Magazines: Rock & Read feat. Aoi from the GazettE Pt. IV

Woo, part 4 is up! There is something seriously shocking to learn about Aoi in this one, so we won't spoil it for you, because it's fairly hilarious and disturbing all at the same time (*≧▽≦)♪ . You'll have to read on to learn more.

As usual, please do not post this entire English translation on your personal blog or website. Please link previews back to us, and credit us/let us know if you translate from us.

For a refresher, here are the links to the previous parts:

Part I
Part II
Part III

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I: What type of bands were you into?

A: Bands like Helloween, Megadeth. I listened to a lot of bands like them.

I: How did you make friends that were interested in music?

A: Around the third year of junior high club activities come to an end, and because everyone didn't have much to do, more of my friends started getting involved in music.

I: So you finally started to talk to everyone about music?

A: Yeah, and more friends were going “Come on, let's start a band!” Everyone would ask, “So what should we do?” I had no idea. So everyone started from square 1 that summer during the third year of junior high, and then afterward we formed a band.

I: Together with the kids you practiced guitar with?

A: Yeah, which is why our band had twin guitars, well we were a cover band and we covered bands like Ziggy. Oh! That's not from our generation! (Laughs) It really wasn't, but the band's bassist knew more about bands from that generation than us. He listened to a lot of cool CDs, but I don't really know why we covered Ziggy.

I: That's really unique for Aoi's generation.

A: Yeah, which is why, except for us, all the other bands covered Luna Sea. For some reason I can't play that kind of style—there's something about it that I can't do. My background is mainly in metal (laughs) and during that time Ziggy sounded kind of nice too.

I: In junior high, did you stay with the first cover band that you formed?

A: Yeah, we tidied up the shed in my house set up the drums and practiced there. My brother had practiced there before too.

I: You had your own studio-like place set up at home?!

A: It was only a shed (laughs). There wasn't air conditioning, and it was really hot! (laughs). Anyway, we pretended to have band practice and fooled around a lot back then.

I: So you didn't practice at studios or anything like that?

A: There aren't any studios where I live...sorry (laughs). We don't have those kind of facilities, you see. Oh, but we asked an upperclassman if we could play at his live.

I: So your upperclassman was like, “Since we're having an event, we'll let you guys make an appearance too.”

A: Yeah. It was probably because the tickets weren't sold out (laughs)

I: Did you play at a live house then?

A: Oh, no, no, like I said we didn't have those kind of facilities (laughs). We performed at the local gymnasium. We only used a third of the gymnasium, (laughs) but it was a lot of fun.

I: What memories do you have of your first time on stage?

A: All I did was look down—I was so nervous I couldn't look to the front at all. I wonder why I was so nervous. Plus, at that moment, I felt as if I was going to die. (laughs)

I: Wow, so you were pretty nervous (laughs). After it was all done, were you able to enjoy it?

A: Yeah, it was fun, even though the attendees were mostly people we knew.

I: So after experiencing what it was like to perform, did that increase the interest you had already for music and the guitar?

A: It did. I was really nervous, but after the live I had this really refreshed and pleasant feeling. Since I really remember that day's feelings, I didn't want to stop playing the guitar.

I: By the time you were in high school, did you get really serious about the band?

A: I told my parents I didn't want to go to high school and asked them to let me go to a music school instead. My parents said something along the lines of, “Don't you say those smart ass things to us!” but later on they said if I still really wanted to go, “After you graduate from high school, we'll let you go.” They told me for the time being to just go to school, so I had to go to some stupid local high school. The kind of high school where all you needed to do was write your name on the entrance exam to be accepted. (Laughs)

I: Did you put together a band when you entered high school?

A: The band I was in was still doing well after I entered high school. I just wanted to play the guitar so I played it.

I: Was that because you eventually wanted to become a studio musician without having to fuss about a band?

A: I wonder too. Even though I told my parents to let me go to a music school, I still didn't know what I wanted to do. I wasn't sure if I wanted to make a living as a guitarist or be in a band. I just wanted to be a person who was free to do whatever he wanted.

I: You were more fascinated by the guitar compared to the dreams of being a racer or the various sports you had played up until now, am I right?

A: Ye~ah somewhat. But the feeling I have is different from just liking it. It's like, that natural feeling you get when you're in a room. It's kind of a problem if I'm asked whether or not that's a fascination. I only wanted to play the guitar. Of course there are interesting things about it, but I didn't have a guitarist that I admired. However, I did want to become better than my brother. Since we were talking about whether I was fascinated by the guitar, I think I've gotten sidetracked.

I: But didn't your dream of becoming a racer disappear the moment you started the guitar? What was it that lead you to be completely whisked away with the guitar?

A: Well, that's probably other than wanting to be better than my brother, the feeling of not wanting to lose to a junior high friend I used to practice guitar with.

I: You had nothing but a determined mind-set, and that's what drove you?

