X JAPAN's world tour plans for 2011

elanor · **Reply #570 on:** September 09, 2011, 08:07:28 PM

our Yochan - really strange sense of humor, not nice to bring his fan at the edge of a heartattack, really not

I hope for all the fans waiting for the show in Sao Paulo that everything id figured out now and all of you will have a wonderful time

andi3 · **Reply #571 on:** September 09, 2011, 10:35:48 PM

Maybe it's some kind of "contest" or something, like if u offer your flight you get to meet the band or something like that... Doesn't make sense if it's just a joke.

MiXu · **Reply #572 on:** September 15, 2011, 02:28:31 PM

Surprise surprise, the setlist was the same in Argentina. Some videos.

Intro - Jade

Rusty Nail

Silent Jealousy

Art of life

Sugizo screws up the tapping solo in Silent Jealousy and the solo in Rusty Nail isn't particularly good..
I hate to say this because Sugizo is my favourite guitarist but only in Luna Sea. His solos have some emotion that in my opinion no one else has...
But for X his techinal skills are inadequate. I haven't seen him perform even one of hide's solos well.
I really don't like the situation because otherwise SGZ really fits X and hell no I don't want to hear playbacks. But I think that one of the reasons why they don't play songs like Weekend is because sugizo couldn't play the solos...

Feudal · **Reply #573 on:** September 15, 2011, 04:51:09 PM

Quote from: MiXu on September 15, 2011, 02:28:31 PM

Surprise surprise, the setlist was the same in Argentina. Some videos.

Intro - Jade

Rusty Nail

Silent Jealousy

Art of life

Sugizo screws up the tapping solo in Silent Jealousy and the solo in Rusty Nail isn't particularly good..
I hate to say this because Sugizo is my favourite guitarist but only in Luna Sea. His solos have some emotion that in my opinion no one else has...
But for X his techinal skills are inadequate. I haven't seen him perform even one of hide's solos well.
I really don't like the situation because otherwise SGZ really fits X and hell no I don't want to hear playbacks. But I think that one of the reasons why they don't play songs like Weekend is because sugizo couldn't play the solos...

I feel similar to you on this issue. I really admire Sugizo as a guitarist and I've noticed his rather sloppy performance on the solo's which bothers me because I truly believe he is capable. There's loads of covers on YouTube of people playing their songs/solo's perfectly so why can't we expect a professional of his caliber to do so as well? I've wondered why we haven't seen a return of Weekend or Dahlia; who knows if it's because of the intensity of songs such as Dahlia (especially on Yoshiki) nevertheless it's a very technical song all around. The weekend solo isn't that hard, hell, even an amateur like me can nearly pull it together...there's also the dumbed-down Last Live version which is not as technical as the original track on Blue Blood.

MiXu · **Reply #574 on:** September 15, 2011, 05:15:43 PM

Quote from: Feudal on September 15, 2011, 04:51:09 PM

I feel similar to you on this issue. I really admire Sugizo as a guitarist and I've noticed his rather sloppy performance on the solo's which bothers me because I truly believe he is capable. There's loads of covers on YouTube of people playing their songs/solo's perfectly so why can't we expect a professional of his caliber to do so as well? I've wondered why we haven't seen a return of Weekend or Dahlia; who knows if it's because of the intensity of songs such as Dahlia (especially on Yoshiki) nevertheless it's a very technical song all around. The weekend solo isn't that hard, hell, even an amateur like me can nearly pull it together...there's also the dumbed-down Last Live version which is not as technical as the original track on Blue Blood.

Yes I also thought that some time ago and I thought that it was a matter of practice, but for example in this old video he plays both hide's and Pata's solo for X and does a very good job. And those solos really aren't the easiest oness... And he was somewhat young at that time so he should have gotten even better.

But then.. seems like that's the only song he masters. And it can't be a matter of practice because as you said, he is a professional. For me it just seems like he can't play. The "guitar battle" at Yokohama was pretty much awful and seemed like that his floyd rose was the only thing, that he knew how to use. And he has played Rusty nail something like.. 15 times live and none of them hasn't really impressed me. And yes he should definitely be able to play Dahlia because that's really easy. But I think the reason why they don't play that sonf is because they might have some traumas from the last time when they played it in 2009

. That was horrible.

