LIVE HOLIC SSTV 2015 MY FIRST STORY x Crossfaith Up!!!Interview Part 1
When it comes to fanboying, to me Hiroki Moriuchi is unbeatable at this point XD. A pretty funny interview between two friends where Koie Ken blushed over Hiro’s glowing narration of his admiration for his band Crossfaith.
I have to say there is a big perk to being Hiroki Moriuchi. Reading how he could finish his classes for the day and go straight backstage to see a show, wearing his school uniform. Well, those guys in the band are his brother’s friends after all. For him, the Budokan was his childhood playground….thanks to Papa and Mama. People can’t complain about that. This is the only life he knows (^^)
This is only the Part 1 of a 2 parts interview.
Original Japanese text from Up!!!
Translation by me. Lots of paraphrasing XD. Sorry for any mistakes and inaccuracies.
*Kindly please do not copy and repost. Reblogging and linking are welcomed.
MY FIRST STORYのMY FIRST STORYはCrossfaith!? 【LIVE HOLIC対談・前編】
MY FIRST STORY’s MY FIRST STORY is Crossfaith!? 【LIVE HOLIC Pre-talk】
12月22日、uP!!!SPECIAL LIVE HOLIC supported by SPACE SHOWER TVの第5弾は、東京開催。今回のアクトは、現在海外のラウド・シーンでも高い評価を受け、国内外でヘッドライナー・ツアーを行なうCrossfaith と、2012年にセルフタイトルのアルバムでデビューし、現在着々とファンベースを拡大しているMY FIRST STORY。ラウド・ミュージックを鳴らす両者だが、Crossfaithはシンセ／エレクトロニカを導入しグルーヴィでメタリックなサウンドでヘッドバ ングとダンスを巻き起こし、MY FIRST STORYはアンセム感のあるメロディと、エモーショナルなサウンドでシンガロングを起こす。今回は、それぞれの個性がガチンコでぶつかり合う熱いライブ となりそうだ。ライブに先駆けて、各バンドのフロントマンを呼び、それぞれのバンドについて、またライブへの思いを語ってもらった。
December 22, the 5th of uP !!! SPECIAL LIVE HOLIC supported by SPACE SHOWER TV to be held in Tokyo. The acts this time, also gaining acceptance and highly acclaimed in the overseas Loud (rock) scene, CROSSFAITH who are performing headline tours at home and overseas, and MY FIRST STORY who debuted with the self-titled album in 2012, and are currently steadily expanding their fanbase. Both are ringing out Loud Music but Crossfaith spark a groovy headbanging metallic sound and dance by bringing in synth/electronica (whereas) MY FIRST STORY rouse it up through anthemic melody and sing-along emotional sound. This time, with each of them clashing in serious competition, it is going to be an intense Live. Ahead of the Live, we invited the frontmen of each band where they talked to us about their respective bands and their thoughts of the Live.
――今回がCrossfaithとMY FIRST STORYの初の２マン・ライブとなりますが、ふたりはずいぶんと以前から知り合っているんですね。HiroさんはずっとCrossfaithのファンだ とか。
――This time is going to be Crossfaith and MY FIRST STORY’s first 2-Man Live but both have been knowing each other a long time ago, haven’t you. That Hiro-san is a Crossfaith fan all along.
Hiro：Koieさんに初めて会ったのは、もう4年前ですね。最初にCrossfaithを知ったのは、Youtubeで MVを見て、これはヤバいと。最初が、“Mirror”でしたっけ？
Hiro: The first time I met Koie-san, it was already 4 years ago. The first time I knew Crossfaith, it was by watching the MV on YouTube and I thought, “This is cool!”. That first one, was it “Mirror”?
Koie：そう、“Mirror”かな。
Koie: Yeah, (I think) it was “Mirror”.
Hiro：衝撃を受けたんです。日本には、海外のバンドに影響をされているバンドが多いんですけど、ちょっと向こうで流行り きったものを日本でやるっていうのが多いと思うんです。でもCrossfaithの場合は最先端というか。まさに今、海外で盛り上がっているものを取り入 れてやっていたので、単純に見ていてかっこよかったし、それをできる強みと、振り切れている感がほんとにすごいなと思ったんです。
Hiro: I was shocked. In Japan, although there are many bands that are being influenced by overseas bands, I think many are doing it in a bit of a craze to go towards that. But in the case of Crossfaith, I should say that are the forefront. Surely now, because they have been incorporating something that is going very well overseas, it’s great just simply watching them and when you have that strong point, I think the feeling of swinging completely is really amazing.
