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Grammy man

55 Comments

Japanese artist Yoshiki, left, from the band X Japan arrives at the 53rd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday night.

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he is nice.

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Impressive and amazing show!! Roseland Ballroom - New York, NY - Sun, Oct 10, 2010Posted 10/20/2010 by mohyo2erick People waited for opening their show were camping the side of street before a day ago. and 1 hr to opening Roseland, the line was around 1 block and more, I'm sure. I really walked around 1 block and more for looking for the end of the line and passed through in front of Roseland twice!! And the leader of this band, Yoshiki, made their staffs deliver 200 boxs Pizza for all fans in this line. How sweet he is!! Thanx. They really love fans. This show was the last day of thier North American tour. So, I felt they're so exiting and audience also. Roseland was fulled with our heat, passion and voices. Thier songs are so epic, melodias and heartfelt, and the other side, fast, exiting and heavy. and thier ryrics are kind of philosophical. Few songs are made 20 years ago. But they never fade, still shine, flesh and latest on this 2010. You never distinguish which one is released in '80th. They are a rock band. but they have both of opposite sides. They also plays beautiful ballades. X is only one rock band all people accept in Japan. Japanese ex-Prime Minister said he loves them in official, and he tied up with thier song on the TV-commercial of his political party. This band broke up once, then, thier lead guiterist "HIDE" die... and Yoshiki has played piano in front of Japanese Royal family for King's Anniversary like a Mozart. Anyway, They has a lot of history, and Yoshiki talked about it and cried on the stage for HIDE before encore. It seems almost audience knew why he cried. We always shared the same emotion in the history of this band. I cannot find any words to explain how amazing, exiting and important this show was for them and for fans. Audience must got huge energy from them while this show. Hope everyone in the world know thier music.

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Thank you, like that model who makes chocolate, I'll keep an open mind and suss out his music. But I still think he's not " good looking " 9 even for a 45 yr old. LOL

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Oberst, he's not in a boy band, he actually plays instruments (piano, drums)

While i'm not a fan of the band, the music is pretty good, it's the singing that a major turn-off.

And for a 45 year old, he's pretty good looking.

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since the last time a Japanese artist even broke the Billboard Top 40 was more than 30 years ago. Who can name the artist?

YOKO ONO ( hanging on bedsheet of John ) !!

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Excuae my ignorance, is he one of those Asian pretty boy band ? He doesn't look too pretty to me.

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Good one Ritalynn. Why do people pose as the Universal authorities? Learn to appreciate the efforts of others.

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Dubya, I don't know who you saw in 94 but Yoshiki doesn't play guitar.

It's nice to see Japaneses bands get some recognition in America. I wish it was a band better than X Japan, but hopefully better bands will get some attention soon.

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the woman assistant sure looks moody compared to what you would get in Japan.

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I actually saw Yoshiki in concert back in 1994 and can truly say it was totally vapid - no musical talent on display whatsoever. It could just as easily been a chain saw instead of a guitar.

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They look like a newly-wed couple that's just had their first fight and they're both waiting for the other one to say "Sorry".

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ok a guy from X-Japan, thats OLD news i liked them But they didn't & don't compare to Loudness. Loudness is STILL around after 30 years of playing.

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hoserfella: You dont know what you are talking about.

Great retort. I admit defeat.

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This is a funny photo!

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hoserfella: You dont know what you are talking about.

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bicultural - I do know about X-Japan in the same way that I know about traffic accidents. The first time I checked them out on youtube, I actually threw up in my mouth. The very same schmaltzy, over-the-top, completely soul-free, balls-less Hair Rock that went the way of the dinosaur in 1988. But here, in the land that time forgot, Mr.Big and The Ventures still sell out the local auditoriums. The usual Japanophiles see any exotic Japanese "artist" wearing sunglasses and just assume greatness, while the rest of us poor souls just don't "get it". (see Ono, Yoko)

goldlion - I, too, could probably get Mr. Martin to produce my album of beer farts if I had a rich Japanese label throw a couple of million his way.

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Never heard of him and I've been here 25 years. Didn't one of their guys kill himself years back ? If he really had the chops he'd be selling out stadiums all over the world.

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There's a funny video of him getting completely seriously mobbed at the airport on arrival in korea a few years back. That was serious popularity! Never seen anything like it.

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In a word; surly.

The comments here you mean. I agree.

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hoserfella, how could you not know about X-Japan or Yoshiki if you live in Japan? It's like living in America and claiming not to know CCR. Personally I'm not a big fan of his music, but he's got talent.

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Sorry meant to say George Martin produced his album. Yoshiki composed obviously...

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@hoserfella - Are you serious? Many talented American musicians are unknown in other countries but that doesn't make them talentless. Yoshiki is a true musical genius and any skeptics who went to see his U.S. tour last year can tell you that (just read X Japan reviews on ticketmaster.com). If he was talentless, George Martin would have never composed his album and the emperor of Japan would not have chosen him to compose a song for their anniversary.

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HM0707- People with "magic in their hands" usually don't need to be looked up on Google for identification. Just another talentless J-musician taking advantage of Japanophiles everywhere.

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In a word; surly.

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Lemme guess...Kyu Sakamoto had a hit with Sukiyaki in 1963. Beyond that, Pizzicato Five had 5 minutes of fame in the US with Twiggy Twiggy. Most people read "X...Japan" and were probably looking for John Doe and Exene...

