ikiro after all.

So, in conclusion: TRAFFIC, IKIRO: GOOD ALL THE OTHER 26526 SONGS: THAT’S THE TEMPO DANTE WAS IMAGING THE DAMNED SOULS DANCING TO IN HELL

#no one gives a shit #my life full of surprises

[lunamxdness]

I was tagged by beautiful @missimbalance and i will actually do this one because it’s worth it.

1. When and how did you get into j-rock?

It was 2012, i had a two week holiday and decided to rewatch anime from my childhood. I was watching Rurouni Kenshin and heard that one L’arc~en~ciel ending that really marked me as a child so i watched the same video of L’arc playing that song live for seven days straight. Then later i downloaded Dune, watched Moonchild and saw Gackt and fucked up real bad. 

2. List your current most favorite band(s).

The same as always??? MALICE MIZER ofc. Honestly i can’t give up on this band, i love them, i cry every single time i watch a live video or when Mana says something about them on twitter. They never get old for me, even when i only have four albums to listen to and no hope for them to come back. 

My other fave band is La’cryma Christi. Obviously because my favorite guitarist is there but their songs are absolutely everything to me, they’re one of the best bands in 90′s visual kei scene and i’m so sad no one really pays attention to them. Also please sign a petition for Taka to stop with the jewelry bussiness and come back to sing with the boys. Levin is still leaving a space for him on the stage.

Lately i’m listening a lot to DADAROMA and Mejibray, i really like these two bands and i think they will be considered the best bands on vkei scene on the future. So please pay attention to them.

Buuuuuuuut LISTEN TO LIPHLICH YOU MOTHERFUCKERS!!!!!!!!!

Best band ever, no - it’s not only about Wataru, we have magnificent vocalist Kuga Shingo, super talented guitarist Takayuki Arai and the latest adquisition: the drummer Kobayashi Takaaki. 

This band mesmerizes me in terms of creativity, talent, concepts, they are wonderful and never ever disappoint!!!! Give them a try pls. 

Also, i love DEAD END/Creature Creature/Acid Black Cherry but my love for them is on standby. People who knows me knows why :^) 

3. How many j-rock concerts have you been to? (If you haven’t been to any, which band would you like to see the most in the future?)

None. The band i’d like to see the most currently is Malice Mizer, since it’s not possible, i want to see Creature Creature for reasons. 

4. Which j-rock band do you think is the most underrated?

I quote missimbalance - LIPHLICH is the most underrated band ever. Maybe some know who Wataru is but they don’t have idea who the rest of the band members are??? Honestly i’m just scared they will disband before they get big. Please support LIPHLICH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here i also want to say - La’cryma Christi is underrated. They don’t deserve this because for me KOJI and HIRO are geniuses on what they do and of course the rest of the band is as well but i wanted to focus on these two because they are very important!!!! They honestly have great albums and their music didn’t get stuck, it has grown just like them and honestly that’s the best that can happen in a band. 

5. Which j-rock band do you think is the most overrated?

“X. Mediocre metal with godawful vocalist driven only by big egos.”

Ok so, i don’t fully agree since i can digest a few X Japan songs but tbh they’re not that great as people claims??? I’m not doubting their skills, i know they’re good musicians, maybe some better than others, but i don’t get the hype about them?? And i tried but this band is not for me. Also i don’t respect Yoshiki at all, i find him a very funny very miserable character (woha look it sounds like my ex)

6. Who is your ultimate bias in j-rock? Optionally: Post your most favorite picture(s) of them.

My bias is HIRO but the original bias was Kami.

[i wanted to post that picture of them together but my heart broke]

7. What is your most treasured j-rock related memory?

How i met my friends here??? Is all related to j-rock so...also thanks to jrock/vkei i started talking to this dude. Overall my most treasured jrock related memories involve my two close friends, i annoyed them so much with pictures and bands and names, idk how i’m still friends with them. 

