Ongaku to Hito Special Issue – JACK IN THE BOX 2009
TETSUYA Document
16:30
– Good morning!
Clad in his rough, ordinary street clothing and wearing his usual shades, TETSUYA enters the dressing room from the Budokan’s rear entrance. Since so many bands are performing, they all share one giant dressing room. There, in the corner, stands a booth just for TETSUYA.
First, He greets his band.
Guitar: Murohime Shin; Guitar: Nakamura Yoshitsugu; Bass: IKUO; Keyboards: Kishi Toshiyuki; Drums: Shinya. With the members He knows best, the light chatter soon brings a blossom of laughter to his face.
Checking the timetable posted on the wall, He confers with the staff about the comings and goings of the day.
“We behind schedule?”
-“We’re about 15 minutes behind schedule.”
“Well then, let’s rush through this bit, okay?”
He appears to be visualizing the arrangements in his head. Then He announces, “I’m going to HQ to say hi,” and leaves the dressing room.
In the hallway, a voice calls out “Hey! TETSUYA”; it is SAKURA, with fortuitous timing.
“I didn’t recognize you.” He laughs and hurries off to the dressing room himself. His turn on stage must be near; in full makeup and stage clothing, SAKURA, too, looks like a completely different person.
TETSUYA turns away with a laugh and waves as if to say “I barely recognized you myself.”
The operating HQ was set up one floor below the artists’ dressing room. How many times has He explored the Budoukan by now? Though He has passed through these backstage halls time and time again, today his usual guide is not by his side.
Today, there is no one beside him to say “This way, TETSUYA-san.”
He may have been thinking this very thought as He made his way down the steps. So I found myself pondering as I followed close behind.
Reaching HQ, TETSUYA casually greets the assembled staff. He verifies the course of the show, asks about the crowd’s response, and quickly grasps every detail of the goings-on up on the stage itself. In the space of instant, I catch a glimpse of another TETSUYA, completely different from the person who will soon be glittering in the spotlight.
With everything under control, He returns to the dressing room and, for the first time today, reverts to his usual relaxed expression.
-“So? How is everything?” I ask him after a moment’s pause.
“We had rehearsal yesterday, but all the members are so busy, you know? All in all, it’s really hard to line up all our schedules. Obviously, we had rehearsal yesterday, but they (the staff) have to pack up all our gear around 10 p.m. and ship it (to the Budoukan), but we can only start making noise at 6. Personally, just for once I’d like to do a full rehearsal… But I can’t ask for that much, can I? You know. All things considered.” He laughs, somewhat pained.
A statement befitting the perfectionist that is TETSUYA. He holds practice after practice until completely satisfied, and only then does He take to the stage. He thinks everything through. He plans and arranges. He does not compromise. He will consider only the best options of all those available. TETSUYA conducts his affairs with the utmost professional conscientiousness.
17:05
A hasty meeting with the sound manipulator begins. They seem to be checking the sequences for today’s show. Headphones in place, He goes through them bit by bit. He listens closely despite having heard it all innumerable times. For the time being, the noise all around him does not reach his ears. “Don’t need that bit.” “Add that in there.” He instructs the manipulator seated beside him at his Mac.
“I’m checking the sequence for Can’t stop believing right now. It’s such an old song, you know, even I forget bits of it (laughs). Ehh? So don’t do it, you say? I guess you have a points (laughs). Honestly, it’s one of those things I have to do myself, and somehow, I have a lot of things to do.” He explains himself with an embarrassed smile.
He truly does have a lot to do. He is not just another artist. He is all things at once. For JACK IN THE BOX, He is both producer and performer. He has taken on the role of organizer for the entire event.
“A lot of the time, I’m also the director.” So TETSUYA tells me.
To act as director is to think. It is to investigate and review case studies to make the best choice. He must keep the overall picture in mind at all times.
17:30
As preparations begin for his makeup session, He receives a message from a staff member. Only an hour and a half to go until He takes the stage.
18:15
His makeup finished, TETSUYA dresses.
His band members get dressed as well. Preparations are almost complete.
“I wanted to make Kishi-kun wear his a.b.s. outfit, actually (laughs).”
