2010/05/29＊Takuro
「I want to know the news」
I’m watching a lot of TV lately. I get curious about the news.
“We’re moving Futenma Base to Henoko. It’s been decided together with America.” That’s one weird news story. Isn’t this our chance to decrease our foreign bases by one? Our neighboring countries won’t even talk to us if we don’t forever keep relying on America? I don’t think so.
The Prime Minister should’ve just told America, “Japan doesn’t need your country’s base. But missiles are scary, so when the time comes, please protect us“. Like, “we want to make good use of your help～”. That way, I’d still remember the Prime Minister’s name 50 years from now. I don’t have trust in any of the other government officials of late, but I think what I will clearly remember is how they’re all quitting and making others quit whilst not coming up with any solutions to anything. And so that is my recommendation for you, Prime Minister! How about it? It’s not yet too late. You’ll surely be surrounded in a storm of bashing but as you know, there’s going to be people who complain no matter what you do. At least you’d become Japan’s hero. Besides, like, disobeying something is kinda rock’n’roll and cool, right? The young people would love it. Hmm? What’s that? “Rock” is of American culture? Then what about me? I am the vocalist of a rock band, you know. Ahahahaha.
I’m also curious about the food-and-mouth disease. The assortment journalizing problem… not so much. Not right now, anyway. I wonder how tomorrow’s weather is. With that, later.
2010/05/23＊Takuro
「One day as a shop assistant (including an hourly wage)」
The shows in both Osaka and Nagoya were really fun. Our performances are getting better as well. I’m looking forward to Tokyo the day after tomorrow, too. More than anything, I’m happy that the audience enjoyed themselves. I keep saying this over and over, but don’t get yourselves hurt. Well, it’s not like anyone attends our shows to fall over so this is a tough one. In any case, I hope you all have a good experience. It’s too bad it’s raining outside right now. I wonder if it won’t get sunny for the 26th? Well, it’s not like it matters during the show if it’s raining or not.
By the way, this afternoon I was at Laforet Harajuku. Not to shop, but to work as a shop assistant at a limited time shop called gslp*. It’s a shop by Lessthan, who make the clothing 9mm wears live. They also sell ECLODEVICE items (uhm, this is a little thing I’m doing together with dop. Lately, the sneakers have proven really popular! Amongst my family. (laughs)). They were also selling items made in collaboration with Sho Wada from TRICERATOPS and stuff. Even looking at just the items worn by 9mm, the print designs are really interesting and they feel good to wear. It seems we’ll also be doing this in Sendai. We should go there before our show! Advertisement, advertisement. Hey, we did get paid for it, you know!
We have another rehearsal tomorrow. With that, later.
The picture has Takuro’s paycheck of 999 yen.
2010/05/22＊Staff
Takuro Sugawara & Yoshimitsu Taki from 9mm Parabellum Bullet will work as shop assistants at the LESSTHAN-produced limited time shop “gslp*” @ Laforet Harajuku!
It’s your chance to see all the T-shirts & long-T’s worn by the members live! Even those of you who can’t make a purchase, this is your chance to ask for their recommendations and such, so definitely do come over.
For the first 100 people purchasing the 9mm-sponsored ECLODEVICE brand, you’ll get VAMP LIP and Ossan tin badges as presents!
※ You need a “badge coupon” to be able to get them.
Date and time of badge coupon distribution: 5/23 (Sun) 11:00～
Given to: the first 100 customers who buy 9mm-sponsored ECLODEVICE
Date and time of the arrival of the shop assistants: 5/23 (Sun) 13:00～14:00
Location: Laforet Harajuku 1F front “gslp*”
※ 9mm Parabellum Bullet’s members will serve as shop assistants until 14:00 o’clock.
9mm’s members won’t receive customers after that, so please take note.
※ They will be working as shop assistants, so asking for pictures or autographs is not allowed. The shop manager would get angry at them, so asking for them to do things outside of their duties as shop assistants is not allowed. We hope for your understanding.
※ Since they will be working as shop assistants, definitely do use this chance to ask them freely about if the clothing would suit you or their recommended items, etc.