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If memory serves me right, he was also the first person to have a Hello Kitty named after him.

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This is such an awkward photo...

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"Until you can create the magic he creates perhaps you are in no position to comment."

I am happy you like him HM0707. Good for you. But not everyone shares your taste. And not everyone thinks that Sunglasses are "cool".

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Clearly she's oblivious to the fact she's standing next to the greatest musician ever.

You might think Yoshiki looks silly in sunglasses (personally I don't) but his music encourages me everyday. God speaks through his hands. I couldn't care less about the glasses (well, I'd like to see his face...he has a lovely face).

Naysayers: Criticise away. I'm no crazy fangirl. Just commenting on true talent. No Johnny Boys here. Until you can create the magic he creates perhaps you are in no position to comment.

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Who can name the artist?

Mastuda Seiko? Sakamoto Kyu? Loudness?

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Sunglasses make you look COOOOOL Man...

Oh wait, that was the 80's, something about Sunglasses at Night.

Agreed, why on earth does anyone in Japan think wearing sunglasses inside or at night makes one look "cool". It only makes you look pretentious. And those on the streets at night, just makes you look like the next candidate for admission to a trauma unit after you break your neck walking around in the dark.

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I actually know Yoshiki personally, he is very talented and a million miles apart from the AKB48's of Japanese music. He actually has true musical talent.

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GW, he must have been riding the bike backwards then. The gears and chain are on the right side.

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Yoshiki, who splits his time between Los Angeles and Japan, is actually a voting member of the Recording Academy and so one of the people who decide the Grammy Award winners. X Japan are putting a lot of money behind their current effort to break into the US market. History would suggest their chances of success are limited, since the last time a Japanese artist even broke the Billboard Top 40 was more than 30 years ago. Who can name the artist?

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I don't know this guy, and if he's there at ALL, he has TALENT, BUT: Japanese singers like him NEED TO GET RID of the IDIOTIC Sunglasses all the time. NO ONE CAN SEE YOU....Daaaaah...yes; I lived in Japan a while ago, for 12 years, and it was that way THEN TOO. DrrrrrF !

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To invite Yoshiki, the Grammy organisers obviously know a lot more about Japanese music than most of those commenting here.

They had a huge following here and were also a lot bigger overseas than most Japanese bands. They were very good at what they did - rock ballads. The You tube videos will show their support and the emotion they always put into their performances.

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he looks like a zombie. luckily there were no strong winds that day

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She knows she cannot talk to Yoshiki in Japanese so that she keeps a distance from him.

She knows she's not supposed to be in the shot so she keeps a distance from him - like she keeps a distance from everyone who has a whiteboard sign attached to them.

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She looks happy!

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X-Japan is pretty popular here in Japan. Hide was one of the the main members of the group for those who don't know. I believe his name was originally attached to Spread Beaver (clever name!) I had many people asking me what the name meant. Loved explaining it to women. The look of surprise was priceless! He committed suicide about 15 years back and they opened a 'museum' in his honor in Yokosuka about a year or two after he killed himself. It was chiefly a concert hall.

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No one cares.

Obviously quite a few people on this post care enough to provide the facts about him. Whether or not people like his music, Yoshiki is a very talented and nice man. His band, X Japan, has done quite a few things in the States. They performed at Lollapalooza in Chicago, had a tour throughout the country, and the band contributed to the Saw IV soundtrack with the song "I.V." All of that is just a fraction of what he's done with his life. So...yeah. People DO care about Yoshiki. :)

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He looks like my 11-year-old cousin when they make him wear a suit for a friend's bar mitzvah. He has to put on his sunglasses to show he's still cool.

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No one cares.

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Whoa whoa whoa.

Yoshiki was the drummer/pianist of X-Japan, Toshi was the vocalist, and hide was in Spread Beaver. How much mixing up of the members of X Japan can there be in just one comments section?? And I don't even particularly LIKE X Japan!

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looks like he might have arrived by bicycle, note how the left leg of his pants seems to be tucked or wrapped so it wudnt get caught in a bicycle chain.....

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Gurukun, Yoshiki is a drummer and keyboard, Toshi is the vocalist of X Japan. They sold about 30 million records. He seems to get lost here? I saw many American artists alone for photographs. The sign-carrying lady may feel exhausted because she had repeated the same routine of holding the sign for hundreds of guests!!!! She knows she cannot talk to Yoshiki in Japanese so that she keeps a distance from him.

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Yoshiki is the vocalist of X Japn band,

I thought he was the drummer and keyboad/piano player for the band.

But why was he there? How many americans also went..."Who?"

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I know that photos are a split moment in time, but the lack of a professional sign tells me the woman was an underling assigned to go up there with him to hold up the sign and she is not pleased to be doing it for him.

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Yup, the desperation in this photo says it all. No one knows who he is or why he's there.

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All American and foreign artists were guided for photographs with their names on that tiny white board, ONLY for nominees. Yoshiki is the vocalist of X Japn band, rock band. He may wear Armany suit and Italian tailored shoes. Matsumoto won the best grammy award for pop instrument album

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at least the sign is not upside down.

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That's embarrassing as it gets - needing a sign so people know who he is. Or maybe he forgot who he is.

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And the winner is...

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Never heard of this group...looked them up on WIKI and found out this guy had a solo group call "Spread Beaver"! LOL

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They spared no expense in making that sign for him! Looks like a taxi-driver's cheap welcome board from LA Airport.

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