Speaking of a.b.s., last year Nishikawa Takanori appeared at JACK IN THE BOX as a surprise guest. Of course, everyone is well aware of this.
This year’s surprise is in a SESSION featuring – Vocals: Mao (SID); Guitar: Shirota Kazuhide (ex-PRESENCE, Ken BAND); Drums: Shinya (LUNA SEA); and the bass, tetsuya (L’Arc~en~Ciel). A special band that exists only for tonight.
Checking the set list, I see two songs listed.
M-1. Can’t stop believing
M-2. Shinkirou (song by PRESENCE)
And I had to wonder. Who was it that selected these songs? I heard that Can’t stop believing is being performed at Mao’s request. However, the PRESENCE song, Shinkirou, despite being from Shirota’s former band, is undeniably an unexpected choice. So, I decided to ask.
-“Who picked this song?”
Then, after a moment’s delay, TETSUYA replies.
“…I have my reasons. If you watch the session, you’ll understand. Just wait a bit.”
18:30
In spare moments, the artists sign the colourful balls that are by now a staple of JACK IN THE BOX.
“Come on, guys, let’s make this a team project!” TETSUYA shares his suggestion. Surely it is meant as a gesture of sincerity for the audience gathered in the stands.
-“Used to your new autograph yet?” A voice asks him in passing.
“Yeah, no, not really…” He replies with a chuckle.
“I’m gonna go do some voice training in my car, okay?” With slight trepidation showing through his voice, He departs from the dressing room. He intends to be in the best possible shape before taking the stage. Perhaps it is his way of changing over completely into vocalist mode.
19:00
All the members of TETSUYA band are waiting in the wings. Each of them has his own way of ridding his body of nervous tension. Once, I heard that the world’s best athletes approach the start of their events with something completely unrelated in mind, in order to get rid of any energy their bodies will not need. I believe it is the same for these men. Though they exhibit moderate tension, the atmosphere is by no means thick with it. Moreover, they are smiling.
“I gotta do my stretches. You know, last time, at JCB Hall, my foot got all hung up.” He explains to me with a laugh.
I can now hear shouts, or perhaps cries, coming from the audience. They must have seen TETSUYA’s name appear on the screen. The entire band gathers in a close circle. They stack their right hands in the middle and begin to breathe as one. Then the members walk onto the stage ahead of him.
19:15
At that moment, He looked up to the distance and closed his eyes.
He seemed almost to be praying to someone unseen.
From the audience were heard endless cries of encouragement and impatience, brimming with the hope that each passing second would bring him on stage.
TETSUYA took a single deep breath, then ran out into the spotlight.
I would like you to read the report of his performance enclosed in the main part of this magazine.
I must make it clear that He was not there as a member of L’Arc~en~Ciel; he stood in the Budoukan as a vocalist, as a single artist. Every time He takes to the stage, He steps up his performance and expressiveness as a vocalist. He is forward-looking in thought and mind. Perhaps it is the mark of his self-confidence. The voice He brings forth into his hand-held microphone grows into song to fill the entire hall. The man before me is not tetsuya of L’Arc~en~Ciel, it is the unique vocalist TETSUYA; I am certain that the audience has not failed to grasp this distinction.
19:45
TETSUYA’s turn on stage ended within 30 minutes.
However, He cannot relax yet. Of course. SESSION E is still to come. Obviously. It is a special session for this day only. Though I repeat myself, this an assembly of distinguished performers. The rhythm team combines LUNA SEA and L’Arc~en~Ciel to form a rock-solid foundation upon which the guitar from Ken BAND’s Shirota will build for Mao to SiD will sing the song. Who could have imagined such a thing?
Excitement swells among the four of them.
-“I haven’t been this nervous since the first time I got to come to JACK IN THE BOX.” Mao confesses between repeated deep breaths. Perhaps as a soothing gesture, He responds with a smile, “I’ll do some of the MC too, but I’m expecting you to take care of most of it, okay, Mao?” He then continues, invitingly, “Or maybe we should make Shinya-kun do all of it.” He laughs, nonchalantly comforting Mao with the kindness of a senior artist.
20:30
Shinji’s solo act has just come to a close.
At long last, the Dream Team will perform.