Enquiries: LESSTHAN Ltd., 03-6416-8258, info@lessthan.jp
2010/05/19＊Takuro
「The night before the tour」
As is obvious, I need to make preparations for the journey. It’s not long, but a tour’s a tour. We’re going to be immersed in touring for the next month. However, I’m not getting any of said preparations done. Even though tomorrow’s the first day of the tour and it’s midnight, Tokyo’s still getting wet in the rain. No good. I can’t even get something this simple done? I’ll just sleep! I’ll go to the toilet and then sleep! I’ll manage somehow, as long as I’m not late and get there on time as promised. Having become completely at a loss and dead serious, I noticed a phrase in the “Mitsuwo Aida daily rip-off-a-page calendar” on the wall in front of me. “You take care of things in order, one at a time, definitely“. I see! I understand, Mitsuwo-sensei! Come to think of it, the one some days ago had something like “you don’t have to do your best — just do something definite” written… I see. Mitsuwo-sensei was someone who lived pragmatically. That famous line of “you don’t have to do your best…” had a continuation to it. What this is basically saying is “stop talking about it — just do it“, isn’t it? If it was just the beginning part, you’d hear it and go “Oh I see, I don’t have to do my best. Alright, I’ll just put off doing everything then.“, causing our world to go out of order. It can’t be helped, I’m the kind of a person who can’t even get preparations done without advice from someone. Even if I do hope I could make the world a better place in one shot, there’s a limit to greed, too. You have to do things one by one. What is it that I can do, I wonder……
Oh, oops. I was talking about how I’m not getting preparations done. My recovery since then has been amazing. I got it all done in a flash and right now I’m just thinking about tomorrow. What kind of a show do you think it’ll be? To be honest, that’s something even I don’t know. There’s no way I could know. I know the songs we’re going to play, but that’s about it. I’d think we’ll have fun all the way through. We had a meeting about this tour just a while back. Once we did, it seems I’d become an idiot. Taki, Kazuhiko, Kamijo and the managers all told me: they said I’d turned into an over-thinking fool. I was saying stuff like “oh dear, don’t spill water on the stage” and “don’t get hurt“, even though it’s stuff they all know. Completely obvious stuff. I’m such a rude guy. And more than rude, a fool. Thus, I think I’ll continue saying it over and over again. It’s important to preface what you say with “I’ll only say this once“, and then keep saying it over and over. But be careful: there are times when I really do only say something once.
For me, once the show starts and the first song begins to resound, I don’t want to ever stop playing. Everyone’s the same way, I’d think. You know what I mean, right? We ought to think alike, see. Those who interfere with our performance, I’ll strike down. With our music, of course. But depending on the circumstances, I may strike — definitely. Just how I plan to do so, I won’t say. Fufufu. Ah, I’m excited. Everyone, make noise or don’t. Laugh or don’t laugh, if you feel like crying, cry, dance or don’t dance — there’s no need to be one with everyone else, more important than that is to keep yourself safe. Enjoy the show as you like. The atmosphere at the venue. Just, don’t stop the music. Because tomorrow, you’re going to be a part of it. That’s all I want to say. This ended up being much too long. Thank you for keeping me company. With that, later.
2010/05/14＊Takuro
「Arrival at Fukuoka」
Following the album’s release, there weren’t any news posted here aside from Kamijo’s sudden profession of love for “Onegai Ranking”, so this has been quite a long time coming.
The people who arrived here because of our new album or after seeing us on TV might be clueless after seeing the blog as it is now, so it’s time I finally updated. I’m Takuro Sugawara, vocalist and guitarist of 9mm. Please to make your acquaintance. (Oh, and the rest of us members are interested in Onegai Ranking as well. We’ll have Kamijo explain on the show.)
Now then. Our album Revolutionary seems to be quite well-received (I was happy to personally receive so many positive comments from other bands), and up until last week, it seems we were within the top 10 of the Oricon chart. This week, or rather on the charts for the 17th, we regrettably came in 11th (as to why they have the charts for the 17th on the 14th, I didn’t look into it so I don’t know. Maybe it’s like what they do at Shounen Jump?). Since we have one in our name, we seem to have a connection with the number “9“. The band has an overwhelming amount of activities planned, so I have a feeling we might be back on 9th place next week.
After our TV appearances, Arabaki as well as Golden Week, we’ve been doing nothing but rehearsing. It’s going really well. Everyone returned home for Golden Week and we were all saying that that was probably a good thing. We’re making plans as to what to do with this album as compared to the last one. Do look forward to a tour.
I’m in Fukuoka at the moment. Just now I arrived to Hakata City from the airport. After properly eating some ramen, I’ll now be rushing into interviews. Tomorrow it’s F-X! The day after that, JAPAN JAM! It’s just me, though. I’ll be getting onto Yoshii’s stage (there’s a funny story about when it was decided I’d be performing with him, but I’ll talk about that later. It’s about me receiving something from him). I’ll be on radio in a bit, so I’ll stop here. With that, later.
