2009/04/05＊Takuro

「Punk Spring Zero Nine」

This was a fantastic day.
“Damnit, I won’t be able to watch the flowers” and other such complaints seem completely trivial now after seeing so many awesome shows.

There was an aisle in the backstage area from where you could see the audience. I witnessed several circles forming amongst the people there. It was like I was watching a foreign festival (though I’ve only seen videos of those). Each time a song ended, there was cheering and tens of thousands of fists in the air. Everyone seeing that, the cheers get even louder. I was moved by Cromagnon and Bad Religion, got great laughs out of NOFX and attentively watched all of Takeshi’s band’s show. I got to talk to the members of Madina Lake and Mindless Self Indulgence a bit (basically just stuff like “you were awesome!” (in Japanese) but they got what we were trying to say. If you try hard enough, you’ll be able to communicate with Japanese only just fine). Bad Religion are an important band to both Taki and Kazuhiko, so expect a blog post with overflowing emotion from them, or alternatively, they’ll just say “this is impossible, I don’t feel like I’ll be able to convey this tremendous emotion” and end up not writing a single word. I think it’ll be one of the two. Look forward to it.

Our own show was the best too, of course. The year before last we were asked to perform in a hurry, but this year we hung up our backdrop nice and high, arranged a bad ass setlist that wouldn’t lose to the legends performing there and mustered up the strength needed to do our performance under such circumstances. I’m completely worn out. We had a good time. Thanks to everyone who watched us play. Even the people who were getting fired up for all they were worth at the stage next to ours.

Even though we got into the mood for playing live again, we’re rushing right back into songwriting. I think our next show is at Arabaki. Before I’ve noticed it, we’re playing all kinds of festivals this year as well. Since it’s already spring, that means summer’s right around the corner, huh… I’m happy to be spending the year being so busy. With that, later.

2009/04/04＊Takuro

「After the Free Live」

To all those who came to see us on 4/1 as well as all who watched us on Supesha, thank you. We’re in a shinkansen at the moment, traveling to Punk Spring. The sakura I can see from the window are blooming～. Just before waking up that day, I saw a horrific nightmare where, even in spite of it being a free event, there was an extremely urgent state of affairs as there were only 6 people there to watch our show. (We even performed in my dream. It was going pretty good, but I unfortunately woke up before we finished.) At this point, I can but laugh. Once we got on the stage, there were people around 1000 times that there to watch us. I was astonished. Furthermore, though it was the sort of suspicious weather where it could’ve started raining at anytime, thanks to the power of music it never did (actually it dribbled just a little bit at the very end). Though everyones’ return home might’ve been a little difficult, the Free Live itself went very well.

Like Kazuhiko said in the beginning of the program that by the time of airing, we’d be well over with the show. What would been something perfect to liven up our wrap-up & DVD release party afterwards, the bar where we were at didn’t have a TV, so we weren’t able to check how our show was that night. Looking aside to the pedestrian bridge during our show, this girl (probably, I wonder if there were others) walking over there (well, she was watching our show though) fell over flashily at the staircase. I wonder if she was okay — I can’t see from the recording. In addition to what I could see from the stage, there were also people dancing below the sakura trees at around half the tempo of the song, as well as the usual band kids of course. In any case, for now I’ll concentrate on watching this recording. Later～

…is what I was supposed to write here but forgot to. I’m writing about present time from here on. Did anyone realize that before writing those not even very long paragraphs above, there was a blank of more than 24 hours where we traveled from Nagoya to Tokyo? I guess you also wouldn’t know that I wrote it all in 5 minutes, nhahahaha. Now then. I wasn’t coping with my car sickness very well and breathing was a bit difficult, so the trip back was pretty harsh. This is something I talked about with George (Williams. Thanks for your help at the Film Live!), but whether it’s a shinkansen, airplane or car, the speed limit at which the human body can travel is sliiightly exceeded. So when traveling long-distance, even though the body is moving, the soul can’t keep up! (Something that’s written about in Haruki Murakami’s A Wild Sheep Chase). Not that there’s any basis for it, it’s just a theory he came up with while wanting to explain that hardship that comes with commuting.

There was some slight trouble too at our important Nagoya show, but on our way back afterwards our moods were lifted, so overall I’d say the result was a favorable one. I liked how there was a foreign fan present, bursting into roars of laughter here and there. “Gahahaha～!“. It’s too bad it doesn’t look like I’ll be able to see the sakura tomorrow which would be the best day to go view them, but I’m looking forward to our show as well as all the other wonderful bands who will be performing. With that, later～ (for the second time)

2009/04/01＊Staff

We’re hoping for your support at the Free Live.

Some supporters to help us cope!

2009/03/31＊Takuro

「The night before Free Live」

Tomorrow, or rather today as the date has already changed, it’s finally the day of our Free Live. Even if I try to guess as to how many people are going to come, or what kind of an atmosphere it’ll be like at the venue, I find I just don’t have a clue. So I’ll just say what I always say: have fun and just be careful to not hurt yourself. The ground there is concrete, so try not to fall down, okay?

There’s probably people coming from far away as well, and the sakura are starting to bloom. Let’s have an awesome time, yeah?

I won’t look at the weather forecast. I know it’ll be sunny.
With that, see you at Yoyogi Park.

2009/03/28＊Takuro

「Headed for Osaka」

Or actually, we’ve already arrived.

My hair’s returned to black for today’s film live.
The sakura are blooming in Osaka, too.
It’s the “bittersweet season”, huh.

2009/03/26＊Takuro

「I dyed my hair」

It became violet (though it’s hard to see…) at Lessthan’s show, even though we have a live broadcast on Supesha after this! Just what’s going to come of this? Nfuffuffu.

2009/03/21＊Kazuhiko

『Call me anytime』

Hello, this is Kazu Nakamura.

We had something called the FILM LIVE today. Each of us in 9mm did a short speech like it was an introduction to a movie. I felt somehow nervous getting on stage without an instrument in my hands. I don’t really remember what we talked about.

Work ended a little early today, so me and Ryohei from the telephones went to have yakiniku by the two of us. While talking about our bands and basses and such, we at some point ended up having a really deep discussion about Winspector. This topic is a huge hit with anyone born in the 59th year of Showa. Everyone was watching Winspector. So nostalgic. Bycle.

The picture is of Ryohei just as he’s about to have some reimen after eating nothing but meat. He said he didn’t have any qualms with me uploading it here.

With that, later.

2009/03/21＊Staff

The preview screening event has ended safely.

2009/03/21＊Staff

The samples are complete～!

2009/03/21＊Staff

Arrival at ESP.

The members, delighted by the amazing amount of guitars and basses lined up.