VAMPS Live at Roseland Ballroom

An important thing to consider when thinking of a band name: if it looks good on a marquee.

VAMPS is a Japanese rock band formed by Hyde — the lead singer of L’Arc~en~Ciel — and K.A.Z from Oblivion Dust. They were in New York last weekend as part of their world tour and New York Comic Con & Anime Festival.

Here’s Hyde. He’s 41 years old. His Dorian Gray situation kills me. I had a crush on him in high school — how come he still looks the same?

K.A.Z and his awesome hair.

They played a fun, high energy show that lasted two solid hours. The setlist included a few covers, including songs by Bowie and the Beatles, but my favorite was probably their version of Shampoo’s “Trouble.”

There was also neat VAMPS merch for sale at relatively cheap prices (concert posters were $5 and tote bags were $10). They should add Hyde’s youth elixir to the lineup.