Updated with part 2: I accidentally LARPed as a bangya and kind of got adopted

[Jevka]

I stumbled upon @GreatNorthernVK 's thread about her concert adventures in Japan and saw a few similarities to my own- I was told to make my own thread so here we are, welcome to my very own Zeke Deux comedy of errors (I swear there’s something about this band)!

First of all, I’m pretty new to Vkei (started listening around October of 2025 when Malice Mizer suddenly showed up in my YouTube recommended) and I’m entirely new to this forum… So bear with me and also keep this in mind as the story unfolds :’)

To start this story properly, we need to go back to the very beginning… Threads. I’m an avid Threads user and as I started listening to Vkei, the algorithm wised up to that and started throwing random bandmen my way. One day, I saw a post I was sure I’d seen before. Was Threads glitching again? Annoying, but the app is notoriously janky so I chalked it up to that. Except that exact same post kept appearing and appearing…

“I’m going out for PR activities now!”

accompanied by a picture of a guy with big blonde hair. I’m thinking this might not be a glitch after all, so I tap on the profile, and am met by week after week after week of Kakeru posting he’s going out for PR activities. This was absolutely hilarious to me for some reason, so I hit the ‘Follow’ button. I even showed my friend, who henceforth wanted to be kept up-to-date about PR Activities Guy as we started to call him (I listen to her rant about Formula 1 and in return she tolerates my random music stories). I remember we even once briefly wondered if he was okay since he hadn’t posted about his mysterious PR Activities for a while (now that Tossy also has Threads the mystery has been solved by the way- flyers, they’re handing out flyers. ALL OF THIS MYSTERY, AND FOR WHAT, KAKERU?).

Anyway, in the meantime, in the background, I’m still struggling with burnout symptoms and a job that’s sucking the life out of me. So one fine day in January or February I decide to not extend my contract once it’s up and to go to Japan to just see bands and shoot the shit, which would be in May.

So then Kakeru suddenly does a combo breaker and posts about the tour his band is going on - his band, mind you, that I had not listened to in any way, shape or form - and a few of the dates would actually be doable on my trip. So I text my friend this and we decide that I have to go, I must become the PR Activities.

Now, because I was bone tired, my month in Japan was extremely poorly planned. I essentially had a plane ticket, two concert tickets through a proxy and a hotel. I’m also somewhat of an improviser to begin with, so I read up on some very basic concert etiquette and figured I’d learn the rest as I went along. I’ve been going to concerts for 20+ years, how different could it be (Feel free to laugh)…? I’m thinking I can get tickets to other shows while I’m in Japan and not pay the proxy fees because life is expensive enough.

As it so happens, I’d made a fast friend out of a Japanese girl I’d met on Threads (we genuinely get on like a house on fire, she’s amazing), so I ask her for help with tickets to Zeke Deux. She says she dug around and found something on X (so that’s where they keep the non-PR Activities posts…?) about entry being free and being able to buy a premium ticket if you wanted to. That sounded a little odd to me, and she was also a little confused, so I figured I’d just swing by the venue a little earlier and ask, a totally normal thing in my country.

So I get there and the door is open. Great! Where I live, open door = open to the public (artists always have a separate entrance) and so there must be staff I can ask, right? So I mosy on down the stairs of the Clapper and see no reception desk. All I see is a door…? I knock on the door and… nothing. And just as I figured ‘maybe I’m wrong, I’ll just show up tonight and wing it’ some guy in full costume (with the knowledge I have now: Nazuki) walks by me looking slightly puzzled but giving me a friendly hi.

Uh-oh, that must be the band. I don’t think I’m supposed to be here at all. MISSION ABORT. At this point I’m sweating bullets because where I live there’s absolutely no way that any door open to the public leads to access to the band? Oh my god, I’m A Trespasser, a mugshot is not the PR Activities I was looking for So I swiftly turn around to walk back up the stairs, consider skipping the concert altogether due to the embarrassment and… Some Guy comes down the stairs. He seems friendly and not about to call the police, so I’m thinking ‘ah, I guess he works here and I can ask him about the ticket situation’.