Koie：ありがとうございます(笑)。気持ちよくなることを言ってもらって。
Koie: Thank you so much (laughs). I feel so good to hear you say that.
――そして、4年後にはこうして2マンでライブができるというのはすばらしいですね。
――And, after 4 years, you can do a 2-Man Live like this must be interesting, right.
Hiro：ほんとに嬉しいですね。
Hiro: Really happy.
――ライブもよく通っていたんですか。
――Have you also attended many (of their) Lives?
Hiro：僕は、結構行っていますね(笑)。
Hiro: Me, I have been to quite a number (laughs)
Koie：最初はほんまに、制服姿で来たりしていて、そのうち、「今日はメンバー連れてきました」ってなったりして。それが対 バンに変わったり、フェスで対バンをしたりとか、やな。O-Eastで一回対バンしたんやっけ？
Koie: At the beginning….true story, you came wearing a uniform, we then were like “Today, we brought a member”. That changed into a “taiban”, or “taiban” at festivals and such. There was a “taiban” once at O-East, or wasn’t there?
Hiro：そうですね、いろんなバンドが出ていたイベントなんですけど、初めてO-Eastで対バンできて。それまでも何度も Crossfaithのライブは観に行っていたんですけど、いちばん記憶に残ってるのが、O-Eastでのワンマンで。ムービングという照明があるんです けど、それを取り入れているライブを初めて見て、「なにこの照明!?」ってびっくりして。ライブの１時間半、2時間がエンターテイメントとして、ショーと して完成されていたし、ライブとして映画を観ているような、起承転結があったんです。で、別にCrossfaithって“ザ”バラードというものを歌うバ ンドではないので、起承転結を出すことって僕だったら考えつかないんですけど、そこを演出や照明でひとつのショーとして作り上げていくっていうのが、衝撃 で。じつはそこからなんですよね。僕たちが照明にこだわり出したりとか、演出にこだわり出したのは、そのCrossfaithのO-Eastでのライブを 観てからなんです。メンバーと行って衝撃を受けて、帰り誰も話さずに帰ってくるというくらい(笑)。
Hiro: Yes. though there were many events with various bands appearing, we were able to have the “taiban” for the first time at O-East. Up to that time, though I had gone to watch Crossfaith’s Lives for Heaven knows how many times, the one that remains the most memorable is the One-Man at O-East. There was this moving light illumination though, it was the first time that I saw a Live incorporating that, I was startled “What is this lighting?” As a 1 ½ or 2 hrs entertainment, (the hours) were being consummated (in a) short (period) and as a Live, it was like watching a movie, (along with) story composition & development. Well, particularly because Crossfaith is not a band singing “the” ballad thing, if it was me, I would not think of putting out intro, story development & conclusion though, so constructing that place as a single show through production & lighting is a shock. In fact, it was from there you know. That we are (now) fixated about the lighting or the staging when putting out (a show) is from us watching that Crossfaith’s Live at O-East. The members who went there with me were shocked (too) and when (it was time to) go home, everyone went home without speaking (laughs).
Koie：そんなん言ってくれるのめっちゃ照れますね(笑)。
Koie: I’m blushing to hear you say that (laughs).
――Hiroさんはもちろん、MY FIRST STORYというバンドにも、Crossfaithはいろんな形で影響をしているんですね。
―― Hiro-san of course, in the band MY FIRST STORY too, Crossfaith is influencing you in various forms, right.
