BUCK-TICK
TOUR 2023 異空 -IZORA-
Text◎Koji Yoshida
Photography◎Seitaro Tanaka
The tour for their 23rd album, 異空 -IZORA-. There’s still a postponed show in Aichi and the grand finale in Gunma, but it could be said that the 2-day show in Tokyo marks the end of a chapter. This piece is a report on the first Tokyo show.
The venue was a large, eight thousand-seat capacity hall, but the stage setup was very simple. There were no large screens to show the band on, neither were there decorative elements. In this setting, the opening instrumental QUANTUM Ⅰ started playing and a psychedelic video played on the LED screen in the back of the stage. As the words “異空 (izora)” appear, the members of the band come on stage and Hoshino Hidehiko plays an arpeggio, Sakurai starts to softly sing, “Nigerarenai, Nigerarenai, Ore wa mou doko e mo (逃げられない 逃げられない 俺はもう何処へも)”. Keeping in line with the flow of the album, the first song was SCARECROW. Hoshino and Imai Hisashi’s guitar ensemble seem to toe the line between harmony and dissonance alongside the precise drumming of Yagami Toll and Higuchi Yutaka’s calm and collected bass. And there’s Sakurai, singing melancholically with his face hidden under a hat. Shown on the screen was a scarecrow, or perhaps, a crucifix. Whether they wanted to or not, from the very beginning the audience was sucked into the relentless story that BUCK-TICK had woven in 異空 -IZORA-.
Warukyuure no Kikou starts with pipe organ music. Grossly distorted guitar sounds playing to a steady drumbeat and bass groove reminiscent of a marching procession made for an unsettling atmosphere. Removing his hat, Sakurai sang passionately, as if possessed. In short, this second song continued to give me chills like the first.
It wasn’t a bombardment of songs which came afterwards; there was a short pause after each song as the show progressed. Whether it was to let the audience’s cheers rain down on them with the ban lifted, to take some time to shift focus for the next song, or simply for a change of guitars, this was different from the typical rock concerts which attack vigorously. At the same time, it all felt very solemn.
Imai and Sakurai’s duet, IGNITER featured kanji sync-ed with the lyrics swirling on the screen. Sakurai shone a light in the audience area while singing Uta. And then, the first MC.
“Hello darling? Hello baby? Do have fun~.”
Sakurai whispered with a voice which transcends gender and age. Before I knew it, there he was wearing knee-high stockings and garter belts……
A torch lit up in the back of the stage and I thought he was about to give an erotic performance of Ai no Harem but instead, he performed a glimmer of hope in a disastrous situation to violin music under a screen of a star-filled sky with Sayonara Shelter destroy and regenerate-Mix, followed by Campanella Hanataba wo Kimi ni which felt like the breaking of dawn. Although dressed in a basic jet black, Sakurai’s ability to express himself in red, white, light blue and yellow was simply overwhelming.
Sandwiched between Imai’s surf music playing before and after was THE SEASIDE STORY, followed by the BUCK-TICK-flavoured city pop song Mugen LOOP -LEAP-. After that, Sakurai said, “Thank you for all your cheers. Everyone can now make a little more noise again, there’s even some part of me that isn’t sure what I should do…… But, anyway, let’s have fun. With that, the band moved into Boogie Woogie. Then, towards the end of the Showa-era jazz flavoured Noraneko Blue, Sakurai crouched and hissed like a cat.
I’ve said this before, but Sakurai really looked as if he was possessed by something. Transcending attributes like gender and age, and even human or cat, it was amazing how he changed completely with each song he delves into. Even during Taiyou to Icarus which came after THE FALLING DOWN, Jonathan Jet-Coaster, Sakurai looked like he really became a bird, or perhaps an angel soaring through the skies as his figure merged with images of the cosmos on the screen.
Just as he said, “Thank you for today,” in a friendly voice, Sakurai started to whisper in repeat, “I want to die… I want to live…”. Hoshino’s gentle acoustic guitar, Imai’s spacey noise, Yagami’s cool beats, and Higuchi’s solid groove; the heavenly universe named BUCK-TICK grows, ever-expanding. When the screen turns a blank white at the end, Sakurai turns and walks in its direction, disappearing into the halation. After that, only feedback noise remains as the other members of the band also leave the stage in the backlight of the screen. It was as if they were each going back into the BUCK-TICK universe.
