VAMPS add special appearance at Otakon to Tour Schedule

Baltimore, MD (June 16, 2009) – VAMPS, featuring HYDE and K.A.Z, have added a special appearance at Otakon 2009 to their busy tour schedule. The duo had already announced a special concert in Baltimore on Thursday, 16 July 2009, to coincide with Otakon.

Originally, HYDE and K.A.Z were to depart early Friday for their next concert, meaning they would not be available for any convention appearances. Otakon had arranged for members to submit questions for the band, and the original plan was to answer them via video, and show the video at the convention. However, the groundswell of support from Otakon's membership led the band to reconsider, and in the end VAMPS decided a more personal response was warranted.

"I guess we must have made a good impression on HYDE a few years ago," said Jim Vowles, Otakon's head of Guests, Industry, and Press Relations, referring to HYDE's appearance with L'Arc~en~Ciel in 2004.

"We were delighted to find that he and K.A.Z were interested in working Otakon into their tour. We were able to work out a special pre-Otakon appearance and a bit of cross promotion. When the responses started coming in, I guess everyone got excited. We're delighted and flattered that they changed plans to meet the fans."

Exclusively for Otakon members, VAMPS will give out special passes at their SONAR show on Thursday. These passes will grant priority access to the band's panel and autograph sessions at Otakon on Friday afternoon. (You must be registered for Otakon to attend the panel and autograph sessions.)

Otakon also plans to make special arrangements for pre-registration pickup on Thursday to allow concert ticket holders to pick up their Otakon badges early without missing the concert. (Otakon allows pre-registered members to pick up their badges Thursday evening, prior to the convention.) Details will be posted on the Otakon Web site in the coming weeks.

VAMPS will appear at Baltimore's SONAR on 16 July 2009. The autograph session and Q&A panel will take place on Friday afternoon, 17 July 2009, at the Baltimore Convention Center. For ticket information for the SONAR concert, please visit http://www.vampsliveusa.com/

For more information and updates, please visit the Otakon VAMPS page at http://www.otakon.com/2009vamps.asp