Okayama

Japan, April 2016

That time … I learned to be on time.

In grade 10, I discovered my first obsession: Gackt. What is “Gackt”? The 14 year old me would describe him as the most gifted musician with voice of an angel and a face chiseled by kamisama (god) himself. Of course 12 years later, I do not share the same enthusiasm as I once did.

After finishing choreographing my two weeks Japan Railway trip – I learned that Gackt was performing in a city near me at the time. Even though the ticket was out my concert budget ballpark – I decided to spoil my 14 year old before it throws a tantrum.

In North American concerts, one expect the main act to take stage 1-2 hours after the schedule start. Well, I was wrong. In Japan, time is of the essence. Please do not replicate the following behaviours at home:

The concert starts at 6 pm and as I ran into the concert at 6:30 pm Gackt was already in middle of the first act. As I was shamefully escorted by a staff into my seat – I took my cellphone from my bag and wanted to record this historical moment. Immediately, I felt a tap from my neighbour seat. She gestured to put my phone away. I then realize that nobody was holding their phone or any recording device. During the period where the performance was silence – you can hear a pin drop – like in a movie theatre. A woman in a nearby seat started to chat on her cellphone and was escorted out by staff. Gackt sports genres from pop to rock to visual-k to ballad. Lastly, no alcoholic beverage was sold or brought into the concert hall. It was almost like treating a rock concert like a classical concerto.

Obsessed