The stage reopens with a drum solo by Yagami. The other members then came on stage and after Imai and Higuchi’s usual habit of taking photos and videos of the audience from the stage, the second part of this concert, the encore began with the beautiful ballad Sekai wa Yami de Michiteiru.
After CLIMAX TOGETHER, ONCE UPON A TIME, and Kogoeru, Sakurai said, “My name is Hizumi. Correct, I’m sad. I wear my favourite dresses, put on pretty makeup; I’m just living my life. But everyone laughs at this. Even though I’m just living…… Father, Mother, I love you…… Thank you…… Goodbye……”. Then starts the amazing Hizumi. It’s BUCK-TICK’s style of a lullaby. Coupled with Imai playing his guitar while dancing the hopscotch-like jenkka, the twisted worldview which seemed to be tickled by childish wonder left me with breathless surprise.
“Thank you very much for [coming] tonight. We appreciate it. Thank you.” With that, they proceeded into the final song, Na mo Naki Watashi. A single stalk of a white flower appeared on screen. Whether it gets blown by the wind, gets rained on, or has countless flower petals flying around it, the flower doesn’t fall. In Sakurai’s interview which was published in issue 106, he spoke about this song, saying, “It is enough to bloom and exist as you are.” Each and everyone of us live differently under different skies. There will likely be tough or agonising days. But it’s okay, because the fact that you are here is more than enough――That’s the kind of message the song seemed to send. Then, the ending instrumental QUANTUM Ⅱ played and the curtains closed on the concert.
Despite the contrast between the main show and the encore, it was a complete story. What kind of sky did you see here? There were likely those who got a painful reminder of reality too. Yet it’s likely not an exaggeration to say that there were likely others who felt some sense of hope for life. But it goes without saying that all these different thoughts and emotions are all precious in their own way.
TOUR 2023 異空-IZORA
2023.7.22-23 Tokyo Garden Theatre
1. QUANTUM I
2. SCARECROW
3. Warukyuure no Kikou (Ride of the Valkyries)
4. IGNITER
5. Uta
6. Ai no Harem (Harem of Love)
7. Sayonara Shelter destroy and regenerate-Mix
8. Campanella Hanataba wo Kimi ni (A Bouquet For You)
9. THE SEASIDE STORY
10. Mugen LOOP -LEAP-
11. Boogie Woogie
12. Noraneko Blue (Stray Cat Blue)
13. THE FALLING DOWN
14. Jonathan Jet-Coaster
15. Taiyou to Icarus (The Sun and Icarus)
16. Die
―encore―
1. Sekai wa Yami de Michiteiru
2. CLIMAX TOGETHER
3. ONCE UPON A TIME (22nd)／MISTY ZONE (23rd)
4. Kogoeru
5. Hizumi
6. Na mo Naki Watashi
SE QUANTUM II
profile & information
Formed in 1985. Members of the band are vocalist Sakurai Atsushi, guitarist Imai Hisashi, guitarist Hoshino Hidehiko, bassist Higuchi Yutaka, and drummer Yagami Toll. “BUCK-TICK TOUR 2023 異空-IZORA- FINALO” will be held on Sunday, the 17th and Monday, the 18th of September at Gunma Music Center. Following, the livehouse tour “BUCK-TICK TOUR 2023 異空-IZORA- ALTERNATIVE SUN” will start on Friday, the 20th of October.
buck-tick.com
※An interview with Higuchi Yutaka which was conducted prior to this concert comes next.
Higuchi Yutaka
BUCK-TICK
Text◎Okubo Yuka
Photography◎MASA (Alegre), Yamauchi Hiroe (PROGRESS-M)
profile & information
Born 24 January 1967. Blood type A. Bassist of BUCK-TICK which was formed in 1985. Other members of the band are vocalist Sakurai Atsushi, guitarist Imai Hisashi, guitarist Hoshino Hidehiko, and drummer Yagami Toll.
buck-tick.com
To all our fans
BUCK-TICK will wrap up the tour for their 23rd album, 異空 -IZORA- in July with the shows at Tokyo Garden Theatre before concluding the 35th anniversary year of their major debut with two shows on 17 and 18 September in their hometown of Gunma.
In this issue, we spoke to bassist Higuchi Yutaka about his journey with BUCK-TICK. From details about their first show at Shinjuku JAM to the real reason behind holding their comeback concert at Tokyo Dome, some things are being talked about for the first time in this interview but he would also constantly mention their gratitude to the fans who would wait for them no matter when.