So with some English and some Google Translate I explain my situation to Some Guy and he confirms that entry is free (at this point I found this to be a dubious business practice but this was before I learned about the magic of the cheki-and-2-shot economy). During our conversation another guy in full costume walks by, also seemingly a little surprised but not unhappy, so I wave at him and he waves back and disappears (Haruka). I’m thinking ‘wow, these guys are in full costume hours before the show, that’s dedication, aren’t they scared of spilling food?’ because, you know, I eat like a child, but I digress

Some Guy asks where I’m from and he seems interested and happy that I came from far away. It’s at this point that I start thinking ‘wow, this venue guy is kinda cute, maybe I’ll try putting some moves on him later’. Then he asks for my name, so I give him my name, and I ask “And what’s yours?”

“I’m Kakeru,” says Some Guy.

Kakeru? Isn’t that PR Activities Guy’s name? Nah, but why on Earth would he help me get tickets to his own show? Also, the rest of the band seems to be fully done with makeup and costuming? Is this just, like, a common name in Japan? I confirm the right pronunciation and he confirms “Kakeru”.

So we finish the conversation, I leave, and I text my friend: “I think PR Activities just helped me get tickets to his own show?” I also realized I was probably not going to put the moves on him.

If anybody reading is interested, I can continue with how I graciously fell on my ass​at the show, the wild goose chase at the Kansai Rock Summit, how I became the confused owner of the 30 Mystery Cheki that were gifted to me, how I kind of found a place among their fans (a little), how I closed the PR Activities loop and how some random Japanese guy posting about PR Activities ultimately led to some of the warmest/funniest memories of my time in Japan but this was already a lot of typing for one day

[viridian]

please keep going!

[naturaldope]

I love everything about this. Please keep going!

[Jevka]

Thank you I’ll type up the rest soon

[Jevka]

So, here I am with the rest of my Zany Zeke Deux Adventures! For the record, I did see other acts during my time in Japan (and even air-fist bumped uncle Gakku on my Seoul sidequest), but my ZD stories are honestly the funniest/most endearing, so here you go… On with/to the show!

Later that afternoon, I return to the Clapper knowing that this time I’m actually supposed to be inside the building (progress!). I see around 4 people waiting outside chatting, some in ZD shirts, so I stand near them and mentally prepare myself for someone to come out and start yelling things in rapidfire Japanese while I scramble to understand what exactly is happening and probably looking like this:

…but that moment never comes. A guy does come out, looks at the five people gathered outside and just motions for us to go in. I privately thank the gods of this country and mine. Thanks, Actual-Venue-Guy-Who-Is-Not-Secretly-The-Lead-Singer.

I walk in, stumble through the whole ‘who is your favorite?’ (tbh lady, I don’t know any of the bands really, but I’m here for Zeke Deux I suppose!) and walk around a little. Since my plan was to get a t-shirt of every act I saw, I go to the merch table and buy a shirt.

That is when I’m presented with a tiny slip of paper.

“What’s this?” I convey, partly in English and partly through interpretive dance.

“You can get a picture with one of the members,” the lady explains through telepathy and sheer willpower.

I look at the paper closely, and recognize ‘5000 yen’, exactly the price of the shirt (later on in the tour the shirts became 4000 yen, so I was lucky I guess!).

Un-be-liev-a-ble. I came here expecting nothing in particular and suddenly I’m holding the treasure of a lifetime in my hands. I text my friend:

“I’m actually about to become the PR Activities, I’m getting a picture with the guy!”

“Finally, your PR dreams can come true!”, she replies.

It hasn’t even happened yet, but this is already the #1 souvenir of my trip. This has been a mini meme for a few months now, and tonight I’ll finally close the PR Activities loop .

Fast forward to the show: again, I don’t know anything about this band other than ‘the frontman is unintentionally funny on Threads and I find that endearing’.
I mean no disrespect by that at all, in my hometown I regularly randomly walk into the music venue with no idea what’s playing and end up discovering new bands and loving new music. At worst, I’ll have a funny story to tell, at best, this band is cool and I have a new band to love!

First up is deva:ed though, they were pretty good and seemed to have their own little fanclub taking up the front row. Yousuke ultimately tosses his pick into the crowd and it lands right in front of me. I don’t pick it up because, you know, the fangirls probably want it and I have literally just laid eyes on these dudes for the first time in my entire life? But time progresses and nobody seems to give a single flying F about this pick, so I pick it up and put it in my purse (more on this later). New souvenir unlocked!

