Club ZY mag. vol036 All member interview

 

15^th anniversary interview!

On the 10^th of March the GazettE held a live in Yoyogi Gymnasium Big Hall, the title of which the sameas the synonym they used in the beginning: Dai Nippon Itan Geisha. As a result, it was a live where these guys showed that even though 15 years have already passed, they still continue to use heterodoxy. This time they talk about the reactions from back then, a summery of the 15^th and about their attacking stance for 2017, which includes their outdoor live in conifer forest.

The GazettE now and the GazettE from the past

We had the feeling that it would be nice to conect these two.

When I heard that the GazettE would have a 15^th anniversary live labeled „Dainippon Itan Geisha - The stupidity of the sakura“, I thought that the live might have an athmosphere similar to early times. However, these guys completely shook off all live development and made the very beginning the focus as they gave it the name „Dai Nippon Itan Geisha“, and announced that they will only play songs from their early stage. Where might that idea have come from? Weren't they worried that all the songs were unknown to the fans? We asked this directly after the live.

I: „Dainippon Itan Geisha – the stupidity of the sakura“ was a live that put the GazettE from the past in the spotlight, right?

Ru: We especially had the feeling that we wanted to do something the fans would think about as interesting. As we talked about what kind of 15^th anniversary would make everyone happy, we came to think that it might be better to shook off „DOGMA“, which we had performed until then. Then we decided to do a live under the title Dainippon Itan Geisha.

I: I enjoyed seeing such an impressive stage, but were't you worried that you would play many songs the fans didn't know?

Ru: We didn't have such a fear (lol). We had the feeling they'd probably know them. And we also had the faith that even if they don't know the songs, they'd still enjoy them.

I: Indeed, the mood was pretty great, right. And the visuals, they weren't simply taken from the past, but they were new and made an impression.

K: While we all talked about it, we reached the point of „the GazettE will now do Dainippon Itan Geisha“, right?

U: Yeah. For example, even if we had pulled out our outfits from the past, it would have been different in the end. We won't revive the past, but more than that we hold on tightly to the thing that define us, while we surpassed the past. We wanted to do that kind of live.

Ru: There was no way for us do to the live in our past outfits, right? Because we were poor geishas in the past (lol). And that's why we decided to go with a new image. Because of that approach, we thought it would be nice to connect the GazettE from the past with the current the GazettE.

A: The outfits were new, but everyone had make-up and hairstyle inspired by the past. In regards to that there is also one interesting fact, right? Because I couldn't really cooperate there. If I wated to have a hairstyle like my past self, I would have had to cut my hair, but as expected I was a little hesitant about that. That's why everyone looked the other way for me (lol).

Ru: We worried a lot about the new outfits, right? Emitting something typically Dainippon Itan Geisha-like and at the same time being new, we still had the feeling that it was refined. We were able to embrace the good parts and the image was good too, so we felt assured.

I: With the arragement of elegance and a sense of a new future, it was really amazing. How was the live itself?

A: Tiring. Because it was an endless live of anxiety (lol). Because we had that strange eagerness to not betray everyone's memories or expectations and because we had many songs we weren't used to performing. Until the 11^th songs ended (Zakurogata no Yuutsu), I never once lost my focus, and as I thought that it was finally over, I was so mentally exhausted I couldn't move (lol)! Everyone was looking like they had fun while performing, but I just thought that I couldn't move anymore and was pretty desperate (lol). It was that kind of live and, in the end, all kind of emotions welled up, right? Everyone misunderstood, but I didn't cry (lol).

Everyone: ehh? Well, yeah, rght, you didn't cry at all (lol).

K: Ahaha. What I felt the most was the importance of the flow of every live. Nowadays, we take things as opportunities to transition to the next song, or take moments for breaks or consolidation, but in the past it wasn't like that at all! The lightning for example, too: back then we just conveyed shallowness. We started from there and built things as a band, together with our staff. We utilized all this and were able to show Dainippon Itan Geisha in a good way, I think.

