Alamode Night November 08

Since I didn’t have this blog when I first went to Japan back in November 08, I thought I’d import some of my entries from my livejournal. Here is my account of the first ever goth club I went to in Tokyo, Alamode Night (not formatted very well).

What an experience this was! On the one hand it was one of the strangest things I’ve ever been to. On the other, I felt warmly embraced by the gothic fraternity from the other side of the world. I’m just a big fangirl, I suppose, and was stoked to meet people I’d seen in the Goth Loli book and on various websites.

I’d arranged to meet up with Carmen, a Canadian Chinese expert in the Japan goth loli scene and author of a high-profile blog I’ve linked to before. Her account of the night is here:

On the way there, I was obviously looking lost and a girl rescued me. She could see by my gear that I was going to the same club as her, so off we went! Just a block or 2 from the club, Carmen herself appeared behind us.

Once inside, the first people I lay eyes on are the performers Rose de Reficul and Guiggles, of the Dark Marchen, along with King (chef by day, wing-hatted performer extraordinaire by night.) We also met the gaijin who performs with them as the Candyman. They all have characters, you see. There’s also a geeky clown (or otaku pierrot, as Carmen called him), and a clumsy gimp ballerina swathed in bandages. Rose and Guiggles you may have seen on the back cover of the Gothic Lolita book.

Before long, the organiser Dee’s Valentine came up and welcomed me (we’d exchanged a few mails on MySpace first). I felt really at home. People were nice to me, many many had dressed up immensely, and I was just soaking in all the weirdness. Unfortunately, tho I saw a cool looking guy with glasses and long dreads, I didn’t speak to him. I found out later he was DJ Chihiro, wearing really different make-up to usual. Doh!

There were a couple of singing acts – Pudding Alamode, and Noro, who weren’t really goth. But I guess anyone a bit weird can fit into this club. It was good fun when she sang “Take On Me” – Carmen and I were singing back-up in the chorus.

Then there was a fashion show, with a circus type theme and performers amongst the models. In between acts, I’d chat to a few people. One guy invited me to Midnight Mess, another goth club, but it was on after I left. Next time.

So, Dark Marchen. It’s a strange ethereal Victorian/Rococo mime act to music. A little is planned, but a lot of it is improvised. Dramatic and intense, I was spellbound by the act. Chatting to them afterwards proved that they were really nice as well as talented.

Their performance can be described as: “butoh-emo (underground/melancholic/angst), hybridized with Victoriana inflections of romanticism and sentimentality, dramatically infused with post Gothic dark-psycho-pathos.” Here is another item in Carmen’s blog about them.

Check them out here www.victorian666.com/ and on YouTube

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5hq1JQLlY4]

I really didn’t want to leave afterwards, and it was with great sadness that I said my goodbyes. I’ll be back!!

	Carmen She has a great blog all about goth loli fashion, Tokyo stores, clubs, etc. See La Carmina
	Me at Alamode We camwhored near the lockers before heading to the 2nd floor for the club.
	You lookin at me?
	Dee’s Valentine the organiser of Alamode, and me. Apparently he doesn’t usually allow photos of himself. You can see some normals in the background, who were there to see the pretty girls in the fashion show.
	The amazing Dark Marchen group They were sitting in this old-style circus booth – awesome!
	Sometimes they smile 🙂
	Me and the Candiman He was from Vancouver Canada and has been with them a long time.
	Me and ? He gave me a flyer and invited me to the next Midnight Mess – but it’s when I’m back here 🙁
	Rose de Reficul She was lovely. Very friendly, and an entrancing performer as well.
	Fashion Show The label was Pays Des Fees.








	??? Not sure who he was, but he looked great in his victorian garb.
	the amazing mauve-haired girl
	Noro No, she doesn’t look goth to me either. Her sound was synth electro, and we weren’t that into it until she sang “Take On Me”!
	Me with my Kirin beer.
	Clown in fashion show, and DJ Chihiro If you look at the person far left in the audience with the glasses and long hair, you see DJ Chihiro!! No, I didn’t recognise him either, and failed to meet him 🙁
	DM
	The wonderful King You couldn’t even tell til the end, that one of his platform boot heels had come off. What a mover! What a trouper!
	Rose getting emotional
	Rose
	King strutting, in his amazing hat The man was constantly interesting to look at.
	3 of the DM men singing an aria or were they howling at this point?
	King, Guiggles & Rose.


	Carmen and Otaku Pierrot She had a strange crush on the geeky one, for some reason! (My eyes were elsewhere…)
	Rose singing
	The King and I (geddit?) Yes, I have a bit of a girly crush 🙂
	I got his hat!
	Candyman, having retrieved his chuppa chup from the floor, intimidates the parrot