UV Vol. 6 - Facing kiss me heavenly Tour

Go to every place all over the country in sequencing days, the long tour "kiss me heavenly '96" will be started on 3 April. Right before the tour is started, we get an interview with them. Last year livehouse tour 'TOUR heavenly '95', continued with end of year Budokan Live, what kind of experiences they got, will it be reflected through this tour? So, let's ask them some questions about that.

hyde Interview

I: This year tour 'kiss me heavenly '96', all of them are 25 concerts, up to now, that's the biggest amount of tour that you should be proud of, ne.
h: Right. It's the biggest L'Arc~en~Ciel tour since the beginning of this band. Last year we perform in livehouses. At that time, we perform 20 performances, this time, it's hall version of them.

I: The way you perform in live house and hall, it's different, isn't it?
h: It's different, ne. What makes them different ... In live house, people who watch us were crowded. In hall, the biggest difference with livehouse is its lighting. Sometimes the lighting can make people don't really pay attention to our performance. What kind of image would it be, that's the most thing that can be felt.

I: So the meaning that carried out by the songs is important.
h: It's really important, ne, it's about the whole thought. The most important is, what kind of emotion/thought we deliver, when the audiences listen to us, they will feel the same thing. If the lighting doesn't match with the feeling of the song, I don't know what kind of feeling will it be. I think it's not good if the atmosphere isn't mixed well.

I: Staff work will be important thing, ne.
h: Yes, in the first performance, though there are various attempts to prevent the mistakes, but in the end they're failed. I think they should had the same thought and understand each other well. I strongly feel it. Then, because it goes in the wrong way, nothing we said but "I want to have this kind of feeling here", we'll said the main point about what we want to the staff clearly. Then, we want the staff to use their special skills well.

I: Of course that what the band wants to carry out will change the whole atmosphere of a performance.
h: Right. Where we want a performance to go, we ask it to the staff and give them the main points of what we want. Actually, because we work with professional people, we leave the sense to them. The most important is, as long as everyone understand very well, it's OK, I think.

I: If it's not understood well, there will be various mistakes.
h: If the emotion is different with the lighting, our reputation won't become bad. But from that time, the stage we want to express will be felt in different way. We want our performace also be felt by the audience.

I: Usually in that kind of surface there's a repeating mistakes, you don't use that experience to develop the feeling?
h: L'Arc~en~Ciel body is the continuation of the mistakes. Since the beginning of the band there are such kind of repeating mistakes. That lighting that I mentioned before is one exmaple. But from that, we tried to end up the mistakes and stand up more than the time before, we step up the stairs one step ahead. Usually, the situation goes that way. So, recently, there's no fear of being fall.

I: Though these things can't be seen by the audiences, when the handling of the mistakes is clarified, sometimes it can't be delivered well to the backstage until the frontstage.
h: Maybe it's like that. But usually behind the performance there's emergency situation. Because we had problems since long time ago, we're getting used to handle it.

I: So the band is also important to be thought about.
h: Because that's what we depend all of our life on, there's no other feelings at all. Shortly, because we're not salarymen, it's not right to judge that a person is doing well if a person does a standard job, isnt' it. Every single step is important, every single place we perform in is impotant, usually I think that way.

I: Because of that for the last year, you also arrage a rehearsal, right?
h: Right. It's back to the basic. So it's good, I think. I feel that we seem like walking up the stairs last year, ne. In the previous year there's wrong direction we took.

I: But, one last year, if we look back to the condition, there's should be no minus point again, right?
h: That's right, everytime we fall we'll try to walk a step ahead moere and more, repeatedly.

I: Though it isn't discussed just now, in the band side that can't be seen, usually, there's an emergency situation inside the band.
h: Yes, there is. Usually there's a direction that we dislike. Actually, to handle that thing, because we're flowing to the wrong river, we'll paddle the oar as strong as we can, aiming the direction without changing the next plan though it can't run smoothly. That's our usual meal. Recently, seeing us who are paddling our oars, there's a little bit rejection among us. But, we haven't take any initiatives that make the boat can't go forward to the world we look for.

I: So because the 4 persons have their own will, there are things that can't make you go forward.
h: Right. Maa, because there's different direction in each of 4 persons, the focus of L'Arc~en~Ciel can't be reached. Usually, we don't let the things that can't unite our objectives to be done, ne.

