Messages

[every]

The guests I wanted this year couldn't make it, so I'd like to reiterate my previous suggestions for Kato*Fuku (Emiri Kato and Kaori Fukuhara) and the girls of Non Non Biyori (Kana Asumi, Rie Murakawa, Ayame Sakura, and Kotori Koiwai), and also add Michelle Ruff (dubber for Tsukasa in Lucky Star) and Kari Wahlgren (dubber of Kagami)....and Marina Inoue.

Is there someone you have to send a letter to to make your guest request "official"? I was talking with a guy named Milton Le who said he would pass my request to the suggestion team.

Any request made here is "official". I look at and track every request and do my due diligence to determine the requirements of acquiring such a guest.

To piggy-back on what Evan wrote, I also look at every single request that we receive for MusicFest guests! Even though I may not reply, please rest-assured that we do read all suggestions.

[I'm hoping for more than one artist, myself. I've suggested quite a few, already, though. (^^)"]

I'm hoping for more than one artist, myself. I've suggested quite a few, already, though. (^^)"

There will be, there always is if you haven't been to musicfest berfore

Dude, I've been going to Musicfest since my first Fanime in 2010. XDD But, if you didn't attend it last year, there was only one artist as opposed to the usual two. XD

Occasionally when there is a very big guest, there is only one. I believe 2008 also only had one; unless my love for An Cafe made me overlook the other one... -.-;

The number of MusicFest guests vary from year to year, but that's mostly from various issues and circumstances that differ each year. One thing is for sure: many conventions now bring music guests, far more than when MusicFest first started ~13 years ago. Japanese agencies know they can ask for more, and can decide to go with the highest-bidder, so to speak. What I used to be able to accomplish a long time ago with acquisitions is WAY more difficult now.

Just something to keep in mind.

(Also we did have more than just An Cafe in 2008...just not on the same night. "Old schoolers" would remember that MusicFest used to have two-nights of concerts to accommodate locals and smaller indie bands)

Artists I'd love to see:
Egoist
Chris Hart

:D I'll be sure to tell Chris. He was actually a local act at MusicFest in 2008 when he was doing rock lol

LOL JoAnnwashere!!  I WISH we could get Arashi XD You can probably put me completely on record when I say that the probability of that happening is close to zero :(

Anyway, today should be really interesting :) Like in the afternoon around 5 pm lol  ;)

As I've mentioned in my previous post, my asking the question has absolutely no reflection on what is happening for 2016 (and things ARE happening. I'm not at liberty to say what until it's all 'official.' And a repeat of 2012 is NOT happening.)

Let's just say I received feedback that said I was doing a disservice to FanimeCon attendees by not having a local band play, and this isn't the first time I've been told that I should strongly consider local bands. My attempt was to see if that feeling was felt by others who actually go to MusicFest. The survey was a tool for me to see if there was something that was really wanted apart from what we were already doing in focusing mostly on Japanese acquisitions.

This isn't a reflection of how things are going for this year. This is merely to solicit feedback from attendees on what you want to see at future MusicFest events. I received some expressed interest in locals via email, but I wanted to determined whether or not that sentiment was shared on a larger scale among those who go to MusicFest every year.

We are known for bringing in mostly Japanese rock acts, but a lonnnngggg time ago, we used to incorporate way more local bands, and I wanted to verify if anyone actually missed seeing that. If a majority feel like it's something to go back to, then it's something we have to look at to keep our attendees happy.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions; please keep them coming! Just dropping a note to say that we do check the forums even though we may not comment often.

I'm also running a poll on our Twitter since someone brought up local bands, and I wanted to gauge how attendees feel. Do you want to see more local bands inspired by Japanese music (whether cover bands or folks creating their own), or would you rather we kept MusicFest strictly to overseas Japanese artists/bands?

Feel free to answer here or engage in dialogue on Twitter!

I love that Tony is taking the time to write these specifically because it does help dissolve that kid/adult relationship that I was talking about. I think that most of us are very happy when transparency like this is given to us, although I know that's not always the fault of staff for not being forthcoming with all these details (some details, like contracts, need to remain quiet until everything is set). And sometimes, giving too much information just ends up pissing people off when that information changes later (like, "we're working on getting Guest X to appear," and that guest ends up falling through).

People don't get to see the individual cogs (staff) forming the machine that is Fanime, so all they see is a machine and they treat it like a machine rather than individual people with lives outside that machine. When we get to see responses from staff like this, it is much easier to sympathize and understand. Don't get me wrong, you'll get haters either way, but I think it's nice to give staff a platform to talk about how much work goes into this.

You don't need to apologize for anything. You've been fantastic for years in a largely thankless job. I apologize that we can't show you how much your work means to us.

Communication is definitely something that we can improve upon, and as always, we are open to suggestions on how to remedy the situation realistically without compromising the trust we've built with our contacts. Discretion is such a huge part of the whole acquisition process that we often forget that staying absolutely silent can be detrimental when fans feel neglected, ignored or belittled.

That's why I apologize, lol. If more than one person feels upset about something I'm involved in, then it really is because I've failed at properly addressing a situation, and I need to fix it.

