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Music

X marks the spot

X JAPAN and VAMPIRES EVERYWHERE at Massey Hall (178 Victoria), tonight ­(Thursday, October 7), 8 pm. $39.50-$69.50. RTH, TM. See listing.


Japanese stadium rockers X Japan have all the makings of American-style rock mythology: success on a massive scale, tragic deaths in the band, a bunch of really weird shit at shows.

But this hard-hitting, high-styled Tokyo-based powerhouse is only now beginning to wow Western markets, thanks to their first-ever North American tour.

Since forming in 1982, X Japan have sold over 30 million records and played to sold-out crowds at the 50,000 capacity Tokyo Dome an astounding 18 times. Founding members Toshi and Yoshiki (both go by single names) are considered musical royalty in Asia, performing for heads of state and basically doing whatever they want.

But the band’s success – first secured in 1989 with their sophomore record, Blue Blood (King), a classically inspired take on speed-metal – has come with deadly consequences.

In May 1998, just after X Japan disbanded at the height of their popularity, lead guitarist Hide was found hanged in his Tokyo apartment. A wave of copycat fan suicides followed – though heartbroken band members maintained his death was an accident – and 50,000 attended a public memorial. Police eventually ruled that Hide had taken his own life.

“When Hide died, I didn’t think an X Japan reunion would be possible,” Yoshiki recollects on the phone from a tour stop in Seattle. “He was such a great friend, we couldn’t imagine playing without him.”

But with demands for a reunion through the roof, the band worked out a high-tech solution: in 2007, they played their first reunited shows alongside a ghostly holographic projection of Hide constructed from old video footage.

“It was too real,” admits Yoshiki. “We all broke into tears.”

While he won’t rule out future holographic appearances, Yoshiki says the sizable soft-seat theatres they’re playing on this tour are simply too small to support the complex stadium-scaled projection system required to resurrect their fallen bandmate. However, the band’s reputation for take-no-prisoners theatrics and spectacular visuals promises to make these “intimate” appearances memorable nonetheless.

For a band used to the stadium circuit, performing for 2,000 people is actually challenging. “Looking out and seeing everyone’s faces made me a little shy,” laughs Yoshiki. “I wasn’t sure if I should look into people’s eyes or not.”

Tailoring their music to Western tastes has also meant making some changes.

“We’ve been playing harder, heavier songs, and fewer ballads,” he says. “We also take fewer breaks, and most of all, keep the energy level high.”

music@nowtoronto.com

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