Fish Tank 45
Interview with Higuchi Yutaka
Translation: Lola
So what's the current situation?
We just did rehearsals for the Rising Sun Fest and in a few days we'll be leaving for Hokkaido to perform.
How did it go today?
Today was....well I was out a little late drinking yesterday...so I got in early in the morning...
That's not yesterday anymore, that's this morning.
Mm.....*laughs*
Hokkaido will be nicer than Tokyo since it's cooler.
Mm, but it's not just that. There's no humidity in Hokkaido. That's why it's so much more comfortable than Tokyo.
In the end on the day B-T performed at the Rising Sun it seemed more cold than refreshing. The day before was 37 degrees in Tokyo and it was 15 in Hokkaido. That's a 22 degree difference!
Do you have anything to say in regards to the Rising Sun Fest?
Yeah, it looks like our songs are all piled together because in the end we only have an hour.
How did your rehearsals go for 'Alice~' ? Wasn't it the first time you tried it?
No...we played it during the 'PARADE' tour before that.
Oh really?
Yeah so we had already rehearsed it. So since it wasn't our first time it went very smoothly.
You're participating in two fests this year, you were invited to the Rising Sun Fest and then of course there's the B-T fest. Do they feel different to you?
My feelings...haven't really changed in regards to doing good lives. But things like the B-T fest and the previous tour 'PARADE' draws so many more people and just has tons of people involved. So for us to have an event like that is really an amazing feeling. I mean all sorts of people come, people who want to see Kiyoharu-kun, people who love J, until Buck-Tick comes on and then it's all over. It lasted such a long time but in the end it's just one big show.
Do you have any lasting impressions of the 'PARADE' tour?
Everyone has something they'll remember.
Were there any guests that you really wanted to see?
Just a few. Although people in the crowd couldn't see, we could see from above. It was a good feeling for everyone, seeing that. It really was. It didn't feel like we had a set number. I'm glad there was such a good feeling in the air...for both, well all three shows counting the one in Tokyo.
In Osaka, Buck-Tick shared the stage with BALZAC's vocalist, what was it like seeing him from behind?
It was fun. After that Imai-kun got to be on stage with Michirou-san and Acchan got to be with Tsuchiya-san, I think that was such a wonderful thing. I wasn't that worked up over it but I'm happy it happened for them.
It's a rare sight to see Michirou-san smiling so much on stage.
Acchan and I were in Fukuoka on a publicity campaign when he heard something. It was on Smiley Harashima's radio show, he was talking about Michirou-san. He was saying how once Michirou-san stood up and said 'Just raising a glass in toast with me is like drinking with me' and he was completely astonished.
This guy doesn't drink I guess?
No he doesn't. I mean this guy's already been friends with Michirou-san for over 20 years but even so he's never had a beer with him or even a mouthful of sake, not even once. So he was extremely happy to hear that. He said it himself, 'just raising a glass is like drinking with me'.
Saying that must have made him super happy!
Yeah, I was happy to hear that!
And so we rap up the 'PARADE' tour with...
Okinawa.
You had to postpone the show in Okinawa due to a typhoon but that was the first time in 20 years you had to do that.
At the time we were all talking about it, the staff too. The equipment couldn't even go out, it was just a bad streak of luck. A few days before when I was watching the weather report on TV they said a bad wind was coming. I just thought 'aaaaaah, of course this has to happen to us now....'.
You had several choices though, whether or not to postpone the trip to Okinawa or reschedule a live somewhere else like in Tokyo.
That's right but of course doing it in Okinawa has special significance. Well at first I thought it'd be better to keep the flow of the tour going during summer but in the end it'll be after our next tour which shows the real us. So since it'll be good next year, I could live with it being postponed. So once the BT fest and the next tour are over, it'll be winter but we'll go to Okinawa because the people are sweet there. I think it'll make them happy that we're going with Age of Punk and will play together.
Didn't you end up eating Okinawan food on July 15th?
I didn't. I'm not sure if it was that day but, once we had decided to go in January we went out drinking and although I was quite drunk, I noticed that Asaki-chan (Age of Punk) came *smiles*. I was surprised.
Did he say something about the postponement?
