LoVendoR thread, aka Reina's in a Rock Band

[Anderei]

Judging by this summary (from jplop), I don't think it was a throwing them to the wolves situation (because she's probably right that they got in trouble afterwards and apparently it seemed like he actually really liked Reina). Especially since it seems everyone but Marina voiced some discontent with the way things are going:
 
"Pretty much through most of the things they talked about, he asked why they're doing the kind of music they are and such and it came down to Reina saying that they did because they're told to. Nishikawa then kept pushing about doing their own thing and that she should stand up and say what she wants to do and not -- to which Reina replied that she has done it that way before (been stubborn) and gotten into trouble so she doesn't anymore. Despite that he kept pushing her that she should, and so she asked him to come with her to go and talk to the "higher ups" at the company.

-- I wonder if she was scolded after this?


Marin and Yuki totally wanna do other music than what they're doing now. That much got obvious and Nishikawa kept pushing that for them too. He also suggested several things they could do to make the band better (applying for a bass and drummer being one of them) and even said that Up Front aren't really good with "this kind of thing" after all so they have no idea of what to do with bands."
 
Edit: quote got totally broken

[Elpis]

Cover Albums probably don't sell well, especially as debut releases/ But I would've expected them to release something Juice=Juice has released 4 singles. But then again Juice=Juice is acctually good.

[JPope]

Without knowing what Nishikawa is like or what kind of acts he normally has on his show, it's hard to say. If he only has rock acts on, then it would appear that Upfront thought they'd get Lovendor some easy cred by booking them on his show, not thinking that he wouldn't treat them with idol kid gloves. OTOH, if he does have idols on his show, then his grilling of Lovendor was just a dick move, because he knows they're not a proper band and have no power to make any decisions with regard to music or hiring band members. We can't form an informed opinion without knowing the answers to those questions, though.

[Anderei]

I think it's very mixed. I've seen that he's had the bassist from L'arc-en-Ciel and a dude from Nightmare but at the same time, one of the regulars on his show is a chick from Idoling!!!. He's also had SCANDAL on, and C-ute have been guests before.

[JPope]

[quote="Anderei"]
I think it's very mixed. I've seen that he's had the bassist from L'arc-en-Ciel and a dude from Nightmare but at the same time, one of the regulars on his show is a chick from Idoling!!!. He's also had SCANDAL on, and C-ute have been guests before.
[/quote]
 

Then he was probably being a dick. He knows what Upfront is -- an idol factory -- and knows that the girls are powerless to make any decisions about the band. Even if all of his criticisms were correct -- and they were -- he should bring Tsunku on and grill him about them, not ambush the only people in the Lovendor chain of command who have no say in those matters. At most, he could have stated his opinions without pressing the girls to say shit that could get them in trouble.

[smtmissin]

I read this news some time ago. That guy is a total ass-hole. It's like he tried to get the girls into trouble. Even if they don't like the direction they are going, they cannot say that they are dissatisfied with their agency. If they say that the current direction is okay, then he will say they suck. F*ck him. Poor Reina. Maybe she doesn't like it either, but she has stayed in this business long enough to understand that she cannot badmouth her agency (unlike her bandmate who say they are unhappy without considering the situation). But that ass-hole guy forced Reina to express more of her opinion and that's why reina had to tell him to talk to the agency instead of talking to her. I think what she did is right and is the only way she can answer to that obnoxious guy,

[AurA]

I just recently removed all lovendor songs my library. I tried them, but not one song clicked with me. And I really like Reina especially her solo stuff, so that's pretty strange.


I think this group will fade into obscurity, and I hope Reina just goes solo if she keeps singing. Ai No Honno is my favorite song.

[al kusanagi]

Takanori is one of Tsunku's friends, and he has been part of the Japanese rock scene for nearly 20 years. He can say whatever he wants to about Reina's poser-ass band. He was just giving them some constructive advice to turn them into a real rock band and not the laughing stock they are now.

[Shoujo Q]

I'd say this group needs at least a year or two to work out their kinks. What I know about bands in general is that most of them start off doing the whole cover song thing and then gradually as they find their groove, start doing their own thing. Also they need a bassist and a drummer, that much I can get. It's just so silly having a band with no drummer.
 
If they don't fix that flaw, I don't see them ever working out. They are going to lose their guitarists to other bands that will give them more freedom and treat them as artists and not just idols. 

[Anderei]

That they auditioned specifically for this makes me think that maybe they aren't interested in actually writing and composing their own stuff.

[Estrea]

^Apparently you guys don't read their blogs? It was mentioned once or twice on Uozumi's blog that she's experimenting with writing some music, but it's mostly just "for fun" for now. Frankly, it's really hard to make money as a musician unless you get really big, and in a way UF does provide job security even if they don't really know what they're doing with the band, that much I'll admit. 

[JPope]

[quote="Anderei"]
That they auditioned specifically for this makes me think that maybe they aren't interested in actually writing and composing their own stuff.
[/quote]
 

At the very least, it shows that they understand that writing for Lovendor is out of the question.
 
This entire project has been a clusterfuck from the get-go. It makes no sense at all. It's like it was conceived during mushroom induced hallucinations.