I: The way of thinking like that is severe, ne.
h: It can be said severe, but we really want to pass the days with happiness. So the basic is, let it flow easily, we don't think too hard. So, basically it can't be said clearer.

I: Your band's world view is also important.
h: Right. If it can't be done, the more important is, because of that L'Arc~en~Ciel won't be exist, that's the only thing I afraid of.

I: What is L'Arc~en~Ciel in you view?
h: L'Arc~en~Ciel is, consists of 4 persons, each person can be drawn as a piece of a circle. The full circle is when the 4 persons gather around, that's L'Arc~en~Ciel in my thought. So, if anyone is missing, the circle wont' be perfect, that person will involves in a little part in L'Arc~en~Ciel, it wont' become L'Arc~en~Ciel anymore. So if each of the 4 person facing the center of L'Arc~en~Ciel and give each power to it, the stem of the center will be bigger. I feel that will become the important thing.

I: So you won't perform only based on the realtionship as friends, while you understand each other you'll grow together. But if your development is left behind there's a possibility that the whole band will develope late.
h: I also think about that. But I don't think it's a feel of friendship. It's more like close relationship in a family. Though the bloods are linked, the way of my father and my mother think is different, everyone has its own way of thinking. But all of the family member is one. The basic is being together, usually though there are many different opinions, in the end, it will be one. If it reaches that point, it doesn't matter what kind of disaster will shake the house, what kind of happiness will come. With all of the member that work together to solve the problem, we can search the happiness.

I: So there are things that should be continued to keep the band exist?
h: The important thing is if the stem grow bigger, from that tree seems like we can see everyone. This year I'm kinda like that, I think the stem grows bigger and higher.

I: I understand. Jaa, at last, we'd like to hear your spirit about this time's tour.
h: This year the feeling that the band is growing up along with sakura tree is really strong (laugh). Moreover, I want to do that nearly perfect. That's the first target of this year. Especially for the live, such awareness is strong. Actually, in Budokan live, when we performed, we had 100% feeling inside us, now the spirit is already developed 70%. This time's tour is 100% of L'Arc~en~Ciel. Please look forward for it.

ken Interview

I: Now, you use your gold-colored ken model guitar, what kind of chareacteristics that represented by the guitar?
k: Until now, there's only a minor change in the guitar I used. For example, the color changes, the lumber quality also changes, neck's grip also changes. For the next live it's OK if I only used 1 guitar. What kind of the song, and the sound quality's condition, the standard of live's place, I use guitar that can handle such flexible situation. But if the tour has finished, and I had performed in stage, that's not enough. In the stage, if there are people who see my gold-colored guitar, please think about the guitar that is discussed now.

I: That will be interesting. By the way, has the stage theme of 'kiss me heavenly '96' been decided yet?
k: The rehearsal will be started from next week. (13 March), in fact the plan has not been decided concretely. But the tour title 'kiss me heavenly '96', it's more than the previous tour, I feel that it's the second time of 'heavenly' tour.

I: The first 'TOUR heavenly '95' is 9 performaces, this time until now, it has the biggest aount of tour, ne.
k: Yes, that's right. That is more than double amount of last year hall tour performances. Before that, we performed in 20 live houses. In hall, what will the tour be, from my first experience, what will we be, i still can't imagine that.

I: But last year, because of long live house tour, there's no such thing of nervous feeling right?
k: Usually I feel nervous (laugh). But still, there's a difference between going to the live house tour last year and facing the tour that will be started.

I: What is that?
k: Until now tour is, we perform the live in those places full of energy. When we exhausted, we'll take some sleep, that happened over and over again. That time, there's a lot of tour, we pushed ourselves until reaching the limit. But if there' spare time, we still have some energy left to hang out in the streets, we fully enjoyed the trip, so we felt the atmosphere of those places while we did our tour.

I: Until that, each of you filled up your world view.
k: Because there's a lot amount of tour, there's a different feeling in each place. So when we spend the time, we feel the different approach.

I: When you only perform in live house, you don't feel that exhausted?
k: I think it's fan who felt hot, but when there's a lot of people who come, it's us who felt hot. If we use rating, there's no special performance. From the beginning until the end, our music performace and doing the things we like with our power, give a new feeling more and more.

I: With the live house experience, when you perform in hall, you'll feel the different sensation of stage, ne.
k: Right. Until now, livehouse is livehouse, hall is hall, what kind of feeling I have, from 'TOUR heavenly '95', continued with live house tour, the distance with the audiences, and else, building a happy relationship, it's better than before. I feel a close relationship with the audiences

I: Until that, is there any thought to do things on your own will?
k: Maybe. But when we performed in live house, back once more to the hall, there is mysterious feeling. The performaces in livehouse tour, is a step to the hall tour, that's we really feel.