8. How do you support and enjoy j-rock the most? Buying CDs? Going to lives? Just full on going to Japan for it?

I can’t support them very much because i have limitations to buy CD’s (my country sucks) but i’ve bought some. Also i’m always checking on them on social media (does this one even count?) well idk. I don’t do much for them and i feel bad about it. Someday i will go to a concert, i swear.

9. How does your family feel about this hobby of yours?  

They don’t care??? And they don’t know much about it, i mean, they know they are some “weirdos” but they never told me “hey don’t listen to that, it’s weird”. My sister actually follows me on twitter so she knows pretty much about my taste. My older brother makes some comments from time to time but my dad defends me saying “no but this one dude - he really knows how to act”. My dad is a big miyavi fan, he thinks everybody’s like him. 

10.What is the craziest j-rock fandom story that you have?

I can only think of that one time certain person sent me an anon message saying she was treated like shit by polish fans at a DIR EN GREY concert. Don’t know why i got that message tho.

#txt #i tag no one bc i have no friends :))))) #bye #personal

[literaryclubiiti]

Growling Shriek(s)

DISCLAIMER: This is an admittedly light-hearted conversation about the trends of our most beloved IIT Indore between two not entirely happy-go-lucky stalwarts about to graduate. Following the tradition, this can be considered as a whole-hearted, but nonetheless well-intentioned rant. Reader discretion is highly advised.

By Amey Ambade and Ashish Bharatwal

(SCENE 1: SILVER MESS)

(It’s about noon on a Saturday in March. Amey is sitting on the wildly recognizable red chair, steel plate on the beige table, as ‘Tip Tip Barsa Pani’ plays loudly on the TV, almost in sync with the water dripping off the water filter behind him. He dons a grin as Ashish joins him, visibly frustrated.)

Amey: Dude, what’s up with your mess refund?

Ashish: Motherfuckers. They should be drowned in their own broth.

(Murderous glances from judgemental postgrads across the table)

Amey (unconcerned) : Hard luck, eh? What did you expect, though? Four years on, they’d understand why you dislike them? Didn’t you get to fill a pointless form to get something out of it?

Ashish: It’s not the first time I am getting the short end of the stick in IITI.

Amey: Not the first time you’ve said that.

Ashish (smiling) : Not the first time you’ve said that. You tend to be able to predict each other’s moves after this long a swim in the shitpool as comrades.

(Random Mess Guy comes up: ‘Bhiyaa, mess fees pay kar di na?’ They look at him disapprovingly, and taking the hint, he promptly disappears.)

Amey (doubtfully breaking a piece off a roti with bare hands) : Amen to that, brother. Chal, aaj khane mein kaunsi insect species ki discovery hogi dekhte hain. Talking of insect species, what’s up with E-Blockers suddenly hitting the gym?

Ashish: Well, whaddya know? Trying their best to feel good about themselves before leaving; what were they even doing the last four years, haha!

Amey: Ah well. You know and I know. Now that everyone else is in Simrol, I don’t know what eyeballs you speak of. I give the fad a month to drop off. We clearly couldn’t give two shits.

Ashish (chuckling with disgust) : Especially now.BTW, speaking of shits, look at this - Lauki Ke Kofte. BC’s trademarked turd-sized dumplings® are turning out to be a favorite of those who haunt the Jain food counter. Tatti khaaye par pyaaz na khaaye.  

Amey (proud to not have made the unfortunate sabzi choice) : Chuck that, chal Fresco chalte hain, Snickers pe fir se PayTM cashback aaya hai.

Ashish: Yeah, I have to get a couple of photocopies too. These B-schools! Why do they even have CAT if that is just meant to be a ‘Fuck you!’ to mediocrity?

(They leave the mess, their untouched food-laden plates still on the table. The freshness outside is liberating, it’s like getting out of a green fart convention.)

