VAMPS

Both members of VAMPS have an impressive history behind them: vocalist HYDE as a member of the chart-topping rock band L’Arc~en~Ciel and a solo artist, and K.A.Z for the many bands he has been a part of, such as hide with spread beaver, Spin Aqua and his current band, OBLIVION DUST. The two first met during the after-party of a L’Arc~en~Ciel concert, and they have been combining their talents since 2003.

Their collaboration began when K.A.Z worked as a songwriter and co-producer on HYDE’s third solo album FAITH, and he also joined in at many of HYDE’s solo performances.

At the beginning of 2008, the two announced their plans to share the spotlight in a new band called VAMPS.

Both members have a tendency to juggle multiple projects, although L'Arc~en~Ciel let their fans know of an upcoming three-year hiatus right before the release of the first VAMPS single. OBLIVION DUST, on the other hand, only became active again at the end of 2007, after seven years of silence. The ever-energetic guitarist wasn’t afraid of the extra pressure, however, and made sure to schedule time for both bands.

VAMPS took their first steps into the public arena in March 2008, and they immediately started an extensive promotional campaign for their first single, LOVE ADDICT, which was released in July. A lengthy 46-date national tour started after that.

From August to October, the duo toured continuously, playing at all the Zepp live houses across the country and selling out every one. Of course, a DVD release of the tour was to be expected, and they did not disappoint as they released their first DVD, VAMPS LIVE 2008, in February 2009.

From November 2008 to May 2009, the band did not have any tours scheduled, so they used this period to the fullest by recording and releasing the singles I GOTTA KICK START NOW and EVANESCENT. At the same time, they worked on their first full-length album VAMPS, which came out in June.

When their first album was released, the band had already been back on the road for a good month. In May, they began their tour with a series of special, themed concerts, such as a couples-only concert, men-only concert and others.

In July, they wrapped up their remaining lives in Japan and the duo headed to the US for their very first overseas tour. VAMPS then played a few shows in Taiwan before heading back to Japan for another series of concerts - several of which would take place in the legendary Nippon Budokan.

The next year would see VAMPS announce a string of releases and a world tour, which featured shows in the US, Europe, Asia and South America.

The duo continued to record, release and tour at a breakneck pace, and in 2012 HYDE announced that he would be spearheading a new Halloween-themed project. Joined by, of course, K.A.Z, and a number of other prominent Halloween-loving artists, such as MUCC frontman Tatsurou, Tommy heavenly6, Anna Tsuchiya and Hitsugi from NIGHTMARE, he formed a super-unit called HALLOWEEN JUNKY ORCHESTRA. The group released a single called HALLOWEEN PARTY and held a series of events from October 20th to 28th

VAMPS continued to work on expanding their overseas following in 2013, releasing the album SEX BLOOD ROCK N’ ROLL (a compilation of previously released tracks re-recorded and remixed with English lyrics) and embarking on a world tour in support of it that took them to Europe and America. They also switched labels that year, transferring over to Universal Music / Delicious Deli Records.

So far, 2014 has seen VAMPS focus their overseas activities on the UK, performing a one-off show at KOKO in London, which, in a unique twist, was broadcasted back home to viewers in Japan. In June, a new song called The Jolly Roger was revealed in UK-based rock magazine Kerrang!’s website to promote their performance at the famous Download Festival the next week.

Meanwhile, back in Japan, a photobook featuring images of the duo taken by Takayuki Okada in New York the previous year was released. To promote it, an exhibition featuring live photographs from lives in Japan and overseas was held at Parco Museum from June 6th to 16th.

Already established stars in their home country, VAMPS have been determined to take a bite out of the rest of the world since the very beginning of their career, and more fans continue to fall under their spell with each passing year.