Fish Tank 46
Interview with Yagami Toll
Translation: Lola
How has the tour been going up till now?
I'm perfectly exhausted, that's certain *smiles*.
Since you don't have lives today or tomorrow you should stay in and rest *smiles*.
Yes. Well, it's ok as long as I'm alive when it's over.
As long as you don't burn out *smiles*. Have you had any major problems on stage?
We haven't, no. I'm rather surprised. But I think that's just because...of our mood every day.
It's different?
How can I put it......for me it's a very personal struggle when there's a problem. But perhaps the fans don't understand as they watch. ........as a drummer, it's really a mind over matter thing.
Did you get to eat delicious things at various places?
Yeah I did. If I didn't my body wouldn't last through the tour.
Did you get to eat something you really love?
I ate crab in Morioka *smiles*.
It was Imai-san's birthday in Kagoshima, what did you end up doing that day?
We celebrated at the end together with the staff.
So you had a celebration for Imai-san after the live?
Yes, yes, yes. And we ate cake.
Because this is the issue for December, I'd like you to look back on 2007.....
Look back? Wha? How many lives do we still have to do? *smiles*
Um....a lot? *smiles*
Right now, I'm just exhausted.........seriously. I don't want to do anymore lives in 2008.
What?!
Hahaha, I'm just saying that because I'm tired *smiles*.
Ok so, during the tour be sure to please rest when you have days off in between shows.
I will!
So, this year's been rather busy I think but what was your impression of it Yagami-san?
I was really focused on the lives. It feels like the recording was so long ago. Even though we recorded from 2006 into 2007, it feels like such a long time ago.
Then in the middle of all those lives you had a big event in September....
'On PARADE'. That was fun. Doing something like that with our sempai and kouhai was fun too.
It was a sponsored event.....
I'm really grateful to everyone involved and I'm glad it was a success. I also appreciate all the fans who came out to the event. If it weren't for all those people, we couldn't have done such an event.
Did it exceed your expectations?
It was far better than I imagined, yes.
How did you find sharing the stage with Ken Ishii-san and MCU-san?
Ah yes, they weren't really used to that sort of thing. So they even came to rehearse with us in the studio. Because they weren't used to our way of doing things.
So they came to rehearse with Buck-Tick?
Yes, yes. We rehearsed together.
But co-starring with you guys couldn't have been easy, so how did it go on stage?
But that's why we practiced together here.
I think the fans also thought it was a pretty big deal for them to be on stage with you.
I know.
Did everyone who performed talk to you after the show? Yeah, they did. When I went back stage after they were all saying 'good job'.
The performers said that?
Yeah, yeah.
And did you get to know them a little more after the show?
Yeah, after the show there was a lot of talking about music going on. Tsuchiya-san was as gentlemanly as ever and was kind enough to answer all of my many questions. He's such a wonderful sempai.
Before the B-T fest you went to Hokkaido to participate in the Rising Sun Rock Fest for the first time, how did that go?
It was summer but it was cold there. So poor Acchan kept sneezing. Even for me when I was stretching backstage I felt like I wouldn't be able to play the drums because my body wasn't warming up.
I heard that the fans were a lot different than say at Summer Sonic, but how did you find the atmosphere?
It's true. I mean for Summer Sonic, the day that people come to the show is the day they leave right? They just go back to their hotel after or whatever.
Mm.
But for the Rising Sun Fest, the whole area was covered with tents. The people were camping out. I thought that made it more fun. It reminded me of Woodstock back in the day.
So after the Rising Sun Fest, and the B-T fest you released the new album, 'Tenshi no Revolver', and now the tour has begun but how do you find the album is doing live?
Because 'Tenshi no Revolver' is a rock album, it feels pretty raw. So......because of that, how you feel on the day of the show really affects the atmosphere I think *smiles*. I don't think I felt that way for '13 kai~'. This tour feels free, it feels close to the lives we had around the time of our debut.
Has any live left a deep impression up till now?
Of course Takasaki did. Because it's where I'm from.
I guess it feels different than other places?
It's different because....I went to my Coming of Age ceremony at the music centre there and when I was in elementary school that was the first hall that I entered a music contest in while singing in the choir.
*smiles* So it reminded you of your first time on stage.
Yes, yes. At the time my school was pretty close to where I lived you know. So, I was remembering the first couple of years I was in the choir there.
Has the place changed since you were a kid?
Yeah, but it wasn't remodelled or anything. It was mostly the same. But another reason it stood out for me was that was the only place my father got to see us play live during the 'Aku no Hana' tour before he died.
I see, I didn't know that.
Yeah, he only got to see us once.
I can understand why that place would leave a different impression than any other. So, have you gradually begun thinking about what to do next year?
Uh, well first I'd like to go on vacation *smiles*.
Is there anything you'd like to do that isn't music related?
I'd love to put together an insanely huge plastic model! *smiles*
Oh? Do you like making plastic models?
Not it's not that, I mean I used to make them when I was a kid but I don't now. It takes time to make a really big one, like a tank or a battleship but anything would be good.
Because you don't have a lot of time, it's something you usually can't do.
Yes, exactly. Which is why I want to do it.
You'll be ending this year with a show at Budoukan again which is a great relief but do you have any plans after that for the New Year?
I want to return to Gunma for New Year's.
Ok, and then right after that you have the live in Okinawa.
Ah, I forgot! *smiles* My head is too full of the current tour.
You'll be going to Okinawa in the middle of winter....
It doesn't really fit does it? It's not like we're going to baseball camp *smiles*.
Finally, what are your aspirations for 2008?
*smiles* .....I wanna go on vacation *smiles*. But I can't~ *smiles*.