And now, BUCK-TICK steadily heads towards their 36th year together.
I want for us to keep going for as long as we can. Because there are people who will wait for us.
That’s why I really want to cherish this, all of this.
——Following the release of the album, 異空 -IZORA-¹ we’re now in the midst of your national tour “BUCK-TICK TOUR 2023 異空-IZORA”². At the juncture of this interview (mid-July), you’re left with five more shows to go. How do you feel about this?
Yutaka (Y): I think we pulled it off really well, it also feels like it’s all gone by really fast.
——With this tour spanning 20 shows, it’s not exactly a short tour, though.
Y: Maybe it’s because we had a lot of weekend shows, but I find myself thinking, “It’s already ending?” I gradually got comfortable as we went along, so maybe that’s all the more why I feel like this.
——The 異空 -IZORA- album encapsulates the currents and atmosphere of this era. Is there anything you feel even more strongly about now that you’ve brought this perspective all around the country?
Y: It’s definitely impossible to pretend I don’t know, right? The current state of society. But something I’ve felt from the very beginning is that it might be better not to hold on too tightly to that. There are some songs that touch on it, but we don’t have to keep bringing it up across the whole show. And I think we managed to do this.
——I assume that’s coming from the consideration about how your audience would feel. There’s a storyline in the setlist for this tour, so I thought it was meant to make it easier to bring a message across.
Y: That’s right. We kept deliberating about whether we should make the main part of the show the story or include the encore as well and turn the whole concert into one big story though. We didn’t really split it into two parts, but we decided not to do a double encore and instead perform 異空 -IZORA- properly with just the main show and one encore.
——I see. I think it became even richer when you mixed in past songs.
Y: Also, the audience is now allowed to cheer starting this tour, so I think the way people enjoy the concert has also changed bit by bit.
——Cheering definitely adds to the atmosphere.
Y: And we can still hear everyone even wearing the ear monitors. I felt all, “Ah~, this is what it felt like.”
——Your 35th debut anniversary year also comes to an end in September. Looking back on this past year, how do you feel?
Y: First of all is that we have a lot to be grateful for. Because there was a lot we couldn’t do during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even last September’s show at Yokohama Arena³ feels like it happened three years ago. These are things to be happy about, definitely. Like being able to see our fans, like the way the whole country waited for us. All that.
——For this 35th anniversary year, ROCK AND READ first had Yagami-san⁴ tell us about the band’s 35-year history. Then, Hoshino-san⁴ looked back on these 35 years with a focus on the music he wrote. This time, with Higuchi-san, I’d like to focus on the stage from your perspective and how the view from your position has changed. Do you remember the first time you got on stage?
Y: The first time was as a member of BUCK-TICK’s predecessor band (Hinan GO-GO), when we performed at a music store in Gunma. At the time, we were covering songs by THE STALIN, but I didn’t feel nervous or anything like that. Before I knew it, we were done (lol). That was during the band boom back then and Mentai rock and bands like THE MODS were popular so it felt as if everyone was covering those. At that gig, cover bands who covered THE MODS or HOUND DOG and all those were there too. So, right after the HOUND DOG cover band sang Namida no Birthday, you’d have us performing THE STALIN’s Tenpura. It really was quite the event (lol). The audience were somehow mistaken for punks too because it looked like they were entirely made up of Keganin (怪我人, lit. injured person).
——That event sounds like a blast. What are Keganin?
Y: They’re guys wrapped up in bandages and stuff. A misinterpretation of punk. Just Keganin (lol). This wasn’t a school event but there were a lot of kids from other schools who came too.
——So after the band becomes BUCK-TICK, which venue comes to mind?
Y: In our early days, I’d say it’s definitely Shinjuku JAM. It’s the very first venue we performed at in Tokyo, and when Acchan (Sakurai Atsushi) became our vocalist with Anii (Yagami Toll) playing drums, our first show⁵ was at JAM too. At first, there were chairs lined up on the audience floor. The stage at JAM was low so if the audience stands, their view barely changes. We also often performed at Shibuya’s YANEURA and Shinjuku ABC Hall. In the beginning, all we had was a tiny stage so when we performed, it was like we were all squished together in a packed train carriage. So close together that the necks of our guitars would clash (lol). We step on pedals to tune without making any sound, but it was so cramped that there were times when (the front row audience would) keep stepping on them too.
——How did you increase the audience turnout?