Amey (finally inhaling air) : Perceived mediocrity… Thodi toh political correctness chahiye, bhai. But yes, I agree. I’ve been swamped with my MS applications lately, and they are equally exhausting. Thinking about our lives after graduation is perhaps more frustrating than trying to maintain a straight face when Batra talks. Add to that the lifelong terror that we will take away from boarding harmfully yellow buses, and lo, you have the recipe for a migraine.

(They reach Fresco, and scan through the hastily placed products. Amey discreetly picks up a Zandu Balm)

Ashish: Remember when as freshmen we were singing at the top of our lungs the lewd version of ‘Chahun Main Ya Na’ and didn’t give two shits when we noticed a furious Batra peering over us ominously from the half-open door? Ah, I miss those careless times.

Amey: And the countless number of times we partied with complete disregard for the neighbors or Digant? It helped that we had no immediate neighbors, aur guards to apne jigri thhey. But with no authorities to piss off now that everyone except us is thankfully in Simrol, it’s like, hum kiske dimag ko shot de ab?

(They’ve collectively picked up stuff worth 150 bucks but will pay only a hundred because subsidy.)

Ashish (showing his phone screen) : Hey, look at this article in ToI: Fluxus event winners haven’t received their prize money. This one guy says IITI owes him fucking 10k. Much ado about Fluxus every year. The only ones happy are the OCs, until last year, right? From what goes around in the campus, they reported earnings of 3000 from Sunidhi’s concert, and an attendance of 3000 in the media. What an absolute load of crap?! 70 lakh mein toh teen decent Fluxus ho jaayenge BC.

(They’re walking, surrounded by the white buildings with eerily jail-like black railings that have defined their time in Silver Springs. Now that Silver isn’t infested with overexcited juniors, final years are loitering in the quaint streets.)

Amey: I still stand by my idea to only have an e-Fluxus to save the money and the Kejru-level shaming.

Ashish: Haha, if only you knew e-Fluxus actually happened this year. We had a middling singer Shirley Setia adorning the terrains of Simrol. I also heard Aditi Agrawal was their second choice, now that she has her own YouTube channel. Way to go!

(They get to the lift, sharing it with the classically unconcerned 4th floor wali aunty as they hear the dulcet voice on loop, touting “Please. Close. The Door. Krupaya. Darwaza. Band. Karein.” Somewhere, Hodor’s soul is shedding a single heavenly tear.)

Amey: The terrains of Simrol! There’s some places in our new campus that look like scenes from True Grit, Blazing Saddles and Mad Max were filmed there. I could swear the dust twisters could effectively upend an unsuspecting Simmi and Avnish holding three Cormens each. Avnish will probably be ecstatic about that, too.

Ashish: It’s miraculous how so few cases of asthma have popped up given the dust bowl Simrol is and the number of students cooped up in there. We are a resilient lot, I must say.  

(They get out of the lift on the famous 3rd floor and enter D-314.)

(SCENE 2: ROOM)

Amey: We’re wasting an entire sunny afternoon for my bloody transcripts. ( He pauses to check a news notification on the antics of a certain orange unhinged toddler-psychopath.) You have to agree, though, with all the negatives aside, isn’t it actually pretty convenient to navigate around the half-built pods in pyjamas?

(They change in a minute, time is important here, and Amey reaches for his shoes. There’s no way he’s going into the arid Wild West in flip-flops. Ashish checks the bus schedule on his phone. They have bus schedules, for fuck’s sake, doesn’t that say a lot by itself?)

Ashish: Yes, but that doesn’t outweigh having no good food, good booze and good company in a ten-kilometer radius, does it? Taste Butts? Screw you, Rohan Rathore.

Amey (disapprovingly) : No cash, only college Smart Cards accepted. And you have to try the infamous Chicken Fried Rice. Nothing screams appetizing as half-cooked rice with boiled chicken bits and spring onions sprinkled on top to emphasize the near non-existent efforts that went into serving it. Maybe if our batch was shifted to the forsaken place too, we wouldn’t have had such a pessimistic opinion. Maybe angoor khatte hain.