A: I guess. I really hate it if I'm not number one. But compared to losing, the feeling of not wanting to be left behind is even stronger. It doesn't matter which one comes first, but it's like that really strong feeling of not wanting to be bitter or regretful when I see a friend who is doing same thing but is better at it.

I: And so you graduated high school without any problems and went to a music school?

A: Nope, I didn't graduate from high school. I had too much fun in the summer of my first year...just like that I continued on with my summer holidays. (laughs)

I: What did you do during your first summer that was so much fun?

A: Hmm...what did I do? First of all I just lazed around (laughs). During that time I just slept in my room everyday without a fan or air conditioning. But if a friend said, “Hey let's go to the beach!” while I was sleeping, I'd get up and go. I had a lot of fun that way, and I thought, “I want to stay as a person with lots of freedom.” Just like that, I ended up not going to school (laughs)

I: Did you start a band the moment you quit school?

A: Nope, I didn't think of starting a band at that time. The upperclassman who invited me to play at his live went to the same high school as me, and I went to hang out at his house quite often. He was also really good at the guitar, so I thought, “I want to be better than him!”

I: So, you did nothing but practice by yourself at home?

A: I did. That time was probably when I practiced the most.

I: Was the music you liked still metal?

A: Yeah, I don't think it changed. I still practiced a lot whether or not I could speed play. But I couldn't (laughs). It was impossible, especially when foreigners were playing it really fast (laughs).

I: When did you actually start a band after you did nothing but practice your guitar?

A: When I went to Tokyo.

I: Which means you spent quite some time practicing on your own.

A: No, it wasn't really like that. Hm, how should I put it? Even though you're practicing by yourself you'll eventually reach your limit, right? When that happens, you'll start to want to find other things to do. The brother of a good friend of mine was a surfer at the time. After seeing that, I wanted to start surfing. The beach was also nearby.

I: Ah~well how many years did you surf for? (surprised)

A: For about 2-3years. My personality doesn't allow for me to focus on doing only one thing. Which is why I worked part-time at night for an izakaya, and every morning I'd go to the beach...that was the turn my life took. Even the strings of my guitar were rusting.

I: You mean you just suddenly stopped playing?!

A: Yeah...well I played my acoustic guitar a little and Yuzu was popular too. But I was basically out of the music loop. The person who taught me how to surf wanted to become a pro-surfer and my dream was also to become a pro-surfer. I didn't surf for fun but mainly to compete in tournaments.

I: That's because you didn't want to lose—so did you follow through with surfing?

A: Well...sort of. I did compete in a tournament. It was called the Murasaki Cup, a tournament organized by Murasaki Sports.

I: Isn't that a pretty big tournament?! Did you come out on top?

A: Oh no, nothing like that. But I did feel like I was on my way to reaching the top. I still didn't want to give up so I practiced a lot, and even in the winter I was practicing non-stop. Which is why I had a sun tan and I got pretty dark. Spiral perms were also the trend during that time...I'm really sorry to say this but I also had a spiral perm (laughs)

I: With your hair dyed light brown?

A: Yeah, I was tan, my hair was light brown and done up in an afro. I worked really hard on my surfing while looking like that. Only if I told anyone this no one would believe it (laughs)

I: Even now, can your body remember how fun it was to surf then?

A: I can't do those daredevil moves now, but I can surf on the waves.

I: Wow! I really can't imagine it! Why did you go back to music again even though you were aiming to be a pro-surfer?

A: I worked at an izakaya, so by the time I got off it was already midnight, right? After getting home from work, I just turned on the TV and watched some music program that was on the air. An indies band was playing. After seeing that I thought, “Hey, I can do that,” and then I really abruptly told my mom, “I'm going to Tokyo.” (laughs) I didn't even give her any advance notice.

I: What was your mom's reaction?

A: She hesitated for a moment, but since I was 15 or 16 when I told her I wanted to go to a music school, she said, “Well, since you've thought of it to this extent then I'll let you go this time.”

I: Nonetheless, that was a quick change. You aimed to be a pro-surfer and even though you practiced so hard, you casually and suddenly say you want to go to Tokyo to do music...(laughs)

A: (Laughs) But I really thought it was sudden too. I thought, “I can do this way better!”

[End Part IV]

So, how did you like Aoi's AFRO? Fyi, Kuma refused to look at this picture. She mentioned in a previous post that Aoi was her favorite Jrock star, and I guess this little Photoshop stunt, done by yours truly, might have scarred her a little ┐(´∀｀)┌

So far, he's gone through red, blonde, orange, purple, brown, black, bright pink and now he can add "afro" to his list of hairstyles. He can make blue or green hair his ultimate goal so he can have a rainbow--without the Skittles. *gets shot for cheesy candy commercial reference*

Anyways, let us know what you think in the comments, and look forward to the next section soon!

Don't forget to subscribe to us through our RSS feed (to the right), Facebook and/or Twitter! If you don't, you might get nightmares of Aoi with a rainbow afro, so I'd get on it chop chop!

Till next time ♪～(´0｀ )

Posted in: 2011,Magazines,RockandRead,the GazettE