Y: When Acchan became our vocalist, we’ve been in Tokyo for a while now and we made friends with all kinds of people. As we got invited to perform in joint gig shows, our audience numbers also steadily grew, something like that. …… I think we probably never held one-man shows. We certainly didn’t at YANEURA, and I’m of the feeling that we didn’t at JAM either. The one-man show we did at LOFT only happened after we debuted anyway.
——Does that mean you received an offer from a major label before you even did a one-man show?
Y: I guess we got into the habit of doing events or joint-gigs. When we released HURRY UP MODE⁶ under an indie label, we did a show at Toshima Civic Center⁷ but there were a few other bands who performed then too. It’s just that we were the main act. Then just before we debuted, we did that one-man show at Shibuya LIVE INN⁸.
We started with fifteen people or so (in the audience), then a hundred months later, and then two hundred the next time.
Seeing our audience grow every time we go, that was when I thought, “Maybe this’ll work out?”
——While seeing your audience grow, around when did Higuchi-san start feeling convinced that this band could make it?
Y: That’s got to be some time right after we made our debut. Especially because we started travelling to other regions. Because people wouldn’t come at all in the very beginning, you know? We’d do joint-gigs with those who are locally popular and steadily build our audience. After debuting, I had the impression that the regional areas were more peculiar than Tokyo.
——Peculiar in what way?
Y: For example, so, we often toured the Tohoku area. Back then, Tohoku had the most rock music lovers in Japan so it was pretty exciting. There were huge festivals, and we even participated in a live tour called Tohoku Rock Circuit⁹. There weren’t many regional TV stations so I remember very well that we made a guest appearance on one of Iwate’s TV programs which was broadcast on Fridays at 7 p.m.. Even though we just made our debut, we were making a guest appearance at prime time (lol).
——I want to see that (lol).
Y: I think we got quite the viewership numbers (lol). Going on tour right after we debuted, Tohoko was the one region where we held one-man shows right from the get go. We started with only fifteen people or so in the audience but when we went back months later, that grew to about a hundred, and the next time we went again, it became two hundred. Seeing our audience grow everytime we go, that was when I thought, “Maybe this’ll work out?” Because there were probably more in the audience than in other areas like Osaka or Nagoya too.
——So, the flame of BUCK-TICK was first lit in Tohoku.
Y: It’s actually the same even now. What makes me happiest is seeing people come together to see us when we go somewhere we don’t know about or we’ve never been to. It energises us, in a way. This is about the first time we went to Sendai for a show at Yamaha Hall¹⁰ at the start of the tour, but when the instrumental track started playing we couldn’t make a single sound right from the start (lol).
——That’s something you’ll certainly remember clearly (lol).
Y: Yeah, it’s like, “Problems right from the beginning!” (Lol) These things happened quite a lot too.
We didn’t want to make it such that people who wanted to get in couldn’t.
That’s why I remember we said that we wanted to perform where everyone could enter.
——In the midst of it all, just a year after debut, you stood in the Nippon Budokan for the first time¹² for the final show of your SEVENTH HEAVEN¹¹ tour.
Y: We actually weren’t all that emotional about it. Maybe it’s because we didn’t really have much of an impression of the Nippon Budokan as a venue. The reason for that is because the bands we like didn’t play at the Nippon Budokan anyway. Maybe the only one who did was BOØWY.
——So it wasn’t exactly a venue you’d aim to perform at back then
Y: Comparatively, I felt more when we played at Shibuya Public Hall for the first time¹³, like, “We’re really performing in a hall.” I think that was for the SEVENTH HEAVEN tour too. Besides, BOØWY had also performed there before, along with ARB and musicians of the like.
——Speaking of Shibuya Public Hall, that’s where BOØWY announced their split, wasn’t it?
Y: I went and saw BOØWY performing there too. Back then, the audience would crowd at the front of the entrance. I remember seeing band members of ROGUE and PERSONZ there too.
——How was the performance at Tokyo Dome¹⁴ for your comeback?
Y: It felt like it ended pretty quickly, actually. There was no concept at the time, but we said that we didn’t want to make it such that people who wanted to get in couldn’t. Since we had to go on hiatus just before that, we didn’t want to let down anyone who wanted to come. That’s why I remember we said that we wanted to perform where everyone could enter.
——I see. In the past, I think someone said something along the lines of, “The adults (record company) had helped clinch [the venue] for us”, but I didn’t know that everyone in the band held such a hope.