(Both take a minute to check if they haven’t forgotten their ID cards and proceed to exit the building. ID cards hold more importance in the Simrol campus than platinum credit cards.)

Ashish: But then I wouldn’t have been able to go to TIME for classes twice a day at ungainly hours. (Phone pings) Iss Utkarsh Kumar Singh ko chayn nahin hai. And then there’s the IIT Indore Discussions and Complaints and Grievances and Suggestions and Repercussions and Discombobulations and Fornications page. People have no chill, this Gymkhana has no chill. Which is a good thing, actually. This one tried its best to make things right. The Constitution was a pretty good move.

Amey: Yeah, they tried to right some wrongs. Avadhesh is hands-down the most proactive Gymkhana President I have seen, especially in regard to being responsive. Can’t say the same about the vigilants-in-their-own-right juniors who were more concerned about lengthening the mail threads with their bull than making their contribution count. The juniors really get on my nerves sometimes.

Ashish: Sometimes? Hah. What have the Quiz and Literary Clubs been up to? I count one… two… three… Three events in the last year, both our clubs combined - no aggressive, only passive, these runts. I’m pretty sure we left the clubs on high notes, but the future for these exclusive groups of students seemingly aspiring just for PoRs is obscure at best. The clubs are almost decrepit now, but the enthusiasm to forward mails from other institutes’ fests has not dwindled a bit.

Amey: Our work defined these clubs, but I agree, lately, confusion seems to have taken them to a standstill.

(They board the dangerously yellow bus after a 10-mile walk)

(SCENE 3: FREAKISHLY YELLOW BUS)

(Amey proceeds to sit on the right side of the bus. Arey naive child.)

Ashish: Bhai, uss taraf dhoop aayegi.  

(They sit on the double-seat and share a headphone. Ashish bangs ‘Another Day of Sun’)

Ashish: I can listen to the ‘La La Land’ soundtrack on end. This and Abusive Aunty Mix and Chodu Singham...  Did you know they caught a third guy for downloading umpteen gigs of porn @36MBps in Simrol?

Amey: Kya?! Yeh kaise hua bhai? That poor pervert.

Ashish: The IT guys can obviously track you in the new hostels. The surprising thing here is, they cared enough. They ALWAYS care when it comes to the quotidian aspects of student life gone slightly haywire. Khaane mein keede se koi problem nahin hai, par Frooti ka payment overdue hai toh expulsion.

Amey: Well, if one guy hogs the whole network, others have to come jumping like it’s The Dawn of The Rise of The Dusk of The War for the Planet of The Apes. I remember how we used to go bat-shit crazy when someone was downloading the latest episode of Game of Thrones from our gareeb 80GB limited Airtel networks when we already had it. Some people were so goddamn serious about the bandwidth they’d become whinier than a Goth kid trying to find his eyeliner.

(The bus hasn’t started yet. CultSec boards. Bus revvs.)

Ashish: Here comes our poor sacrificial lamb. He should wear a tee that says, ‘I am Kalash and I am not a terrorist’.

Amey: Sir, I have known him since my first day at IIT Indore even though that is technically impossible, but impossible is just a word at IIT Indore and apparently everyone had such a good rapport with him so they decided to keep him 22 km away. <insert GRE words image here>

(Both chuckle and greet Kalash, who proceeds to sit behind them.)

Amey (checking phone) : Naya email. Best BTP submissions ke liye. Alag hi! BTP awards are farcical. No interdisciplinary uniformity in grading or evaluation. Two submissions from Mech and both got some prize or the other at the Symposium because of their presentation.

Ashish: Or just plain luck. Still, man. Our BTPs saw some real effort. Our many advisors deservedly became Associate Professors. It was high time, wasn’t it?

Amey: My faith in the IITI academic system is still maintained thanks to these hardworking guys. You remember how hard they had to fight to get us great courses for a Minor degree?

Ashish: The Minor program was unarguably the best decision that defined the academic policies for our batch. And the future batches too.

