2009/01/17＊Takuro
「If you’re exhausted even during the MC’s」
1/17 (Sat) Kumamoto DRUM BE-9
Since I don’t like it when my paragraphs end at weird places I tried writing one long paragraph yesterday, but looking at the post after uploading it, it still ends at a weird place. I wonder why. But writing long-windedly is fun so I’ll keep going like this for a while more.
I ended up sleeping until noon so I didn’t get to see Kumamoto Castle… The hotel we were staying in was smack center in the city so I thought I’d at least do some shopping, but I didn’t get around to doing that either. Nmumumu. So to pull myself together, I headed for the venue. They have gradual flooring at BE-9 (like at Shibuya Yaneura) for people in the back, too, to be able to see the band easily. That also works the other way around as we were able to see the faces of everyone all the way back.
After the soundcheck, we jammed with SPECIAL OTHERS’ equipment. This is something we’re always doing with the bands we’re playing with. It’s really fun～. Although it’s true that we basically just love all instruments, these guys especially have a lot of vintage equipment. An authentic Fender Rhodes (a keyboard that pretty much looks like a desk), Leslie speakers (equipment that swells the sound of the instruments. Serizawa’s is transparent so it’s super cool.) and their guitars are all born in the 50’s (ours are all newborns from ’08). It’s like paradise to us. It feels like we don’t deserve to play with them but since it’s that fun, I guess I won’t object. Well, I won’t show this post to them though.
Though it was our first show in Kumamoto, everyone in the audience was really fired up. I heard everyone singing. I’m glad I decided to use different sneakers than usual for this show. “Does that really make a difference?” is what some of you might be thinking though. Nhaha. We’ll definitely come again, so we’ll see you again then.
We’re already in Kagoshima.
With that, see you tomorrow.
2009/01/16＊Takuro
「Blogging about food all the time makes it look like we’re just traveling」
1/16 (Fri) Oita → Kumamoto
We did a live radio broadcast where we received shochu during the broadcast and after it was over, we immediately took it to with us to a bar. I’m abstaining from drinking on this tour so I didn’t have any, but the rest of the 9mm team took turns in turning their glasses bottoms up and the shochu was gone in no time. The food we had there was also all astonishingly delicious. There was of course the local specialty of horse-meat sashimi, tara sprout tenpura, goosefish karaage, mustard lotus root, etc., all of them aimed at keeping the drinks flowing I’m sure. Thank you to all the staff from the program. With this, we should be perfectly prepared for tomorrow’s show. After leaving the bar, we split into two groups with me in the group heading for a Kumamoto ramen shop. The delicious tonkotsu with the flavor of charred garlic, although a taste that really packs a punch, was really easy to eat. It was our first time trying something with such a strong impression of Kyushu ramen, or rather, Hakata ramen. I was already full by the time we left the first place, but I just kept on eating. Tomorrow I’ll wake up early and if I can, I’ll go and see Kumamoto Castle. Seeing it all lit-up after the sun had gone down, Kumamoto Castle so incredibly cool, I can’t put it into words. If I got to see it up close, I think it’d even affect how well I play at the show. I’ll try my best to go.
I wonder if it’s because it’s Friday that the people walking on the streets, be it youngsters or the elderly, they all look so lively, whereas me, I’ve been feeling (something that feels like) car sickness ever since our commute this morning. But, passing by all the lively people, it rubbed off on me as well. I’ll play at tomorrow’s show with this same feeling intact. Oh, and my literary style for this post was an experiment. See you tomorrow. Good night.
2009/01/15＊Takuro
1/15 (Thu) Oita T.O.P.S
It’s our first time being in Oita in two years, and it’s also our first show with SPECIAL OTHERS. It was the first time for both of us bands seeing each other perform. I was checking them out several time during their performance and they were fantastic today.
9mm probably falls in the “people with fear of strangers” category, but we were saved by SPECIAL OTHERS and how openhearted they are. If they’re open towards us, even our performance improves as a result. We’ll be playing together for all the shows on the Kyushu leg, so I’m excited about the upcoming shows, too.
