LUNA SEA

Luna Sea (stylized as LUNA SEA) is a rock band from Kanagawa, Japan, formed in 1986. The band was initially founded by bassist J and rhythm guitarist Inoran, when they were in high school. In 1989 they recruited lead guitarist and violinist Sugizo, drummer Shinya and vocalist Ryuichi, a lineup that has remained the same. Originally called Lunacy, the band changed their name to Luna Sea upon their first album release. Due to their early use of make-up and costumes and their widespread popularity, Luna Sea are considered one of the most successful and influential bands in the visual kei movement. Throughout the mid '90s they used significantly less make-up, and after a one-year break in 1998, came back with a more mainstream alternative rock style and toned down their on-stage attire. When they disbanded in 2000, they left a big mark on the Japanese rock scene. In 2003, HMV Japan ranked Luna Sea at number 90 on their list of the 100 most important Japanese pop acts.[1] Luna Sea achieved their breakthrough success with a sold-out tour in 1991, which helped them get a contract with MCA Victor, and with the release of their second album Image, which reached number nine on the charts.[2] After switching to Universal in 1998, the band released their best-selling studio album, Shine, with an estimated 902,310 copies sold in one year in Japan alone, although this is less than their compilation album Singles which managed to sell over one million. To date, Luna Sea has released seven studio albums, two live albums, fourteen singles and over 20 VHS/DVD/Blu-ray releases, and sold over nine million records in Japan alone. On August 25, 2010, it was announced that Luna Sea would hold an urgent press conference on August 31 in Hong Kong, where they announced their disbandment ten years earlier.[3] During the press conference the band confirmed a reunion and announced their first concert tour in ten years, new songs and added that there will be even more news with time. The world tour, named 20th Anniversary World Tour Reboot -to the New Moon- began on November 27 in Germany, and continued with performances in the United States, Hong Kong, Taiwan and ended on December 31 in Japan, the last of a two-day performance in Kobe.