L'Arc-en-Ciel (日本)

"The biggest band you've never heard of," Kerrang!

One of Japan's most celebrated bands visit Taiwan on their world tour in 2012, turning Taipei into J Rock central at the TWTC Nangan Exhibition Hall.

Inspiring a fanatical following, L'Arc tend to travel like a big football club, taking the away fans with them. They will bring some of their most passionate supporters from around the world to brighten up Taipei in March, turning the TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall into an authentic J Rock pilgrimage for fans of the genre hungry to see the real thing.

L'Arc-en-Ciel are Japanese rock royalty, returning in May 2011 from a 3 year hiatus with sell out shows in aid of Japanese Tsunami relief. The band celebrated their 20th anniversary with the two-night show "20th L'Anniversary LIVE" at Tokyo's Ajinomoto Stadium to 100,000 fans, proving their position at the centre of Japanese Music.

L'Arc are now currently out on their 20th anniversary tour and as ever are proving themselves one of J Rock's more controversial groups.

New artwork for single XXX ('Kiss, Kiss, Kiss') shows the all male four piece doing just that, with each other, keeping a tradition that has kept fans guessing for 2 decades. That includes their occasional sojourns as P'UNK-EN-CIEL - when members swap instruments and become a punk band, releasing a string of singles as their alter egos.

Formed in 1991 in Osaka, they have since sold 30 million records and set all sorts of Japanese live benchmarks.

Specialising in epic pop rock, the band count Nirvana, Radiohead, Ozzy Osbourne and David Sylvian among their diverse influences. Released earlier this year, their recent spectacular box set 'Twenity' runs the full gamut, from early work to their most recent offerings, taking in goth rock, to jangly guitar pop reminiscent of The Cure's lighter moments and U2-esque stadium anthems.

Tickets: 4600/3500/2900/2200/1500
Buy: http://www.ticket.com.tw/dm.asp?P1=0000012406

http://www.larc-en-ciel.com