Hiro：かなり！ そこからライブも変わりましたしね。前回のツアー・ファイナルでもそうなんですけど、自分たちの曲をめっ ちゃ聴いて構成を考えて、何分から何秒間はあのCrossfaithが使っていた照明を使おうとか。この曲ではレーザーを使うとか、そういうのにこだわり だした。僕らもひとつのショーとしてというのを完成させたいなと思ったのは、あのライブがきっかけだったので。今の僕らを作ってくれたと言っても過言でな いくらいのバンドなんです。思い入れも深いですし、衝撃も日本でいちばんあるバンドですね。
Hiro: Considerably! From that Live, we just changed. In the previous Tour Final it was also like that though, we listened a lot to our songs and thought of the organization, from how many minutes to how many seconds of using that lighting that Crossfaith was using. Using laser for this song or that and such, we were very particular in that way. We too, as a lone show, wanting it to be completely perfect, was because we were triggered by that (Crossfaith) Live. Even to say that it made us into a band that we are now is not much of an exaggeration. The emotional attachment too is intense and also the biggest impact on us from a band in Japan.
Koie：こっぱずかしいけど(笑)。もしかしてMY FIRST STORYのMY FIRST STORYは俺らやった(笑)？
Koie: Feeling a little shy here though* (laughs). You mean it’s MY FIRST STORY’s “MY FIRST STORY is us (Crossfaith) at last” (laughs)?
* Of course, Hiro was fanboying over Crossfaith like crazy XD
Hiro：かもしれないですねえ(笑)。
Hiro: Possibly (laughs).
Koie：なにこれ(笑)。でもね、そういうエンターテイメントの部分は俺らもすごく意識しているので。俺らはいわゆるアン ダーグラウンドなハードコア・バンドとかではないので、そういう部分は意識して作っていかないとと思ってますね。Crossfaithでは、マネージャー も含めメンバーみんなでライブの構成や選出については考えているんですけど、さっきのO-Eastの時は、海外で照明やってくれているやつを日本に呼んで やってもらったりしましたね。
Koie: What is this (laughs)?? But you know, because we’re also feeling terribly conscious of that part of such entertainment and because whether we are a so-called underground hardcore band or not, I think we don’t go feeling conscious while creating such kind of part. In Crossfaith, the manager too is an included member of everyone (involved) when we’re thinking about the Live organizing and selection (process) though, (regarding) that time earlier at O-East, the guy we called to do the lighting for us in Japan is (also) doing the lighting for us overseas.
――そういうふうに、バンドとしてこう見せたいというステージ作りっていうのは、いつ頃からあったものだったんですか。
―― So it is like that, (and then) you wanting to show (yourselves) as a band and producing the stage as such, from when had this been?
Koie：アメリカの、ナイン・インチ・ネイルズというバンドがいるんですけど、すごいんですよ。ライブにかけるエンターテイ メント感は、ああいったバンドからの影響はありますね。メンバーも新しいことをしたいっていうのが強いので、さっきHiroが言ってくれたみたいに最先端 のもの、かっこよくて新しいものをやってきたいんですよね。やっぱり、古いバンドにはなりたくない。聴いている音楽もそうやし、むかしのあのバンドがかっ こいいからそれをずっと聴くというよりは、新しいものをどんどん聴いている。今何が流行っているのか、今最先端のものをしっかりチェックして、曲を作った りする人間なので。いろんなところから影響を受けていますね。
Koie: America has bands like Nine Inch Nails though and they are amazing. When it comes to placing the entertainment feel into a Live, we have our influences from that sort of bands. Because the (band) members strongly would like to do something new, earlier Hiro (the bassist) talked to me (about) trying something that is state-of-the-art, wanting to be doing something cool and new. After all, we don’t want to be an old/outdated band. Such music that we listen to and since a long time those bands that we listen to are where (those) cool stuff come from. More and more that we listen to something new (from them). This time (to see) whether it has come into fashion, check firmly what is at the forefront now, because it is human creating the songs. So, we’re getting influences from various places.
――おふたりの音楽的なルーツをお聞きしていきたいんですが、まずはKoieさんのラウド・ミュージックの原点というとどんな バンドですか。
―― I would like to hear the musical roots of the two of you, firstly Koie-san’s loud music origin, what kind of bands are there?
Koie：僕は、SUM41ですね(笑)。
Koie: As for me, it’s SUM41 (laughs)
Hiro：へええ、パンクなんですね。
Hiro: Ehhh, a punk (band) huh??!!