Amey: Personally, I’d love to see a core subject Minor for the new batches. And Abhishek Sir is the best DoSA we have had since Granny’s left Silver Springs. He’s doing a commendable job, especially given all the student shenanigans.  

Ashish: I think you discount the students’ role tad too much. Our batch has some of the best coders in the country. Utkarsh and the Shah bros are going to the ACM-ICPC World Finals, hopefully turning it into an institute tradition. Then we have prodigies like Tripathi. These guys have done a lot to promote the coding culture at IITI, if only by setting examples. Look at the placements and internship trends you and I noticed this year at the PO: we are near the top of the ladder in India as far as CS is concerned. But more focus on other branches would not do harm, would it *rant intensifies*? 

...Look at the abysmal performance by Electrical and Mechanical; for a decent salary we non-CS guys either have to learn programming and leave our core studies for the night before the exams, or go into research, or take GATE or CAT or IES or IAS or KLPDS and what-not! While we as students need to grow balls and learn how to not get swayed away by first CTCs, some push from the institute would be great.  

(Amey isn’t listening. Notwithstanding the growls and *shaking* of the bus, Amey is cozily napping.)

(The bus stops at the campus main gate after what seems like the whole length of ‘Jodha Akbar’ and ‘What’s Your Rashee?’ combined.)

Entry Gate Security Guard: Sir, ID card. (Ashish has been pretending to sleep too because guard overlook karne ki probability 80% hai and as accent-torn Deepika Padukone in xXx quotably says: he likes his odds.)

(These adamant seniors are not giving up)

Entry Gate Security Guard: ( unable to cut the bullshit, nudges Ashish) Ser! (shudder) ID.

(reluctantly pulling out his ID, Ashish mumbles under his breath.)

(The insidious dust has broken Amey’s sweet nap. He coughs as the scarily yellow bus proceeds into the vastness of the campus.)

Amey: Look, kids with donation boxes for used clothes. AVANA has consistently been on a roll. Although the sight of someone silently looming over you as you sleep, whispering ‘Thatty Rupes’ is almost as scary as the time we watched The Descent and shit ourselves simultaneously crying and laughing.

Ashish: ( in an impressive Marathi accent) Nepali Vachli bhau. Nepali Vachli. (Both share an inside joke as the bus comes to a halt. Destination reached.)

(SCENE 4: SIMROL)

Amey: ( getting down) In the end, that’s what matters. Although persisting regionalism is a good talking point for students, with all its pros and cons.

Ashish: Closely-knit antelope herds are not easy to penetrate.

Amey: Is that the first time you’ve said that? (another chuckle shared, this is getting cheesy) I don’t even remember why we came here. Oh yes. Transcripts.

(A friendly junior smiles and greets them. In contrast to the shade thrown in Simrol, cordiality is still burgeoning here.)

Amey: There are perhaps no stronger polar opposites than AVANA and SESC. I might be horribly wrong, but from what we’ve noticed, it seems like SESC has become redundant and unproductive. The startups they have been promoting either sold stationery or just took the MHRD grant for pizzas, getting bundled up in a matter of months.

(They approach the Physics Pod complete with cinderblocks to cranes and the evergreen sounds of metal hammering. )

Ashish: Yeh bik gayi hai SESC. Ab is SESC mein kuch nahin hai. Yeh saare milke humko pagal bana rahe hain m--

(Ashish stops abruptly as Professor Vishvakarma passes by, greeting them briefly.)

Amey: This guy is THE man. Our Placement Office and the IAC would never be as well-established without him. What’s up with IAC this year?

Ashish: Santosh Sir worked selflessly for both Placements and the Conclaves. Never will the student members be as happy and well-fed as we were under his rule. Haan, this year’s IAC is going to be a mish-mash effort by Rajveer - all hot air and no real content. Ah, who cares? It is anyway under a different professor now.

