X Japan Launches North American Website
LOS ANGELES, CA - September 22, 2010 -- In conjunction with the band's first North American tour dates, X Japan - one of the biggest rock bands in Japanese history - having sold 30-million units and set a record by filling the 55,000-seat Tokyo Dome 18 times - has launched its first American website, XJapanMusic - http://www.xjapanmusic.com/
The site offers news and updates on the band's activities, including their upcoming debut American CD release, and first-ever North American tour, set to kick off this Friday, September 25 at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles. In addition, XJapanMusic features a special video message from the band's leader YOSHIKI, "teaser streams" of brand new songs, background info on the band, and recent American press. Fans can purchase concert tickets on the website, and can join the X Japan Fanlist for access to exclusive content. The site also enables X Japan's YOSHIKI to interact with fans and includes a rich widget application run from <ehab.com> , a cutting edge content management system. The app can be grabbed by millions of fans and placed on Facebook, Bebo, blogs, MySpace and anywhere a consumer has a profile on the web. The site also includes integrated feeds and links to the band's Facebook and YOSHIKI's Twitter.
X Japan - YOSHIKI (drums, piano), Toshi (vocals), Pata (guitarist), Heath (bass), Sugizo (guitars) - was formed in 1982 (calling themselves X) by YOSHIKI and Toshi while still high school students. Over the next 13 years, the band released five studio albums, six live albums, 10 compilation albums, and 15 video albums. X Japan was one of the first Japanese bands to achieve mainstream success while on an independent label - YOSHIKI's own Extasy Records. The band was so popular, SEGA produced an X Japan video game. In the fall of 1997, the band's vocalist, Toshi, decided to leave X Japan, which led to the dissolution of the band. Four months later, Hideto "Hide" Matsumoto, X Japan's original lead guitarist, was found dead in his Tokyo apartment of an apparent suicide. At his funeral, more than 50,000 fans came to mourn his passing, and in May, 2010, 35,000 fans stood in line at a memorial service to pay their respects and mark the 12th anniversary of his tragic death. In early 2007, YOSHIKI and Toshi started working together again, and later that year, X Japan officially reformed. During 2008-9, the band launched its reunion tour with a multi-million dollar stage production that sold out everywhere it played. In 2010, X Japan filmed a music video on the rooftop of Hollywood's Kodak Theatre, with a throng of some 8,000 U.S. fans taking part in the shoot on Hollywood Blvd.
Dates for X Japan's first North American tour are as follows:
SEPTEMBER
25 Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
28 Fox Theatre, Oakland, CA
OCTOBER
1 Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA
3 Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver, BC CANADA
6 Riviera, Chicago, IL
7 Massey Hall, Toronto, ON CANADA
10 Roseland Ballroom, New York, NY
