Visual Band Baton
1. What got you into liking visual kei?
Hm, well for a few years when I was younger (like, twelve, thirteen) I was into anime, which lead to me liking some Japanese Pop. From there, I found out about Gackt then Malice Mizer, X JAPAN and Pierrot which lead to Dir en grey and it pretty much snowballed from there. I thought it was interesting
2. What bands are you currently into?
R指定, INSANITY FRONTIER, xTRiPx, ギルガメッシュ, サディ, バービー, Lycaon, unfade
3. What bands do you currently dislike?
Cuartet (I will always dislike them, even though they already broke up. I still have a bad taste in my mouth from that live).
4. What was the very first visual band you liked?
Oh goodness. I guess it was Malice Mizer
5. What’s a band that you used to hate?
I don’t know if there’s any bands I hated, but now like or can tolerate. Usually if I can’t stand them, I can’t stand them always.
6. What’s your favourite song?
Too many to list!
7. What are your favourite lyrics?
「笑った顔、泣いた顔も、全部愛してるよ」
8. How much have you spent on CDs?
Probably somewhere over $1000.
9. What vocalist do you respect or like?
マモ (ﾊｧﾄ) He’s so dorky yet so cool at the same time, haha. Although I don’t know him (obviously) I feel like he’s just himself and I like the journal entries where he’s told the girls who were being rude at lives to not bother coming back.
I’ll always have a soft spot for ひなた (Hinata) because he made me smile more than any other vocalist out there. I wish he’d come back to the scene, but I realize that’s something that probably won’t happen. Regardless, I’ll always like him.
There’s another vocalist I respect (and like a lot!) because he works so hard for what he wants. I’m a bit too shy to say who though, haha.
10. What guitarist do you respect or like?
I’ll always love Akira (from バービー) because he really came out on stage (in real person, when I met him and saw him after shows he was so shy!). I really miss him being on stage. I also respect 秋都 (Akito) (who’s currently in chariots). Even though I don’t like chariots, I know that Akito is a good guitarist and a talented song writer.
ミサ (Misa) from Babylon is also amazingly talented. He used to intimidate me, but when we met them he was really really kind and one of the easiest members to talk to. I think he’s really great.
11. What bassist do you respect or like?
竜次 (Ryuuji) from Marusa. I don’t know much about bass to be honest, but every time I saw them I was always really impressed by him. I also love 聖 (Hijiri) who used to be in Pashya. He makes me smile, haha.
12. What drummer do you respect or like?
Sora from meth. is currently my favourite drummer. Well, he’s always been one of my favourites. But I like him because he seems sincere and of course, he seems to be a pretty good little drummer. (I also don’t know very much about drums).
If we’re going for drummers I respect, that would have to be Hiroki from D and Nero from Merry. Both of those guys are AMAZING. Like I said, I don’t know much about drums but they really blew me away.
13. Is there a member who is similar to yourself?
Haha, I’m not sure. If there’s someone who is, tell me!
14. What music do you listen to outside of visual kei?
Believe it or not, I do listen to some other music. Most people don’t actually know I do. So for now, that’s a secret.
15. Is your makeup or clothing ‘visual’?
Not at all. Aside from a few outfits I used to wear to lives, looking at me you’d probably have no idea I’d be into visual bands at all.
16. What changed after you started listening to visual bands?
Well, I became more and more interested in them so it really drove me to practice my Japanese. Which might sound lame, but I really wanted to talk to people at lives or online who shared the same interests and read the magazines.
When I first started listening to it I didn’t tell many people bceause I was kind of nervous about what they’d think of me. I tend to care (way too much) what people think of me, but I think that in a small way, it helped me get over a bit of that.
17. What are three sets of lyrics that you would recommend and why?
「死んだ春」 by キャサリン (Shinda Haru by Catheline).
It’s really sad. That’s about it.
「それいけ!!クロヒゲ泥棒団～Legend of Hige～」 by バービー (Soreike!! Kurohige Doroboudan)
Most random song EVER. Well, probably not. But it’s really random, haha.
「追恋の華」 by サディ (Tsuren no Hana by Sadie)
It’s another sad song and I don’t really want to get into why I like it or ‘connect’ with it, I guess you could say, but I do.
18. What are three songs you recommend and why?
Secret by MANNEQUIN because it’s awesome. And I love singing along with it.
指先 (Yubisaki) by meth. because it’s awesome. And I love singing along with it.
Cult life by R指定 because it’s really catchy. (And I love singing along with it).
19. What three bands would you recommend and why them?
R指定. They’re currently my favourite band. I don’t care if their music isn’t revoluatonarily different or anything like that. They’re cool and I like them.
MANNEQUIN. Awesome, awesome band. I think their music is really easy to listen to.
Lycaon. They’re new, but I was shocked and relieved about how great they were with just their first single. Besides, I absolute adore リツ (Ritsu) but I miss his name being 壱吾 (Ichigo). He’s so cute.
20. Finally, do you love visual kei to death?
To death? Maybe that’s a bit intense. But I thoroughly enjoy it.
From Shattered-Tranquility.net’s Monthly Meme! July 2008 Edition.