Feudal · **Reply #575 on:** September 15, 2011, 05:27:25 PM

Hahaha yea I just had to go and rewatch Dahlia in 2009 to see how bad it was...just sloppy all around, especially from Yoshiki cause if he fucks up, it generally throws everyone off key. He clearly wasn't 100% ready for that song because he was looking at music sheets during it. I think it's funny he was probably thinking "FUCK what was I thinking when I wrote this?!?!" And yes I remember that video with Sugizo, he played X very well. I guess despite being a long term professional, people do slip into ruts and can get worse, especially since Sugizo had such a long time of NOT playing that kind of music or solo. Still....I'm an amateur guitarist and with a few months practice I can play a few of their songs so that's when I revert back to thinking, nope...no excuse. I think Sugizo has a very cool style but it's a little too crazy or wild for X's songs...hide played them perfectly in a sense that he was usually very spot on technically and you could almost decipher each note while playing. Listening to hide Rusty Nail solo during Last Live and Sugizo during these tours is night and day...Sugizo's sounds like a mash up.

Joker · **Reply #576 on:** September 15, 2011, 07:05:13 PM

Come on, guys. You say this like hide NEVER missed anything. I can get some videos of hide missing notes in Silent Jealousy and Rusty Nail and any other song, like Yoshiki also misses, Pata misses and even ToshI misses the lyrics.

I really liked Sugizo playing the Rusty Nail solo. He will NEVER play like hide. He plays his own style. And I think is good. Silent Jealousy and Kurenai don't have so much space for "changes", so he plays exactly like was wrote.

Sugizo is an awesome guitarist and is perfectly able to play X solos. He played X, Silent Jealousy, Blue Blood... many songs perfectly. They just need to let him play and kill the hide ghost playbacking in Art of Life. Then starts to other songs. I really would like to see Dahlia solo played by Sugizo. I think it would be good.

elanor · **Reply #577 on:** September 15, 2011, 08:56:31 PM

from the very beginning it was important for Sugizo to be hisself and not a single replacement for hide, like he said in an interview (http://www.musicjapanplus.jp/specialfeatures/2291/sugizo-first-interview-with-musicjapanplus-part-1/&page=3) and hide said in the last interview he gave at the day he died, that for him it´s a difference between X-Japan, where he is a "hired gun" what he likes and his solo work, where he can do what he want. So maybe out of this different points of view result the different ways to play. In the above mentioned interview Sugizo also said, that he thought X stuff is easy to play after he was listening to the music, and later when he was told to play he realized how difficult and complex the composition is. So maybe he got sometimes problems to do it right and sometimes not. Or maybe is is even overburdened with all the things his doing

Noise · **Reply #578 on:** September 15, 2011, 11:51:06 PM

I think you guys might be reacting a bit too harsh. To me in a live concert it doesn't really matter if not every single note is perfect. If I'm completely honest, I wouldn't really notice it during the live. Of course it's a completely different story if you're watching footage of it in front of your computer. The most important thing for a live concert is the feeling it brings to the fans who are watching it live. And those people will not have the time/can't be bothered to watch and listen like a hawk waiting for a mistake to be made.
It's not fair to compare live footage taken by the audience on phones and small cameras to those DVDs of past concerts. Those are heavily remastered and thoroughly doubt that hide played the solo's perfectly every single time. I might even go as far as saying that it's nearly impossible to both play perfectly and give the audience a good show. And at the end of the day it's more important that the people who came to see them enjoy the experience.

nemetroid · **Reply #579 on:** September 15, 2011, 11:59:17 PM

The Silent Jealousy solo feels more like a one-off than an indicator of general performance. He's played that solo very well many times. As for the Rusty Nail solo, I think it's more about Sugizo playing the solo in his own style. The solo from Argentina is very similar to those he's played earlier in the tour. It's understandable if not everyone likes it though, since it is quite different from hide's solo.