Re: Last year, at the time we had the free live in Makuhari Messe, we were able to enjoy it unconditionally. Because they were songs we ended up being able to play even if we were asleep (lol). This time, however, we weren't able to perform them in the same way as then, right? Because every member has a song that carries out their important role, it was a live where everyone was always focused and was nervous until the very end. But there was also the advantage that we were able to see the fans properly, and I think we were able to create a live athmosphere everyone could enjoy.

Ru: To die out during a live, or better said our focus never breaks. I think the thing called RUKI was able to sink in, right? And also, in the songs of back then, we often had crying melodies! Like pop music or something. These songs are easy to get into while singing and easy to convey- a good discovery, right? That might have an influence on the song producig from now on. I'm still not sure though.

U: The last lives and the one from now can't be brushed off as something different, right? A band means growing every day, and choosing a way that was different from that time was something we did, but something the fans did too. If we were to stop doing that, there would definitely be problems. That's what we had before our eyes while doing lives, right? The spirit of the main part, the band and the spirit of the fans might be completely different, it's impossible to go 'woa!' immedeiately. I received the impression that we should improve this hereafter at the additional lives.

I: Though, the athmosphere inside was pretty good! And watching the live, with being enchanted by the GazettE from the past, even though I'm extremely happy for that, I still thought you had changed.

Ru: The direction is changing when we notice something at lives and think that it should be different. With that we came up with investigating what kind of music would be good to make the live we wish for happen! And then it happened that we got used to playing in larger venues. After we released „NIL“, we had our first Budoukan live, but after that we became aware that we got used to making music that suits big venues. I get the feeling that that's also a reason for the change, right?

Re: In the beginning we didn't even have an image of what kind of live we wanted to do. While the lives increased, we wanted more rhythms that makes your body move, or songs that make you want to headbang, so we started making songs that were necessary for that. This just means we needed more for lives. If you take a look at the beginning and the now, things might be totally different, but they changed gradually. I think it's similar to when you meet someone after a while and think 'ah, he got fat'... (lol) If you look at them every day, you won't notice anything, right (lol)?

This stance won't change hereafter, but the GazettE will continue to evolve into an especially great direction.

K: That example is easy to understand, right (lol)? The changes we made to adjust to the lives as well as the feeling that we wanted to do something seasonal at that time was strong back then! That's why every album has a different direction. Because of such a condition, I think we had no feelings for such a style at the time we went with the title Danippon Itan Geisha.

A: As Kai said, the GazettE are making the music that they want to do right now and even when we went with the title Danippon Itan Geisha, we did it like that, I think. That's why, for me, there are no such feelings as the band from Dainippon Itan Geisha and the band later on being two different things, right? In fact, because of those days we reached the present, and there were always parts we hung on to as well. That's why, for us, we have the feeling that it's a splendid, natural flow.

U: In terms of the music, we especially think about lives. Even if we make songs into a single, there's something somewhere that's called a live! There is even the impression that we release songs to update the lives. The live we want to do and the work we want to be linked are steadily getting on a higher level, right? That's why, naturally, the live where we performed the new songs of „DOGMA“ are properly polished. This stance won't change hereafter, but the GazettE will continue to evolve into an especially great direction, I think.

I: I'm excieted. In regards to the next steps, you'll do „BURST INTO A BALZE 3“ in Fujikyuu Highland Conifer Forest in August.

Ru: The live in August will be about leaving „DOGMA“ behind us, and before proceeding to a new place, we want to show you a summary of the GazettE. If we release a new album, we somehow don't really have a chance to show our past, I think, that's why. We'll pick up the good parts within the GazettE, a band that cotinued to change, and plan to show you the best possible live.

A: However and whatever we'll do, the calories will increase (lol). Because we're doing it, I want to go until the end, right?

Re: But, to say that it's something with high calorie, is good, isn't it (lol). August will be good too, and I want to have a live where there's something to eat, I think.

U: I have the feeling that doing a live twice in one year with a scale of 10,000 people is kind of rare. I do think we're doing something amazing and that's what we're going to challenge, also I think we will grow as a team. I'm looking forward to that.

K: Until now we had 3 outdoor lives and performed in many festivals. We want to utilize these experieces and have a great live, righ? From now on the heat will increase steadily and I want to have a prosperous festival.

Edit by: golden_kimono (Twitter)