Without further ado...FINALLY...my translation of kaz's interview from Monthly VAMPS No. 14...I admit I did not go over it a second time to correct any grammatical mistakes because it already took long enough to finish as it was haha...Japanese is so difficult to translate sometimes. Subtle nuances that I try to capture can sound odd anyway I try to present them...but at least the essence of the words still remains so I hope everyone will enjoy.
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To begin with we’d like to thank you for all the hard work you’ve done after reaching the end of another successful run of VAMPS. It’s been about a month since the VAMPS Live 2010 Beast Final Dinner Show at Furano. Looking back on that that time, what kinds of thoughts do you have?
“A month? What? I thought it was longer than that (smile). A month, huh…Well, probably because Furano isn’t a typical place where we do lives…”
That’s true. Because you had to kind of plan Furano’s live out right?
“Well, however you look at it, when I think about Yoyogi before that, that’s when it seemed like it was really over. Now, when I look back on how many lives we’ve done, it really does seem like we’ve done quite a few. But, compared to the first long tours that I used to do back in the old days it doesn’t seem as draining as it used to. Going into the lives everyday with the same kind of enthusiasm, you try to take care a bit and you get surprisingly used to it (smile). And seeing as I quit smoking a long time ago you’d think I’d get drained a lot faster in the middle of a tour”
The last day at Yoyogi, the moment when the live was over, what kind of feeling did you have then?
“Probably the feeling of accomplishment that it really was completely over. Somehow when you’re going through the tour you’ll get the thought like, ‘Man, we still have all this left to do.’ And when we finally got to Yoyogi it’s like, ‘What? It’s already over?’ (smile)”
Does it make you kind of sad?
“It’s probably more of a strange feeling I think. Maybe a little sad too, though. Going from the small little live houses to the huge arenas, the stage sets change then too, you know. What I mean by that is, with a fresh new change, maybe the sense of sadness fades a little.”
So, when you look back on the last 3 years, what kind of days were they for you, kaz?
“I don’t remember the 1st year at all. I just think of it as one long blur so I have no way of knowing how to separate that time within myself. But you know…it was definitely busy (smile). It seemed like there was never an end to composing and production. For example, I might be in the middle of writing a song, and constantly I’m thinking of more songs, work would be over and I’d go home, and even from there I’d keep making more. And in that way the every entire day would be just so full and in that same repetition that period of time just flashed by. I hated having to keep up (smile)”
“That’s true. Everyone has to operate at their own pace.”
“And of course, when faced with making a song, I never compromise. When I say that I mean, there was never enough time. Instead of one year, it would have been better if I’d had two (smile).”
Before the release of the single “Love Addict” you said in an interview in Monthly Vamps Vol. 1, “I want to do lives all over the world.” “I don’t want to just do lives in Japan.” “To just stick to Japan seems kind of strange.” You said all that and now it seems you’ve made it into a reality but I want to know more about your thoughts on that.
“I really do think it’s better doing lives abroad. To expand the sound I’ve created to other places, and I just don’t think it’s necessary to limit yourself to location. I think it’s better of me to say that I think imposing limitations is a strange feeling. Of course I think there’s a way to sell it, but I think it’s better to approach things with an open attitude. At least where making music is concerned.”
In reality, when you did go on the tour abroad, was that a feeling of achievement for you?
“It did feel like an accomplishment, but also like we had also just hit the starting line, too. As long as we keep conducting ourselves at a constant pace, I think we’ll finish out really strong. We’re still newcomers when it comes to overseas. And there’s still so many people who have never seen us, and we’re still trying to figure out how to reach those people. I mean, the way to go about it for them might be different. This I want to try approaching the overseas crowd the same way we approach our Japanese base. Just like western artists, we want to hit up all kinds of places with our albums. The term it takes for us to produce an album is very short. For example, in the period of a year we might make one album and put out a bunch of single. But our way of thinking is changing and we might just stick to one album in a 2 year period. By doing that, that single album we make might come to be more highly regarded.”