I truly appreciate the kind words, and I will do my best to work hard for all of you. I still fondly remember my first MusicFest as an attendee (2004! -- Sorry, Tony, I know that was a hard year for you but I had so much fun XD), and spreading that "best night ever!" feeling is something that made me want to be part of FanimeCon...MusicFest in particular. Reading this thread brings that all back. Thank you.

Pardon the intrusion; I just wanted to stay a listener for these fantastic stories but what was the Hatsune Miku mishap?

At the very end of MusicFest 2012, there was a video viewing of a Hatsune Miku concert in Japan. Attendees thought that it would actually be a concert at MusicFest, and they were rightfully upset when it wasn't. We were told to announce it a certain way, and I was never really happy with it :-/

Well, here's another way to look at it:

When is an explanation needed? Usually when something goes wrong.

As far as MusicFest was concerned that year, nothing was technically "wrong." MusicFest still happened, there were guests performing.

The concern that folks were expressing were "why THOSE guests?" That question implies that something is wrong with the guests who take their time to come to the convention, and that is one question I won't address because it's downright disrespectful to the guests. Regardless of whether I acquire a guest or if someone else from GR acquires a guest, we will always welcome them warmly (unless they're really mean to us or our attendees).

As far as misleading information goes, from what I recall, I retweeted the announcement on MF's Twitter that year that stated specifically "Igaguri Chiba" and not "Sendai Kamotsu." If the linked announcement itself was misleading, then I seriously apologize. However, if memory serves me right, what was officially released around that time from us stated it was only going to be him.

The one thing that I know was not right was the whole Hatsune Miku thing. I was not behind that idea at all, and I made it known that I didn't like it. Attendees have a right to be peeved about that one, and for that, I'm truly sorry.

However, one thing that I hope Tony's stories are showing is that staff aren't doing things willy nilly just because we want to. I'd like to think MusicFest's track record shows that we are listening to what attendees want, and we are working hard to make your requests happen with the resources we have. We don't reply often times because we always get a lot, but the suggestions are always forwarded to us one way or another, and I'm doing everything I can to forge the relationships with labels and companies to make things work.

I don't mean to sound hipster about it, but we really did know about this little trio of girls doing metal before they became a huge thing, lol. It would've been nice to have been the venue to give them their U.S. debut :(

They were my focus, but the MusicFest roster that year ultimately ended up being acts that someone else negotiated for. I still get the blame for that even when it was more like, "Since your acquisition fell through, do something with these acts." I think the only thing I ended up contributing that year was the sound check and concert schedule, but I still got ripped into for being incompetent, not knowing anything about music, not doing enough, not listening to what fans want, being lazy, etc etc etc. I just saw months of hard work go down the drain, but no one cared about that; the complaints were relentless. I can shrug it off now, but it was a tough time.

As a side note, in 2012, MusicFest got moved organizationally from Extravaganzas to Guest Relations, and with that comes procedural changes. That always takes getting used to.

Ah, 2009...lots of heartbreak and lessons learned.

Minor correction: I was trying to get ONE OK ROCK from Amuse, AVEX was offering m.o.v.e and TRF (I think..?), and I was also in talks for BREAKERZ. Pony Canyon happened afterwards...which I'm sure you'll get into XD

Oh wow, Tony. I haven't been on the forums in ages, only to come back because I heard you were talking about me, haha! How do you remember all the AnCafe details? lol That particular year was such a blur. Being around Kanon made it difficult to function and think!

Not to offend people's opinions...but really so disappointed >:( >:( >:( >:( how people are really reacting to the guests...

THANK YOU.

Though I don't know the guests as well as I knew the guests of previous years, I'm excited to experience sth new 8D

Just adding to the previous posts :)

There is a universal truth that applies to anything and everything in the world: not everyone is going to be happy.  :)

When we started off w/indies and locals, we got complaints that the acts weren't big enough draws or it didn't make sense to have them XD When we started booking major bands/artists, we got complaints that MF was getting TOO big XD When we brought back what we thought was a fan favorite, we had folks saying "Them AGAIN?! UGH!" When we had a talented male vocalist last year, I got complaints that we never have girls XD Then this year, we have a female guest as part of the lineup, and some reactions are like "Wait, what? Who? :( WRY!?!"

So...with all those previous options making people unhappy (and my running out of genres for people to complain about), booking a mysterious freight company worker who just so happens to be the younger brother of a VK band's vocalist seemed like a great idea ;)


The one very important life lesson to learn from it all:




All joking aside, it's not that I don't understand the complaints; there are very valid issues that are brought up each year, and we always re-evaluate our game plan for the following year.

However, ALL GOHs take time out of their busy schedules to pay us a visit at FanimeCon, so let's not welcome them with an "...oh, it's just you" type of attitude; instead, look forward to how their unique skills and personalities can add to the events that they'll take part in! :)

I still wonder if Arashi would be too much of a hassle for Fanime to get. o.o"

It's no so much a hassle; it just wouldn't be fiscally responsible... ^^;;

Well if you didn't know, when they came to Anime Expo, only 16 came. I do believe that they can pay for themselves again, I'm pretty sure AKB48 isn't a dirt poor group. They're pretty successful.  16 would still be a lot right? 16 tickets from Japan and back + hotel rooms would probably be around $20,000. If AKB48 couldn't pay for themselves to get here, how did they get to both LA and NYC in the first place?