I: Because there's such kind of thing, in Nippon Budokan, you can feel a weird pressure, you perform near with the fan's posistion.
k: Right. First, the place is wide, though I feel far away, we'll let the performance flowing the same, I think that will bring good feeling. When we performed in Budokan, we felt a new feeling. Shortly, for us who performs only in livehouse before, it became our first experience to perform in hall. So I want to feel that kind of feeling when I perform in Budokan again this time, ne.

I: Jaa, the first time in hall, there's such kind of feeling.
k: At that time, "I will feel good", I thought. We surely feel that we're definitely not performing in live house. In livehouse, there's a wall in the back, so I feel the atmosphere that kept closed. But, sometimes I don't want to feeel that kind of feeling, but in fact, there's a wall, so it's kinda dilemma. In hall, there are various place and atmosphere that can be used. When we did our first performance in hall, we felt that way.

I: With that thought for the tour that will be started on April, what kind of feeling that will be reflected in your next tour?
k: I can't say it concretely. Actually, one last year, I have good experiences. Actually, though I didn't know until each one's face, I feel I can have direct communication with all of the people who come to that place. So with this tour, I think that feeling won't change.

I: So it will be like your previous tour.
k: Yup, since long time I likehanging around, so when I do the tour, I can really enjoy the trip. For example, if I hit pachinko in the place I don't know, I should consider the special rule in that place. I'll search a good cafeteria with delicious food to go eat. Because there are various things that can be absorbed daily, I can use my power well to do the tour, so dong the tour is really exciting.

I: Jaa, this time's tour, it takes 2 months, but no one knows what will happen in the middle of the journey, isn't it?
k: Right. So in every tour, in the end I will be a person that doesn't feel usual, this time tour give a better value for the long run, in the end I will be afraid if I'll be a disabled person (laugh). But, this time I only think about how to handling problems that maybe happen.

I: What is that?
k: The things that talked about become messed up. That's like a drunk condition (laugh).

I: Jaa, does the pace division for 1 tour become a heavy work?
k: Though it's really heavy, above that, usually we want to face every single performace, and giving all of our strength in it. So to think about the pace division, there's no absoluteness in it, anything that decided is for giving the best performance in each performance. No matter how the pace division is, we must not dissappointing the audiences.

I: I see~. Jaa, for the last, please give the message for the upcoming tour.
k: Few das ago, the video with Nippon Budokan reflection 'heavenly~films~' has been sold, for the people who came to our live for the first time, for the pople who always come to our live, that video can be a preparation lesson, let's repeat it when you come to the live (laugh). In that place, I go out playing outside, wearing colorful clothes, coloring the street, so for the live that we're gonna perform, all of you together with us, let's share happiness.

tetsu Inteview

I: This time's tour is like the continuation of the last year tour, isn't it?
t: Yes, ne. This tour is also the continuation of the release of 'heavenly' album. It feels like we're doing the encore of last year tour, and in the place we haven't been before, there are also the same audience I think, it's like repeating once more.

I: The amount is more than last year, right?
t: Yep. Since the time this band began, it's the biggest amount of live. 25 times ka na.

I: Do you already have a thought about this tour that drawn in your mind?
t: No, we have to do single recording until this interval. So, I only think about creating new songs, the arrangement and recording mode inside my heaf. I still don't know, because there aren't any rehearsal yet for live. There will be 2 new songs in that single. Though we haven't decided the day of releasing singles, I think it'll be in the summer, ne.

I: Why did you create new single this time?
t: Because the tour will takes time for about 2 months, I think we can't do the recording then. 6 months after the tour, I want to do album recording. So I think it's really late for the release. I think it's great if we can do recording before the tour started.

I: Think about that, have you arranged the a-year-schedule for this year?
t: Yes. Because we were really busy last year, though I think we're going to do slower this year, it's flowing however. That flow can't be stopped, fans are also waiting. The big plan has been discussed among the members. From that, we then talked about the schedule.

I: Though the band hasn't started its activity yet, there's still a spirit of being in a band.
t: This time, the single recording can't be done in a week. So, with that thought, album recording will take more than 1 month long, the activities in TV, video, magazine will be decrease, I don't want to be like that.

