Live Report 6/17/09, Ikebukuro Cyber: Chemical Pictures, etc.

Cyber is tiny and cramped and dirty and a real pain in the butt to deal with at a physical level.

On the other hand, the staff is great, and there is no dividing bar at the front, so the fans are crammed right to the front of the stage. It is a great feeling. You think that since all these places are relatively small you'd feel some sort of intimacy as it is, which is more true of some places than others. Holiday and Area feel a little far, Narciss feels good when it's packed, but Cyber is just soooo tiny and dingy and such a dive but they're crammed up to the front with you and you can look them in the eyes and watch their hearts flutter, and I sort of laugh inside because I think there are so many more interesting things than me to go crazy about.

It was an early morning that started with us filming something BUT I'M NOT TELLING YOU WHAT, NOT YET, JEEZ, then heading in to rehearsal. The place is crazy tiny, and the dressing room is like, a closet, so we really didn't have a chance to chat with any other bands. Tenten knows some of the guys in Hana Shounen Baddies (formerly Billy), but that was about it honestly.

I remember the lights being extra hot. Oh also it's Schwarz's birthday today (6/19)! He got tons and tons of letters, and some from overseas. One from America had 150 yen taped to the inside of the letter, which is just enough to buy a bottle of our favorite milk tea. :D He really liked the presentation of that one.

All in all it's been incredibly busy as a band lately, maybe not so much in terms of live activity (although that certainly contributes), but lots of behind-the-scenes preparations. It's exhausting and I'm a bit more moody than usual, and that's sort of sad to realize. And I know I don't have much to show for it yet, not to you guys, much as I'd like to... but come summer time I should have interesting things to talk about, I hope.

One thing that's been fun is all these little inside jokes that are coming to fruition as we play a lot and meet people. Steve Appleton and I also chatted about how great it is to be a musician, because without even speaking to each other, having played the same songs together even just over a day, you already have your own little language of musical communication within that group, whether they are musical gags/jokes or just the sheer joy of playing together. If you've gathered a good group together, that is. And I do feel that with these guys.

Masami will be with us up until the one-man on Tenten's birthday, and then... I dunno. But dang I love this guy.

And I got my first two letters ever from Japanese fans! One was sent to our fanmail address and one was brought to Cyber itself. Whee~

Whereas last year I felt like I depended mostly upon all the wonderful, amazing, and diverse people who read this English blog, I've been glad to be a part of something that has a decent following among the Japanese fans as well, because through the Japanese blog I've been able to meet similarly wonderful, amazing, and diverse people.


also is it just me or are most of the people who read my blogs way super hawt


Next is Sendai! I will have no opportunity to eat any of its famous beef tongue, and for that I am very sad. ;_;