Amey: But you must admit, PKU sir has been a worthy successor to SKV. The Placement Office is working as a well-oiled machine thanks to him. Won’t you miss our Placement Office perks?

Ashish: Do you mean the divine morning coffees, occasional mayo sandwiches and sour-ass lemon teas or the long hours of highly productive meetings and equally unproductive bakchodi? We’ll definitely miss both.

(They get to the new Academic Office. Ashish listens to the incoherent dialogue between Amey and Rinki Ma’am, and watches her give Amey his precious transcripts.)

Amey (whispering) : Tapesh sir and Rinki ma’am have really grown on us fourth-years, haven’t they?

Ashish (whispering back) : Yeah. I used to get a cold shoulder earlier. Last time I was offered tea. I guess they understand how being seniors is difficult and that our problems begin to get more genuine as we grow through the college. Familiarity here bred sympathy, instead of contempt.

(Cut to: One hour later they leave from SS in an Uber to the city as the dangerously catchy

Swachh Bharat jingle is being heard everywhere. Pity the driver of those poor garbage trucks, people. You can only listen to so much of Kailash Kher and the Chorus Kids. Hey, Kailash Kher and the Chorus Kids sounds like a decent band name.)

(SCENE 5: INDORE CITY)

Ashish: Yahaan Johnny ke paas rok dena, bhaiya.

(They get out of the Nano and pay using PayTM because demonetization. The driver is conveniently named Ramesh. He frowns over not having received cash. Bitches.)

Amey: Where our fuckbois at?

Ashish: Dugar and Bapat are at Sam’s (free) Momos, they tell me. Diggi, Govil, Dhaivat and Avnish are having Fire Paan. Prajwal is at Nafees for biryani. Damn! His attraction to biryani is borderline sexual!  

Amey: Can you blame him? It is magnificent. Though not as magnificent as the one we had at the notorious Love Palace party. Our juniors will never experience the thrill of gatecrashing a wealthy Punjabi’s lavish food fiestas.

Ashish: That was quite a fiasco! The Curious Case of Love Palace! The slaps, the drunken brawls, the humiliation, and, in the midst of it all, the most delicious meal we have ever had, owing in large part to its absolutely undeserving our shorts, slippers and hoodies.

(For our unwitting readers, on 24th February 2014, allstudent received a mail inviting us to the housewarming celebrations of an ostentatiously built residence, the Love Palace that falls on our way to the Axis Bank ATM in Silver Springs. We turned up in full strength, especially the first years who were early to arrive and plunder and leave. Our super-seniors flocked to the open bar, exhausting it of its offerings within an hour. As it turns out, the mail was a hoax perpetrated by *insert_mysterious_name_here* and we were actually not invited. The hosts were gonna have none of that shit. What followed was some lit slapping and thrashing game from our truly Punjabi hosts, which effectively ceased all the faggotry in mere minutes. Amey and Ashish obviously escaped unscathed because they were dressed decently, which was a camouflage. The Bhatias, in the week that followed, saw the wrath of the slap-ees in the form of broken car windows and some dope graffiti. Some of the first-years got their long-overdue slaps well in advance, though.

This event was perhaps one of the most happening ones at IITI, even more than a few Fluxuses. Or is it Fluxii?)

(As they gobble up a hotdog each, they see their homies approaching and a shitstorm of banter follows)

If you’ve manage to read all of the rant above, you can flatten as you go up. The writers want you to know that despite all its flaws, IIT Indore is actually a pretty good place to be, and they cherish their years here. Ashish (rather suspiciously) knows the roll numbers and names of all the people here, and Amey knows how to ignore them. The best hostels in any IIT system, the united outcry that we so often witness (*cough* mess *cough*), a filial feeling that comes with the perk of having a small student population, and the shared respect for friends, professors, and everyone else around, definitely make our IIT Indore journey memorable.

(BONUS)

[email protected]  : Wish you all a great life ahead, Batch of 2013–17!

[email protected] : And I

#iitindore batchof17