Y: I believe that’s what it was. And also…… Tokyo Dome had only been open for about a year at the time, and I have a strong memory of how bad the sound system was (lol). In ROMANESQUE¹⁵, there’s a break after the “dan”, but the sound was reverberating and it turned into a “dandada~n” so there was no break at all (lol). It’s a venue that wasn’t originally made for concerts, so the sound engineer had to figure things out along the way too.
——I want to hear ROMANESQUE being played by the present BUCK-TICK too.
Y: Eh? Because it’s quite the song, isn’t it? And the hi-hat can’t be hit for that break. It makes you wonder how it all fits together (lol).
——So what happened in Tokyo Dome?
Y: I think the hi-hat was put in at Tokyo Dome. The ROMANESQUE we did in our amateur era had no hi-hat but we released a mini album, didn’t we? That was when we started including the hi-hat, I believe. It turned into something impossible (lol).
――It gets more difficult as the venue grows bigger, doesn’t it?Y: Because we all had our eyes on Anii back then (lol).
――BUCK-TICK tends to stage elaborate performances too. I’ve even heard that once something new can be utilised, it’ll very likely be employed in BUCK-TICK’s shows.
Y: That’s right. When the opportunity presents itself, our stage planner would want to try doing something interesting. One of our shows, there was spider silk, right? Where it flys out together with tape streamers. That was something our stage planner came up with. I heard that it would be out of this world if he owned the rights to that one. Apparently he got the idea when he went to watch a kabuki performance, he saw that white spider silk flying through the air and started wondering whether there was a way he could somehow employ that effectively. That started from BUCK-TICK’s stage. After that, he thought projectiles were really fun to work with, so next, he sent Cyalume (glow-in-the-dark materials) flying. He wanted to make Cyalume-filled pill capsules that were slightly bigger than medicinal ones fly with special effects, but they shot out [of the cannons] so quickly that there were no [visual] effects at all (lol). There wasn’t enough light intensity so they all fell to the ground before they could even start glowing.
――To think there were such failures too (lol).
Y: We also had artificial roses falling. Since they were artificial, they were heavy so they just dropped to the ground with a thud. He wondered if there was something he could do about it but, since they had already been made, we decided to just go ahead with it and let them drop down on us. I had them fall on my head and get stuck too (lol). Basically, if the stage was small, the flowers would drop above me too. I guess the correct solution to that might’ve probably been to lay them out on the floor.
――Appearing on stage from the inside of a giant balloon, rain falling down only on Sakurai-san’s head in a live house; you had a lot of jaw dropping stage productions.
Y: That was during our live house tour¹⁶, right. Depending on the venue, sometimes we could use that equipment and sometimes we couldn’t, yeah.
――The stage production in recent years seems to give the impression that you’re using the power and beauty of images and videos to further expand the world of the songs.
Y: The stage planner who worked with us throughout all this time thinking about all kinds of production had passed away so there’s now a new person in-charge which could’ve been the reason why there’s a slight change in the atmosphere of our recent concerts. And also that the resolution had gone up in the past three to four years which allows us to create particularly beautiful videos.
――Concert production has evolved considerably alongside the technological advances made in LED visuals.
Y: That’s right. Even for music videos; we had always recorded them on film and when we suddenly switched to filming digitally, everything was captured so clearly. It somehow felt unpleasant so we would make those sharp images a little bit grainier.
――Around when was that?
Y: Probably 21st Cherry Boy¹⁷. It was around that time when we suddenly went digital. I remember feeling like it’s a TV.
――Being in business for 35 years, you’ve been directly affected by the shift from analogue to digital, and later on, the further advancements of digital recording. What do you think about this present era we’re in where people can listen to music for free?
Y: We are still releasing CDs even now, but we’re definitely trending in that direction, aren’t we? Like David Bowie said, in the end, music itself is going to become like running water or electricity.
――How does Higuchi-san usually listen to music?
Y: I import CDs into my PC to listen to them.
――What kind of music do you listen to in your own time?
Y: Instead of new releases, I more often dig up old music to listen to these days.
――When you go back as an adult to listen to the music you used to listen to, you’d sometimes come across new discoveries, right? Like meanings in the lyrics.
Y: And that happens with the music we make too. Something would be playing and just when I think that this particular track sounds pretty cool, I’d realise, “Huh? Is this BUCK-TICK?” (Lol) There and then I’d become aware that a particular song had been arranged in a particular way, or something.
