KAGRRA ON PERFORMING LIVES

[ code : {IS} ISSHI, {AK} AKIYA, {SH} SHIN, {NA} NAO, {IZ} IZUMI ]

I have been to many Kagrra Lives and I feel that Kagrra puts a lot of effort and meaning into your performances, visually and musically. In fact I once spoke to the fans in the Live House and there were many who said that they really want to see Kagrra again because they think that Kagrra is an interesting band. What do you have to say about that?

IZ : Hmm, what do I have to say?? I don't really know, I mean we do it all the time, performing that is, so we don't really know what is interesting in the eyes of our fans. Of course before we perform for Lives we think of every single movement we will make on stage, let it be a wave of the hand. You will always start to think about the fact that the fans will be watching your every move. Actually it doesn't really matter much to me because I'm hidden (behind my drums) almost throughout the whole performance. It's not like I can move a lot. (laugh)

You are right about that though. But during the last One Man you had a drum solo. So, tell us about that.

IZ : Now this is really tough. Don't you think that it is rather hard to express Japanese traditional sounds with a modern drum set? Sometimes when I play the drums I feel that is doesn't really sound very Japanesque, so I say to myself, it's ok, let me just play for the fun of it. But then when the Live comes all I want to do is to present the fans with the best. I always think about that.
SH : To say it generally, I don't think it is very different for other bands too. Everyone wants to make the best music and present the fans with the best sounds. For example the 'parapara' (hand and body movements), most rock bands would want to have a cool style for their fans to react to their music. But not us. We are more towards creating movements that would make the fans go 'Eh??!! What the..." Something that would be completely different from others. Something that would perplex the fans.

What kind of movements then...

AK : Let's all sway horizontally!!! (laugh)
SH : In fact that idea did come up before (laugh) 'Come on everyone move your bodies from left to right!'
IS : Of course I can't say that this does not happen during our Lives but if you don't join in... well it's actually impossible for you to not join in. [`kane : Isshi is so very right, there is no way of beating them so the only option is to join in and save yourself from injury ^^"] At a normal Live House you will see the fans jumping front towards the stage but with Kagrra they go sideways. (laugh)

This conception probably came to birth after Kagrra's performance of [Hyakki Yakou] where all of you swayed from left to right. So that must be why the fans...

IS : Yeah, you're right.
(group laugh)
SH : It is actually a conception of our way of expressing our songs. But it definitely is not something very normal is it? I mean you don't see this kind of 'expressions' anywhere else. So that is a distinctive and unique Kagrra style.

What do you have to say Akiya?

AK : Well, performing for a Live is definitely the hardest things to do but the rate or level of difficulty varies according to the consequences. The music performance is important and so is our visual performance. The tension is there to uphold both criteria. Most of the fans that come and watch us have probably seen so many other bands before, so it is very important that we place an impact on the fans that come to watch us, just so that they can distinguish us from the other bands. Of course if we do weird things on stage it'll definitely hold an impact towards the fans but is that really the best thing to do? I personally think there is more to it than just that.

Yes I see it too. I mean if you just simply do weird things for impact then anyone else can do the same right?

AK : Exactly. But when we try and do things in a distinctive way just slightly out of the norm that doesn't mean we are down right strange people. It's not like Kagrra is trying to shout out 'Hey, look here we are weird!' It's just that we want to have our own way at things, just to be unique. Recently I have been receiving a lot of fan letters asking me why I don't do guitar solos.

Now, why don't you do that?

AK : You see, every time I hear another person play the guitar, I always feel like something is incomplete. Even when I see that they try very hard and play with all their might and concentration. I always end up saying to myself 'Eh..??' So I get the feeling that the fans think that way of me too, when they hear me play my guitar.
SH : *slaps forehead* (laugh)
AK : It's like I feel that the fans would want me to stop even before I end, you know, that feeling. Like hurry end already. I've never said this before, this is the first time I've ever revealed this feeling. (laugh)

So Akiya, you've finally let go of that pent up emotion of yours. (laugh) Does this mean we can expect a guitar solo from Akiya soon?

AK : Hmmm, maybe maybe. But I'll probably mess everything up. (laugh)
SH : Just wear your jeans or something (to feel more comfortable).
AK : Then I'll probably never do it!! (laugh)

Going back to our earlier topic, what is it that causes tension?

AK : Well, again that depends on the situation at hand. Tension builds in me especially when I'm not feeling well. Sometimes it goes to a state when I really don't want to do anything anymore. Then there is the whole issue with our hair style and make up, that one is really tough.

What about you Nao?

NA : To me a Live is a Live. It has become something very normal to me, it's just another one of our routines. I mean it's something that comes with being in a band. But one thing that always bugs me is that the bass can sound so boring at times, even in Lives. (laugh) Don't you think so?

Than to say that it is boring, I'd choose to say that the bass sound is in fact rather plain or light but in your case and from my impression of your playing I think that the bass has it's own meaning.

NA : But we are all aware of the fact that bassists don't really stand out in a band. That really makes me want to be a greater bassist, someone who is at the center of attention. I really wish to be a bassist that cannot be compared to anyone else...well at least I always hope so.
IS : For me a Live is made up of many different elements. I have to say I sometimes think that I am rather dramatic or theatrical when it comes to our Lives. It's like I become a totally different person every time a Live is near. We all know that the Japanese are known for our very strong kidoairaku or human emotions (joy, anger, pathos, humor). I always wish that Kagrra would one day be able to express that lucratively in just a short time during our Live events. I want to be able to convey our vision to our fans regardless of gender. And for each and every song there is a different world that lies behind it, I wish to be able to express the meanings of the songs to the fans too. Each time we perform, trust me, it's from the depth of our hearts.

I remembered in the Live on October 17 at Shibuya On Air East, you shed your tears in the end. I really thought that you had successfully conveyed what you had wanted the fans to realize and discern on that day.

IS : Ah that day...(laugh) A band never shows everything to the fans. You have to understand that whatever we present to the fans is not everything there is to us. At that moment, it felt like I was rewarded or actually to be more accurate it was a sense of achievement that made me feel contented with our performance. This time around I had a lot of that (feeling). Our Tour ended with great success and the fans were happy. That makes us happy too.


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