Tomorrow we’ll be hanging out, doing PR in Kumamoto.
There might or might not be a live radio broadcast or something.
Thanks to everyone who came today.
Until tomorrow.
2009/01/14＊Takuro
「25th show of the tour at Oita」
1/14 (Wed) Matsuyama → Oita
After parting with POLYSICS we got on the road, arriving safely at dusk. Oita’s cold, too～. Japan sure is getting chilly. I was saying stuff about thinking about our health first and foremost, but I actually went and caught a cold which is somehow better now. Not good, not good. Everyone, watch out for the influenza and cold.
However, I’m looking forward to playing with SPECIAL OTHERS so much, I’m getting impatient. Try your best to make it to the venue tomorrow for 19 o’clock when the show starts.
Today I’ll get some rest early and make a complete recovery!
Until tomorrow!
2009/01/13＊Takuro
「Last day with POLY」
1/13 (Tue) Matsuyama SALONKITTY
It was a pretty hot show I’d say!! Looked to me like the audience was having fun, too.
We were full of regret at having to part as always. There really is that extra bit of added feeling during the last day, eh. But, all the shows we did together were wonderful and we had a lot of fun. We just parted our ways after the wrap-up party where I must’ve said this to them a hundred times, but thank you to POLYSICS. We’ll most definitely play together again!
Now them, we’ll be rushing right into Kyushu next!
2009/01/12＊Takuro
「Keyword!?」
1/12 (Mon) Takamatsu DIME
The venue was originally a movie theater and that atmosphere still clearly remains. It looked like the movie theater I went to as a child in my hometown to see Dragon Ball and Doraemon. It wasn’t like Warner Mycal 109 Cinema, iss what I thought as I was having my udon. The second floor is special seating as well, so I guess the band should play for them first.
Tomorrow’s our last show playing with POLY.
We’ll have fun!!
Today’s show was good. I got fired up.
Thanks to everyone who came.
See you tomorrow.
2009/01/11＊Takuro
「Which one of us is the snow man?¹」
1/11 (Sun), Nara → Kagawa
Today was a commute day. There was a ferris wheel in this service area we used while on our way to Awaji (also on our way to Shiga). If you see a ferris wheel when you’re around the 9mm team, you always start singing Termination to yourself. Mainly it’s just me doing the singing though.
Arriving at Takamatsu, there was an udon shop next to our hotel so we immediately went for a bite. It’s a shop that’s open all the way until morning. That’s pretty awesome. Then, in the evening we were checking the band score. Once we got it, we were double-checking it while praising its accuracy. The band kids among you hoping to get one, please wait just a little more! It should be done soon. We’ll throw in a comment this time as well.
It seems it’ll be snowing tomorrow. Oh dear. It seems to be getting colder country-wide. Take care to not catch a cold, everyone. With that, see you tomorrow.
Picture 1/
At the lobby of the Nara hotel, everyone was fooling around with this.
When you wear it, you start looking upwards for some reason.
Picture 2/
Checking!!
Picture 3/
Tsukimi. It was delicious.
¹ Not in the literal sense of the word. It’s the “snow” version of ameonna/ameotoko, i.e. meaning “which one of us made it snow?”
2009/01/10＊Takuro
「Careful tuning」
October 1st (Sat) Nara NEVERLAND
We played with POLY today as well. Compared to the last show, the venue this time gave a different impression and our performance was fun. I think we really were nervous last time. Talking about what an area’s known for to its own residents, that’s actually really quite odd, isn’t it? (Hayashi and me both talked about deer in our MC’s.¹) During the show, the lighting from the stage created this backlight which created this mysterious view where the audience’s hands swaying about looked like vegetation. The underwater kind.
It’ll be morning soon. We’ll start off on our commute when we wake up.
Everyone from Nara, thanks. We’ll come again.
Good night.
¹ Nara is known for its freely roaming deer.
2009/01/10＊Staff
9mm may sometimes be next to you.
For example…
If you’re a youngster with a 9mm bag, testing a guitar…
