[Uber Goth-Industrial Live & DJ] Here is the 2010, second-half schedule for TDC. Tokyo Dark Castle (TDC) is the main event for the Gothic underground in Tokyo. Populated by the best-dressed Goths from all walks of life TDC delivers some of the best live acts and DJs in the scene. This makes TDC a must-see on any Goth agenda.

TDC have the second half’s event schedule for 2010 and rather than do a single post each time the event is set to roll.

Unless otherwise stated, TDC begins at 12 midnight Saturdays and goes through to the early morning (around 6 a.m.). Remember that as with all overnight events you need photo ID to enter.

Web site: http://tokyodarkcastle.org/

Where: Marz Shinjuku
Address: Dai-Ichi Tokiwa Building B1F, 2-45-1 Kabuki-cho, Shinjuku, Tokyo :: 新宿区歌舞伎町2-45-1 第一トキワビルB1F
Tel: 03-3202-8298
Price: 3,000 yen adv. :: 3,500 yen @ door

Event Schedule for TDC in 2010:
July 3 (Sat) TDC Vol. 65
August 7 (Sat) TDC Vol. 66
September 4 (Sat) TDC Vol. 67
October 16 (Sat) TDC Vol. 68
November 13 (Sat) TDC Vol. 69
December 4 (Sat) TDC Vol. 70

TDC have the second half’s event schedule for 2009 and rather than do a single post each time the event is set to roll.

Unless otherwise stated, TDC begins at 12 midnight Saturdays and goes through to the early morning (around 6 a.m.). Remember that as with all overnight events you need photo ID to enter.

Web site: http://tokyodarkcastle.org/

Where: Marz Shinjuku
Address: Dai-Ichi Tokiwa Building B1F, 2-45-1 Kabuki-cho, Shinjuku, Tokyo :: 新宿区歌舞伎町2-45-1 第一トキワビルB1F
Tel: 03-3202-8298
Price: 3,000 yen adv. :: 3,500 yen @ door (DJ Castles are 3,000 adv. and @ door)

Event Schedule for TDC in 2009:
June 6 (Sat) TDC Vol.53
July 4 (Sat) TDC Vol.54
August 1 (Sat) TDC Vol.55
September 5(Sat) TDC Vol.56
October 17 (Sat) TDC Vol.57
December 5 (Sat) TDC Vol.58

TDC have announced part of the event schedule for 2009 and rather than do a single post each time the event is set to roll, all details will be held on this page.

Unless otherwise stated, TDC begins at 12 midnight Saturdays and goes through to the early morning (around 6 a.m.). Remember that as with all overnight events you need photo ID to enter.

Web site: http://tokyodarkcastle.org/

Where: Marz Shinjuku
Address: Dai-Ichi Tokiwa Building B1F, 2-45-1 Kabuki-cho, Shinjuku, Tokyo :: 新宿区歌舞伎町2-45-1 第一トキワビルB1F
Tel: 03-3202-8298
Price: 3,000 yen adv. :: 3,500 yen @ door (DJ Castles are 3,000 adv. and @ door)

Event Schedule for TDC in 2008:
January 17 (Saturday) Vol. 48 (DJ Castle)
February 14 (Sat) TDC Vol. 49
March 07 (Sat) TDC Vol. 50
April 04 (Sat) TDC Vol. 51
May 02 (Sat) TDC Vol. 52

(More to come later!)

I guess since I have been persona non grata in the local Goth scene and launched the surprisingly successful Gothers.com site has taken me away from the ol’ JGoth site and the monomaniacal urge to write about local events has disappated. Not to worry, the major planned events are up and if you are already in the scene you probably have a lot more knowledge of upcoming events than I could put up here.

I miss the gigs and parties and people and vibrancy of this underground scene, but there is never enough time these days. I hope to get to a gig or two later in the year.

For now I just want to say hello to my blog and anyone who is reading it. And if you are looking for party information start by searching Tokyo Dark Castle or Midnight Mess in the search box. Or if you are in Nagoya look for Stigmatic and in Osaka, Dark Veil I think.

Fangs for the memories, I’ll be back soon.

TDC have announced the event schedule for 2008 and rather than do a single post each time the event is set to roll, all details will be held on this page,

Unless otherwise stated, TDC begins at 12 midnight Saturdays and goes through to the early morning (around 6 a.m.). Remember that as with all overnight events you need photo ID to enter.

