Tamashii, I hope this will keep boredom away =p You have a safe trip and come back soon so we all can rave about Typhoon YAY! ^___^

Tak's Interview Part IV - Inaba, the band and supporting members -

Q So until today, was there any point that made you say 'Inaba has changed naaa'.
T But basically human beings don't change that much. I feel that he's always the same, maybe in the later years... how to say it, I think it's the same with me too, regarding our position in B'z. He has his and I have mine. So the things that he says and does will be based on his position.
Q I suppose during earlier years, Inaba-san didn't have the urge to determine where his stand in the band was.
T Maybe not in the start. Not like now. I think with him, having position in the band is more like 'Ok, I'll let Matsumoto-san take care of this'.
Q Don't you ever feel proud that you 'have brought along' Inaba-san?
T Ano... To be in this for a long time, there are many periods of time. So there were times when I was the one who got him here, and vice versa. We are very aware of the fact that we string each other along all the time.
Q When did you feel that Inaba-san was stringing you along?
T Iya, ima demo itsudemo sou desu yo (even now, it's always been that way). It happens alot.
Q Can you explain in details?
T Un, in details... for example during two hours of concert, he would do the MC-ing, right? So in a way, he is the leader. Everyone must follows his instructions.
Q Because he's the one who gives signals, right?
T Sou sou. He's the host, the MC. The content of the concert also depends on him ne. To think about it, B'z is really quite democrat, even to the way we decide concert's setlist.
Q So whoever said 'The sequence should go like that' it became yet another thing to consider.
T For example, Masuda-san (Takanobu Masuda, keyboard) who has been with us for more than 10 years. He knows so much about our shows. He'd give many ideas and thoughts 'It's better to change this song with that song' or 'It's better to continue this way'. Even Shane (Shane Gaalaas, drummer since Livegym GREEN, 2002), he has been touring with us two times now. He often comes up with ideas too.
Q That's so interesting, that everyone has a say.
T Masuda-kun in a way is our band's leader, mouu.
Q Performance wise, he's a profesional ne.
T He really is band's master ne. He'd say 'Matsumoto, sora akan de' ('Matsumoto, you can't do that', Kansai dialect) (laugh).
Q Sou desu ne. You and him have come along way, haven't you?
T Around 20 years already. We're of the same age.
Q When he says, 'Matsumoto, you can't do that', you don't get offended?
T Not at all. We're all grown ups now, before we would have quarrelled already. We quarrelled often in the old days.
Q The way of speech is rather harsh ne. Even then the things said are not taken to heart?
T I think it's almost the same with the normal quarrel between band members anywhere. But having others find faults on your cool ideas is never nice, right?
Q Maa ne (laugh).
T My level of tolerance is very low in that case (laugh).
Q Hahaha. 'That's not so good'.
T Maa hora, before B'z, Masuda-kun has always been support member with various bands, so he understands very well how things go.
Q Dewa, what are the goodness in doing B'z all these years?
T Tanoshii yo ne. It's a very pleasurable thing for me. And that many people love listening and coming to see something that I really love doing. There's no other word to describe it but lucky. Un, tanoshii desu.
Q Are there things that you lost by doing B'z?
T Things that I lost... Demo naaa, even at the busiest time, I'm still loving what I do. Within B'z, I find that I get much much more benefit than loss. Maybe there's nothing that I lost... *thinks hard for a while* I can't think of anything. But if there is something, it'd be hora, when you sell well, people would sneer at you and say, 'Omae, you have changed'. Yep, especially us, we've gone through such time (laugh).
Q Hahaha. Did you hate it when they began to say that about you?
T We hated it. But I think anyone who sells well would get such comment anyway.
Q People would say, 'after all, it's you...' right?
T Un, there were times like that. And for sure, at that time we probably kept thinking to ourselves 'We really haven't changed at all' (laugh).
Q Aaa, 天狗?
T Un. Everyone has to go through this. I think it's good that we went through such thing too.
Q Un. So in the most definite way, for you, doing B'z has given you much more benefit.
T Sou da ne. Un.... I think in the last 15 years, my life could be considered very fulfilled, for sure. I often say this but I think, being a musician, there's no greater pleasure than this, really. Putting the sales number aside, for sure, to get here from zero, from nothing, it really does felt impossible sometimes.
Q Because you're in it.
T Un. Let's say when I turn 50 and we disband. And then I'd produce a new group, but even if they sell 5 million records, the feeling wouldn't be the same as the days in B'z.


TO BE CONTINUED
from: Ultra Chronicle/ Personal Interview with Tak Matsumoto, 2003 Summer
Tak's interview Part I | Tak's interview Part II | Tak's interview Part III | Tak's interview Part IV

Ok, so what's 天狗?

	(Anonymous) 2004-02-27 05:47 pm UTC (link)
	WOW!! so long!!! i thought i'll read online b4 i catch my plane ;p now i shall print these translations ^0^ sugoi!!! thanks soooooooo much, keen! I, II, III, IV!! it'll not be boring on the plane anymore! ;) tamashii

	keen_on_all 2004-02-27 05:52 pm UTC (link)
	my pleasuuuuuuure! ^0^