[Anderei]

[quote="Estrea"]
^Apparently you guys don't read their blogs? It was mentioned once or twice on Uozumi's blog that she's experimenting with writing some music, but it's mostly just "for fun" for now. Frankly, it's really hard to make money as a musician unless you get really big, and in a way UF does provide job security even if they don't really know what they're doing with the band, that much I'll admit. 
[/quote]
 
Well, yes. But everything about this from the get go made it obvious they were going to be idols who happened to also be a band. If you wanted to be a serious band who had a lot of say in what goes on, I don't know why you would have even bothered auditioning for this. Reina I can understand, since all she really wanted to do was keep singing post-MM and this was probably her only option. If she'd declined, she'd probably have no choice but to join the rest of the OGs and do plays, radio, and the random variety show appearance.

[Estrea]

^We'll probably never know their true motivations so anything we say here will be pure speculation, but I suspect auditioning is just a way to "get a foot in the door", so to speak. Even if Lovendor doesn't work out, them being there and getting that exposure can only help. Hell, I didn't know those 3 existed until Lovendor happened, and I like the 3 of them a lot more than Reina, so that's one fan they'll be keeping even if Lovendor doesn't last. I'll be curious to see what they move on to, if they do move on to anything, assuming Lovendor falls apart at any point in time (this is a big if, of course). 
 
Reina, well, she likes to sing. You're right, this was her best option post-MM, and frankly speaking Tsunku's always been fond of her, so it's down to hard work on her part and whatever the company chooses to gives her (and they gave her an idol band, go figure). Lovendor could be better, but until they figure out what they want to do, well, I'm just taking the wait and see position. There's potential, but untapped and not very well directed. I have other things to do in the meantime while they get their act together anyway. It's not like my life is dependent on it XD I do hope that they improve though, since they've got some talent there and it'd be sad to see it wasted.

[Anderei]

This was announced awhile ago, but Lovendor are doing a tour next month. Reina says it's going to feature more original music, and that two of the new songs were written by Yuki. Good to see they're finally getting the ball rolling on that.

 
They are also getting new outfits.
 
Clips:
Tadoritsuitara Itsumo Amefuri live
Suki Sugite Baka Mitai cover @ 35:20
Nemurenai Yoru live
 
They'll be appearing on NHK One Seg 2 "One Seg☆Fanmi" 12/21.

[MejraThea]

I can't get over the fact that she's still dressing like an idol. That's probably the main reason I can't get into her "band". No hate, just opinion. 

[Vikitty]

I'm the same way, Thea. Lose the bow. Lose the hair. Reina refuses to wear pants or jeans but IMO if she just wore something other than a skirt or dress she'd already be 75% less idol.

[Anderei]

Reina's really attached to her style. She's not going to change it for anyone.

[arcobaleno]

Maybe then if she added some mini-skull designs and spiked bracelets she'd be more like a rock idol.

[showraniy]

I'm just shocked and appalled that all the things I blamed UFP for seem to be Reina's own doing... Unless they're STILL UFP's fault. I dunno, man. What's real anymore?

[Anderei]

What things are you talking about?

[MejraThea]

Hasn't she already been doing that, arco?
 
Yeah, what things, showraniy?

[showraniy]

Specifically those fuzzy cat ears.
 
Unspecifically, her outfits all these years. :(

[Anderei]

Well, the costumes and stuff she wore for singles weren't really her doing. But the stuff she wears on UF Licks or on TV and stuff is probably most her own choices.

[showraniy]

I'm willing to bet those cat ears are her doing, and she's worn them before in ways that always made me give her some hard side-eye. I had just chalked it up to some UFP thing, but I'm starting to think they're her choice to wear, which makes it ten times worse. We already know UFP is questionable, but I was hoping for better from her.
 
The whole idol punk look was cute, but I guess I had always hoped she was just a real rocker underneath all that glitter all these years. Instead, I'm finding out that, no, she's just an idol trying to be rock.

[Anderei]

Well, yeah. All Reina wanted to do was keep singing post-Musume. I don't think the rock band was her plan at all.

[JPope]

Are there people who honestly believe that Reina gets to choose her own wardrobe for official events and photos? You realize this isn't a real rock band, right? These are idols play acting at being a band. Shit, Lovendor is less a band than ZONE was, and no way did ZONE choose their own outfits. I can't believe this is even in dispute.

[AurA]

If Reina didn't want to wear cat ears she would take them off...who's going to stop the whole show to make sure Reina has cat ears on?

[arcobaleno]

Well, AurA, that's kinda the thing with idols.

They usually never, or hardly barely, have a say in what to wear or how to act. That's why idols are seen more of as a "product." I don't really think H!P is *AS* bad as some of the other groups out there, but even then, they still don't have much control over what to do.

Idols are just idols. Most of them probably have images they don't like.

For all we know, Reina may love or may viciously hate her cute image. Either way, management decided she's going to be cute, and therefore she must be.

JPope basically said it; they're idols trying to be a band, not an actual band.

[JPope]

[quote="AurA"]
If Reina didn't want to wear cat ears she would take them off...who's going to stop the whole show to make sure Reina has cat ears on?
[/quote]
 
They wouldn't stop a show, but they sure as fuck would stop a photo shoot. And if she was told to leave the cat ears on during a performance and took them off anyway, she would have to answer for it.
 
I don't think some people understand how the idol world works. These girls are employees, not artists. Seriously, they have, like, zero input on anything they do. They show up where they are told, when they are told to be there, and do what they are told to do. That's the life of an idol.