L'arc-en-Ciel

L’arc-en-Ciel

Considering that shows in their hometown pull upwards of 125,000 fans, their upcoming performance in Paris must seem like a tiny pub show in comparison. But on the 9th May, this band will take the stage at the 6,000 capacity Le Zenith venue, marking the biggest J-Rock show Europe has ever seen. Meet L`arc-en-Ciel …

A history of the band reads something like a Japanese Guinness Book Of World Records. For 15 years the multi-platinum rockers have been selling out shows across Asia including Mega-locations like the Budokan Hall and the Tokyo Dome several times over - once selling the latter out in 4 minutes flat. In 2003, their seven consecutive shows at the Kokuritsu Yoyogi Kyogijo Daiichi Taiikukan Stadium sold out in 3 minutes flat (That’s 87,035 tickets in 180 seconds).They’ve sold 13 millions records across 15 albums, all of which have seen a minimum number 2 chart position in the Japanese album charts.

The tickets for their 9 consecutive shows at the Tokyo Dome (Japans biggest indoor arena with a capacity of 50,000 people) were completely sold out. Last year L`Arc-en-Ciel simultaneously released 12 singles, all of which entered the Japanese Top 20 in the same week.

The success story of the band started in 1991 in Osaka, where Hyde (vocals), Tetsu (bass), Pero (drums) and Hiro (guitar) formed the band, named after a French movie.

Just two months after their foundation, L`arc-en-Ciel announced their first sold out shows. On the 10th of April 1992 the band released their first album, “Dune” via mailorder which sold out before it had even seen it’s official release, entering their native land’s charts at #1. This caught the attention of Sony Music, who signed the band that same year.

Although undeniably Japanese in sound, L’Arc-en-Ciel fuse eighties rock, metal and new wave; listen carefully to L`arc-en-Ciel’s music and you’ll hear influences from bands like Mötley Crue, Depeche Mode or The Cure, but with a sound distinctively their own.

Perhaps it’s this unique fusion that attracted the 12,000 American fans who turned out to see them play show outside of Japan, in Baltimore USA in 2004 - a milestone for the international J-Rock scene.

Now L’Arc-en-Ciel is coming to Europe, with a sold-out show at Le Zenith in Paris on May 9th. With new album “Kiss” due for release in the UK on July 7th (their first official release in the UK), it’s only a matter of time before the guge frenzy takes over our little island.

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