Active Band Man Chats - Weird Obsessions: Live Edition

So, what are we talking about this time?

This time, it’s about weird obsessions!

Huh? Didn’t we do that last time?

This time it’s about things we’re particular about during live shows.

I see.

When you’ve been in a band for a long time, you end up with your own… you know…

Your own what?

Rou… rou… rou…

A routine, right?

Exactly! You’re quick to catch on!

Well… we did talk about that last time.

If you’d let it go a little longer, I wanted to sing “Yoake no Scat.”

(ignoring that) Being particular… do you mean things you’re conscious of during a live performance? Do you have anything like that?

Well, I’m a natural-born showman, so my body basically moves on its own.

I know that… but tell me something that might actually help the readers. Where do you usually look during a live show?

Your eyes…! (strikes a pose)

Not “strikes a pose.”

No, but seriously, I try to make eye contact with every single person in the audience.

I kind of get that… You even look toward the staff seats, right? (laughs)

Yeah, I make eye contact with the PA staff and the lighting staff too. Sometimes there are staff members who even do the choreography along with us, which is kind of heartwarming (laughs).

I wonder what I do… I guess I often look toward the PA area. Since the PA booth is usually at the very back, I play with the intention of delivering the sound all the way back there.

Another thing I do is move around or change the direction of my face so that the stage lights are always hitting it.

I see…

It’s important for people to be able to see the singer’s facial expressions! Oh! Also, these days there are a lot of live-streamed concerts, right?

That’s true.

And there are like five cameras for the stream, right?

Yeah, there have been more and more of them.

I make eye contact with the cameras too!

A-as expected… Do you pay attention to the lyrics or anything like that?

The lyrics just naturally come out of my mouth.

That’s impressive! But not everyone is built like you, kizuhiko, so please share something that will actually help the readers…

Okaaay. But this isn’t something during the live show—it’s something I keep in mind from the songwriting stage.

What is it?

I make the flow of time in the lyrics feel natural!

What do you mean?

For example, if the first verse describes the midday sun, then the second verse might move to a sunset scene.

Ah, I see. And after that the moon appears at night, right?

Gasp! Sharp observation! And then maybe dawn.

Thank you (monotone).

Another example would be how the feelings of two people in love deepen and turn into affection.

Sometimes there are lyrics where the timeline is all over the place… but in your case, kizuhiko, you write the lyrics along a chronological storyline.

Well, they’re lyrics, so I think it’s fine even if the time jumps around. But if you keep them in chronological order, the words naturally come out during a live performance. If you visualize the lyrics like a movie scene, it becomes even easier to remember them smoothly.

Oh, that sounds very much like a vocalist!

Heh heh. What about you, Horry? What do you pay attention to during a live performance?

While playing? Hmm… I guess I keep the next part slightly in mind.

The next part?

For example, in terms of songs, I might check the setlist to see what the next song is. Structurally, I might think, “Once this B section ends, the chorus is coming,” or “After this solo, we go back to the A section.”

I see, you’re thinking a little bit into the future.

To be more specific, sometimes I even think ahead at the phrase level. Like, “The next phrase is that one.” In that case, I imagine the fingering as an image or a shape. It helps my fingers move more smoothly.

That’s detailed. And an image of the phrase?

An image, or… connecting the movement on the fretboard with lines… maybe more like a shape? But that’s when I’m playing phrases. For songs where I’m just keeping the beat, I probably just picture the chord progression in my head.

I see, so you’re thinking about a lot of things while playing.

If it’s a song I already know, I don’t really have to think about it much. As long as it’s ingrained in my body. But with newer songs I don’t completely know inside and out yet, I end up playing while thinking about it.

Same for me—if it’s a song I know well, the words just come out of my mouth naturally! Like flowing water! Like the flow of a river~

(ignoring that) And then there’s the area around my feet. I stay aware of things like cables.

Cables?

During a live show, my position is often toward the back or off to the side of the stage. And those areas tend to be where a lot of cables gather.

That’s true. Microphone cables and things usually run toward the back.

So I try not to step on those cables. Of course, stepping on them a little usually isn’t a problem… but I can’t help worrying about damaging them (laughs). And if you step on one, it can throw off your balance. So I’m pretty conscious of the stage floor.

That’s very horry-like. I can totally imagine you managing cables during a live show (laughs).

Oh, I do. Even during the show. Whenever there’s a small opening.

You actually do it?!

When you’re at the back or on the side, you can see the whole stage pretty well. Then you might notice things like a stand that’s fallen over or a drumstick on the floor… so I fix those during breaks between songs. Only if they’re within reach, though. I just can’t ignore it (laughs).

Your staff-like nature really shows, even during a live performance!

I guess my “strange obsession” is trying to keep the area around the stage floor as tidy as possible during the show (laughs).

Ah, I’m usually only looking at the audience. But speaking of the area around your feet, when it comes to effect pedals, I’m a bit particular about how I arrange them.

Oh? The arrangement?

Yeah. I put the booster—the one I step on the most—on the far left!

The far left? Why is that?

Well, I’m primarily a vocalist, so sometimes I finish singing and immediately play a guitar solo, or finish a solo and go straight back to singing. So I want the booster in the easiest spot to step on and toggle on or off.

I see.

If the booster is, say, the second pedal from the right, or the third from the left, I end up hesitating.

So if it’s on the edge, you can step on it without any confusion.

Exactly. During rehearsal, I check things like, “If I return to the position at the mic stand and extend my left foot about this much, I can hit the booster.”

I see. That’s practical.

The time I save from not having to look down at my feet lets me look into the audience’s eyes…!

I see. How lovely (monotone). But the effect of a booster can change depending on where it’s placed in the signal chain, right?

Exactly. So I just build my tone assuming the booster will be at the far left—basically the end of the pedalboard.

Like I said earlier, since I play while thinking a little ahead, I usually check before stepping on an effect pedal.

Maybe it’s just a difference in personality (laughs).

Who knows?

Maybe it’s a difference in the way we live (strikes a pose).

Yeah, yeah. But in the end, we’re both preparing in advance, right? Either thinking while doing it, or setting things up so you don’t have to think about it.

Exactly! That’s it! Because everything is…?

Because of love!