JaME was able to attend the Question & Answer Panel for 12012 at the American anime convention Oni-con. The band answers various questions from press and fans.
At Oni-con 2006 which took place in Houston, Texas, 12012 had two performances (Friday and Saturday night), and attended a Question and Answer panel with fans on Saturday and an autograph/photograph session on Sunday. The following is a transcription of the Question and Answer panel.
Do you have a mentor or someone you turn to for guidance with things related to your music and decisions made for the band?
Sakai: Recently, Harry of JHouse Rock as has been helping us a lot. And there are a lot of people in Japan giving us a lot of help.
Would you like to explain something about the graduation' from Under Code?
Miyawaki: It's just like going from elementary school to middle school. [Everyone laughs.] It's a step-up for the band.
So then does that mean you're going to go major?
Miyawaki: We're not quite sure yet.
If you could be anything in the world, what would you be?
Suga: I want to be a guitar player!
How did you come up with your band name?
Kawauchi: It's part of the California penal code. We read it in a book, heard about it, and thought it was cool.
What do you do to produce the screams in the songs?
Miyawaki: They all come from anger.
Is there anyway for fans to contact the band?
Miyawaki and Enya: You can send something to our company, Under Code.
What are some of your favorite bands?
Miyawaki: Our favorite band is 12012.
How did you feel last night about your live and how the fans reacted?
Miyawaki: It was wonderful!
Where do you get your inspiration from to write your lyrics?
Miyawaki: There are a lot of sad and really horrible things in the world that are hard to deal with, so I write and sing about those sorts of things.
In Japan, what's your favorite venue to perform at?
Miyawaki: LIQUIDROOM ebisu.
Do you do your hair and make-up yourselves?
Miyawaki: We do all our make-up ourselves, but we have a hair stylist who does our hair.
Miyawaki, do you wear boxers or briefs?
Miyawaki: I don't wear any.
Which is your favorite 12012 song?
Enya: Shower.
Sakai: Wriggle girls.
Miyawaki: My room agony.
Kawauchi: Shower.
Suga: The swim.
Is there anything interesting you've seen in Houston, Texas (where the convention is being held) or anywhere you would like to go?
Sakai: NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
What made you decide to become a musician?
Miyawaki: It was destiny.
How would you compare yourself to other American bands?
Miyawaki: 12012 is completely different from everyone else.
Does 12012 plan on coming to America again?
Sakai: We do plan on coming again in the future. After all, America is the home of rock'n'roll!
Did you notice any differences between your lives in Japan and your live from last night?
Miyawaki: The power from the audience is really great here!
What do you think of your American fans?
Miyawaki: I love you!
If you could live anywhere other then Japan, where would you live?
Kawauchi: America!
What's your favorite video game?
Miyawaki: Dragon Quest.
Enya, what kind of bass do you play?
Enya: ESP Bottom Line.
What made you want to play bass guitar?
Enya: The bass was the best fit for me since it looked best with me.
Miyawaki, what made you want to transform music into chapters of a novel?
Miyawaki: It's kind of meaningless to make something that's meaningless, so I wanted to have a story.
Can any of you dance?
Miyawaki: (Suga) Yuusuke can.
[After much convincing, Suga stood up and did the shimmy. The shimmy is a dance in which the body is held still, except for the shoulders, which are alternated back and forth.]
Miyawaki: (in English) Very good!
Miyawaki, where do you get the dance moves you use on stage from?
Miyawaki: I just imagine them myself.
How does it feel to work with Kisaki?
Miyawaki: Sometimes it's tiring.
What is your favorite anime?
Miyawaki: Dragonball Z, One Piece.
Suga: Naruto.
Sakai: Gundam.
Enya: Death note.
What's your favorite clothing line or fashion designer?
Miyawaki: Dolce & Gabbana.
Sakai: Black.
What do you do on your free time?
Miyawaki: We read manga, go to the movies, and sleep.
If you had to switch places with a band member, who would it be?
Miyawaki: (Kawauchi) Tooru.
Kawauchi: (Enya) Tomo.
Enya: Tooru.
Suga: No one.
Sakai: Suga-san.
Do you have any American or European influences?
Miyawaki: Linkin Park, Lost Prophets, Muse. There are a lot more then the ones I named.
When you were in Europe, is there anything you would like to go back to see?
Miyawaki: The Eiffel Tower was beautiful! I would like to go back to see it.
If you could perform with any musical artist, living or dead, who would it be?
Suga: Hoobastank.
What sort of food have you had in Houston (Texas, USA) that you liked?
Sakai: New York Steak!
What do you think of Yoshitaka Amano? (Yoshitaka was a guest at the convention. He is a legend in the industry of illustration and computer game design.)
Sakai: I like his work a lot.
Will you sing something for everyone?
[The band members slide the microphone to each other until it finally stops in front of Suga. He (playfully) gets upset and flicks his middle finger to the other band members.]
Suga: It's a Japanese song: Yosaku. (Yosaku is a well-known enka song.)
Kawauchi, is there any drummer that influences your drumming?
Kawauchi: X Japan.
Do you use a double or single pedal for your double bass drum?
Kawauchi: I use a double pedal.
What is the best cosplay you've seen here?
Miyawaki: Pikachu! (He points at two cosplayers dressed in flying squirrel kigurumi that he mistook for Pikachu.)
Kawauchi: (He looks around the room for a bit.) Oh TOMO! Stand up, stand up! (He says this in English to a cosplayer dressed as Enya Tomo.)
If you could cosplay anyone, who would it be?
Suga: Sasuke (Naruto).
Kawauchi: Shenron (Dragon Ball Series).
Miyawaki: Luffy (One Piece).
Sakai: People might not know, but Char Aznable (Mobile Suit Gundam).
Enya: Ryuuku (Death Note).
Have you ever fallen in love? And if so, when?
Miyawaki: No.
What is your idea of a perfect date?
Suga: Wake up in the morning, eat breakfast, go shopping, and have a kiss.
Final message to the fans:
Suga: Please enjoy the live.
Kawauchi: Me too (same as Suga).
Miyawaki: Tonight's live is going to be wild!
Sakai: Please keep loving 12012.
Enya: Come to tonight's concert and prepare to rock!
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JaME would like to thank Oni-con and Jhouse-Rock. Photos taken by Jack Thielepape.