When they stood together on stage, the crowd’s excitement came to a climax.
Their first song was TETSUYA’s original piece, Can’t stop believing. Upon hearing it, my first thought was that it didn’t sound strange at all. They performed this song as though it had always been part of their repertoire. Astounding.
“What? You think Mao sings it better than me?” He solicits a laugh from the audience. Mao interreupts – “I could hardly sleep last night,” thus confessing his own nervousness.
The rapport between tetsuya and Mao is splendid. Before long, they guide the MC to the introduction of the second song, Shinkirou.
It would be no exaggeration to say that the true meaning of this session was summed up in this MC.
“This next song, it’s a song that somebody who helped me decide what songs to do for this session really liked.”
It seemed to me that his words were intended for a fallen comrade.
I heard that his name change was done in honour of that same fallen friend, by taking a single syllable from the departed one’s name.
I believe there are layers of meaning here. Of course there are. As much as some people will be moved, others will frown and wonder why He alone is doing so much. Nonetheless, for him to change his name is very nearly to change the name of the band itself. To make such a conclusive decision surely took a great amount of determination on his part.
I think that TETSUYA is frequently misunderstood. Because of his inherent purity, he can be perceived wrongly. Yet today, there is no doubt that every single person who heard his words understood his purity of emotion. I am certain, now, that Shinkirou is now a song that none of us will ever be able to forget.
21:00
SESSION E has ended and He returns to the wings, fluttering dizzily and smiling, looking relieved as though a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
“What did you think of the SESSION?” TETSUYA asks.
-“You said you had your reasons… I understand, now.”
“I decided that I absolutely had to get this across.”
Wiping away his sweat in a corner of the Budoukan hallway, He continues.
“We were watching youtube together. I was wondering what song I could pick for a session with Mao-kun. On youtube, you get linked to songs by a whole bunch of artists, you know? I was watching videos with him, we were going, wow, haven’t heard this song in ages! One of the songs we dug up was this one, Shinkirou. It has the same title as one of my songs, so I wondered what it was and clicked on it. Turns out it was Shinkirou by PRESENCE. I recognized it once I heard it. I remembered it because, a long time ago, it was included on a flexi disc in a rockin’f issue (1). I got all nostalgic and excited. That’s when he told me that he really loved this song. That’s why I wanted to do this song so badly tonight, and it suits Mao-kun’s voice, too, and so I asked Shirota-san directly if it was okay and sent an email to Shinya-kun, asking him to play.”
I thought I saw his eyes water.
This year’s JACK IN THE BOX had one more surprise in store. This time, TETSUYA came out during the MAVERICK DC SUPER ALL STARS segment. Even though there have been seven of these events so far, this is the first time TETSUYA has taken part in the grand finale.
21:45
The artists taking part in ALL STARS are all gathered backstage. Of course, they are many. When discussing the label MAVERICK DC, one cannot ignore 44 MAGNUM. This last session centers on them and is the final crowning glory of JACK IN THE BOX, complete with fireworks.
“Every year, he would stand in the wings, see how I wasn’t going out there, and give me this sad look. So I decided that this year, I’d go.”
I can no longer recall when exactly He told me this tidbit.
TETSUYA took part in singing STREET ROCK ‘N ROLLER with everybody else. Can I be the only one who saw in his blushing profile the likeness of a bashful young man? The MAVERICK DC SUPER ALL STARS exploded like fireworks onto the 360-degree Budoukan stage. It was the perfect ending, bringing a close to the year.
22:00
The final act has ended, and the artists flow back to the dressing room one by one. They salute each other with beer. They hug and rejoice together. Some sit quietly, exhausted. Their heat and sweat pervades the air, thickly filling the room.
On his way backstage, a relieved expression on his face, He wipes away the sweat and whispers, to no one in particular.
“I wonder if he’s happy?”
And so ended JACK IN THE BOX 2009 with TETSUYA.
words by Tanaka Manabu
translated by Natalie Arnold
1. A flexi disc is an ultra thin record that was often included in magazines. rockin’f was a rock magazine that existed from the late 70’s to the late 1990s. After multiple changes in ownership and publishing company, it was reborn as WeROCK, which still exists today. Go back.