Are You "Fried Chickenz"??

Are You "Fried Chickenz"??
Compilation album by Gackt
Released	June 23, 2010
Genre	Alternative rock, art rock, hard rock, neo-prog, symphonic rock
Length	63:00
Label	Nippon Crown
Producer	Gackt
Gackt chronology
Re:Born (2009) Are You "Fried Chickenz"?? (2010) The Eleventh Day: Single Collection (2010)

Are You "Fried Chickenz"?? is the fifth compilation album by Japanese recording artist Gackt, released on June 23, 2010 by his former label Nippon Crown. First a solo project, it became a newly formed rock band named Yellow Fried Chickenz (abbrevated as YFC), which besides Japan two times toured Europe between 2010-2011, and released a few live and studio recordings until disbandment in 2012. They resumed activity in 2024 as Gackt Yellow Fried Chickenz.

Yellow Fried Chickenz

Gackt performing with Yellow Fried Chickenz in Barcelona, 2010.

Prior to the transfer announcement to Avex Group in 2010, separately from Gackt's solo career, he organized a band, "Yellow Fried Chickenz" , whose name refers to human cowardice.[1] Although in the beginning it was meant to be a solo project, a new band was founded.[2][3] Due to similarity of YFC with KFC, as a pun band's first DVD cover features Gackt stealing Colonel Sanders statue from a restaurant, exclaiming "we're gonna dye KFC and the world the color of YFC!".[4]

The first event by the band was the male-only concert on March 21, 2010, at Kawasaki's Citta Club,[5][6] in an attempt to bolster "men's spirit ... and sexuality" against the so-called herbivore men masculinity in Japan's society.[7] Besides the nationwide tour in June and August (including a female-only swimsuit concert[8]),[9] from July 16, Gackt with the band made his first appearance touring Europe, performing at sold-out clubs in London, Paris, Barcelona, Munich, and Bochum,[10][11] gathering an audience of 5,000 people.[12]

Since June 2011, the band line-up besides Gackt as a vocalist, You Kurosaki and Chachamaru on guitars, also included a second vocalist Jon, third guitarist Takumi, while on drums Shinya Yamada (Luna Sea), and on bass guitar U:Zo (former Rize).[2] In July and August 2011, the band toured Europe for the second time, visiting 9 countries and performing 14 shows, starting on July 20-21 at Bataclan in Paris, including also first time performance in Cologne, Amsterdam, Toulouse, Berlin, Budapest, Warsaw, Leipzig, Stockholm, and ending on 11 August at Ray Just Arena, Moscow, gathering an audience of 20,000 people in total.[13] Then he toured across Japan.[14][15][16][17] Both tours revenue was donated to the Japanese Red Cross for the victims of the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.[18] In September 2011 performed at the V-Rock Festival at Saitama Super Arena.[19] A year later on July 4, 2012, at the concert in Nippon Budokan the group was disbanded.[20][21]

On November 10, 2024 the band with new line-up resumed activity as Gackt Yellow Fried Chickenz for a limited five year revival.[22] With Gackt on vocals, it features on guitars Yohio, MiA and Hiroto, on bass guitar Daichi, and on drums Hidehiro.[23] They performed on Kishidan Expo at Makuhari Messe, and announced Christmas concerts on December 24-25 at the Zepp Haneda.[22][24] Gackt mentioned plans to tour in Asia, Europe and South America.[25]

Several recordings were released from the project band, partly credited to Gackt until mid-2011, with "#" describing their peak on Oricon charts:

• two singles "The End Of The Day" (#7) and "All My Love/You Are The Reason" (#10) in 2011,
• studio album Yellow Fried Chickenz I in 2012 (#7),
• live album Attack Of The Yellow Fried Chickenz In Europe 2010 (#50) in 2011,[26]
• live video recordings Yellow Fried Chickenz 煌☆雄兎狐塾 ～男女混欲美濡戯祭～ (#13),[27] The Graffiti ~Attack Of The "Yellow Fried Chickenz" In Europe～『I Love You All』 (#15) in 2011,[28] and World Tour *Show Ur Soul.I* 世壊傷結愛魂祭 at Makuhari 2011 (#7), World Tour *Show Ur Soul.I* 世壊傷結愛魂祭 at Berlin 2011 (#17) in 2012.[29]

Band's lyrics tend to be a combination of Japanese and English language, with some songs released or performed also in English ('.eu') and combined ('.com') version, for example "Circle", You Are The Reason", "Mind Forest", "Not Alone", "Speed Master", "Ever" and "Jesus".[30][31]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Gackt C.; all music is composed by Gackt C. (except M-9,M-12,M-14)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Zan" (斬～ZAN～ "Slash")
2.	"Dybbuk"
3.	"Nine Spiral"
4.	"Speed Master"
5.	"Lu:na"
6.	"Kimi ga Matteiru Kara" (君が待っているから "Because You Are Waiting")
7.	"Mind Forest"
8.	"White Eyes"
9.	"Justified"
10.	"Jesus"
11.	"Flower"
12.	"Kagero"
13.	"Uncontrol KyoukiRanbu edition (Mar. 21, 2010 Live ver.)" (UNCONTROL ♂狂喜乱舞edition♂ (Mar. 21, 2010 LIVE ver.))
14.	"Justified (Mar. 21, 2010 Live ver.)"