So, ultimately it’s time for Zeke Deux to go onstage. They start playing and I’m just like ??? bro why didn’t you tell me you were actually good ??? I almost felt lied to, or as I later texted my friend:

“Uhh so PR Activities Guy and his band are actually really good, and he’s a super strong frontman? I think he needs PR Activities for his PR Activities on social media because bro is not selling himself the way he could”

Honestly, even going in neutrally and without either positive or negative expectations, they were so, so much better than a profile full of “I’m going to do PR activities now!” would lead you to believe.
At this point I’m glad I’m a weirdo who does things for the plot, but I couldn’t help but think they could reach more people (actually I’ve already converted like 4 people to loving Zeke Deux since coming back, so where’s my paycheck, Kakeru?)… But I digress again​

Now, at this point I’m kind of in the back. I don’t know any of the furi but I sometimes try to copy what others are doing, sometimes I’m just there like just to show that I’m involved and having fun despite being a new face and not knowing what exactly is expected of me (also I have mild cerebral palsy so some of these moves are like Twister to me)…

And that’s when it happens.

Everyone is headbanging and Kakeru looks at me and motions for me to headbang too. Well dang bro, since you’re asking, when in Rome…?

So off I go, I whip my hair back and forth until the headbanging portion is over. Success! I’ve still got it! And I didn’t even crack my neck!

Now, you have to understand, at this point it’s 36 degrees Celsius outside, it’s hot as balls in the Clapper, I’m wearing a blouse, waistcoat and a big poufy skirt because honestly 1. I like fashion, 2. it would be cooler after the show and 3. I wasn’t really expecting to do exercise. Did I mention the cerebral palsy? Oh, but I forgot to tell you about my perpetually low blood pressure

And so I look up. And down. And sideways. I’m seeing stars and everything goes black. I’m trying to keep myself up like Bambi on a frozen lake, long legs scrambling everywhere. People in the back of the room start rushing forward while making concerned noises. I get my legs under me and for a second I think I might still successfully and semi-gracefully escape my fate.

But alas, maybe I should’ve tossed 100 yen extra into the shrine? I fall backwards hard, right on my ass, legs up straight up in the air like some sort of Looney Toon, probably (but hopefully not) upskirting the entire band. GREAT. LOVE THIS FOR ME.

A mother-and-daughter duo in the back fuss over me, DAIJOBOU DESU-ing me over and over while helping me up. I apologize, thank them profusely and tell them I’m fine. Kakeru asks if I’m OK. I give him a big thumbs up and say I’m fine.

I was not, in fact, fine, I was nauseous as hell, the daijobou was definitely not desu.

However, I’m also not a quitter so I bravely-but-slightly-less-animatedly my way through the rest of the performance. I even did all of the audience participation things to the best of my ability while feeling like I was walking through an MC Escher painting. Not even public embarrassment and feeling like I just drank a liter of tequila (despite being sober) would stop me from having fun, damnit!

This story is actually so much longer than anticipated, and I’m far from done, so hold on for part three: smalltalk with deva:ed and the fans, picture time (…?), and scarfing down a whole bag of candy to feel human again

(PS: during the performance I thought, ‘That’s funny, they somehow remind me of Versailles a little?’… Yeah, I learned a lot that night hahah )

[Xayide]

Thank you for sharing these really entertaining stories, I’m looking forward to part three!

Also, I love your writing style - you’re talented. This is probably not the first time you’re writing something like this, right? I can totally see you writing funny chick lit or something like that

[Jevka]

Haha thank you so much, I’m glad you like it <3 I’m actually enjoying writing this, you’re right, I used to write professionally (I was a journalist!) but haven’t written in a while!

Maybe I should try my hand at a vkei meetcute novella hahaha.

“And then I, the dumbass foreigner, walked into the venue. Why did it smell of freshly-pressed flyers? Ah, but there came the most unassuming man…”

[GreatNorthernVK]

Fun fact, Kakeru was actually a Lareine roadie for a time before he started forming his own bands.

[Jevka]

Yes! After the gig I figured ‘maybe it’s time to actually read up on this band’, so I saw that he was a roadie for Lareine and then later Haruka/Teru together hit my timeline and I thought ‘ah, I understand why I felt reminded of Versailles’, haha. That post-gig google search was actually what led me to your thread, but I felt too awkward to make an account (and also I was busy flying to Seoul to see uncle Gakku). I read parts of your adventures and thought ‘wow, this band really do just be like that, huh?’

