First bands?

[klavierbarrette]

^ lol

they were one of my first, too, actually, i went thru a gackt phase

[akirakitano]

Akira gets to tell a story! ^^;;

Let's see...when I was a little kid, like around 5-years-old, I was getting to know my father since my parents had divorced when I was born. He was a retired Navy veterain (my dad was 51 when I was born) and had spent time in various countries around the world. So little Akira was watching good old Sailor Moon in Japanese one saturday morning and my dad noticed I was singing the opening theme in Japanese. Asked me if I liked it and I said yes. He asked me why since I couldn't understand it, did I like it? So I told him it really didn't matter if I couldn't understand the words, the meaning was still there.

My father being the awesome man that he is dug out of his closet an old viynl record of X-Japan he had found awhile back and asked me if I wanted to hear it. Thus JRock was born into Akira's life <3

Now I'm nearly 21-years-old and am aspiring to be a Translator. I tutor various classes in Japanese, I still watch anime, and yes...I still love JRock. I'm going to the JRock Revolution in a week up in L.A. and really despite a lot of things my life couldn't be better. I honestly believe that JRock had a hand in it.

JRock buddies makes the best friends

In case you were wondering my father is 72 now and he still offers me random JRock bands to listen to XD

[Chenka]

My first Japanese band was L'Arc~en~Ciel, and I heard them for the first time nearly 6 years ago. A friend of mine had a Japanese penfriend and that penfriend had sent her an audio tape with some L'Arc~en~Ciel songs on it. So my friend let me listen to it and I was hooked. They've been my favourite band ever since They got me interested in Japan and in music in general (before I listened to them, I wasn't interested in music at all).

After L'Arc, first Malice Mizer and Dir en grey followed, and from there on I can't remember anymore.

[Vessicator]

I think it was Miyavi. I could be wrong, but I think it was Miyavi.

lolz jibun kakumei.

[booh]

Uhmm... it was Mad Sky by Pierrot. I wanted to see a Video of them then I put J-rock in Kazza I chose a random videos and one of them was Gekka... and well I get into Malice Mizer, I loved them immediately and I thought Mana was a girl XD.

[klavierbarrette]

Akira gets to tell a story! ^^;;

Let's see...when I was a little kid, like around 5-years-old, I was getting to know my father since my parents had divorced when I was born. He was a retired Navy veterain (my dad was 51 when I was born) and had spent time in various countries around the world. So little Akira was watching good old Sailor Moon in Japanese one saturday morning and my dad noticed I was singing the opening theme in Japanese. Asked me if I liked it and I said yes. He asked me why since I couldn't understand it, did I like it? So I told him it really didn't matter if I couldn't understand the words, the meaning was still there.

My father being the awesome man that he is dug out of his closet an old viynl record of X-Japan he had found awhile back and asked me if I wanted to hear it. Thus JRock was born into Akira's life <3

Now I'm nearly 21-years-old and am aspiring to be a Translator. I tutor various classes in Japanese, I still watch anime, and yes...I still love JRock. I'm going to the JRock Revolution in a week up in L.A. and really despite a lot of things my life couldn't be better. I honestly believe that JRock had a hand in it.

JRock buddies makes the best friends

In case you were wondering my father is 72 now and he still offers me random JRock bands to listen to XD

awesome.

[akirakitano]

awesome.

thankies ^^

[xbiinex]

I got curious about jrock about 1,5 years ago after reading some articles in newspapers and magazines. The very first song I found and listened to was Kodou by Dir en grey. That song was much better to me than anything I would have expected so I started searching for more. I bought Withering to Death and I really liked their mixture of brutality and nice melodies and the fact that their singer could both growl and scream and actually sing as well. Something I've been missing in a lot of bands I actually like.

Language has never been an issue for me. I've already listened to so much music in all sorts of 'exotic' languages. To me it's the music that counts and the feeling that it evokes in me - irrespective of any language.

However, after listening to some of their older songs I lost interest for a while and discovered other bands, like D'espairsRay, D, 12012 and many many more which I came to like and which I think are easier to get into. It was only after watching some of Dir en grey's live stuff that I re-discovered my interest in them.

At the moment I listen to quite a lot of jrock but I like a whole lot of other music as well. I just see it as a diversification of my musical taste and knowledge which in my opinion is always a good thing.

[KUON]

Akira gets to tell a story! ^^;;

Let's see...when I was a little kid, like around 5-years-old, I was getting to know my father since my parents had divorced when I was born. He was a retired Navy veterain (my dad was 51 when I was born) and had spent time in various countries around the world. So little Akira was watching good old Sailor Moon in Japanese one saturday morning and my dad noticed I was singing the opening theme in Japanese. Asked me if I liked it and I said yes. He asked me why since I couldn't understand it, did I like it? So I told him it really didn't matter if I couldn't understand the words, the meaning was still there.

My father being the awesome man that he is dug out of his closet an old viynl record of X-Japan he had found awhile back and asked me if I wanted to hear it. Thus JRock was born into Akira's life <3

Now I'm nearly 21-years-old and am aspiring to be a Translator. I tutor various classes in Japanese, I still watch anime, and yes...I still love JRock. I'm going to the JRock Revolution in a week up in L.A. and really despite a lot of things my life couldn't be better. I honestly believe that JRock had a hand in it.

JRock buddies makes the best friends

In case you were wondering my father is 72 now and he still offers me random JRock bands to listen to XD

I have a hard time believing this.