Feudal · **Reply #580 on:** September 16, 2011, 12:12:23 AM

Quote from: Noise on September 15, 2011, 11:51:06 PM

I think you guys might be reacting a bit too harsh. To me in a live concert it doesn't really matter if not every single note is perfect. If I'm completely honest, I wouldn't really notice it during the live. Of course it's a completely different story if you're watching footage of it in front of your computer. The most important thing for a live concert is the feeling it brings to the fans who are watching it live. And those people will not have the time/can't be bothered to watch and listen like a hawk waiting for a mistake to be made.
It's not fair to compare live footage taken by the audience on phones and small cameras to those DVDs of past concerts. Those are heavily remastered and thoroughly doubt that hide played the solo's perfectly every single time. I might even go as far as saying that it's nearly impossible to both play perfectly and give the audience a good show. And at the end of the day it's more important that the people who came to see them enjoy the experience.

True, I agree that in hindsight you notice all of the mistakes etc, however, mash ups (not pertaining to Sugizo) such as Dahlia 2009 are simply a disgrace even live. Thinking about it, the lack of Weekend and Dahlia quite well be just Yoshiki's call on what he thinks should be played and what he is capable of. I guess my only gripe is how short the set list is that they're using throughout the entire world tour. Throw in an acoustic or something light to give Yoshiki a rest then come on with Dahlia, Blue Blood, Weekend etc. I don't have much hope for the next world tour in terms of set list because you can bank on it mirroring the "new" album, which is comprised of 80% songs we already know.

denx · **Reply #581 on:** September 16, 2011, 03:02:38 AM

Quote from: nemetroid on September 15, 2011, 11:59:17 PM

The Silent Jealousy solo feels more like a one-off than an indicator of general performance. He's played that solo very well many times. As for the Rusty Nail solo, I think it's more about Sugizo playing the solo in his own style. The solo from Argentina is very similar to those he's played earlier in the tour. It's understandable if not everyone likes it though, since it is quite different from hide's solo.

actually i prefer how hide played the solo than sugizo solo on rusty nail. i will prefer if sgz played what exactly what was recorded on the studio, if sgz played on his own way, i feel like the solo is not original anymore. just my thought..

Wick · **Reply #582 on:** September 16, 2011, 10:24:41 AM

Discussion we had many times...IMHO Sugizo's image is really good for X Japan but I've never been a fan of his technique. Good for Luna Sea but not for power metal like someone said here before. For a professional guitarist that plays that much he isn't very skilled using the same scales often and a pretty sloppy technique.
hide also made mistakes but I think not as much as Sugizo and hide makes solo's sound better but that's a matter of taste. I wasn't impressed of Sugizo's performance when I saw him live. Some solo parts were played using a backing track and I don't think it was meant as a tribute to hide. His violin playing wasn't much better.

Pata was sloppy aswell. I think it's quite an issue how pata and sugizo play now for X Japan becoming a major band in the Western countries. I think their populairity now is mostly based on their achievements in the past. Some say they played best in the Jealousy era but I also like them at the Last Live. I know it's edited but still it's really tight. A shame they couldn't keep that level.

Savior for X Japan as a power metal band: http://www.x-freaks.com/forum/index.php?topic=6046.0

Feudal · **Reply #583 on:** September 16, 2011, 11:19:39 AM

Yes, we are being heavily critical on Sugizo (even myself) but it's true that he was taken on as a fill in in a role that sounds a lot different than his style. I've already accepted that they will never reach their prime again or be as tight..even if they were to practice harder and longer...I think it's just age, especially with Yoshiki...his fills are still amazing and it's a wonder he can play these songs after all this time but it will never be as tight as the past. There's times now during the tour where he's like racing to complete a fill because it's so complex..like he's half a second behind and sometimes has to skip a hit or two to complete it. Still think he's amazing though and as someone above said, you rarely notice minor things like that live and it's only in hindsight like now. All in all, I'm happy as hell they are the way they are now. They are as close to X Japan before disbandment as we're going to get and I think SGZ is a great fit because he is a good guitarist, plays the songs damn well (not perfect but really, who is?) and adds the violin which is really cool...I think it's good they are adding something new. So what if they're heavily riding on their success of the past, each of them individually and as a group have earned my respect and many more than most musicians/bands can ever do.