Web site: http://tokyodarkcastle.org/

Where: Marz Shinjuku

Address: Dai-Ichi Tokiwa Building B1F, Kabuki-cho, Shinjuku, Tokyo :: 新宿区歌舞伎町2-45-1 第一トキワビルB1F :: Map

Tel: 03-3202-8298

Price: 3,000 yen adv. :: 3,500 yen @ door

Event Schedule for TDC in 2008:
January 5 (Saturday) Vol. 36 (DJ Castle)
February 2 (Sat) TDC Vol. 37
March 01 (Sat) TDC Vol. 38
April 05 (Sat) TDC Vol. 39
May 03 (Sat) TDC Vol. 40
June 07 (Sat) TDC Vol. 41
July 05 (Sat) TDC Vol. 42
August 02 (Sat) TDC Vol. 43 (DJ Castle)
September 06 (Sat) TDC Vol. 44
October 18 (Sat) TDC Vol. 45
December 06 (Sat) TDC Vol. 46

My first overnight stay at Tokyo Dark Castle for over a year was damned exciting. The crowd was a bit different from what I remember with only a few familiar faces, but they were pumped up and ready to scream. Japan’s Golden Week is usually a pretty light time in terms of people turnout (because everybody runs away to their hometowns), but this event was pumping with a comfortably crowded Marz club and more cool fashion than you can point a sparkler at. Gothic, lolita, cyber, leather, fetish, dreg (uh me), and more.

Auto-Mod
The band was fiery hot. Auto-Mod were in fine form with a fantastic set featuring ye olde metal grinder (a real one flashing out sparks and shit), fireplay, and a meatier sound that showed these local underground legends that they can continue to deliver to today’s audience. The band has come a long way in the past 14 months when I last saw the start of the change with the new line-up/arrangement.

Lloy
Lloy smashed my pre-conceptions of thinking of them as a moody alt-rock band. These guys are hard rock with strong femme vocals making them a very hot item on stage. A number of people inside the scene told me they were damned good – I just didn’t know how good until I saw them for myself!

Baal
I was primed for insanity by this time, but I was not prepared for the next act – my dear friends Baal. They just ripped shit up on stage and had the audience screaming and jumping to their hard-punching cybernetic industrial rock. I have loved Baal’s live performances since I first saw the band, when it was known as Chronotrigger, in 2005. A t that time I knew they were a fresh, harsh industrial group who’ll electrify any crowd, but even now Baal has kept on ratcheting up the intensity, power and its appeal to the point where it truly is one sexy dominating beast on the scene! While they are my friends, I am being completely honest in my comments – they are that damned good! Check the video at the bottom!

Destruct System
Finally I scoped Destruct System who I have seen at a number of events. These guys are harsh hard rock that is just plain hot. Where Baal left off, DS took over turning the lower level of the two-tiered Marz venue into a grinding pit of Gothic flesh. They know how to connect with any crowd and their sets are varied to suit the tastes of the night (metal, Gothic, electronic, etc.) , so you will get something a bit different every time you see them. These guys are damned good and can ignite any crowd with their intensity.

So that wraps that up. Tokyo Dark Castle is bigger and flasher than ever. All the bands are stepping up the intensity to deliver an array of hard-hitting sounds that will soon be able to shed the “J” moniker and be considered as part of the global Goth scene. And the crowd is growing all the time.

As for me personally, turning up after a long hiaitus as a cybernetic entity, it was kind of strange. There were some familiar faces, but I am a stranger again. It was good to catch up with a few good friends and see just how far the scene has progressed in the past 12 months.

Baal @ Tokyo Dark Castle

[youtube sZkGVfrB9VU]

The December event avoids the pre-Xmas rush and New Year’s dirge by delivering post-punk-rock Auto-Mod, industrial rock from Destruct System and Gothika and more on the first day of December.

December 1, 2007 :: Tokyo Dark Castle #35
Where: Marz Shinjuku
Address: Dai-Ichi Tokiwa Building B1F, Kabuki-cho, Shinjuku, Tokyo :: 新宿区歌舞伎町2-45-1 第一トキワビルB1F :: Map
Tel: 03-3202-8298
Bands: Auto-Mod, Destruct System, Mira Kurumi, Gothika and Demons.
DJ’s: Chihiro, Taizo, Sisen
Exhibition: Luna Park and more.
Open: 24:00
Price: 3,000 yen adv. or with flyer :: 3,500 yen @ door
You can find reservation forms on the TDC site, but you can also book by contacting your favorite band.

A special thanks to the band for giving me the okay to show this little viddy!

Want more? Check out Baal’s official site or Baal on MySpace for the real Baal experience!

There are a few other videos on my YouTube space, but beware… I didn’t know about the volume control for those.

Auto-Mod :: info
The bands were fiery hot. Auto-Mod were in fine form with a fantastic set featuring ye olde metal grinder (a real one flashing out sparks and shit), fireplay, and a meatier sound that showed these legends of the local scene can continue to deliver to today’s audience. The band has come a long way in the past 14 months, when I last saw the start of the change with the new line-up/arrangement.

