Bewiz First of all, could we start from the progress of rehearsal and the life of touring together with other support members, please.
Tak The progress... is going great!
Koshi Yes.
Tak Everyone gathered on the first day of rehearsal in Tokyo. Even though that was the first time that we heard their sounds put together, but all three of them came very well prepared (laugh)... so all songs in the album came out smoothly.

Bewiz All new support members must have felt that 'I must do my best!', right? Tak Not like that... They were definitely quite nervous. Bewiz How was the first impression on first session together? Tak They are so skillful! Really, everyone of them. Koshi Very skillful! Bewiz With new members, would the rehearsal be decidedly slower compare to before when you had the old support members? Tak Not at all. Bewiz Compare to before, is there any difference now when you're playing B'z songs?

Tak Yesss... coz old members were definitely used to playing them ne. And also they had always come along the tour with us... For example, "ZERO" and "Blowin'", we've done those together uncountable times already. The band was already solidified to a certain level. But that is why now everything feels so fresh, coz we have new blood in the band.
Bewiz When the rehearsal in Tokyo finishes, you will continue to Sapporo and then back to Tokyo... Has rehearsal always been this long?
Tak Yeah, for sure this time is longer than usual. The reason is obviously because of the new members.
Bewiz How's weather in Sapporo?
Tak Basically not so good ne.
Koshi Yes. Although it's not that cold either.
Tak Like ... it would rain or snow on some days.

Kurose, Oshima, Tokunaga, Tak, Koshi

Bewiz How was the first impression on touring together with new members? Tak Iyaa... (laugh) It's really fun. But we don't really go out to eat meals together ne. Only on the very first and last day... For those new support members, places we go to still feel new to them, right? Some of them have never been to Sapporo. Therefore, they seemed to have so much fun going to eat local food, see places of interest. Bewiz There wasn't any off-days during the time? Tak No, but there was free-time at night. Rehearsal began from noon to evening, then for dinner it's free activities.

Bewiz Next year you will have a nation-wide tour again. So do you usually think, while we're at this city, let's go to certain restaurant to eat certain food?
Tak Aaa... (laugh). That happens a lot.
Bewiz What basically happens on touring together with the new support members?
Tak In short, the three of them would go to a new place and practise there before us. We would go and join them later... We go through the setlist almost daily.
Bewiz ... which means the setlist is already decided by now?
Tak For the time being, yes. But maybe when we get back to Tokyo, it will change again.
Bewiz Is it because there are things that won't go nicely together?
Koshi Well... you see, up to now we have been emphasizing more on the music and less on the stage performance. From now on we wanna show detailed parts of the performance as well, maybe changing stuffs here or there... that kind of feeling. All changes we have planned will be realized in the upcoming Tokyo rehearsal.
Tak Concerning the stage performance, 'high expectation' is the key word... so everything is still secret.
Bewiz The gigantic movie screen has already been done for Loose movie on the stage of "Fireball". It must be difficult to think of such a great impact opening theme for your every stage. How about this time, do you always plan it from there?
Tak That's right... the pattern is for the stage producer to give us many ideas first and then on numerous meetings, we will decide whether we'd do it or not.
Bewiz Any solo stunt this time?
Tak Solo stunts! (laugh)
Bewiz For example, piano?
Koshi No piano this time.
Tak Nope.
Koshi Iyaaa... we haven't reached the level of stunts... more like solo corner!! (laugh)

Bewiz Corner... (laugh). Maybe you will challenge a new instrument? Koshi Hahahaha. Iya iya iya... (=no, no, no) Tak They probably already have such image of you in their minds! Bewiz The fans are expecting it. Koshi Because I played Tinpanii (?). Okay... please don't expect too much. Bewiz You performed songs of "Magma" on the previous "Fireball" tour. Koshi Yes, I did. Tak That was good ne. Having a solo corner with singing. Koshi Sou da ne. Coz I haven't done any solo live before. Tak Sou sou. That's why audience would definitely like to hear some.