Wick · **Reply #584 on:** September 16, 2011, 02:01:00 PM

Something positive about Sugizo. Sorry if someone noticed before but I like his outfit at SUMMER SONIC 2011. He's taking the role of replacing hide very seriously hehe
It's a nice reference to hide.

ForeverFades · **Reply #585 on:** September 16, 2011, 04:20:16 PM

I suppose all we've had growing up have been the edited tour footage and CDs and we've been raised with this idea that X-Japan is infallible and amazing and wonderful, and of course they are and always will be- at least to me. Now, however, we have them back as before and everyone has a phone with filming capabilities and we can film each and every moment and capture every slip up.

I've heard and seen footage of Pata playing X and totally, and I mean TOTALLY, fucking up the solo to the point where it was painfully obvious he was drunk out of his mind, and I've heard and seen footage of hide botching a solo and being late, but you have to dig to find those since a lot of the footage nowadays is the perfection edits.

I agree with Feudal. I like Sugizo and I think he's a good guitarist, I've heard him play the solo perfectly and I've heard him be sloppy with it a bit. Same with Pata, Heath, Yoshiki, and Toshi(he's missed an entry or two). They know the songs and know them well, but to err is to human and I think we just gotta be accepting of that rather than scrutinize every second of every piece of footage we come across.

MiXu · **Reply #586 on:** September 16, 2011, 04:48:51 PM

Of course hide missed notes and that's totally acceptable bacause no one's perfect. But what made me to start this conversation was the fact, that if I wouldn't be familiar with X Japan and I would only hear an audio track of them playing Rusty Nail live with Sugizo doing the solo.. I would think that the guitarist is 15 years old and plays a bad solo with too much wah-wah and other effects. And like I said before, I love Sugizo and he is my favourite guitarist but only in Luna Sea.
This is just my opinion. And of course music is a lot more than guitar solos

Let's put it this way... If it was a youtube cover of someone totally random playing only the solo of Rusty Nail and doing it like Sugizo does, would you give it a thumbs up and think it was good? I definetely would not.

Wick · **Reply #587 on:** September 16, 2011, 05:02:50 PM

Quote

I would think that the guitarist is 15 years old and plays a bad solo with too much wah-wah and other effects.

haha you're even harder on Sugizo then I am!

MiXu · **Reply #588 on:** September 16, 2011, 05:05:33 PM

Quote from: Wick on September 16, 2011, 05:02:50 PM

Quote
I would think that the guitarist is 15 years old and plays a bad solo with too much wah-wah and other effects.

haha you're even harder on Sugizo then I am!

But if I knew it's him I would think that it's very good

ForeverFades · **Reply #589 on:** September 16, 2011, 05:08:22 PM

I suppose that's where the difference lies. The solo is in Sugizo style, I'm not opposed to how he does it and I like that he's not trying to be hide. I understand that the solo has notes and he hits 'em, but he makes it noticeably him. Like in the Dragonland cover of Rusty Nail, I don't fault them at all for giving it their own obvious flare. It's obviously an X-Japan cover, but it's blatantly Dragonland.

I got no hate for the Sug-man, I think he's had some big shoes to fill not just talent wise but legend wise.

Joker · **Reply #590 on:** September 16, 2011, 06:31:46 PM

Some people like hide version of solo, some people like Sugizo's version of solo. This happens. Use Rusty Nail solo to show if one guitarist is better than other is ridiculous, is just the extreme fan{boy/girl}ism appearing.

MiXu · **Reply #591 on:** September 16, 2011, 07:22:30 PM

Quote from: Joker on September 16, 2011, 06:31:46 PM

Some people like hide version of solo, some people like Sugizo's version of solo. This happens. Use Rusty Nail solo to show if one guitarist is better than other is ridiculous, is just the extreme fan{boy/girl}ism appearing.

