jklein
Press: Thank you guys for coming here. I just wanted to start off with a fun question for Hyde. How did you find out that “do you like crabs” was so well remembered by your fans here?
Hyde: Actually last time that I came to Baltimore in 2004, I totally forgot about this. I heard that fans get together and then they actually say “do you like crabs?” That’s why I used it in yesterday’s concert. Once I said it, I said oh that’s right. And then it reminded me.
Press: At last night’s concert you did a lot of cover songs and some solo work from Hyde’s solo period. I was wondering why you included that in a VAMPS concert?
K.A.Z: When it’s a cover song we transform it into the VAMPS taste. We don’t recognize the song as someone else’s song; we make it like our song.
Hyde: We wanted to sing some English songs for the audience too.
Press: I understand that you two have collaborated a lot before formally forming vamps. Has there been any changed in this collaborative process since officially naming the band? Or has it stayed the same?
Hyde: Not so much difference. I’m not sure if it’s because of VAMPS or maybe our relationship is so long, maybe that’s why. These days I just leave it up to him and then I do something else. That’s what I do these days. I have more stuff to do now.
Press: Ju-ken did a good job riling up the crowd last night. Are you guys considering having him as an official part of VAMPS?
Hyde: VAMPS is two of us. But once we get on stage it’s all of us. It’s the band. So we never differentiate like that.
Press: The word VAMPS has the both meaning of vampire and a flashy sexy type of women. I was wondering, did you consider any of these meanings when you named the band VAMPS?
Hyde: Originally I named the band to mean vampires. But we like the flashy mysterious woman too, so it’s all good.
Press: Why did you choose to write most of your album lyrics in English as opposed to Japanese?
Hyde: Usually I listen to a lot of songs in English. The atmosphere I like that way and that’s why it’s easier for me to make a lot of English songs. Whenever I like to attack with my words to the Japanese people then I use Japanese.
Press: K.A.Z, yourself and Hyde make an incredible combination. I was wondering if there was much of an adjustment going from OBLIVION DUST to VAMPS and what it’s like to work with Hyde so far?
K.A.Z: Even just a change in the person you play with, there is so much inspiration. Everybody has different sound. It’s very different atmosphere. That’s why it’s very interesting for me to work with. It’s like a chemical reaction.
Press: When you played in the Warped Tour recently, are you ever surprised by the response of American fans versus the Japanese fans?
Hyde: In Japan it’s normally oh this part of the song everybody gets so excited. Or this part of the concert gets really excited. Everybody kinda knows what’s going on. But in the United States, when I was expecting people to get really excited… But, not so much there. Or it’s not that big part of the song, but still there’s so much reaction. The reaction level is always different it’s very unexpected. That’s why it’s very fun for us to do. And it’s very encouraging. To me, American fans are very opened. It’s very nice to see that.
Press: I noticed in your cd booklet, there is a story running through all the pages about a girl being bitten and not being able to put on makeup. How did that story come about?
Hyde: In the process of making the booklet, in the first edition of the album… It looks like a picture book because we thought maybe there could be story inside the album and it would be kinda interesting.
Press: This question is for K.A.Z. Has VAMPS affected your work with OBLIVION DUST? You were supposed to put out an album either this year or next year…
K.A.Z: Not so much. Because everyone has own timing and everyone knows when we perform at events. We all coordinate.
Press: I was just wondering what your favorite Motley Crue songs were?
K.A.Z: Dr. Hillet
Hyde: Live Wired
Press: I was curious, you were really adamant about how good Evangelion was, in the panel beforehand. I want to know why you love Evangelion so much?
Hyde: Actually I don’t know why I like it so much. But the second movie, out right now in Japan… It blew my mind. And I would never thought that one actual movie would feel so inspiring and affect the bottom of my heart. It’s so weird because after I watched the movie it made me so tired. I felt like I almost fought in the movie or something. It’s a great movie.
Press: This is actually about the US tour. I wanted to know if this tour has been successful, are you planning to come back next year and possibly expanding? Or also what city are you looking forward to going to?
Hyde: Actually I don’t have so much experience with concerts or tours in the United States. Because of that it makes me kind of jittery sometimes. But many fans, it’s helped… It’s very nice, it’s so warm welcome to us. They show so much warm feeling to us. Because of that we don’t show much anxiety or we’re not worried at all. And then because of that we can play our usual stage in Japan, so that’s really nice.
Next year we would like to include the US too. We would like a bigger tour, but we’re not working on it right now.
Thanks to VAMPS for their appearance!