Koie：エアロスミスから入って、ボン・ジョヴィに行って、そこからSUM41にいって、リンキン・パークを聴くようになっ て、リンプビズキットにどハマりして。フレッド・ダーストのフロントマン感がすごくよかったんですよね。俺はああいう感じが向いているなって思ったし。い ろんなバンドを聴きましたけど、入り口はそのあたりでした。
Koie: Starting from Aerosmith, going to Bon Jovi, from there to SUM41, to listening to (bands) like Linkin Park, to getting addicted to Limp Bizkit. Fred Durst’s front muffler feel is so cool you know. I thought of (wanting) to go towards such feel. There were various bands that I listened to but those were the (opening) gate (to my musical roots).
――メタルがルーツというわけじゃないんですね。
―― So you’re not saying that your roots are (necessarily) metal.
Koie：自分のなかでもいろんな時代があって、めっちゃポップパンクにはまった時期もあったし、ミクスチャーにはまって。そ の後にメタルを聴きだして、といってもスリップノットとかだから、ガチガチのメタル入りじゃないかもしれないな。スリップノットのアルバム『アイオワ』 （2001）を聴いた時に、これはヤバいと思った。こんな怒ってるバンドおらん！って。
Koie: For me personally, there had been various eras, there was a stage when I would be addicted to Pop Punk and then I would be addicted to a mixture (of various types of music). Subsequently, I (started) to listen to metal, that would also be (something) like Slipknot, therefore perhaps (my roots) are not solid metal. When I listened to Slipknot’s album Iowa (2001), I thought, this is awesome. I said, “You don’t lose with such an angry band!”
Hiro：(笑)たしかに。
Hiro: (laughs) That’s true.
Koie：“People=Shit”なんて、サビそれしか言ってないし(笑)。でもそういう音楽に、ヤバいって思ったから、 今こういうバンドをやっていると思うんですね。音楽自体はいろんな音楽好きやから、どんなジャンルの音楽をやっていてもおかしくなかったと思うんですけ ど、ぶっ飛んだものとか、ラウドなもの、へヴィなものに対してかっこいいと思ったし、人を驚かせるようなものが好きだったから。メンバーみんなそうだと思 いますね、うちは。シャウトしたいなと思ったのも、アンダーオースとかそういうバンドを聴いて、これはかっこいいってなったからシャウトはじめたり。
Koie: Like “People=Shit”, you can’t say a better hook than that (laughs). But because I thought such music was great, I think we are now doing it (as) such kind of a band. Because the origin of (our) music is from various kinds of music we like, although I think even if we’re doing only music of that kind of genre, I thought it was not strange though, something that soars or something loud or something heavy that you compare it to I think and because we like it when it’s something that amazes people. As for us, I think the band members feel that way (too). Regarding wanting to do shouting, it was listening to bands such as Underoath, that I started to want to get into shouting because I thought that was so awesome.
――そういったシャウトにしても、通常のボーカルとは違うぶん、大変さはありますよね。
―― Even if you do a scream, it is different from the normal vocals, there is the importance.
Koie：そうですね、ケアの仕方も違えば、言ったらある種の消耗品的な部分もあると思うんですよね。声も年々変わっていく し。俺もファーストの頃の音源とシャウトの声色も違いますしね。だから、Hiroのボーカルとか聴くとすごいですよね、歌うまいなと思って聴いてますよ、 曲もいいし。
Koie: Yes, that’s right. If the care method is different, I think if I have to say that, it’s some kind of consummables-like part. The voice also changes from year to year. I am also different from around the first CD in terms of shout/scream voice tone, you know. Therefore, listening to Hiro’s vocals for example is cool, I listen to him and I think he sings well, the songs are good too.
――Hiroさんは、Crossfaithはもちろん、こういったサウンドに惹かれたのはどこが入り口だったんですか。
―― As for you Hiro-san, Crossfaith is of course, you were captivated by the sound such as theirs, but where was the point that things started for you?
Hiro：僕は最初の入りは、ニルヴァーナからですね。
Hiro: As for me, the starting was from Nirvana.
Koie：めっちゃかっこええやん(笑)。
Koie: Isn’t that crazy cool (laughs)
Hiro：ベタに『ネヴァー・マインド』から入って、“スメルズ・ライク・ティーン・スピリッツ”を初めて聴いて、「うわ、 かっこいい！」って思って。
Hiro: Solidly starting from “Nevermind”, the first time of listening to “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, I just thought “Wow, this is cool!”