Lloy :: info
Lloy smashed my pre-conceptions of thinking of them as a moody alt-rock band. These guys are hard rock with strong femme vocals making them a very hot item on stage. A number of people inside the scene told me they were damned good – I just didn’t know how good.

Baal :: info
I was primed by this time, but I was not prepared for the next act, my dear friends Baal. They just ripped shit up on stage and had the audience screaming and jumping. I have loved Baal’s live performances since I first saw the band as Chronotrigger in 2005 (A fresh, harsh industrial group who’ll blow you away), but Baal has kept on ratcheting up the intensity, power and its appeal to the point where it truly is one sexy beast! While they are my friends, I am being completely honest in my comments – they are that damned good!

Destruct System :: info
Finally I scoped Destruct System who I have seen quite often at a number of events. These guys are harsh hard rock that is just plain hot. Where Baal left off, DS took over turning the lower level into a grinding pit of Gothic flesh. They know how to connect and their sets are varied to suit the tastes of the night (metal, Gothic, electronic, etc.) so you will get something a bit different every time you see them. These guys are damned good and can ignite any crowd with their intensity.

So that wraps that up. Tokyo Dark Castle is bigger and flasher than ever. All the bands are stepping up the intensity to deliver an array of hard-hitting sounds that will soon be able to shed the “J” moniker and be considered as part of the global Goth scene. And the crowd is growing all the time.

As for me personally, turning up after a long hiatus as a cybernetic entity, it was kind of strange. There were some familiar faces, but I am a stranger again. It was good to catch up with a few good friends and see just how far the scene has progressed in the past 12 months.

There is also some great stuff afoot with a some fuck yeah! news, a couple of viddies but more on that stuff later…

Crowd As beautiful as ever. The dress was more style-oriented than fantasy-oriented tonight. There were more people than normal for TDC as it was in part kind of wake for Isola. Cheers to the guys who made it out, said hello, etc. There were quite a few gaijin from various corners of the globe about to boot.

Venue While I like Marz for the funky two-floor layout, it pales compared to Deseo, which had a nice foyer space to talk and more space in general. Marz works very well for smaller events, but once you reach a certain crowd size it just gets uncomfortable – tonight’s TDC was probably a comfortable size for Deseo, but not for Marz space. There was nowhere to escape to and talk (unless you’re “staff”) and if there is a fire, then you’re all going to die! Don’t get me wrong, it is a good mid-size place for events, and would be good for a quiet TDC (Golden Week for example), but regular TDC nights will be a bit of a squeeze. I hope they move the event for Halloween, which shall be most insane!

Music
Up to the usual high standard of TDC, there were no misses. The sounds ranged from the ambient, classical to extra industrial.

Auto-Mod
Slightly longer set with some Hindi-like riffs being added. The new direction works well for the band, bringing out a new accent for the band along with Selia’s addition in back-up vocals. Would I go to a gig just to see them? Goth/metal rock events – for sure.

Speed ID
Liked them a lot and strong Goth sound. I shall keep looking for their outings in future. Would I go to a gig just to see them? Yes – quite an interesting group I want to learn more.

Phantasmagoria
More ambient sounds with two sweet voices plus violin. The singers are very good (as usual) with an operatic style, but the performance seemed lack-luster due to a heavy reliance on taped sounds. I guess I shouldn’t complaint, but with the interlude live acts at previous TDCs (e.g. Vexation and Selia) had more power with straight live performance. Would I go to an event just to see them? Hard call. The voices are great and work well in Goth or ambient scenes, but I just feel they need one more musician…

Destruct System
Hard-assed all the way. Sounds to riot by – and people did with a bit of light moshing and surfing. Would I go to an event just to see them? Oh yeah, as long as I had some Japanese genki drinks (power drinks like Red Bull… except more potent with liquid nicotine and other stuff you wouldn’t believe).

Calmando Qual
Showing that a band from the visual kei scene can rip out some good dark, rocky, gritty sets. Would I go to a gig just to see them? Hmmmmm. Yes, I think they’ve got a good mix of sound and delivery.

Despair
As always the craziest, maddest industrialists around – more mosh-stuff, I just held the stage barrier and tried not to bounce back into the riot behind me! Would I go to an event just to see them? Absolutely! Yes damn it! Yes, yes, yes.

DJs
The addition of Jude, Wakana and Taizo to Chihiro and Violet made the DJ sets as zesty as the bands themselves.

Selia
Armed with his harp, the supremely beautiful sweet soprano provided a last farewell for the night. Smooth as honey the whole way through. Would I go to an event just to see Selia? Absolutely.

Overall, a very good event. In terms of the bands and DJs it was one of the better TDCs. However, venue size was an issue. While it was a sad closure for many, it also re-affirmed that life goes on and should be celebrated.