A 5 year old saying this "So I told him it really didn't matter if I couldn't understand the words, the meaning was still there. ". I think a 5 year would say stuff. It sounds funny or they are cool or stuff. But not "yea the meaning is there".

ROFL. So when you were 5 he was 51 and already retired.SO he must been in the army when he was in japan lets say till he was? 45? So minus 6 years. And your now 21. so 21 - 5 = 16 . So 16 years ago your dad was 51 and lets say he was in japan short before he got retired about 45. So 16+6=22 years ago. 2007 - 22 = 1985. So barely any japanese knew X japan then. But your dad did.

Maybe I am just wrong. But I have a hard time to believe you.

EDIT:
And according to myself and a friend X Japan never had a vinyl recod.
Care to give an explanation? I could be wrong, but we will see.

EDIT 2: Source, her myspace: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=136024466&blogID=254769565&MyToken=d13fb67a-c59c-4788-accd-ffc634949dfc

This is a conversation I had with my father, 72, earlier today...we were driving around doing errands...this is why he's awesome...well, one of the many reasons

(the megaman techno was playing on my radio)
Dad: Hey....this is neat!
Akira: What?
Dad: This song...is this that 'JRock' you were telling me about?
Akira: XD no, no, this is just techno

For someone who intrdoduced Japanese Metal/Rock to you. He sure knows a lot.[/Sarcasm]

[Striphe]

so true

[akirakitano]

My father retired the Navy a long time before I was born, but he still had Japanese friends. He really loved Japan, and he still does, I obviously have no idea about the vinyl record, as my father had a lot of them so I assumed it was a vinyl, it's what I remember, regardless of whether or not that is what actually happaned I have no idea, could have been a tape, but I was like 5 and I remember a vinyl so that's what I said. I'll gladly call up my father and ask him about it to get that part straight if you so desire. I'm actually doubting that part of my memory myself now that you mention it.

By the way,

My father was born in 1935.

2007 - 1935 = 72

I was born in 1986, and as I said my father was 51 when I was born...

1986 - 1935 = 51

2007 - 1986 = 21 (though my birthday is in August so I am currently still 20)

I've heard 5-year-olds say some intelligent things, believe it or not, kids are a lot smarter than people give them credit for, but again, this is something I can't prove so I digress.

I honestly don't mind if you don't believe me, that's your right as a human being. My father does know a lot, however, it wasn't called JRock when he was introducing it to me, or that's not what we called it. Just "Japanese Rock" or just "Rock" even. Abbreviations don't make sense to him sometimes. In all truth X-Japan was one of two bands he introduced to me and the rest I found, like the rest of you, branched out from there. I give him much more credit that he actually did, but he deserves it so I don't mind. Apparently, you do. I honestly understand that it's hard to believe, but other than having my father tell you himself, I have no way of proving it to you. So please take it as you will.

EDIT: I looked it up, and you were right there were no vinyl records of X-Japan, I'm sorry in assuming so without doing my research. I thought it was, but apprently not. Forgive my ignorance. My memories are off it seems

[Culo]

X did have vinyl records, the "I'll kill you" EP was released in 1985, as well as some demo tapes. also the first editions of Blue Blood and Vanishing Vision were in vinyl.

Still I find it hard to believe when people start saying they got into japanese rock when they were little kids (i've read many of this BS on the internet, but you clearly notice they're such n00bs who started from anime openings - not saying this is bad anyway, just not wanting to accept it and make up stupid stories about "my aunt is mana's friend and I got the first moi dix mois CD in 1993").
in this case, it's hard to believe a retired army man got a record from an independent heavy metal band from Japan, but who knows... it'd be funny to see a picture of your dad holding the X vinyl btw!

[akirakitano]

in this case, it's hard to believe a retired army man got a record from an independent heavy metal band from Japan, but who knows... it'd be funny to see a picture of your dad holding the X vinyl btw!

he's retired NAVY and yes I did get into it from an anime opening, I have no shame in that. I'll ask my dad if he still has it and to take a picture with it, I do have a photo of him hugging a hide plushie though, I'll go and find it and post it if you like.

I didn't think it was so hard to beleive but maybe it's just cause I lived with the man XD oh well, I understand everyone's arguement, I don't think I'd believe it either, reading it over. My father did introduce me to X-Japan though, whether or not anyone believes it. ^^

[lovetrick]

you really need to shut the fuck up

[Asagi-chan]

My first J-rock band was B'z.. i remember wich song it was and it's still one of my favourites from them: Love Phantom. I remember the feeling of listening something that looks like Opera style of instrumental (sth that i always liked) and then he started to sing in japanese.
At first, listening to japanese was really strange, i was 15 and for me, english was always the best language ever. (but unfortunatly not my mother language .__.)
But with time i started to love it and then i listened to other things. L'Arc~en~Ciel, Aucifer, Hironobu Kageyama. Ayumi Hamasaki's album called Duty.. another surprise for me. I always thought that japanese women sounded like the animes, really cute and no voice, but she was amasing. I discovered Do as infinity and BoA both with women vocalists and very good singers too.

My first Visual Band was X-Japan and then Malice Mizer. Then slowly i got into other things when i started to have internet. It was Dir en Grey, Gackt (solo work), Moi dix Mois, Hide (solo) and then a lot of other bands like Gazette, Vidoll, D'espairs Ray, Schwarz Stein, etc.

Now i listen to all kind of japanese music but my favourite type's still J-rock. ^^