Shinya - personal world in blood bath interview (2003)

 

IDOL no.55
Dir en Grey feat. Shinya - PERSONAL WORLD IN BLOOD BATH
Year 2003

Since Dir en Grey is in a bit of a turmoil of trying to meet their goal: "we have to release an album this summer." We decided to ask Shinya for an interview and he shocked everyone by going completely naked into a bathtub full of blood (I seriously doubt it's real blood ^_^" Probably like water dyed red...? -D.T.) which was inspired by the story of Elizabeth Bathory (<http://www.vampyre.co.uk/who/bathory/bathory.htm> a little history if you don't know her. Kinda disturbing, really...-D.T.) who said that if you take a bath in the fresh blood of a virgin, it will preserve your beauty forever...the interview that contains the real Shinya who normally doesn't talk much is right here.

*I:Interviewer
S:SHINYA

I: What were you like as a child?
S: Normal.
I: People told you that? *sheepish smile*
S: But I liked to run out into the park a lot. Everyone had to chase after me.
I: That's not normal *laughs* How about your family?
S: Well, I had a mom and a dad and afterwards I had an aunt.
I: What did your parents do?
S: My father worked in a company, and my mother has pretty much done everything.
I: Everything?
S: She's worked at a clothes store and at a coffee shop. ( Collapse )