Chart performance

Oricon sales charts

Release	Provider(s)	Chart	Peak position	Sales total
June 23, 2010	Oricon	Weekly Albums	10	12,404
		/	/	21,514

Billboard Japan

Provider(s)	Chart	Peak position
Billboard	Top Albums	9

References

1. "Gackt、男性限定ライブで女性限定｢音漏れを聞くチケット｣発売" (in Japanese). Oricon. 2010-03-18. Retrieved August 22, 2011.
2. Jennifer (2011-12-11). "Interview with Yellow Fried Chickenz at V-Rock Fes 2011". Nippon Project. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
3. Sarah (2011-12-15). "Yellow Fried Chickenz Won't Forget". Purple Sky Magazine. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
4. "GACKT's new DVD to feature Colonel Sanders on the cover". Tokyohive. 2011-01-24. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
5. "Gackt to hold concert just for men". Japan Today. 2010-03-20. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
6. "Gackt、新天地ツアーは70分スピードライブ「ついてこい！オラー！」" (in Japanese). Oricon. 2010-06-11. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
7. Steven Chen (2012). "The Rise of 草食系男子 (Soushokukei Danshi) Masculinity and Consumption in Contemporary Japan: A Historic and Discursive Analysis". In Cele Otnes, Linda Zayer (ed.). Gender, Culture, and Consumer Behavior. Routledge. pp. 283–308. ISBN 9781138110441.
8. "GACKT、ツアー・ファイナルで、水着ギャルと"GACKT流"夏祭り開催！". CDJournal (in Japanese). 2010-08-31. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
9. "Gackt、エイベックスへの移籍を発表". barks.jp (in Japanese). Global Plus. 2010-04-17. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
10. "Gackt ends his European tour". TokyoHive. 6Theory Media. 2010-07-26. Retrieved June 15, 2014.
11. "Gackt、猛暑をさらに熱くした初ヨーロッパツアーが終了". barks.jp (in Japanese). Global Plus. 2010-07-26. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
12. "GACKT、初のヨーロッパ・ツアーが熱狂のうちに終了！". CDJournal (in Japanese). 2010-07-27. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
13. "Gackt率いるバンド、欧州ツアー初日に1000人のファンが集結" (in Japanese). Oricon. 2011-02-22. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
14. "『V-Rock Festival '11』チケット先行は29日まで" (in Japanese). Oricon. 2011-08-18. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
15. "Gackt率いるYFC、6万人動員ツアースタート" (in Japanese). Oricon. 2011-09-16. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
16. "Yellow Fried Chickenz、水着着用限定ライブを開催" (in Japanese). Oricon. 2011-09-26. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
17. "Yellow Fried Chickenz、国内ツアー最終公演で6500人熱狂" (in Japanese). Oricon. 2011-11-07. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
18. "Yellow Fried Chickenz Kicking Off European Tour in France!". musicJapanplus. coolJapan Inc. 22 July 2011. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
19. Remy Zane (2012-05-29). "V-Rock Festival 2011 - Rose and Moon Stages". JaME World. Japanese Music Entertainment. Retrieved 2017-08-20.
20. "Gackt、39歳誕生日に1万人とYellow Fried Chickenz解散ライヴ。「たかだか1ミュージシャンだけど、夢を叶えるっていうのはいくつになっても関係ない。」". barks.jp (in Japanese). Global Plus. 2012-07-05. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
21. Claire (2012-11-06). "Yellow Fried Chickenz to Disband". jame-world.com. Japanese Music Entertainment. Retrieved October 7, 2012.
22. Ellen Wells (August 23, 2024). "GACKT revives YELLOW FRIED CHICKENz after 12 years for limited 5-year run". Electric Bloom Webzine. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
23. "GACKT YELLOW FRIED CHICKENzが12年ぶりに氣志團万博2024で復活！". PR Times. November 11, 2024. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
24. "氣志團万博2日目にBUCK-TICK星野が現れ"Team NEWS"集結、アイナやthe GazettEらも熱演". Natalie. November 11, 2024. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
25. "25年間「麺を食べていない」GACKTが、焼そばのCMに出演!!"神の舌"を持つGACKTが"神の粉末"ソースの魅力を語る「日清焼そば」新TVCM「GACKTと神の粉末ソース 篇」". PR Times. November 15, 2024. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
26. "Attack Of The Yellow Fried Chickenz In Europe 2010" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
27. "Yellow Fried Chickenz 煌☆雄兎狐塾 ～男女混欲美濡戯祭～" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
28. "The Graffiti ~Attack Of The "Yellow Fried Chickenz" In Europe～『I Love You All』" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
29. "Yellow Fried Chickenz Discography" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
30. "YELLOW FRIED CHICKENz / YELLOW FRIED CHICKENz 1 [CD+DVD] (mini review)" (in Japanese). CDJournal. 2012. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
31. "WORLD TOUR *SHOW UR SOUL.I *世壊傷結愛魂祭 at MAKUHARI 2011" (in Japanese). HMV Japan. Retrieved November 27, 2024.

External links

• Official website