Koshi I thought it's probably good to perform it sometimes... Giving a different atmosphere to B'z... peaceful or probably not.
Tak But it became so serious, especially last time.
Koshi I was nervous... for a split second (laugh).
Bewiz I think that in "Survive" there're songs which are suitable for live and some are not. What did you think when you had the real rehearsal?
Koshi Un, most of them are suitable to be performed live...
Tak As I expected "Swimmer Yo!!" is very difficult.
Koshi (laugh) For me, there're so many difficult songs this time. Tough, isn't it.
--- NEW SUPPORT MEMBERS ---
Bewiz Before livegym seasons, we always get many questions about live.
Koshi Are most of them about the present support members?
Bewiz As they all appeared on TV before, we get few questions asking about them. Mostly asked "why change the support members?"
Tak Aa... I see. I guess audience who have attended previous livegyms would feel a bit lonely.
Koshi Because we changed every single one of them so suddenly ne.
Tak Yes. But see, it's not because our relationship with them has become bad. After all, our band is principally of two members only. To be able to preserve this motto, from now on too, we must work with many different people. Let's just say that it was about time. There's absolutely no complaint from us to Denny, Akashi-kun, Masuda-kun. They are such good folks and together we made a very good band.
Koshi Yes.
Tak Even now we are still good friends.
Bewiz Those new members, even after this year's livegym season ends, nobody would know what will happen to them, right?
Tak No. Some of them have their own bands' activities, like Oshima-kun.
Bewiz What was your first impression of them?
Tak Uuun~... (thinking hard).
Koshi First impression... but the first time we met them was way before the livegym started.
Tak We've always been recording with Tokunaga-kun.
Koshi The second impression changed slightly, that Tokunaga (laugh).
Tak When the guy is recording, he becomes very interesting. But when he's not doing that... Well... he's a modern kid after all. Oshima-kun is also like that.
Koshi Sou sou.

Tak Kurose-kun, he is very manly. Koshi He's always bare-top. All day. Tak Sou sou. Always naked. Bewiz "My skin is my fashion!" Tak Yes. He was bare-top too when he played drum in Sapporo. Koshi In the evening when the manager and I went to his room and knocked on his door, "Kurose, what are you up to?" As expected! He was naked too! (laugh) Bewiz (laugh) Koshi And he was surfing the internet (laugh). Tak He uses computer too? Koshi No... that belongs to Oshima-kun. Although I don't know why he still has to be naked in hotel room, but the guy has his original style.

Tak Three members with three different personalities.
Koshi It's all very interesting.
Bewiz Are they good drinkers or do they get drunk easily?
Tak None of them are bad drunk though.
Koshi No.
Bewiz So much anticipation on the livegyms and the touring ne?
Koshi Everyone is brimming with energy for it!
Tak Yes, brimming (laugh).
Bewiz Before, during off-days, you would hold "bowling competition" with the old members. Will you be having some games with the new younger members?
Tak Aaa... it's true. But how to say... this time round, these guys are not... "the bowling type".
Koshi Somehow it's different (laugh).
Tak They don't look like they go to game centres or places like that.
Bewiz So there's no problem talking to them about music. But how about daily life's stuffs?
Tak Nope, no problem at all.
Koshi It's so much fun. We wanna hear each other out. It's interesting cause we can ask many new fresh informations from one another. During the touring, we talked so much nee. I had lots of fun.

B'z and support members had 'lots of fun' during Livegym Survive tour

--- MORE LIVEGYM BITS ---
Bewiz Any dance move this time?
Koshi There's none decided yet.
Bewiz There's an image of you practising alone during touring before.
Koshi Yes, I did, and then, how to say... any moves that were to be shown during the lives... I practised all of them in a special room (laugh). But I don't do that anymore (laugh).
Bewiz To prepare for the long season, for sure you both are frequenting the gym?
Tak Un.
Bewiz Swimming?
Tak Yeah, some swimming too (laugh).
Bewiz If there are many concert dates, wouldn't it be especially tough for Inaba-san?
Koshi (laugh) We went live on TV yesterday and it was as exhausting as one full concert... I don't wanna think ahead. Even though usually, when it's all over, I'm not exhausted at all (laugh)... Not good thinking about it.
Bewiz Thinking about the daily talk for MC must be difficult too.
Koshi How is it... well, the other members usually help by providing many interesting informations (laugh).
Bewiz The cds in audio rack have increased in amount.
Koshi We get more during the touring.
Bewiz Were they out of request of members?
Tak Of course.

