December 31st, 2012 23:52
Posted by Takuro
「The end of EAST COAST TOUR 2012」
Our tour — spanning from our first visit to Minamisoma to the Zankyo Matsuri in Taiwan — ended with the finale at Mitoshi. Thanks to all of you who could come to the show. I knew beforehand that they’d have mince cutlets in Minamisoma, but unfortunately we didn’t get the chance to try them… I’ll look forward to it the next time we get to go there. Thanks to everyone who came even though it was raining. We’ll see you all again soon so stay healthy until then.
The time we spent in Taiwan was short but busy. I sang the first couple of lines of Atarashii Hikari in Taiwanese. On the release exclusive to Asia, the song is titled “新的光芒” (I think). The staff over there are eager to have us play our own show there, so I’m feeling pretty hopeful about that. Let’s definitely do that. Xie xie Taiwan, and see you soon.
For our show at Mitoshi, I wore a NO NUKES T-shirt I bought at Taipei THE WALL, the venue of our Taiwan show. Seems like it was an event held by the Taiwanese. The design’s nice, too. Also, I tried using a new guitar on one song at Mitoshi (it wasn’t anything huge, but Taki, Kazuhiko and Kamijo all experimented a little as well). Well, I said “new” but it’s actually my old EDWARDS Bricoleur that I’d just modded a little. It now has a really nice finish. The main points are that it’s now completely pitch black, as well as having an arm, aka “whammy bar”. The sound’s tighter than before, too. I think I’ll upload a picture later. Actually, we have to get right back to songwriting and I think I’ll use it there, too.
December is here. The year’s in the home stretch.
November 30th, 2012 23:59
Posted by staff
「Zankyo Matsuri @ Taiwan THE WALL」
The party to celebrate Zankyo’s 8th birthday went from Iwaki, Sendai, Shibuya and finally ended with the finale in Taiwan!
On the bill were these five bands!!
Posing in front of the panel.
THE WALL’s staff prepared lots of these fox masks to celebrate.
The show ended safely.
We’ll be back, Taiwan!!!
Please wait until then!
November 30th, 2012 23:58
Posted by Takuro
「Sendai → Hirosaki」
Our stop at Hirosaki Mag-net on the the EAST COAST TOUR is over. We were off to an awesome start at the renovated MACANA in Sendai, and today’s Hirosaki was hot, too. (People were using the Neputa way of calling for an encore. “Yaayadoo“, right?) Thanks to everyone who came.
I got a new guitar from a recycle shop in Hirosaki yesterday (it’s secondhand, though). This has to do with something I’ve been secretly working on for a story for GIGS magazine, so all you band kids ought to check that out if you’d care to.
For this tour, we have hoodies with new designs (actually we were already selling these on the school festival tour. (laughs) They’re nice and simple ). We also have guitar picks on sale as charity goods. The design has the band and ESP logos, with ours drawn by me.
As we do things with the band, whether it’s live shows or whatever music-related, we always want to cheer and make everyone fired up. Though we want to talk about the earthquake, there’s something that stops us from doing just that because we can’t do so properly. But that doesn’t mean we can fall into the trap of not doing anything, and even though it’s something meager, this time around that something is guitar picks. We haven’t forgotten at all. They’re our home towns after all.
Alright, time to eat some delicious Hirosaki food and head for Minamisoma!
The tour pass this time. Same design as the picks.
November 30th, 2012 23:57
Posted by Takuro
「From one tour to another」
This was last week already, but our school campus festival tour with THE BAWDIES ended a huge success. Thank you to everyone who came and to all the staff from each university. We played five places: Nagoya University of Commerce & Business, Konan Women’s University, Chuo University, Rissho University and Gakushuin University. We wanted to do another ten shows though. We made a promise to do a small live house tour next time! (just tentative)
Two days later, 9mm rushed right back into songwriting, and yesterday we completed the first stage. We’re spending the whole year in studio making songs. It all feels like a long approach to next year, and I suppose next year will feel like one to the year after that.
And beginning on the 13th, we start our EAST COAST TOUR. It’s nice how the shows never stop. There’s Zankyo Matsuri in Taiwan, too. A band must always be performing, you see.
A picture of my guitar as I was cleaning it in the studio.
October 31st, 2012 23:59
Posted by staff
「School campus festival tour, school two」
■ 10/28 @ Konan Women’s University
「Umi ga Mieru Oka Matsuri ～Pop to Maam no Koi Monogatari～」
The second show was at a women’s college!! We thought the venue would be just this mass of girls… (laughs) but there was a large number of men in the audience, too, working as staff. The tickets were all designated but it ended up as such a hot show! Kanpai!!
And again with THE BAWDIES.
And of course the way back in the car felt like another field trip all the way home.
