Fish Tank 55
Interview with Sakurai Atsushi
Translation: Lola
It was your tenth time doing a show at the end of the year at Budoukan but how did you find it went?
As to the song choice...I was allowed to choose what I liked so...I simply chose what I thought would be fun, I didn't really worry about it, just did what I wanted.
Oh really? I thought you took requests into account as well?
Ah...I didn't really pay too much attention to that *smiles*. Then because the stage set is only for one show...I felt like experimenting a bit. Not just with the staging but with the set list as well. Well, Budoukan is good for some things and bad for others. Even though things were crammed in...the rehearsal was rather relaxed...we also did different songs than on the tour for it to feel fresh.
You also had a raised platform on the stage this time but you don't really like heights right Sakurai-san?
*chuckles* ...ah yes...it was rather high wasn't it. We only did that so we could use the big lights. And as I said just before, it was only for one show so I thought about how to use them in the most effective way.
There was fire for 'Memento mori' right.
Of course, we wanted to integrate the Budoukan show with what we had done during the year and 'memento mori' is the symbol song for the album so naturally by putting it at the heart of the show with the bursts of fire, it ends up having a great impact.
It was good doing it in such a large hall wasn't it? The flames were more brilliant.
We used a different amount of fire before the show than we did during the actual performance though.
What? Really?
We used extra during the actual show....
You also had snow fall this time which you haven't done in a long while.
That...I had asked if someone on the stage design staff could make it look like it was snowing...and they said they could. I also wanted that when the lights came on at the end that they be pinpoints of beauty above us. They were blue stars. Because I felt it went with the music....
I think the things you were able to do with the staging and lighting went well with the music too.
Yes...of course, the whole idea was that I wanted to take full advantage of the resources at my disposal and I was also thinking that as a band, I wanted our performance to have that build up that feels like magic! And then all these ideas popped into my head that I thought would be relatively easy to do....
Once the Budoukan show ended, how did you spend New Year's?
Ah~ as I always do, conservatively. I went to visit the shrine.
You rested at home?
Not really. You know I'm really bad at...saying things like ok, I'll start everything afresh with New Years or alright a new start on Monday. Ah-ha-ha-ha ...I will do my best this year! This week I'll do my best! You know...I'm horrible at saying stuff like that *smiles*.
Speaking of New Years, one of the members sustained an injury....
Due to that our manager had to make changes to our schedule...but it could not be helped. That's what happens when you go crazy at New Year's I guess *smiles*. But it's ok. We're able to take time to rest.
And what does that mean for you Sakurai-san?
Well, I just wait I guess.
Do you think of things that you could possibly... write about?
I always have ideas in mind...though....
It's true it doesn't take you long to write something once you've been given the music does it Sakurai-san?
Yeah...but you know with songs that can be both good and bad. And that's without a broken arm hahah. If my arm was broken, I'd just get told 'whatever, you're fine' *smiles*.
The new single will be released in March but, what was your impression of the song?
Hmm...let me think...you're just talking about when I heard the music right..., well I do know that when I got the lyrics I felt it was very much an Imai song. It's got that feeling of drive.
The single was rather expensive this time around when compared to others because of the extras.
Was it that expensive?
Have you seen the figurines?
I have. Mmm, well...they're good I guess *smiles*, they suit each of us individually. They even took Yuuta's height into consideration *smiles*.
It was a good idea to have figurines as a bonus wasn't it?
The record company people put a lot of thought into it too.
With the single coming out in March, we await Imai-san's recovery but are you worried about which direction you will go in from here?
First...as to Imai's injury...I shall calmly await his recovery...then, of course we'll record...and I'm sure the things we want to do will take some time to work on...and that's the most important thing, to do what we want to do because for me to be able to do something good, I have to be able to put my feelings into it and want to do it. The plan has changed a little but basically we'll record and I have a feeling we'll do a tour this year.
In the meantime people can listen to the single while they wait....
Please play with the figures too.