――And you’ve got an impressive catalogue too.
Y: That’s why I’m doing my best to listen to our own music now (lol). I have to get it all in, don’t I? Since last September’s shows at Yokohama Arena, we’ve been performing throughout this whole time and if I don’t take something out, nothing can go in (lol). That’s why whenever we start touring, I’ll try my best not to listen to other music. I’ll listen to the songs that we’re performing for the tour, but I won’t listen to anything else. Even Anii says, “Don’t listen.” (Lol)
――You’re focused (lol). There’s a lot that makes me think that BUCK-TICK’s really amazing, like how you keep revamping yourselves with calling each release “the newest is the best”, but looking at your 35-year history, things weren’t always looking up and there even were times when your audience numbers dropped. I’m hoping that you could touch on that a little.
Y: We definitely felt it, back then. Since we weren’t making many appearances on TV and broadcast, suburbs won’t receive much information. I think music magazines were having their best days during that period, though. People living in the suburbs would probably get their information through magazines even if there’s no TV, but that was gradually on the decline which meant that information wasn’t getting to them and so started the situation of our drop in audience numbers.
――Were you anxious or anything like that at the time?
Y: Nope, we weren’t. Because it’s not as if there’s zero people. If we had zero then I think we’d definitely have to start thinking about things though (lol). What we were doing in Tokyo worked here [in Tokyo] so we said we would create this sort of a stage set to travel around the country with, but if we picked smaller venues in the suburbs because of a smaller turnout, the set wouldn’t be able to fit. Since we had to perform in venues that could fit the set, we didn’t have much of a choice except to go with the larger halls. Doing that is what led to empty seats.
――I see, so that’s the situation. How did you stay motivated then?
Y: Hmm… It’s more like, we weren’t all that disheartened (lol). We just continued business as usual. On the contrary, even in such a situation, we just feel happy that we were doing what we’re doing, all of us.
――While most bands would go on hiatus or disband because they couldn’t quite overcome such a period, BUCK-TICK made a comeback and have continued to see success since. That’s another part of BUCK-TICK that amazes me.
Y: You could say that our good points can be seen precisely because we’ve been at this for a long time. I don’t think that we’re all growing together. Let’s say, when everyone runs out at the “Get ready, and start!” call, you could start out great but wither away towards the midpoint, and one by one, everyone would pull out or something. At the same time, there’s no way that everyone can always stay on the same page, is there? Even if you’re all, “Alright, let’s get going!!”, there are times when you’d realise that, “Huh? I’m the only one who went?” Right? When that happens, you’d tend to stop whatever you’re doing once you realise that something isn’t quite right, wouldn’t you? Then starts the blame game and all that.
――There’s none of that in BUCK-TICK.
Y: That’s right. Also because we left our [then] management and had the resolution that we’ll be giving our all going forward.
――Right, it was around that same period of time, wasn’t it?
Y: It was. We left that office and completely changed the way we did things.
――Perhaps it was good that you did a full reboot or something at that time. When I spoke to Yagami-san, he said that he had thought of quitting twice thus far, but has Higuchi-san ever had the desire to quit in the past?
Y: Nope, I’ve never thought of quitting. Although I have felt that things were a struggle, or rather, that it was difficult to raise my own spirits. There were times when I was having difficulties with my playing, or have found myself at a loss as to what to do, but I also feel that since the five of us have made it this far together, this is something I should cherish. I think Anii has never been better than now. Because everyone’s doing well, you know? Although, we can’t really push ourselves too much (lol).
Because we were kids when we debuted. Like elementary school kids feeling like, “I wouldn’t die even if I got run over by a truck”, “I’m invincible!” (lol)
――Has Higuchi-san ever experienced a change in your on-stage mindset?
Y: My personal turning point is around the time of 13-Kai wa Gekkou¹⁸; that’s when the change happened.
――How so?
Y: I started feeling like maybe it’s better if I don’t put on an act. That maybe, it might be a good idea to be my own usual self. Putting on an act as in, I’m all cheerful backstage but I have to put on a sullen face on stage, something like that. I guess that’s the kind of change that happened to me.
――That it’s okay to show your smile.
Y: That’s right. You could say we started communicating with each other. From another perspective, I guess it could also mean that I could see better now, the audience side. Before then, I might’ve been too preoccupied with my side of things alone.