I: That activities, have it started yet?
t: No, there's no such activities now. I think we're kinda slow. This time, releasing songs is more than the large amount of tour, I think about making a good song because I want to make a good album. If that important point has been settled, there's nothing to worry about.

I: If we looked back to the last year Budokan live, is that part also included in the next tour?
t: It's the thing we always include in, though we have to plan about many little things to make a good live, so at least we must have that for our next live. We can't do better live for the next time.

I: Actually, do you have a good feeling about this year tour?
t: Yep. Last year we were doing national club tour In May and June, I think the feeling turns out like that time feeling.

I: At first, Laruku couldn't really do a thing like that tour, ne?
t: For the debut, the most important thing is not only doing tour in city level.There were 10 lives in our national tour. It's 1-2 times in a year.

I: You thought it was enough?
t: Yes, ne, it's because the amount of lives. The tour that is decided now has larger amount than last year club tour. Though in our debut time, the standard was only about the amount of lives, since last year the member started to do the things we want to do. So thought about the amount of lives was not many, it's staff's strategy. That thing is complicated, concert in Japan however results in deficit. Though our concerts are cheap, there are opinions that can make the band got plus points. It's complicated.

I: Since last year, what is the most reflected from the member's will?
t: When we performed in club, the lighting in live house wasn't good. Lighting, PA, and the stage set that are carried out around the country and the money are arranged well. The personnel expenses and the transportation cost also. So, in livehouse, it's around the member, the smallest equipments, and the staff, then they will be linked each other. It's a good live, I think, next, in time we expand to hall, the audiences also come.

I: Was it a long road?
t: There are various things, shortly there were something that didn't run smoothly. But we only want to do live. There were only few lives, I forget how many lives we could do in a year. Don't know for how many months, we can only do 1 live. But that kind of feeling is over now.

I: This year tour, the amount, the theme, do those things suit with you want?
t: No, I still don't know about that. Cause it hasn't started yet. First day curtain hasn't opened yet.

I: Let's view from another point, what kind of tour you think is good?
t: I can't think about what I really like (laugh). The place, the tour menu that should be decided before we perform, it's only flowing. In deciding the menu, we change the order of the songs that we will play everyday experimentally, if we get the best formation, we would continue it for the tour. In final, we will feel that we've made the best formation. So, I don't know what will happen next. The menu still hasn't been decided yet.

I: The main songs are still from 'heavenly'?
t: There are 'heavenly' songs. Because it's 'heavenly' tour, 'heavenly' songs become the main songs. Just like in 'Tierra' era, 'DUNE' era, we focused the tour in those albums. If the new album is released, that will be the main.

I: Jaa, does the detail part, like rehearsal, has been decided?
t: I still haven't thought anything (laugh). But I think this tour will be exciting. This year first tour is 3-4 months from the end of Budokan live.

I: After you finished the live in Budokan, do you feel something new?
t: Something new, I think there's no such kind of thing, because what I think the most is happy things. If we do what we want to do, and the other people can feel what we feel, I think it's the happiest thing, ne.

I: Don't you think about using new equipments?
t: For now, I don't. Though we change the equipment from last year tour, no one will notice (laugh). We change the speaker. It's sad if the music magazine doesn't notice (laugh). Though what can be seen seems not change, if it's seen clearly, it's different. Like the speaker. My bass is also new, so it can be seen together (laugh). Though now is the time of making songs, that thing can happen. Because it will happen in this time tour. So when I think to make songs in this time tour, I think of having the set to make songs.

I: MTR?
t: MTR is not hard to maintain, isn't it (laugh). It can be brought anywhere. I can do recording with 1 guitar if I have tape recorder. I also bought micro-cassete. Then I bought guitar, it's like it's OK even if it's broken. But in tour, you can't make an experiment (laugh).

sakura Interview

I: Have you collect the concept for the upcoming tour?
s: Actually, the rehearsal hasn't started yet. We will talk about the equipment we'll use concretely after that. Since the Budokan live has ended, the next live hasn't started yet. However, there are a lot of ideas each month, so we feel time flows so fast. Performing in Budokan means that I have reach the upper level in making music. The point is I can decide things in my own will. Until now, I try to do my best. But actually, until now, I feel the live that can get 100 marks can't really be performed. But, I have good experiences. If the next live runs well, it will be a great happiness.