[yamiyonolion]

Just the way you’re delivering the story has me wanting more hahaha. Finding peeled bandomen in the proverbial wild… Scary…

[Jevka]

‘Peeled’, I’m screeching

He could’ve just lied to me like “ my name Jeff” because obviously I’m not a smart woman and this Clark Kent stuff worked on me

I thought it was really friendly of him to just be like “ yeah I’m me” even if the penny didn’t drop immediately for me

[Jevka]

So, the performance is over, and to be real with you, I just want to leave. I’m still nauseous and kinda dizzy and would love nothing more than to raid the 7-11 next door before catching my train. But I still have this picture to take. Ok then, quick twenty-minute adventure, in and out, right?

Wrong.

I don’t know how long the wait actually was, but if you’re not feeling great, every 5 minutes feels like a lifetime. I remember at some point I considered asking for one of the merch booth chairs because WOW I’d definitely felt better in my life, lmao

However, the people there made the wait a lot more doable. Where I kind of (understandably) got ignored when coming in, the fans now all asked me how I was doing, tried to make some smalltalk or smiled at me. Maybe seeing me suffer+endure made me a real one (or they were friendly to compensate for my UNGODLY EMBARRASSMENT, one of the two).

The mother from the mother-daughter duo suddenly appears in front of me, seemingly out of nowhere, to ask “Daijobou desu? ARE YOU OKAY?”. I loved how she raised her volume for the English lmao, and her mom vibes were so endearing This is actually how I learned what ‘daijobou’ means, and it was like my #3 most used word thereafter, so thanks, Concert Mom.

I say I’m okay, and she puts her hand on her butt and says “Aaaaargghhhh…?”. I pull out the Google Translate and tell her my butt is okay, I’m just dizzy and probably need to eat something. She and her daughter were really friendly, her daughter spoke some English and between that and Google Translate, some miming and pointing at flyers in the venue, we talked about how I found out about Zeke Deux, what some of our favorite artists are, etc. Apparently she’s a huge fan of Seth, so I told her I saw Moi Dix Mois and she just kept repeating how much she loves Seth’s voice, super cute. She has to go, she says, but puts one hand on my shoulder and says: “Kawaii - YOU ARE CUTE”. Which thanks , you too Concert Mom .

Then, the Jaws theme starts playing. What’s going on, where is this music coming from? Ah no, it’s just in my imagination as deva:ed’s Yayoi glides over to me with a picket fan. “Present!” he says with a big smile, standing just slightly too close. You know those old-timey cartoons where a salesman with a big moustache hangs over a character’s shoulder like a shadow? That, but with immaculate makeup (I have no issue with him, he was genuinely a friendly guy, but wow they were obviously trying to make a sale, hahahah). A Staff Lady nods at him approvingly from near the merch table at the other end of the hallway. I flip the fan around. One side says ‘deva:ed’, the other side has a drawing of both members with blond hair and blue contacts, wearing black uniforms with red armbands. Note to self, never use this fan back home in Europe, or as my friend said when I texted her about my adventures:

“So a Japanese guy wearing women’s clothes and cat ears* gave you a picket fan with n*zi-ish chibis on it? I think you can go home, you just experienced peak Japan”
*he was actually wearing mouse ears, but I think it still counts

Of course, I thanked him profusely for the fan, I thought it was sweet, even if the very obvious endgoal was to sell me things. I make some smalltalk with him and ask him when the pictures are (bro I need to leave, please let these pictures happen soon lmao). In the meantime, Staff Lady is smiling from ear to ear and makes all kinds of gestures at him, including a camera gesture. Maybe she thinks Europeans are too farsighted to see the other end of a reasonably small hallway, idk?
“Ah, yes,” Yayoi says. “You want a picture? With me?”
I see where this is going​, but I tell him: “Sure, you can take a picture with me if you want, but why?”
He laughs. “Ah no,” he says and walks over to the merch table where it says ‘3000 YEN’. “This!”.
I say, let’s see if I have enough (because despite obviously being preyed upon, I wouldn’t have minded giving them some money). So I count out my money and the closer I get to 3000, the more dramatically we count the numbers. Me: “One thousand…” Yayoi: “Ah?” Me: Two thousand…!” Yayoi: “Ahhhh?” etc… But I didn’t actually have 3000 yen. Like I said though, I didn’t mind tossing them some money, so I told him “I’ll buy something, do you have something small?” and that’s how I became the proud owner of a deva:ed light-up bracelet. It actually came in handy on a few occasions in dark hostels and such. So thanks, Yayoi and Staff Lady, for teaming up to squeeze money out of me

I go back to my place against the wall, and Kakeru walks past. I say “Oh hey!” and he says “Hi” and promptly moves through the backstage door.