If just that period opens up for you, in that time you’d want to use it to try and produce maybe one thing, is that what you’re saying?
“That’s right. Right now it feels like it did in the old days where the number of songs in my heart are diminishing somewhat. I have a lot of songs coming out but the next week I might have nothing at all. In the old days it felt like I had this endless stream of songs that I really treasured. When I think of the songs in my memory, I end up remembering songs from a long time ago. It’s kind of frustrating but also can’t be helped.”
So you said “it feels more like the starting line.” After three years is a starting line a satisfying conclusion for you?
“Yes, actually. I’m really glad for that. There’s been so many times when I’ve really enjoyed myself and I know that there are so many people out there listening to us. Even though we’re just starting to come to some of these countries, we’re all singing the songs together for the first time. That really is a wonderfully happy feeling for me.”
For example, where overseas would you say you have the deepest memory?
Spain and Chile were both amazing. My birthday came around while we were in Spain but leaving that out, we had such a good showing there, I really feel like it was a place where people really enjoyed our band’s live. Walking the streets everything seemed so quiet but when we got to the live it was amazing.”
When you feel something like that and that kind of energy does it give you the sense that you’ve raised the tension and produced a good live?
“Absolutely. I think it’s very necessary to create the kind of synergy that makes a good performance, when we put on a good show, when the fans build up the tension. That comes after the enjoyment of the lives.”
So whether you’re looking at it from the perspective of a performer or spectator, you value the fact that people can have fun during the live?
“Yes.”
And how was Chile?
“Chile was amazing. To have that kind of experience, I never thought it would happen. Just the excitement of the fans and the atmosphere of the venue…somehow it feels like when we finished that live that we had somehow broken through a barrier (smile). The fans there just presented their whole hearts to us. It was like the excitement they felt for seeing a band they loved so much, they couldn’t keep it inside, and they did everything they could to show that to us. Like they were saying “Look how loud we can be” (smile). Of course I do think that the natives there are really like that, but that doesn’t mean that it was bad when there were quieter moments. It’s just hearing their screaming voices we we knew that we were able to generate that kind of excitement there too. Oh, and the wine tasted good, too (smile).”
So, not just the Chile fans, but what kind of feelings do you get from the other overseas fan bases for VAMPS?
Well you know, it seems like our fans are getting cooler. Like the number of people who can proudly say and wear on their chests “I love rock” “I love VAMPS” has increased. Converesly, when I look at them, I feel like I’ve gotten cooler. My heart is stronger. The second year more so than the first year, the third year more than the second year, I feel like we’ve matured (smile). In the beginning we didn’t have these standing room only super riotous groups coming to see us, but after the passing of three years, it feels like they’re more rock than we are (smile). Doing the lives every once in awhile I get a little fearful. Circling around above the fans, I worry that we’re going to blow it right at the beginning, or I wonder if I’m going to make a mistake.”
Well, in contract, from the perspective of giving out a performance, how would you say this journey has been? To what degree do you feel like you’ve had to start from mistakes?
“Well, there is the issue I’ve struggled with from the beginning. I’ve had problems with a few incidences where pain has gotten in my way, and I don’t like to show it. I think that my staging has probably changed. Back in the day I was a bit more aggressive but when doing that too much made me unable to move, it made me really wonder what I could do differently. The result was that I learned a lot from that, I really feel like it presented a lot of challenges. Eventually I was able to understand the pain better, and since now I understand the other side of things, striking a balance between stillness and motion, I was able to make good of the situation. When people say break a leg or something, I’m actually thinking like “Oh, no way” (smile).”
What do you think of the band members as a whole over the last 3 years?