――I’d say that’s a sign that you’ve grown more relaxed on stage. Because Higuchi-san and Imai-san coming out during the encore to take photos and videos from the stage was another thing that never happened in the past.
Y: We started doing that some years ago, but it was an initiative that came about from the idea that it would be nice if we could convey the atmosphere in the concert venue to those who weren’t able to come. Obviously, if we took photos of the stage set, there would those who feel like [the surprise has been] spoiled for them if they’re attending the next day or sometime in the near future, so we decided to take shots of the audience instead.
――How considerate (lol). But it’s true that the overall atmosphere of the concert changed. Like how you held huge festivals¹⁹ during your 20th and 25th anniversaries. Did such an experience influence you in any way?
Y: Ah, it did, yes. The more we went on with it, it really sank in that we’re not alone [in this].
――To close off your current 35th anniversary year, you’ll be putting on a show on the 17th and 18th of September at Gunma Music Center²⁰ in your hometown. Celebrating the end of the 35th anniversary year in your hometown; did this decision come from the whole band’s feelings?
Y: Didn’t we do a collaboration with Fujioka-shi²¹ this year too? While thinking about what would be a good way for us to head into our 36th year, we came to the conclusion that this was probably the best.
――Gunma Music Center is also a place of many fond memories for you too, isn’t it?
Y: That’s right. Because Gunma only had the Music Center back in the day. When we got to perform there²², it was definitely a very emotional experience. Despite the fact that it’s small, right. Both backstage and the stage itself. I hope we’ll be able to do something interesting there.
――After that, your live house tour²³, “BUCK-TICK TOUR 2023 異空 -IZORA- ALTERNATIVE SUN” will start.
Y: I’m looking forward to the live houses. Specifically, how we’ll present this 異空 -IZORA- vibe. I really wonder how we’ll portray in an environment without videos, especially because we could use videos for the hall tour.
――That’s true. I’m looking forward to it. The fact that you’ve continued to be forerunners as a rock band for 35 years is amazing in itself, but what does Higuchi-san hope for the band to achieve going forward?
Y: I want for us to keep going for as long as we can. Acchan also said the same thing in this tour’s MC, but essentially, we do our thing, we do our best because there are people who will wait for us. Having been doing this for 35 years, I get emails, right, saying things like, “I came (to your shows) again because my children have all grown up and I have more time to myself now.” As long as these people stick around for us, I want to keep going, you know?
――Because there are people who will wait for you…… That’s exactly what’s written in the lyrics to Boogie Woogie²⁴.
Y: Exactly. I believe that too.
――Where you are now at this time in your life, would you say that this state of affairs is a dream come true for the whole band?
Y: That’s right. Besides, we started this all with the desire to have fun with lots of people in a concert.
――I think this not only applies to BUCK-TICK but to other long-running bands too, but while it’s true that the members of the band are fulfilling their own dreams, at the same time, I believe they’re also making someone else’s dreams come true. Like the dreams of not only musicians, but anyone who dreams of working with BUCK-TICK someday and works hard to forge their path to it. Because if the band ceases to exist, those hopes will never come true.
Y: Previously, when we went to a radio or TV station in Osaka, there were staff members there who said that to us too. They said, “I’m a long-time fan. Keep up the good work (これからも頑張ってください).” And their boss who was listening in on the side said, “You work hard (お前が頑張れ).” That made me laugh (lol).
――What a story (lol). Wasn’t there some controversy going on in the comedian industry about half-hearted generational baton-passing just a while ago? In the music industry, there are other bands from the genre-less BUCK-TICK’s generation who are still very active. I kind of wondered whether some band members of the younger generation might’ve sympathised with this controversy (lol).
Y: You mean bitching about other people? Don’t even think about it (lol).
――It’s just that there’s something about BUCK-TICK that doesn’t allow people to say such things, right? Even teenagers think you’re cool when they look at you. Everyone will still kowtow to [BUCK-TICK’s brand of] beauty. Do you have some sort of secret behind it?
Y: Maybe it’s because we don’t really want to get old? On the contrary, I think there are probably musicians in our generation who actually want to grow old. Because you’d give off this cultured vibe, and that’s attractive or something. There are people who think this way, right?
――Do you wonder how many more times you’ll be able to do this, things like that?
Y: I’ve started feeling like this isn’t forever. I didn’t think that about these things when we debuted, neither did I think that we’d find ourselves here, now. Because we were kids, weren’t we? Like elementary school kids feeling like I wouldn’t die even if I got run over by a truck (lol).