Koie：「カート・コバーン、ヤバい」ってなった(笑)？
Koie: You’d be like, “Kurt Cobain, cool” (laughs)?
Hiro：3ピースとか超かっけえ、って(笑)。そこから、フー・ファイターズとかリンキン・パーク、マイ・ケミカル・ロマン ス。パパローチ、パラモアとか、いろんなの聴いて。
Hiro: It seemed ultra cool for a 3-piece (band) (laughs). From that, the Foo Fighters and Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance, Paparoach among some, I listen to many.
――なるほど、泣きのメロディが強いバンドが多いですね(笑)。
―― I see, a lot strong bands with melodies that make you cry, aren’t they (laughs)
Koie：それが如実にバンドの音に表われていますよ。
Koie: The sound of the band vividly shows it.
Hiro：そうですね。あとはフォール・アウト・ボーイも大好き。
Hiro: That’s right. After that, I also like Fall Out Boys very much.
Koie：俺もめっちゃ聴いたな。
Koie: I listened to them a lot too.
Hiro：それが僕の中で王道というか、僕の心の中に絶対王者としてあって。そこからさらにへヴィなバンド、ブレスザフォール とかオブ・マイス＆メンを聴きだしたんです。そういうへヴィな曲も、アルバムに１、2曲だったらみんな受け入れてくれるかなと思って、ちょっとやってみた り(笑)。
Hiro: Perhaps that was my royal road*, it was as an absolutist to my mind. From there, I listened to more and more of heavier bands such as Blessthefall and Of Mice And Men. Even with 1 or 2 pieces of such heavy songs (that we put) in the album, I think whether everyone will accept it or not, well (we can) just try with a little (laughs).
* it became an easy road to absolutely open his ears to heavy music more and more
Koie：8曲目あたりに入れたりな。
Koie: You can put it in around the eight track.
Hiro：そう、そろそろいいでしょみたいな感じで(笑)。僕らは、いろんなジャンルをやってみたいという思いが強いんです。 メロディありきなんですけどね。
Hiro: Right, the feeling like it’s good to (do) it gradually. We are strong in the thoughts of wanting to try various genres. But it will be based on the melody.
Koie：そこはMY FIRST STORYの絶対的な強みですよね。初期の曲からもそうですけど、新しいやつも、すごくメロディがいいし。いいメロディがあって、いい曲を書いてるバンド はみんな好きやし、それが王道というかね。俺らの場合は言ってみればかなり変化球じゃないですか。ナックルボール投げまくるような(笑)。MY FIRST STORYはそこをド直球で来る気持ちよさがある。好きなバンドはだいぶかぶってるところもあるんですけど、出てくるバンドがちょっとずつ俺らとは、似て るようでちがうというかね、そこがお互いに面白いですよね。対談後編はこちら
Koie: That is an absolute strong point of MY FIRST STORY. Though it is so as well from the initial stage of (listening to) the music, to a new guy (who listens for the first time) too, (he’d think) it’s a good melody. If there is a good melody, everyone will like a band that writes a good melody. In our case, if I were to speak, it’s maybe pretty much like a breaking ball* or something like that. Like throwing away the knuckle ball** a lot (laughs). MY FIRST STORY has that degree of comfortableness with a forthcoming fastball***. There is something about a band you like who are wearing that (comfortableness) a lot though, little by little the bands that come out with us, that seems to resemble us or maybe different to us, that is mutually interesting.
* Breaking ball ~ a breaking ball is a baseball pitch that does not travel straight as it approaches the batter; it will have sideways or downward motion on it, sometimes both (Wikipedia)
** Knuckle ball ~ a baseball pitch thrown so as to minimize the spin of the ball in flight, causing an erratic, unpredictable motion. (Wikipedia)
*** Fastball / Straight ball ~ the most common type of pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball, usually thrown with backspin, so that the Magnus effect creates an upward force on the ball, causing it to fall less rapidly than might be expected. (Wikipedia)
To be continued to Part 2
2087
stormborns
yousharknotpass
jbbartram-illu
annaxmalina
pixelskylines
areudirty