I: What's the name of the store?
S: Julian...
I: Is it still in business?
S: Not anymore. After that she did all kinds of stuff but never over a year.
I: Wow...
S: In the end she worked at a lounge...but I can't remember the name.
I: You can't remember the name!
S: We were rich around that time.
I: How? A bedroom with 20 mats?
S: Yes. When I was in 9th grade, my room was 20 mats big.
I: Really?
S: At first it belonged to my parents. I think around that time they said "You know, a 20 mat room is good."
I: Obviously...
S: But we didn't have that much money.
I: What did you do when you wanted something?
S: In elementary school the "Bikuri man" stickers were really popular right? It just so happens that my friend had some really rare ones and I wanted it so I bought it from him for 1200 yen. *laughs*
I: Hahaha! This isn't like other people then is it?
S: Like when I was in elementary school I ran for student president because I wanted to be popular, even though I was only in 4th grade. I even ran for the election to be on the student comittee every year.
I: Then you were a real talker.
S: I really was. So much that people told me that when I grow up I should be a host for a talk show.
I: You're kidding.
S: I'm serious *laughs* I even wrote in the classbook "I want to be a lawyer in the future because in elementary school I was smart."
I: You're saying it yourself, huh? *sheepish smile*
S: And? *laughs* Because it's the truth and I recieved support from my parents, they took me to tutorial school.
I: You intended to take the entrance to be a lawyer since the beginning of middle school.
S: Yes.
I: How were the results?
S: I failed all of them.
I: Wha-? I thought you said you were smart?
S: I got worst when I went to 6th grade. Going to tutorial school was a huge mistake.
I: But afterwards you went to a normal public school right? And then you found music.
S: I knew rock songs in 7th grade.
I: You didn't listen to any music in elementary school?
S: I just listened to Hikaru Genji.
I: Oh! *laughs* Is that because you liked music or because you wanted to be in the Johnny's Family?
S: I wanted to be in it. *laughs* But I didn't know how to get in.
I: If you had gotten in, I wonder what it will be like?
S: There would probably be 3 people in Kinki Kids. (imagine!-D.T.)
I: That's interesting. *laughs*
S: But I really liked Hikaru Genji. The dancing and the roller skating. So much that I had to go out and buy it for myself.
I: You really were rich.*laughs*
S: I just took it from my New Years money.
I: That means that you recieved a lot for New Year, huh?
S: About 50-60 thousand yen.
I: That's more than enough! Oh yeah, before we talk about music, let's talk about your first love.
S: No, we can't. I decided that I wouldn't talk about it until I'm 30.
I: Then we'll wait. Now back to music, how did you find out about rock music?
S: I had a very close friend since elementary school. In 7th grade he was in the band (instruments) club. It was the biggest one in the school, about 40-50 members. But the only people who were guys were me and my friend. And this friend of mine was really into rock, so he asked me, "Want to create a band?"
I: Did you have any knowledge of rock then yet Shinya-kun?
S: I heard some of X's songs on the Best 10 program.
I: How did you feel about it?
S: In the corner of my mind I wanted to try a band.
I: After that...you started.
S: Yes.
I: You started to play the drums, even though you were only playing trumpets before (in the club).
S: Because my friend told me to play drums so I took all of my New Year's money to buy a drum set.
I: Your New Year's money again? But isn't a drum set expensive?
S: The one that I bought was about 50-60 thousand yen.
I: That's expensive. *laughs* What was the first copy-song you played?
S: BUCK-TICK's "SPEED" and Parzon's "Dear Friends."
I: You knew how to play drums right away?
S: Yes.
I: Where did you keep your drums set?
S: When I was in 7th grade, the lounge at the basement of my house went out of business, so I kept it there.
I: Awesome.
S: It had an amazing atmosphere.
I: What was it like in middle school? I mean, in ES you ran for the student president and all that.
S: Nah, it got too complicated.
I: So the tutorial school had a bad effect, huh?
S: Everything got worst because of that tutorial school. *laughs*
I: You said in ES you were a talker, how about in MS?
S: I started to talk less in 8th grade.
I: What happened?
S: I had to move schools in 8th grade, so I was among strangers. And I became kind of modest...If I knew someone I would have been more open, but I didn't know anyone. So I didn't talk much.
I: You were also separated from the friend you were going to make a band with.
S: Yeah, but I was trying to find friends to make a band with so that we can ask the teacher to set up a music club. Because it was a newly opened school, there was no music club. But in the end it didn't pan out. *sheepish smile*
I: So you're effort to make a band was denied.
S: ...so I came back to my old home.
I: Oh! This is where it all started! Where you said in 9th grade you had a 20 mat room.
S: But I didn't want to move because I did make some new friends. But I came back because if I get that room I would come back. (I don't really get this part~he probably meant that if he gets the room when he moves back then he'll move back. -D.T.)
I: What kind of room was this 20 mats one?
S: The tone was mainly black. Plus since 8th grade I was the type who liked house decorations.
I: Oi...you liked house decorations since 8th grade?...But those things aren't easy to buy.
S: Well, it was a new house so we had to buy all kinds of things. Like Tv, stereos, and I put the drums set in my room too.
I: How about the members of your band?
S: After I moved back, turns out there were many bands around. But because there was a short of drummers, I had to play for many bands.
I: What do you when you practice? Invite the other members to your room?
S: There was always people in my room.
I: Oh, so did you have any chances to play live?
S: Around the end of 9th grade we borrowed the community hall for a live.
I: How many people came?
S: About 100 people.
I: Just indies bands!
S: There were about 5-6 bands playing. They were friends from school, I played the drums for 5 bands. We played many genres of music, but they were all copy...like Shizuka Kudo or Princess Princess.
I: So that was your first live?
S: Yes.
I: Do you still remember the atmosphere?
