Psychedelic Violence, Crime of Visual Shock

This particular entry will be in English, so as to properly appreciate the efforts of the person behind the following pictures and information and the huge favour he did for me and our mutual friend. Thank you again, Morgan!
So, as mentioned, all pictures and information about the event in LA are courtesy of Morgan. :)

So...
I've been very worried about X and their future since late summer last year. On the 27th of July, Yoshiki was reported having to undergo an urgent surgery on his neck and back. The rehabilitation and recovery would take several months at best and he would not be able to play drums during that time.
Needless to say, I was extremely worried for his well-being... knowing Yoshiki, he would be sitting behind the drums as soon as he himself wanted, possible or not, and I was scared that he might make matters worse for his recovery.
However, it eased my heart a little to hear him say "Compared to the pain of X breaking up and that of hide's death, this is nothing. I can easily endure this when I know I have this place 'X' to go back to." (not an exact quote). I found it in me to believe he wouldn't hurt himself on purpose.
Because of the surgery, the X live show in Paris scheduled for October was postponed (I don't think there was ever an official announcement about that, but it was obvious with Yoshiki's condition).
Then, in November, (//edit: the news actually came on 31st of October) equally bad news came. Toshi had lost his voice and was forced to postpone some live shows with TOSHI with T-EARTH. This losing of his voice was said to be due to stress over many false accusations over years. I felt truly sorry for him... Toshi is one of the most peace-loving and gentle people I know, and I don't even know him. He doesn't deserve anyone bad-mouthing him.
Now, as much as I love X and all the members, and support them in any way I can, as much as it would kill me to see them fall again, I have to admit I wavered with these two unfortunate events. A part of me started thinking that maybe this was too much for them to overcome... that maybe this time they wouldn't be able to make it.
I should have known I was wrong.
Toshi is a professional singer, of course he knows how to take care of his voice.
Yoshiki... Yoshiki is X and X is him. He wouldn't give up his life like this, of course he would pull through, stronger than ever.

That was all a prelude to what I'm about to cover next, so that you might have a chance of understanding how I was and am feeling.
Coming home from my Xmas-break, having spent it relevantly without a computer at my disposal, I found news of X having some sort of an event in Hollywood, Los Angeles between the 9th and 10th (LA time) of January.
Okay... More information revelead it to be for shooting some (4 to be exact) new music videos. They would close off a few blocks of road in Hollywood for that night.
Now, obviously I myself couldn't go (though I would have wanted to more than anything) but I mentioned this event to my best friend. She casually says that she knows someone who lives in LA and that she could ask him to go check it out. I think my almost exact words at that point were: "I will love him forever if he can go!" XD
Well, he did, and I do. ;) I think by now I've said thank you about several tens of times.
Anyway.
The original idea was to have lots of fans there who would then appear on the videos (or at least one of them). Apparently there were so many people there, they had to cancel that part and just have them there as audience. The band did show up and they went ahead with the shooting of the videos.
Morgan sent me a few pictures and videos of the event, I will share two of those pics.

click to get them bigger

They had built a big platform on top of some building, with the edge slightly off the roof. They were using big lighters and extravagant pyrotechnics... as one would certainly expect from X.

The pictures and videos tell me one important message, though. I can tell that they are happy. Big smiles and excited playing, all the members are in their one true element as performers and musicians. I haven't heard Toshi voice be that good since the Last Live, if even then.

Whatever doubts I had about X being able continue went up in smoke, seeing this evidence that they are back, stronger than ever.

They apparently did do all songs planned, but I only know one of them was I.V... Which is sort of weird, since they already had a video for that, and a rather recent one too. But maybe they wanted one independent from SAW IV and with Sugizo in it, since he is now an official member.

I think this was also the first time X has had any kind of an event in the USA, even if Yoshiki is more than most of the time based there. They seem to have found new energy now that Sugizo has joined them. It's like during these past two years since their reunion in 2007 they have been looking back, making amends with their history as a band and with hide. But now they seem to be looking forward and are walking, running, on a new-found road. Hide is still a strong part of X and will always be, but now he is giving them strength and energy to move on.

They will surely keep going until the very end and even still they won't ever be completely gone.

Well... I hadn't even realised how worried I really was for X until I got this documentation that they were actually doing something again and felt too relieved for words.

I will definitely keep a close eye on their activites in the future too, and maybe, just maybe, someday I will get to see them live too. You know it would be more than a dream come true. :D

With the topic being X, this is certainly related:

Pinky Promise

This is something I just ordered, a book about hide with all sorts of fun stuff in it (like a jigsaw puzzle XD). Obviously, as a larger-than-life hide-fan, this is a must-have, even though it's quite expensive. But (un)fortunately, there aren't many releases in hide's name these days... :'D


That's it for today! Please comment if you read, even if you didn't like it!
And yes, this was just a special post in English; as you can see, I usually write in Finnish. (Unless, of course, the darling people who read this would rather see me write in English? If you'd prefer that, just say so in a comment and I will at least think about it. :D )