Bewiz Matsumoto-san, you said that "Swimmer Yo!!" is difficult to perform. I'm guessing it's also a difficult number to sing.
Koshi It's all the vocal parts you can hear. Nothing more difficult than that.
Bewiz Difficult means higher keys or harder notes to sing, right? Is there any song that after doing the recording, you are left worrying how... (Koshi's face showed fascination)... how you are gonna pull it off during live? (laugh)
Koshi If I tell you now, during the live, while listening to me, the audience will think, "Yappari, this song is tough for him!" (laugh). I don't want them to think that way during live, so I won't say (laugh).
Tak (laugh)
Koshi Well yes, there are. About 2 songs. But for instance I feel that "Deep Kiss" is still alright... The mid-part of "Survive" is a quite hard during rehearsal, but I'll get used to it. I will prepare well so I won't have to worry during the live (laugh).
Bewiz How about Matsumoto-san?
Tak Un... Many things happened during recording... For instance, "Survive" and "Happiness" are mainly acoustic guitar, right? But when we go live, we can't do just mere acoustic, which means I must perform them with some electric guitar too. For that, we must do completely new arrangement for live. And that is difficult.
Bewiz The atmosphere of the songs completely change?
Tak If it happens, I think it's fine. Live has live version. We will have a good pattern. But anyway, everything is in order now.

--- ALBUM "SURVIVE" ---
Bewiz "Deep Kiss" is such a fantastic song. Can I ask how it became the opening song?
Tak ... Coz the intro is the riff. When I started that song, there wasn't any melody, just two riffs. Gagaan gagaan gagaan and daadadada daadadada. I had wanted to save these riffs for other songs. But anyhow, I finished it. Therefore that song is all about riff first.
Bewiz It's perfect for opening. Has it always been your purpose all along?
Tak Before we even got to that song, we had conversation on what song to put as an opening for the album. None other completed songs fit this criteria. So we thought it was about time to make something that is appropriate to put as head. This song was written last.
Bewiz And last, you conclude with "Calling".
Tak That's because Inaba kept saying from long time ago, what if we end the album with "Calling"?
Bewiz Is this one of the songs that you want to sing in English?
Koshi In English... yes. On the contrary, "Deep Kiss" sounds like a song that is suitable to be sung in English, but I think it's much more interesting, simply because it's in Japanese.
Bewiz Fans are in favour of the part where everyone sings together in "Dattara Agechaeyo".
Tak Aaa... that part ne.
Koshi The lyrics of that part? It's not in the lyrics book, is it?
Bewiz A secret?
Koshi Not at all. But I'd be in trouble if the audience can't sing that part with me during live (laugh). But since we have uploaded it into the homepage, I think it will spread in a flash.
Bewiz Some fans letter came to criticize the lyrics book... Can't you print more detailed lyrics?... complaints like that.
Koshi Detailed lyrics... (laugh)
Bewiz Are you thinking, why don't you try to get it yourself?
Koshi Ie ie ie (=no, no, no)... (laugh). For sure I wanted to put in many different things of writing. From now on too, I'll try more ways.
Bewiz After you released the CD, did you want to re-write things?
Koshi Well... at this moment, there's no such intention.
Bewiz Matsumoto-san?
Tak No.

--- COMPUTER, INTERNET AND HOMEPAGE --- Bewiz B'z official homepage is completed ne. Do you personally use the homepage? TAK Not really. When we first bought it, I saw everything already. Bewiz But do you send e-mails, give or take? KOSHI We do. TAK Uun. Because we can send it anytime, don't have to consider the other person's time. And we can write abroad too. KOSHI It's better than telephone. Bewiz But you see each other in studio everyday, right? KOSHI Even then, when you're at home and you think of something... more or less. Bewiz Why did you start to e-mail each other? KOSHI Why ne? TAK Inaba started it first.