The band’s performance itself has really gotten good. If we’re not on the same page it’s almost like we’re stumbling around, because I think we’re able to do great things when we’re all approaching the performances and the playing at the same level. While I do think it’s good to give everyone the license to do what they want on a whim, but so we don’t lose sight of the big picture, there’s been a lot of cases where we’ve said outright that we want to decide on what that is ahead of time. It makes me really happy when we can translate our recordings in a good live. Some of our songs from the past had this feeling as if they were just copied from a performance, but since everyone now has taken part in the recording, I think it’s a lot easier to incorporate the songs. One interesting point, when we do lives with the guys we recorded with we’ll all be like, “Yes! This, this, this!” It’s like we’ve all meshed together during the performance. I really value that kind of thing. For example, you get just one shot, the minute you put that sound out you either hear “This band is cool” or “This band is just like the rest.” That’s why every single sound that comes out is firmly and carefully laid out and there’s a power that comes from that. When we do that, and we get into a good groove, the rest is smooth sailing. The fans have to go along with it as well and the responsibility of creating a base from which the fans can be carried off like that is ours.”
Kaz, with regard to the lives and also with regard to the recordings, you of course oversee the production of the sound. From that understanding, there was the appearance that you had a really difficult time creating the sound at the first Zepp Tour.
“Yes, we had all these different sounds and yet they didn’t seem to want to come together. This person would put out a sound, and this person would put out a sound, and no matter what we couldn’t seem to create a good mix. On the other hand, there were times when, without thinking about anything, the sound would just come together with wonderful results. The very first time, there was this sense that everyone had a tendency to run through the play through on their own, but when we did it that way it just didn’t come together as a whole. I remember thinking I did not want to keep that same system going after looking at it carefully. So, while I was talking to this engineer, I was telling him “this is what I want to do here” I want to try to experiment. If that hadn’t happened, I don’t think we could have ended up with the kind of huge live set up we had at Yoyogi this time around. With a little persistence and with some simple steps, we were saved I think (smile). But I’m glad we could create such a solid foundation that way.”
I see. Let’s change the subject a little here. This Vol. 14 Halloween Party has already set the tone here so let’s talk about Halloween a little. This time you were able to be part of this magnificent Halloween event, what kind of impressions did that leave you?
“No way~ nobody noticed that (smile) I think I remember thinking ‘these guys are my band members? (smile)”
Do you mean, since VAMPS entertainment factor reached such an intense level, it was a fun event?
“Yes, it was really fun. Just with the difference in costumes, the whole feeling was changed. Even our movements changed I think. But it was really interesting. You would often see people returning home from the TV show and going to weird shops somewhere to put on school uniforms (smile). I think you saw a lot of that going around. And they were a lot closer than we thought (smile).”
What kind of channel was it on?
“Since it was different from the usual, they probably tried to keep it different (smiles). Take me now for example. Shouldn’t I be careful that I don’t lose my footing from this point on? But, if I was to try and go for a completely different appearance, that means we could disconnect ourselves from the previous image, and by doing it would mean being able to head down a completely new and different path. I think of it as a swinging pendulum.”
If you had that kind of sensation, maybe you have more fun changing up the look of things.
“But if I were to say I have more fun doing that than lives that might cause me a lot of trouble (smiles)”
You’ve done this 3 times as VAMPS now and year after year the scope has gotten broader.
“Honestly, I think we need to go past the point of no return (smile). The fans really seem to enjoy it. The fact that we show up with a different appearance than before. It’s probably because the stylists get way more fired up than is normal (smile).”
So if you’re going to the point of no return there’s no point in being careful is there?
“That’s right (smile)”
Well then, let’s return a bit to talking about VAMPS in the last 3 years. When you try to look back on the last 3 years, what kind of impact did it leave on you? How do you feel about the last 3 years?
“I’m really glad for myself and for VAMPS that we’ve been seen by so many different kinds of people. They say, “Awesome song, I love it” in a text or something, and to me isn’t that most gratifying thing about making music? Then when I’m standing on stage, everyone is having a good time. Then I feel really taken upon. “I have to make better stuff” I think and my power there grows. When faced with the last 3 years I feel like it’s the first time I’ve been able to do what I really like. I think that’s the kind of answer I can see. After that, even if I decided to write more songs, even if I make something using all kinds of trial and error, I’d stil realize, “What? It still has the same feel to it!” and it’ll be a complete hack job. So when I talk about something new I want it to really be fresh. But with those kinds of problems as well as trial and error, I feel like it’s been a really amazing 3 years.