S: It was a really fun live.
I: Your dream to be a professional musician started from there?
S: I wanted to be a professional musician since I started playing drums. Around 7th grade.
I: Where did your confidence come from? Or did you have the money?
S: I had no money. In 9th grade I had to sleep on the floor. *laughs*
I: Huh? Your family economy went down all of a sudden? From a 20 mat room to a 4 mat room?
S: My life turned upside down. I think my parents were in some trouble.
I: The economy of your family popped like a bubble putting you in this position...
S: It wasn't just my parents work...but there were many other factors involved.
I: So how was it like in MS after that?
S: In MS I practically didn't go to school. So I couldn't get into public school, I had to go to private school instead.
I: Private school, huh...Even if your family economy was not in good shape.
S: I didn't even know if I was going to make it pass all 3 years because we couldn't even pay. *laughs* In the end I decided to tell me parents, "I'm going to quit." But they asked me, "At least finish high school."
I: Was HS that bad?
S: I couldn't keep my hair long.
I: Oh...
S: I wanted to play music at livehouses since 10th grade because the band I was in was pretty serious. So I wanted to keep my hair long.
I: How about the members of the band?
S: They were my friends since the beginning of HS. The band was called, "Jinkou Tenshi" (Artificial Angel). We got it from one of The Exercite's song titles.
I: So where was the first livehouse you played at?
S: Maiman Brow Town.
I: The same place that Janne Da Arc played. *laughs*
S: But I felt that Jinkou Tenshi wasn't my band.
I: You couldn't really play in sync.*laughs*
S: *laughs* After that in 11th grade, I was in a new band called "Siva."
I: Did you have many fans?
S: Some, but not much.
I: Even if you went to these livehouses at night, you still didn't go to school (on a regular basis).
S: Yes. But all the other members completely quit. I was the only one who had short hair.
I: But money is also an important factor, did you have a part-time job?
S: I did, but it still wasn't enough. So I decided to stop using the lunch money my parents gave me.
I: You stopped eating lunch, even.
S: But my friends gave me a piece of bread to keep me from starving.
I: So you weren't completely starved. *laughs*
S: During the 6 months I was in Siva, I had a really tough time. After that I was invited by the old bassist of Dir en Grey to make a band. So I decided to go to Tokyo.
I: All of Siva went.
S: Except for the bassist.
I: Wasn't he mad? *laughs*
S: *laughs* Our new band was called Ruby. The first live that the four of us played was at Ichikawa CLUB GIO.
I: Wow! You came all the way to Ichikawa? What did you do with school?
S: I took leave. *laughs*
I: ....
S: Even worst, we were only 17. So we didn't have driver's license so we had to carry our instruments on the bus to Shinjuku.
I: Amazing!
S: The live we played was an all night event at GIO. At dusk there were regular lives. But we came early so we got to watch, the bands that were playing were La'cryma Christi that was already big in Osaka and PIERROT who just took Kirito in as the lead vocalist. But in the all night event, there was also Plastic Tree.
I: All the awesome bands.
S: Yeah, it was really cool. Before I just saw them on magazine covers but when I really met them...it was different.
I: How was Ruby afterwards?
S: After that, the bassist quit and so I invited the old bassist of Siva to come rejoin us.
I: So he was a good person then. *laughs*
S: But he had already cut his hair short, he started to surfboard. So I had to have him let his hair grow long again. Actually he himself said, "I did want you to invite me again." *laughs*
I: That was around the end of HS?
S: Around the summer of 12th grade.
I: And the future of your life?
S: After I finished HS, I told my parents that I was going to play music and not go to college.
I: They didn't say anything?
S: Nothing (they didn't mind).
I: What happened to Ruby in the end?
S: Afterwards, each members slowly pulled out...everything happened so suddenly. All of a sudden they called me over to tell me that they had found a better drummer, what was I supposed to say?? (poor Shinya =(...-D.T.)
I: Even if you were the leader of the band?
S: I didn't really want to be one but after I quit for about a week, I was called back again and they said, "The new drummer sucks, can you play for us again?" *laughs*
I: No kidding. *laughs*
S: But I didn't go back. After that I contacted the old bassist and asked him, "Can I join your band?" He said, "Come and we'll see." I think KYO was already with the band.
I: Now I'm starting to understand the history of Dir en Grey.
S: At first when I met KYO-kun, I couldn't imagine what he'd be like on stage. Because he looked really young. *laughs* But when we played live together, he had amazing facial expressions, I was impressed. It was like "he changed into a completely different person!"
I: Is that a compliment?
S: Yes, it is. *laughs*
I: So you made the difinitive decision, "I want to play the drums along side with this person!"
S: Yes, because he was different from other vocalists that I met. Like it was real.
I: You were still in HS?
S: That was around the winter of 12th grade, until KAORU came in. I was still at around the end of HS, this was before Dir en Grey came into shape. KYO was the one who invited DIE into our band.
I: The last person who joined was TOSHIYA, huh? You felt, "With us 5, this band can make it!"
S: All 5 of us entered the studio together for the first time in Nagano. We were still copying other people's songs and I even felt, "we don't really play in sync." *laughs*
I: But that doesn't mean your playing wasn't good.
S: We had confidence...even if we couldn't play in sync.
I: You were close to each other?
S: After about half a year, we became very close friends, we went through a lot together.
I: That's why today you're always being teased by other members of the band. We could call you the clown of the band.
S: They always say I'm like a kid.
I: That's already evidence that you 5 are very close friends. *laughs* The last thing I want to ask is how is the image of the band in your head different from before?
S: Before, if it's a live I would think of Stadium Class. *laughs*
I: Hahaha! And now?
S: It's good.

Zdroj:https://atrandum.livejournal.com/tag/interview%20translation:%20dir%20en%20grey