Photo by Rui Hashimoto.
The next one’s on 11/1 @ Chuo University!
The goods can be purchased without a ticket so even those of you who don’t have one, do come around.
October 31st, 2012 23:58
Posted by staff
「School campus festival tour, school one」
Featuring THE BAWDIES and 9mm Parabellum Bullet, this two-band school campus festival tour spanning five locations began on October 27th!!
■ 10/27 @ Nagoya University of Commerce & Business
「Sagamine Matsuri ～ Utae! Jigoku no Kazoe Uta!!」
The opening day of the tour!!
The collaboration goods got a good reception.
The show was wild, too.
Good job on the first day, everyone! Kanpai!!
With THE BAWDIES.
There was a great atmosphere both in the dressing room as well as on stage, and both bands had fun from beginning to end! Everyone set their seats facing each other during the trip to Kobe… it was like a field trip. (laughs) And everyone with a beer in hand of course.
The cameraman for this commemorative picture was Rui Hashimoto!
Both the bands and Rui all looked chummy.
October 28th, 2012 10:32
Posted by staff
「Performance at MUSIC STATION!」
9mm made their 3th appearance on Music Station today!!
“Heart ni Hi wo Tsukete” also came in at 10th on the show’s own charts which we were happy about.
Here’s 9mm Parabellum Bullet just before the show!
Seriously just before.
And as for the live broadcast…
Did you guys all watch it?
Their performance had quite some impact!!
Our school campus festival starts tomorrow.
We’re competing earnestly with THE BAWDIES on this two-band tour, so look forward to it.
We have some collaboration goods available, too!
Check out the website for details.
http://9mm.jp/
We were happy to be on Music Station again!
We’re hoping for your support next time, too.
October 27th, 2012 16:29
Posted by Takuro
「Alright! Heart ni Hi wo Tsukete」
Our 4th single “Heart ni Hi wo Tsukete” was released yesterday. It came in at 6th on the Oricon Daily Charts. To those who bought it, those who listened to it and those who are going to going to get theirs soon, thank you very much.
It seems the first press limited edition with the band score is well-liked. If you know a band guy who didn’t manage to buy one, please lend yours to them. I (and probably the other three, too) feel that band scores are something you ought to be lending and borrowing. That’s how I practiced playing guitar. I wonder if they have any at libraries?
Tomorrow we’re appearing on Music Station. A live performance on a live broadcast!! Definitely do watch it, everyone!!
October 23rd, 2012 23:36
Posted by staff
「LESSTHAN*RIOT vol.3 @ AX」
9mm played their first show in a while yesterday!
It was an event organized by LESSTHAN, to whom we’re always greatly indebted to.
9mm Parabellum Bullet had their stage clothing especially made for LESSTHAN*RIOT vol.3.
As per the band’s wishes… they all got suits!!
Takuro is wearing a normal, sharp suit!!
Taki is wearing half-pants, a T-shirt and a tailcoat!!
Kazuhiko is wearing a mod suit with a red necktie!!
Kamijo is wearing short pants and a collarless jacket with a blue necktie!!
All these cool original suits were made by LESSTHAN according to the band’s ideas!!
Of course, they also wore them at the performance itself.
It was a fun day!
Thank you to everyone at LESSTHAN!! We look forward to working with you again.
October 19th, 2012 21:54
Posted by Takuro
「Well comeback」
Long time no talk. How have you all been? Though our new single hasn’t even been released yet, we continue writing new songs (it feels like I’ve been saying this all year) and that keeps us busy every day. I know making excuses isn’t very manly, but when I’m putting all my effort into writing lyrics and composing, that doesn’t leave me with much energy to do anything else. That in turn then leads to me putting off writing for the blog.
Since our new single is finally released next week, it’s suddenly becoming noisy around us. We’re making three TV appearances (two of them have already been recorded and will air next weekend, and then we’re doing a live performance on a live broadcast on that show — check out our website for more info), so it’s like we’re getting back into promotion at the pace of three steps forward, two steps back. (laughs)
We’ll be getting on stage for the first time in a while this week at lessthan Riot, so we’re busy with the rehearsals for that. Then after that we have the school campus festival with THE BAWDIES, and after that the EAST COAST TOUR, so it’s really not “sudden” at all, this noisiness. Let’s have fun with all of that, shall we not!
With that, ladies and gentlemen, here is the limited edition first pressing of Heart ni Hi wo Tsukete that comes with the scorebook! Even for the you who’s going “but I’m not a band guy!“, just get ahold of the CD — I guarantee you that it has impact. This is what you’ll find lined up on the store shelves next week. This sort of stuff is rare, so first you ought to just go hold it in your hands! Whether you buy it or not is something you may decide later! Though it’d of course be better if you did. (laughs)