Before these 3 years, you were different. You were still operating as VAMPS but under HYDE’s name. You ended up getting past that but I’m wondering what do you think of your partner HYDE?
“He gives the impression of someone who can’t be contained. He gives off the impression of this image…it’s like one person could contain so many ideas to that extent. It’s the same even with designing the stage sets. Even in a small area like that Hyde has so many ideas. So, what I mean by that, I think we have a really good balance. It also makes me wonder if Hyde ever sleeps (smile).”
You seem a little worried there (smile)
“Yeah, Hyde thinks we were pretty busy too. But going at that kind of pace allowed us to accomplish so many great things. In the end, Hyde’s a pretty tough guy I think.”
You and Hyde seem to have this wonderful partnership. Without that kind of collaboration you might not have been able to reconcile the musicianship and entertainment value that VAMPS has now. It’s like there’s a give and take. You guys stand in for each other, overlapping, overlapping to make up for any shortfalls.
We don’t like to exclude anyone who might have an idea. No matter what kind of live we do, I think Hyde probably has a picture of the kind of enjoyment he wants the fans to feel. So if all of us give out an idea as a group, if they speak it honestly, that leaves a lot for us to sort through, and in the end, we compromise and compromise and even though we want everyone’s opinions to come together, the direction and everything else never seem to quit settle.
It seems you do have a bit of a blending going on there. So, regarding VAMPS, you seem to handle the division of roles pretty well. It must be a nice feeling.
“Yes, but probably Hyde is the one with the heaviest burden (smile)”
VAMPS now has a more permanent presence to base itself from. I’d like to as k about that but I’m wondering if there were some areas in the last 3 years that cause serious issues?
“Issues, huh? That’s difficult…But, really no. But that’s because I really hate problems and homework (smile).”
Looking at the starting line, was that, to you, the best of the best?
“Perhaps. It’s the first time I’d ever shot a video only having finished one album (smile).”
Where do you feel VAMPS needs to go in the future? What do you think the next step is?
“Probably not lives. In reality, even though I can say that our albums have spread out all across the globe, I really think we have a lot further to go. Conversely, I think it’s wonderful to have those albums and to have been able to tour the world. I want to keep carefully developing those songs we already have.”
So even in the next term, you’ll be using the VAMPS and BEAST albums.
“Yes, I believe so. Of course I want to be able to hear new ones as well but when I think about countries, I know there are a lot we still haven’t reached. So if we were to continue to do a bunch of tours in Japan, we won’t be able to produce the next album for people to hear. I think it would be great to hear the same kind of demand coming evenly from all kinds of other countries. Not just from Japan either. It’s a big dream of mine to be able to go into all kinds of countries at the same tempo. Just to be able to allow other countries to listen to that album would be great.”
So your vision is world wide after all!
“I’m not just being one-sided on the overseas front. That’s not the case at all. I just want to be able to reach places we haven’t been, people who haven’t heard us, and places where people don’t know us yet.”
Well, finally then. For the Monthly VAMPS readers and for all of those VAMPS fans who have enjoyed this experience with you for over the last 3 years and up to this moment, is there any kind of message you would like to convey to them?
“We’ve done so many lives in just a little time and there have probably been a lot of people who’ve spent quite a bit of their pocket money (laughs). But I really did enjoy everyone coming to the lives, and without all of you cheering us on, VAMPS wouldn’t be what it is today. Just to see you all come to the lives gives me a lot of satisfaction and we are going to work hard so that we can see you again. I really get the feeling, too, that the fans we have who can say they truly love VAMPS with confidence has grown. As VAMPS, we’ve been able to send out some really cool stuff to you all, so everyone everywhere can hear it. We’ve been able to make great music that we know you can say “this is great” with confidence. But, all of this we could not have done on our own. It’s because everyone continued to cheer for us and support and look forward to us. I really am so very grateful to you all. Please look for us after this as well.”
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