Well shit, there goes my PR Activities picture I also wanted to thank him for helping me, but guess not

I instead took my picture with Haruka. I was actually just as happy with that, as he seemed like a funny and friendly guy who responded with humor when he was on stage and I repeated the little wave I did when I first saw him. We also made a few funny faces at each other during the show, so I’m like let’s go! I get to the picture place and I stand next to him, my hands politely folded in front of me. He seems confused, I am now also confused. Then bro full on GRABS me and pulls me close. It’s not in my travel notes, but I think he actually did a waist grab before putting his hand on my shoulder? OK BUT WHERE I’M FROM WE DON’T TOUCH THE ARTIST THOUGH, WHAT IS HAPPENING? I am also absolutely horrible at having my picture taken, for some reason I always either have my eyes closed or just… look weird in general. So the resulting picture makes me laugh every time I see it: Haruka grabbing onto my shoulder for dear life while I leave room for Jesus at the hip and have my hands folded like a church lady.

I covered my face in a way that seemed appropriate because I don’t know you guys like that, but I blinked right as the picture was taken and the resulting expression somehow makes me look like I’m a lovestruck damsel standing next to the last man on Earth. They ask if I want to retake it. No, I promise this is the best it gets when it comes to me and pictures lmaooooooooooooo

The staff lady (a different one) tries to politely shoo me, but Haruka takes a moment to thank me for coming. Friendly guy, no regerts 10/10 picture opportunity. Staff lady is still politely trying to shoo me, but I tell Haruka, mostly through improvised mime, “You’re a good guitarist!” and he points at me and goes “You play?” and I point at him and say, “No, you! You’re good!” and he says thanks. I leave.

Finally, 7-11 my shayla It’s right next door, so I walk inside, browse a little, settle on a big bag of candy and a drink and scarf it all down right outside the door of the 7-11 (sorry, Japan). I felt much but not completely better but you know, small comforts. And then I disappeared into the night, after what would surely be the one and only Zeke Deux show of my trip.

Damn guys, I hadn’t actually planned on this becoming a Long Story, but I guess I got carried away I really only still have the story of the wild goose chase at the Kansai Rock Summit and the 30 Mystery Cheki left, and the story of how I ultimately did end up closing the PR Activities loop. So I’ll throw those in later. It’s a pity none of the other artists I went to led to zany adventures on this level, because I’m actually enjoying the writing process, haha

[zeetabyte]

@Jevka

I say I’m okay, and she puts her hand on her butt and says “Aaaaargghhhh…?”. I pull out the Google Translate and tell her my butt is okay, I’m just dizzy and probably need to eat something. She and her daughter were really friendly, her daughter spoke some English and between that and Google Translate, some miming and pointing at flyers in the venue, we talked about how I found out about Zeke Deux, what some of our favorite artists are, etc. Apparently she’s a huge fan of Seth, so I told her I saw Moi Dix Mois and she just kept repeating how much she loves Seth’s voice, super cute. She has to go, she says, but puts one hand on my shoulder and says: “Kawaii - YOU ARE CUTE”. Which thanks , you too Concert Mom .

I still have to catch up with your previous entries (sorry, I’ve been swamped with work and have no more braincells), but this is so sweet and I love your voice in your writing! I’ve always maintained that the older bangya/mum bangya/aunties have really saved my life. The last time I saw Sadie, these ladies were exceptionally kind. I’m very glad you met a concert mom, and you were looked after!

[Jevka]

Thank you! I was so glad for her too, I hope she sees Seth live 5 million more times hahah I’m glad you had concert moms too!

No need to apologize, no rush, read if/when you want to

[Xayide]

@Jevka

I really only still have the story of the wild goose chase at the Kansai Rock Summit and the 30 Mystery Cheki left, and the story of how I ultimately did end up closing the PR Activities loop. So I’ll throw those in later.

Just one story left? What a shame! Please go back to Japan, enjoy your time there AND WRITE ABOUT IT!

No, seriously, I would love to read more from you.

[Jevka]

Thank you I could maybe also write about uncle Gakku and the Murder Towel but I really appreciate your kind words, thanks again