No it's not. Sugizo hasn't made his own solo for the old song, he has just changed some little parts. So he's bascily just covering the old ones. That's extreme SGZ-fanboyism to say "sugizo has his own style" when he time after time screws up some part. Like the tapping part in Silent Jealousy, he hasn't played it even once as fast as it's played in the original version. He always gets behind the tempo at that part and that has nothing to do with his style.

Joker · **Reply #592 on:** September 17, 2011, 04:04:56 AM

Quote from: MiXu on September 16, 2011, 07:22:30 PM

Quote from: Joker on September 16, 2011, 06:31:46 PM
Some people like hide version of solo, some people like Sugizo's version of solo. This happens. Use Rusty Nail solo to show if one guitarist is better than other is ridiculous, is just the extreme fan{boy/girl}ism appearing.

No it's not. Sugizo hasn't made his own solo for the old song, he has just changed some little parts. So he's bascily just covering the old ones. That's extreme SGZ-fanboyism to say "sugizo has his own style" when he time after time screws up some part. Like the tapping part in Silent Jealousy, he hasn't played it even once as fast as it's played in the original version. He always gets behind the tempo at that part and that has nothing to do with his style.

So I ask you: Sugizo missed Silent Jealousy solo once. Do you really think that hide played so perfectly as on the well-known edited DVDs?

About the tempo, did you notice that the whole band can't play on the same tempo anymore, including (and mainly) Yoshiki? Pay 10 cents of attention to the drums.

MiXu · **Reply #593 on:** September 17, 2011, 09:42:38 AM

Yes I did notice that about the tempo. And I have said it many times before that I know that hide didn't always play perfectly.
But Sugizo has messed the solo more than once and when he according to most you "plays it perfectly", I still found that very sloppy and not-so-good. I don't know if you love him too much to think that he isn't good. Or maybe I'm too critical.

ForeverFades · **Reply #594 on:** September 17, 2011, 10:17:22 AM

To be honest and entirely candid, I'm not a huge J-Rock fan. I knew of Luna Sea, but if you were to ask me to name ONE song... I couldn't. I can name only one song by Sugizo himself as a solo act because of my girlfriend but that's it. I have no adoration to Sugizo at all, I just think- considering his past with Yoshiki, the record label, hide, and all(Juno Reactor and the ilk)- he's done a pretty rocking job with X-Japan.

Wick · **Reply #595 on:** September 17, 2011, 12:11:40 PM

I also noticed they lowered the tempo but I usually pay attention to the guitars. I thought they lowered it because of Sugizo or more likely Pata. I didn't notice Yoshiki couldn't keep up. Heath shouldn't have a problem with it I guess although Taiji had. How Taiji played Black Widow with Loudness was almost in slow motion!
I thought a good guitarist would perhaps improve all this but you guys say it has probably more to do with Yoshiki??

Feudal · **Reply #596 on:** September 17, 2011, 02:26:31 PM

Was the show in Lima, Peru last night a bust or something? It's unusual for Yoshiki to not have tweeted anything all night. I figured there would be at least one stop that would not be as successful so was Peru the one?

elanor · **Reply #597 on:** September 17, 2011, 02:32:46 PM

@ wick: may got to do with all of them? They are no longer in their 30´s, so may be it´s for them like for all of us, they take it a bit slowy now...
and btw. Yoshikis disease is something really serious, others are invalids after that and stay at home sitting on their sofa...

@Feudal: may be the lack of twitternews is caused by occupation of Yoshiki by several nurses

(he was menacing long enough with that), no just kidding, no idea

elanor · **Reply #598 on:** September 17, 2011, 06:25:13 PM

http://www.facebook.com/SUGIZOofficial

found this on Facebook, seems, that Sugizo liked it, so it couldn´t a total bust....

Feudal · **Reply #599 on:** September 17, 2011, 09:13:36 PM

Alright, what the fuck...Yoshiki is taking this nurse thing a little too far...