――That was certainly a thing at that age (lol).
Y: Like, “I’m invincible!” And yet [the kids would] start crying the moment they fell over (lol). I think that’s what it felt like, when we debuted. I guess you could say that we were so busy that we couldn’t really think that far ahead. But as the years pass, you’d sooner or later start to think about these things, right? Looking at the bands who came before us, there are those who have passed on too. That’s why I really want to cherish this, all of this.
Notes:
¹ 異空 -IZORA- ＝ Their 23rd album which was released in April.
² “BUCK-TICK TOUR 2023 異空-IZORA” ＝ Their tour named, “BUCK-TICK TOUR 2023 異空-IZORA” which ran from April to July, 2023.
³ show at Yokohama Arena ＝ The show named, “BUCK-TICK 2022 “THE PARADE” 〜35th anniversary〜” which was held on 23rd and 24th of September, 2022.
⁴ Yagami-san, Hoshino-san ＝ Their respective interviews were featured in issue #102, published August 2022 and issue #104, published December, 2022.
⁵ our first show ＝ Their performance, “BEAT FOR BEAT FOR BEAT Vol.2” which was held at Shinjuku JAM on 4th of December, 1985.
⁶ HURRY UP MODE ＝ Their indie album which was released in January, 1987 (and later re-released with a major label as a remix version, HURRY UP MODE(1990 MIX) in February).
⁷ Toshima Civic Center ＝ “BUCK-TICK現象 (BUCK-TICK Genshou)” which was held on 1st of April, 1987; the day HURRY UP MODE was released.
⁸ Shibuya LIVE INN ＝ “BUCK-TICK 現象 Ⅱ at LIVE INN” which was held on 16th of June, 1987.
⁹ Tohoku Rock Circuit ＝ An event tour which was held in March and April of 1988.
¹⁰ Yamaha Hall ＝ Their performance in Sendai for the “BUCK-TICK 現象 TOUR” which was held on the 22nd of September, 1987.
¹¹ SEVENTH HEAVEN ＝ Their 2nd album which was released in June, 1988.
¹² in the Nippon Budokan for the first time ＝ Two days of shows which where held on the 19th and 20th of January, 1989 as the final of their “SEVENTH HEAVEN TOUR” which started in October, 1988.
¹³ Shibuya Public Hall for the first time ＝ Their performance in Tokyo for the “SEVENTH HEAVEN TOUR” which was held on 13th of October, 1988.
¹⁴ Tokyo Dome ＝ “バクチク現象 (Baku-chiku Genshou)” which was held on 29th December, 1989.
¹⁵ ROMANESQUE ＝ A track recorded on their mini album, ROMANESQUE which was released in March, 1988.
¹⁶ live house tour ＝ Their tour named, “TOUR2013 COSMIC DREAMER” which ran from January to March, 2013.
¹⁷ 21st Cherry Boy ＝ Their 18th single which was released in November, 2001.
¹⁸ 13-Kai wa Gekkou ＝ Their 14th album which was released in April, 2005.
¹⁹ festivals ＝ “BUCK-TICK FEST 2012 ON PARADE” was held at Chiba Port Park on 22nd and 23rd of September, 2012. “BUCK-TICK 2017 “THE PARADE” ～30th anniversary～” was held at Odaiba Yagai Tokusetsu Kaijo J Chiku on 23rd and 24th of September, 2017.
²⁰ Gunma Music Center ＝ For “BUCK-TICK TOUR 2023 異空 -IZORA- FINALO” which will be held on the 17th and 18th of September, 2023.
²¹ a collaboration with Fujioka-shi ＝A BUCK-TICK-themed flowerbed and more were featured in Haru no Fujioka Hana Meguri (Flower Tour in Springtime Fujioka / 春の藤岡花めぐり), a special event that was held between March to May, 2023.
²² got to perform there ＝ Their first performance there was the Gunma show for their “SEVENTH HEAVEN TOUR” which happened on the 15th of October, 1988.
²³ live house tour ＝ Their tour, “BUCK-TICK TOUR 2023 異空 -IZORA- ALTERNATIVE SUN” which will run from October to December, 2023.
²⁴ Boogie Woogie ＝ A track recorded on the album, 異空 -IZORA-.
Translation: Yoshiyuki
Scans: Yoshiyuki