L'Arc~Compendium

(Picture of a magazine cover: NHK’s series “Understanding” about Lawns)

This is what I read today! I see! I understand.

(Close-up of a microphone)

Will it look different tomorrow?

(Picture of the JACK IN THE BOX stage under a huge banner)

Finally! JACK is tomorrow!
Today, I had rehearsal on the actual stage!

(Picture of two 5-string basses, a red one in front of a pink one)

I had rehearsal again, today!
The one in front belongs to IKUO-kun and the one in back belongs to me! Don’t they look alike?

(Awesome picture of fireworks seen through an apartment window)

It’s a fireworks show!
I found the perfect spot to relax and watch the fun!

(Picture of a fireball in the sky, below the level of the skyscrapers)

Today is the day of the Jingu Fireworks Festival!
In Tokyo, the fireworks don’t go as high as the buildings.

(Picture of a drum set, guitar, and microphone stand)

Today I started rehearsals! Gonna work out every muscle until the big day!

(Picture of a potted plant on a hardwood floor)

It’s a decorative plant for the office!
I couldn’t find any plants I really liked the look of until I finally got this one!
It’s called a ficus umbellata. It’s my favourite decorative plant ever and it goes nicely with any kind of interior design so I recommend it!

…favourite bass!

(Picture of a red 5-string bass)

I had the frets adjusted, so it’s really easy to play now!

This interview was published in the months leading to INAZUMA ROCK 2009, a music fest held in Shiga prefecture in September 2009. Since Nishikawa is the main promoter of the event, the interview is mainly about him.

The following extract is the portion where he is discussing the event with tetsu.

BEGIN

Inazuma ROCK Special Interview – tetsu x Nishikawa Takanori

[You know, technically, I haven’t actually been invited, yet.]

– tetsu

Nishikawa and tetsu have been friends for nearly 20 years. Surely we have all wondered about this event. Whose idea was it to appear together…?

—————-

tetsu: [You know, technically, I haven’t actually been invited, yet.]

Nishikawa: [Pff, there you go with ridiculous complaints, again (laughs). For me, it’s just, well, of course I’m gonna be there, obviously? So yeah, that’s how it all got started.]

tetsu: [I thought it was obvious for me, too, and I’ve had every intention of being there, from the start, but I still haven’t received an official invitation (laughs).]

Nishikawa: [Fine, then I’ll invite you right now. (laughs) Please come! …But hey, we’ve been discussing this show ever since it started looking like it was gonna be possible.]

tetsu: [Yeah. Whenever we’d go out to eat, you told me so much about it. …Back when he first became the sightseeing ambassador (1) for Shiga, I thought it would be a great idea to have a rock fest there, and whaddya know, he was thinking the same thing.]

Nishikawa: [That’s us… It’s not surprising, considering how we eat together and talk together normally. Now we even have a radio show together, so we see each other every week, oh and our offices are right next to each other.]

tetsu: [That’s a recent development (laughs). We both have columns in CD-DATA that have been running for a long time, and on the radio, besides the show we do together, there’s another show that we both work on, but not together (2)
. …I know you’re copying everything I do. When you admire someone this much, it’s only natural. I understand your feelings, just don’t do -that- to me (laughs).]

Nishikawa: [Okay, okay (laughs). Well, considering our relationship, it would be weird if we didn’t both show up.]

– The last time you took to the stage together was at the year-end event held by L’Arc~en~Ciel’s office, correct? (3)

tetsu: [We did one T.M.Revolution song and one L’Arc~en~Ciel song, that time.]

Nishikawa: [The year before, GLAY turned up. I heard that tet-chan really wanted to invite me that time, but I had a concert; I have a lot of shows to do at that time of year, so our schedules were impossible to line up. So, apparently he had given up… That’s why I decided to come, and changed everything around so I could go, and I told him I’d do whatever it took to make it happen. In the end, I still had a concert on the same day, but I worked it out so when I was done, I just ran off and went straight to the event.]

tetsu: [By the way, I went to check out the venue [for Inazuma] a few days ago. I was thinking we should have a barbecue for the entire two days, but I had to go home before I could figure out how to pull it off.]
(Editor’s note: BBQs are not allowed at the venue. Still, you never know!)

Nishikawa: [A barbecue! (laughs) Okay, you can be in charge of that. It’s all up to you. …So I guess that means we should look out for a barbecue grill in the next tetsu’s PRESS (laughs)]

[Fine, then I’ll invite you right now… Please come! (laughs)]

– Nishikawa

—————

Translated by Natalie Arnold

1. A sightseeing ambassador　is a person who does promotional work for a particular place, usually a city or prefecture, and is recognized as an official promoter of the area by the local govermnent. Nishikawa Takanori does this for Shiga Prefecture. Go back.

2. The first radio show, where they appear together, is Yakiguri BanBan Comma 3. They appear on it Thursday nights. The second radio show mentioned is Gocha Maze!. It currently airs on Saturday nights, but tetsu and Takanori appear at different times during the three-hour show. Both are on MBS in the Kansai region. Go back.

3. This event is of course, JACK IN THE BOX (formerly: DANGER), Maverick DC’s annual party. Go back.