I: In Budokan, what kind of feeling you got would you live up next?
s: To live up, I think it's the feeling that comes out from my own will. Though there were things I got, sometimes they change. After the performance ended, there's a kind of acknowledgement of someone's existence. That can force my egoistic. When I have finished the tour in Budokan there's a kind of feeling that I can proud with it. At the beginning I also achieve things like that. Because of that, there's an encore. I think encore is good to express that feeling. The 'thank you' part that becomes the basic, though we can't give our best to the audience, we can still feel harmonic with them. That becomes egoistic, if there's no reason for it. From a lot of lessons I got, persuasive power isn't big.

I: So, though it can't be focused in the time around Budokan, when it has ended, is there anything you think about yourself?
s: Yes, in the end, I reallize about one thing. I'm here not because of myself, but because of people around me. My field of view becomes wider. Still, I have a thought that in the end of Budokan, the word 'Arigatou' is the most proper word. In that simple word we can feel a wonderful happiness, a harmony.

I: I agree. After last year Budokan performance ended, does it have a relation with you next 'heavenly' tour?
s: After the Budokan ended, we don't search for another big place to perform. That kind of thing doesn't have any relations with our performances. For example, it's OK if we perform in places that has smaller capacity than Budokan. It's definitely different if it compared with Budokan. But, that's not related with our performances. Any place is good I think. So, inside me, being in Budokan, releasing album, a turning point in 1995, they don't influence me. In my career, there's one big crossroad. If I think like writing the right chapter maybe it's a turning point, a turning point is simply a world we haven't thought before. But I still can't lose the feeling, there are things that also heal my feeling.

I: Adding the amoung from your last year tour, do you think it's good for your band?
s: I don't feel that kind of part. If I think the origin, I want to do musical performance. In a live, there's an energy that can't be felt only by our five senses. With that meaning, I like the live a lot. Though I can't say it with words, everybody become calm. We're all gathering in a wave together, that is like the amplification of togetherness. I really like it.

I: That kind of amplification, don't you want the live lasts for a long time?
s: Though I want that, I only have one body. In fact, there's a difficult time. But if I think that being busy is good, now maybe it becomes good. More than need, if I can't earn money from my activities, it will be useless (laugh). If the condition is good maybe there will be a good topic. The worst, it's the only thing given, so it should be seen as a good thing. It can't be thought to deep, and can't be felt. More than to have a meal, I don't have any busy activities.

I: Jaa, though the plan haven't been decided yet, what do you think the next live will be?
s: I'll try to do my best to realize the schedule. From what I always think, if I revised my words, there will be no persuassive power in it anymore (laugh). So there should be no mistakes always. It's more than just this time, but everytime. Though this time there might be some new challenges, they're only little things.

I: There's change in the menu?
s: There are double amount of songs compared with last year tour, there will be some additional songs. But I can't guaranteed anything now (laugh). There are no songs I hate. So I always like to perform any songs. Though I can't do it myself (laugh). Usually, I think about that in flat.

I: Viewing from its position, after 'heavenly' album released last year, there are things that should be think about to perform the songs from the album live. For this time tour, do you think about the different way to perform the same songs?
s: I think there's such kind of idea. Because my will changes everyday. Though it seems simple, but actually it's complicated. If we only have to do the same things, we'll let the rest to the equipments. I think we should put the feeling into it. I can't do the same thing, I think.

I: You can't think about the change, so that time it comes out from yourself?
s: Yes, that runs naturally. If we force to change, I think it will be a bent change. That time, anything that is in my thought, I think it's good.

I: So, what a special good meaning you got?
s: It's happy (laugh). Because there are things we dislike, we can't say that we hate our responsibilities. We should take our responsibilities well.

I: If you back to behind the stage, what kind of preparation you did yourself?
s: Before the performance I think I can't add anything, because it still not clear. But I can say one thing, I want to have a harmonic feelings with others. Then anything will run well, I think.

I: People who watched your last year tour can come again, but the feeling can be different, do you have any premonition about that?
s: I think people who will watch us can't be decided yet. There can be a lot of assumptions about that. I think that kind of assumption is a sign of an ego. But I admit that, I think if I open the things that is closed, I can get something. So, it can be known naturally as the day changes. For the person that always watch Arc lives, if they feel there's something different between the performace that they had watched and this time live, it won't be good. So, for the people who came to our tour until now, or for the new people, if they can feel the same feeling when they watch us, it will be good.

thx to Asuka-san who provide the scans ^_^