And I'm not sure about what you mean "mainstream". I went to Japan in August and I seriously can't describe how popular they are over there. Yea Kpop is very popular in Japan, but surely they aren't more popular than AKB48. Obviously, KPop is way more popular than AKB48 in America, but I already said, it'd be introducing a new famous group to a lot of the Fanime goers.

Why are we talking about popularity anyways? It's not like Yuya Matsushita was very well known here before Fanime 2011. I never heard of him, and, be honest, a lot of people didn't know him as well. Don't get me wrong, Yuya is a cool guy. I loved his performance.

Yes... I know all of this very well. Here's the thing. They invited themselves. They said "We would like to go to your event and we will pay for our own tickets". There's a difference between this and saying "Hey, we would like you to come to our event, BUT YOU NEED TO PAY FOR YOURSELF". The latter is extremely unprofessional, rude, and if anything else, just plain insulting. Besides that, it makes Fanime look like poor pathetic losers.

Look, I follow music in Japan better than you do. I follow the culture in general better than you do. AKB48 is popular, yes. There's no doubt, I stated this pretty clearly. But the target audience is not the general public. Your average person, is not a fan of AKB48 as their music is very... ... specific in appeal. I'm guessing you never actually took the time to really understand the lyrics of a lot of their songs, because they're rather... I don't know the correct word to use here. Innuendo-ey? But not in the normal way, in a very well, you either get it or you don't.

And I'm not talking about K-pop itself. K-pop itself is not popular in Japan at all... But Korean Artists that are coming to Japan and making JP music are.

See, here's what bothers me a lot about your posts. You speak as if you are a representitive of what is popular, what is know, what is unknown. Yuya was unknown? Really? A LOT LOT LOT LOT of Kuroshitsuji fans would agree with you. *I* knew who he was, and I don't like kuroshitsuji. But to double it up, Durarara was insanely popular during its run, and Trust Me... did well.

It's fine that you want to suggest AKB48, but please do not speak as if you know better than other people. You went to Japan, you follow things. But you do not know more than other people so please stop assuming and speaking like you do.

It really is about knowing the target audience, and the target audience that I'm most concerned with is the one here in the Bay Area.

Our audience is vastly different from others in America, let alone in comparison to the music audience in Japan, so there are a lot of factors that go into who we get as MusicFest guests, but the whole "omg-they're-too-popular-to-come-here!"argument is really a non-issue.

That being said, we take every suggestion seriously, so feel free to ask for whoever you want, but again, there are other things that affect our final decisions..

[won't]

LET'S BRING IN SOME K-POP! It was really popular this year considering the number of people who attended the K-Pop panels and it would be nice to have something different for a change.

But think about it, Fanime is, overall, for Japanese appreciation
-- shouldn't we just stick with Japanese artists ?

Well, some K-Pop groups also participate in the J-Pop scene. Some groups like 2PM, Brown Eyed Girls, and I think SHINee have a few songs in Japanese.

We take suggestions of all kinds, as long as the artists are relevant =P The cavaet is, how do we measure relevancy?

For example, SHINee just sold 50K+ units of their JP debut single release yesterday, and another 18K+ today, just behind AKB48's Maeda Atsuko. But since this is a debut, and they haven't been in the scene long enough yet, who's to say how long they'll be in the scene? And KARA...they were doing spendidly on the charts for a bit before they had their own little internal drama going on that had folks questioning if they were going to stick together or not. It's a constantly changing scene, so I'd rather encourage suggestions than discourage them. MusicFest has to predict a year in advance as to who will do well for the next year, so we don't set up hard rules for who won't be considered =P (unless it's someone who really doesn't make sense...like Chris Brown or something, lol)

In short (LOL), everybody is free to say who they want, but through research/knowledge/common sense, MusicFest will filter through the suggestions to decide who makes the best fit.

Thanks for the suggestions so far.

I'd like to ask that the suggestions stick to "WANTS" rather than "DO NOT WANT"s. Quite honestly, that's a lot more helpful for us staff, and also, it keeps things a bit more polite since label reps DO check the forums every now and then.

As a side note:
With how wonderful FLOW has been to attendees and staff these past two years, saying that you don't want them back is slightly rude to them =/

kpop groups would be awesome, but this is an anime convention, so I don't think that'll work out :\

If they're relevant to Japanese pop culture, it's possible~

MF has hosted artists/bands who have had absolutely no connection to anime (thinking back to con years 2003-2007), and the audiences have enjoyed them regardless.

If both the MusicFest artists are performing on the same day is it going to be like 1 artist performs and we stay inside and then the second artist follows or are there going to be like a morning and evening concert?

It's just one concert.  One act will perform and then another act will follow.  You won't have to leave the Civic.