X JAPAN - EXPERIENCE - YOSHIKIインタビュー × examiner.com その３

Yes. Actually, Gene Simmons told me about a few [songs] with piano or classical arrangements for KISS, he gave me maybe five songs…I said I would like to try a concerto, and he said, “Okay, we’ll see.” I was asked to do it for a Japanese version of their tribute album, but they liked it so much that they put my arrangement into the worldwide album.

A few years later they released a tribute album in Japan called Jigoku no Shōsan, which I happen to have, and I was wondering if you were approached to be part of that project as well.

I didn’t know that project.

It’s a cool one. It’s like a Japanese artists’ version of the American KISS tribute album.

Oh, interesting. I need to check it out.

It actually has a version of “Deuce” by Diamond Yukai. You were both in the movie Tokyo Pop.

Okay, okay [laughs].

How did X’s appearance come together in Tokyo Pop, and what do you think about that scene now?

[Laughs] At that time, we were one of the bands people were talking about—the crazy hairstyle and out of control something, and I think somebody heard our band name, then someone approached us to do a movie, and we were like, “cool.” We had to do it at a gig or something, and they showed up.

What is KISS’ influence to you, and how do you feel about them not being able to perform together at their induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony earlier this year?

Having a band is really complicated. It’s like X Japan—except Toshi, the vocalist, pretty much everybody was the leader of the band, so our strategy is to be able to gather all those leaders of the band. In our case, Taiji was an original member; he actually happened to pass away in 2011. In 2010, we had an X Japan show in Nissan Stadium [in Yokohama]. I actually fired him a long, long time ago. We had some mutual differences—not only music, we had a lot of differences. But I somehow knew his condition was not right…[but] I wanted to perform with him again. So Toshi and I asked him to join our band, even though we have a great player. I also talked to my present bass player, Heath, saying, “Can I invite Taiji into our show?” He said yeah, but he was like, “We would have two bass players.” I said, “A few songs. Because I would like to kind of reunite.” It was very, how do you say, a memorable moment, but at the same time, organizing that kind of show was not easy. So for sure, KISS has a lot of different things that we don’t know, but on this day they appeared on the same stage, so I think we should appreciate what they have done.

If it’s not too personal, where were you when you received the news of Taiji’s passing the following year, and what were your initial thoughts about that?

We were doing a world tour, then we were taking a break and I was in the studio in Los Angeles recording. My friend told me…first of all, I didn’t believe it. It was a little too dramatic…

Let’s talk about some of your endorsements. I really like the drumsticks that you’ve used for a long time made by Tama. Do you still use those now?

Yes, I do.

They have that coating on them for extra grip. Do you know what that grip is made out of?

Actually, I don’t know. It doesn’t really slip, so it kind of sticks to your hands.

I’ve used them before, but the only problem that I had was that they leave black marks all over the drum heads whenever you hit them.

[Laughs] Exactly! I have the same problem [laughs].

Do you have to replace your drums a lot on tour, or do you leave them like that?

Oh, for sure. I bang drums so hard, after every single show I have to change every single drum head.

Your roadies must love you.

My cymbals, too. They crack, so I have to replace them here and there.

Do your drum technicians like having all that extra work, or is it mendokusai [a bother]?

I have a person who just sets up drums, and also I have a person who just changes the heads.

Did you ever feel like using nylon tips when you play with your sticks?

I kind of like something natural. I used that before, but I hit drums so hard that those tips really break. I break at least three or four sticks during the show.

I remember they cost about 2,000 yen a pair when I was in Japan, but they’re totally worth it.

[Laughs] Thank you.

For your song “Endless Rain,” the intro has a similarity with “November Rain,” which was released several years later by Guns N’ Roses. When you first heard “November Rain,” did you notice this, and had anyone from that band ever talked to you about it?

That’s interesting. You know what? The new guitar player Richard Fortus, from Guns N’ Roses, actually he’s a friend of mine, so he actually played “Endless Rain” during the Guns N’ Roses tour during his solo. He and Robin [Finck], who used to be in Nine Inch Nails, they did “Endless Rain” during the guitar solo.

In 2011, X Japan signed a deal with EMI to release an English-language album in the United States. The last I heard about that, it was said that the tsunami in Japan made it difficult to finish recording. What’s the status of that, will that album ever come out, and is there any plan to release new music in America?

Yes. Actually, we are definitely planning on releasing the album now. We started doing a world tour in 2011. Then during that tour, our original bass player, Taiji, passed away. Then I [thought] we had to take a break again, not only for that reason due to some drama in terms of the band, not like actually the band itself, [but] towards for management or something like that—we had a lawsuit and everything. Finally, some of those things kind of settled, so we can concentrate on more music. Especially this year, we started focusing on more music, too. During that time, also, of course the tsunami and everything happened, too, but the main reason was that our band was not ready at that time.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x