No, since there was nothing he could do about it right. He just kept saying how he really wanted to perform with us that's all. Even more so after the postponement so I think it's really good that things worked out this way and that we'll go to Okinawa together in January. Well unless we're hit by another typhoon then we'll be pretty dejected *laughs*.
Right so you did a public performance with Nishikawa-san and also did an interview with him for the magazine 'CD Data'. How did that go?
It was fun. He came to see us live once before he became TM Revolution. Then when we were starting to rehearse together he came and said, 'I'm sorry if I get in the way'.
How did the filming for the 'Alice~' PV go? It was filmed in such a slow way.
I thought that was interesting, it had a comical feel to it. Which went well with the feel of the album unlike '13 kai', which was completely different. I think this really showed just how greatly different they are.
What were your thoughts on the PV once you saw it?
Mm, I thought it was fun. I think people who watch it will find it fun too. Because...the cool thing is that the atmosphere is cool without being nihilistic.
And how was your outfit for it?
Oh that was so hot. I could barely breathe in that bunny head. Every time I'd put it on I thought I was suffocating *laughs*. I'm glad 'Rendezvous~' was much easier by comparison.
Even though 'Tenshi no Revolver' was said to be released in September, it was announced at the end of last year.
*laughs* That's true. But honestly I think it's good timing that way. Because it took a long time, it lets the information sink in. It lets people know that songs are coming out and I think that's a good move. Then after that because we're doing lives we're getting in the mood for the album and bit by bit we can add stuff to it. So I think it'll turn out well. Plus it makes it easier for people to afford to come see us and get tickets since they have a lot of time.
So then do you have any points you'd like to make about the album Yuuta-san?
I think...the really important thing this time is that you can hear that it's five people, the sound is much fuller. Of course we've still been five up till now but this time you really feel it. If you were to document our progress people would say that this is a rock album but I mean, haven't we been doing rock before *laughs*? Previously, that strained feeling to some songs could be attributed to the lack of sound in sections. That's how I feel about it honestly. Mm, so it's interesting now with the fuller sound.
A little while ago you went out on a publicity campaign with Sakurai-san in Fukuoka, how did that go?
What did Acchan say?
He told me you had a bit of a hard time...
In truth we had said that ok, we'll arrive in Fukuoka, put our bags in the hotel and then we'll go do what we have to do. But it ended up that we had to go do a TV thing without even having put our bags down. Because the plane was delayed *laughs*.
Really?
Our manager was late too *laughs*.
Ah, I heard he was terribly late.... Did you get to eat delicious food in Fukuoka?
What do you think? With that tight schedule of course not. *laughs*
I-I'm sorry *laughs*.
So we arrived in Fukuoka sometime in the afternoon right then by the time we were finished everything it was about 11pm. So then we finally dropped our bags off at the hotel and went out to eat.
In that whole time you didn't get a chance to eat?
Nope, not at all, at all, at all! Well it was fun in the end, doing that campaign.
Things just don't go well for the two of you do they?
You find? But I think that's because Acchan has to do things by himself too you know so that's difficult sometimes.
Now for a question from the fans, they'd like to know what you call each member so please tell us.
Huh? Usually, Acchan, Hide, Imai-kun and Anii. Oh! And Chiba! *laughs*
It's ok, you can stop there with your manager *laughs*, thank you.
Anii calls me the 'monkey leader' you know *laughs*.
Why?
Hm? I have no idea. But he also calls me 'Monkey bank line' *laughs*.
Recently it seems like no one is calling Sakurai-san 'Acchan' anymore.
Huh, but we do. Why are you saying that?
People have been calling him 'Sakurai-san' in interviews lately.
Ah, but that's different, the way we call each other in magazines. It's like how people call me different things at the office or at work, 'Higuchi' or 'Yuuta'.
Ah, I see.
It's the same when we're together. When we're outside work, but doing an interview or something suddenly it's 'Sakurai-san' or 'Imai-san'. But I can see how when seen on a page of a magazine it seems pretty distant.
Finally, will you say a word for those waiting for the lives to come?
This year has held various meaning for us and I feel we've completed something amazing so I want us to keep going well like this.