Interview with VAMPS in Chile

While thousands of fans awaited to witness the second show of VAMPS in Chile as part of their first tour in Latin America, JaME had the opportunity to sit down with HYDE and K.A.Z, with whom we talked about many topics in this funny interview.

HYDE and K.A.Z, good afternoon. It’s a pleasure to sit down and talk with you, so let’s start with the interview. How was the first show of the Latin American tour in Brazil?

HYDE: Well, Brazil is so far away, just at the other side of Japan, so it was a long journey and when we arrived we were a bit tired. But when the show began we all felt very happy for coming and being able to hold the concert.

And the girls in Brazil?

HYDE: Very pretty. (laughs) I wanted to take some!

And as vampires, could you drink the blood of some of them?

HYDE: Yeah, we suck blood in the show. (laughs)

How does it feel to return to Chile five years after one of the most important shows in the history of the band?

HYDE: When we came to Chile in 2010 it was an important milestone for us, and now we’re back with the same enthusiasm and many expectations.

In these five years, since the first visit of VAMPS to Chile, the band has gained a lot of experience with many shows abroad: performances at important festivals and even a tour with Sixx:A.M., Nikki Sixx’s band. What is the most important thing that you have learned in all this time?

HYDE: Hmm… (sighs and starts thinking with a finger in the mouth). Well, many things have happened in these five years, and I think that we’ve grown a lot as a band. I want you to see by yourselves during the show how we have changed and grown!

Your performances are very energetic. Where do you get all the energy that you show onstage?

HYDE: It’s within the fans. The fact that there are so many people waiting for us is what makes us have such force. It’s the source of our energy.

Is it true that before each of your shows you go out to drink blood? Like, for example, last night after your arrival in Chile?

HYDE: (laughs) Normally yes, but this time the change of time affected us a lot, so we came straight to sleep. (thinks for a moment)

HYDE and K.A.Z: (exclaiming) Tonight we will drink a lot of blood!

Let’s talk about your latest studio album, BLOODSUCKERS. My favorite song is LIPS! What is the song that you enjoy the most during the shows?

HYDE: The ballad VAMPIRE’S LOVE is one of the songs that I like the most from the album. That’s why we made a video for it.

K.A.Z: I like ZERO a lot because it has allowed us to transmit very different emotions compared to our previous songs.

The international edition of BLOODSUCKERS comes with all its lyrics in English. Then, as a new way to approach Latin American fans, is it possible that VAMPS can record a song in Spanish in the future?

HYDE: Good question! Right now we are a bit confused by so many language changes between Japanese and English, but once we are clear with these two languages that I mentioned, we can think of a song in Spanish.

It would sound great!

HYDE and K.A.Z: (laugh)

This year VAMPS has had a very busy international schedule with shows in London and a tour in the United States, among other performances. What do you miss the most about Japan when you are abroad?

HYDE: Hmm … (looking up with a finger in the mouth). Zaru soba! They are cold noodles that people eat a lot in Japan.

K.A.Z: Also the food! I need rice!

And have you had a chance to try the Chilean food?

HYDE: We haven’t had the opportunity in this visit, but we will try it today.

Be sure to try our wine!

HYDE: Yes, you’re right. It’s very good!

This question is for you, HYDE. Let me tell you that one of the first times that I heard your voice was about 12 years ago in a popular Chilean radio program that every week played songs of L’Arc~en~Ciel. Songs like Driver’s High, HONEY or Blurry Eyes were part of their usual repertoire, and this led a lot of people to know the band at that time, so L’Arc~en~Ciel has many fans here in Chile. They are very popular here and in the rest of Latin America. So, is it possible that in the future L’Arc~en~Ciel can do what VAMPS is doing today in Chile? Reaching many countries around the world, clearly in smaller venues than those in Japan, but with a bigger focus on what your passion, music and rock is?

HYDE: (looking impressed) It’s possible and it depends heavily on the Chilean fans, how much passion they put in so we can come.

Count on it! Surely the fans will put in that passion!

HYDE: (laughs, impressed) Great!

Your second show in Chile begins in a few hours, how do you feel now about tonight?

HYDE: (sighs)

K.A.Z: Hmm ... (laughs) The truth is that hours before you don’t feel much, as if you don’t get the scale of it, but an hour before the show the switch changes and you start to prepare yourself with the feeling that the show will start soon.

In many interviews the two of you have mentioned that your Chile show in 2010 was very important and one of the best in your careers. Have you shown the DVD of that show to your musician friends in Japan? What do they said at seeing the excitement of the Chilean fans?

HYDE: We have released many different types of DVDs, but this DVD of the first time that we came to Chile has very good reviews in Japan. All the people we have seen this DVD with have said that Chile has much power, and that show was very powerful. So, I think they liked it!

That’s great! Moreover, in that same DVD, VAMPS LIVE 2010 WORLD TOUR CHILE, comes a booklet inspired by an old Chilean bill with the faces of HYDE and K.A.Z. Where did the idea of including this came from?

HYDE: (laughs) I really don’t remember it!

That bill was worth a lot of money, 2.000 million Chilean pesos. The moment I bought the DVD I became a millionaire!

HYDE and K.A.Z: (begin to laugh out loud from the middle of the joke)

Well, we got to the end of this interview. Thank you so much, we really enjoyed it! Can you send a message to all your fans?

HYDE: I’m very happy to be back here. I feel very comfortable being here in Chile, so after this show I want to come again. I’m already thinking about it for the future!

JaME would like to thank to HYDE and K.A.Z for conceding us this funny and close interview, as well as VAMPROSE, Noix Producciones, Universal Music Japan and Universal Music Chile.