Press Conference with YOSHIKI

The press conference of TEAM YOSHIKI & DOME PROJECT, announcing the plans of YOSHIKI-produced ROCK STAR energy drink becoming the main sponsor for the Honda racing team, took place at the Honda Welcome Plaza in Tokyo on February 11th. At first, the announcer introduced the president of the race car constructing company Dome, Mr. Hayashi, and the manager of TEAM YOSHIKI, Mr. Nakamura, who introduced and discussed the project. Then the Honda drivers Michigami Ryo and Kogure Takashi joined into the talk, after which YOSHIKI came out and was asked several questions first by the announcer, and later by the press and some fans that were present in the venue.


You are right in the middle of the world tour at the moment and it seems that you have come here just for this press conference. How is your health condition?

YOSHIKI: My health...It's bad (laughs). Having come back from Hong Kong I was supposed to return to Los Angeles, but since my health condition worsened, I had to stay in Japan, that's why I'm in Japan now. This week I am going back to Los Angeles though.

There is the energy drink in front of you so please drink it and get better. Last year you were made the executive producer of ROCK STAR energy drink, that was in September 2008. At that time it was said that in the near future there would be an interesting collaboration to do with it, and I think this is what became a definite project today. TEAM YOSHIKI & DOME PROJECT, I would like to ask you how you came up with this name.

YOSHIKI: I think it's kind of cool (laughs). Isn't it good? When you hear DOME you get excited in different ways, at least that's how it is for me (laughs).

What do you mean?

YOSHIKI: Like Tokyo Dome. Sorry, it's a great name, isn't it. When I was a child there was a super car I knew, I admired it. I am really happy.

Super GT are ultimate racing cars. You've known Dome since the age of super cars, and I've heard you like cars quite a lot. I think your fans would be interested in knowing what kind of cars you drive currently when you are in Tokyo or in Los Angeles, please tell us about it.

YOSHIKI: I do. I ride in some pretty fast cars.

Sports cars?

YOSHIKI: Yes, there are also hybrid cars, economy class cars and such, but I like fast cars most.

Speaking of economy class cars, on February 5th Honda released Insight, that's also a fuel efficient car.

YOSHIKI: Yes. It has a more economical fuel consumption and they are also currently working on a faster version.

Did you find a solution to that quickly?

Mr. Hayashi: When we released Insight, we were thinking of the way we could save more fuel, so now we are experimenting and we have discussed making 2 types of cars using the same parts.

I see. YOSHIKI, you do like cars nowadays but not only that, more than 10 years ago, around 1995, a Formula car championship took place in Japan. Do you (to interviewees present) remember the name of X JAPAN Reynard that was around at that time? The car won first and second prizes in the Formula Japan in 1996.

YOSHIKI: Yeah, it won, didn't it (laughs).

Speaking of that and also the current project, it seems that you really like racing, don't you? What fascinates you about racing?

YOSHIKI: Well, I didn't think it could have such success at that time. Wasn't the driver Ralf Schumacher?

It was Ralf Schumacher. He went to the top of Formula 1.

YOSHIKI: He was on our team, wasn't he. (addressing the two present drivers) It's not like I'm putting pressure on you (laughs). That's right, I like this kind of thing.

The feeling of speed, or the fascination of a fighting man, do you feel like there is some kind of spirit that can be connected to music?

YOSHIKI: Well, I'm like that too. I am always under pressure, so I like the feeling of the pressure in racing.

We hear that quite a number of famous movie stars ride fuel efficient cars, but do you see that happening actually?

YOSHIKI: Yes. I also live in Hollywood, and many people do so there. I also own a hybrid car, but I think about what real energy saving is. For example in Los Angeles solar panels are something usual. But if you think about it, if people used rooms made that way they would be able to spend money on other things. If you don't think about it seriously, what can you consider to be real energy saving...I think about it quite seriously.

Thank you for your valuable opinion. Well, if we talk about TEAM YOSHIKI & DOME PROJECT, today is the announcement day and if there is a dream that you want to realize with this from now on, please tell us about it.

YOSHIKI: I want the team to win. I think this will also be tied with energy saving from now on. If you do something, you have to win.

I think the two drivers are also starting to become very nervous about it. YOSHIKI, please give them a word of encouragement

YOSHIKI: Please win!

Driver Michigami: We will win!

Driver Kogure: We will do our best!

Please do your best! I think we were able to transmit your thoughts on this issue, so please everyone look forward to the outcome. So we've talked about racing, and now we would like to talk to YOSHIKI about another subject. There was a countdown live at Akasaka BLITZ, wasn't there? And there is also the X JAPAN world tour, I've heard that the lives on Januray 16th and 17th in Hong Kong made all the fans go crazy with enthusiasm and were a great success, so from now on it's March 21st and 22nd in Seoul, Korea. It's going to take place in the Olympic Gymnasium #1, but I suppose what interests the Japanese fans most is of course the lives in Japan, so soon will we be able to find out a definite schedule?

YOSHIKI: That's right, now we are doing the world tour and visiting different places, so while we are at it, we thought we should also perform in different places in Japan. We are discussing possibilities in several places in Japan, but first of all the negotiations about playing in Osaka Dome(Kyocera Dome) fell through (laughs).

This has suddenly became a negative conversation (laughs).

YOSHIKI: No, no, I'm serious. I wanted to announce it, but it's no good, isn't it. Because it fell through. But we have scheduled performances in Tokyo Dome.

What is the program?

YOSHIKI: We are going to play Tokyo Dome on May 2nd and 3rd! We wanted to announce more but things didn't work out, we thought while doing the world tour why don't we play in the Japanese regions as well. Regarding Osaka Dome, we are not giving up. There is a problem of the building's vibration resistance. There are also problems with the actions of X. It's not so difficult to say "Don't do the X jump", but if we are told "Don't do X", we get worried. For example, we could make a center stage which could reduce the shaking. We, X, have many problems, restraint problems. So we are thinking of using something like an orchestra for example. We wanted to perform in the local regions we haven't done for a while. We reach agreements in various places while some fall through as well.

It requires a lot of effort to persevere to come in contact with many fans at different places, doesn't it. So Kansai fans, let's not give up and wait for the day to come.

YOSHIKI: We are also having negotiations in Koshien. Last year many things happened so we couldn't go to Koshien (laughs). So we thought let's do a concert there. Also Osaka Universal Studios, we are having negotiations there as well.

So everyone's hopes have risen now, and I hope that soon we can get a chance to hear some more about this. Going back a bit, the lives on the 2nd and 3rd of May, two days, we are looking forward to them. If there is only an announcement of two days, the fans will have troubles getting their hands on the tickets. Something else that we are wondering about, in the world tour the concert in France has been postponed, how are the regulations of the schedule going?

YOSHIKI: Concerning France, it's a pity that this might sound like a postponement again, but it seems like we will be able to do the lives this summer, hopefully around July. It's also hard to deal with the overseas venues as there is also the problem of vibration. And things like how much of the X equipment we can bring, how much we can do with the lights and so on, it always falls through at the last moment. I think France should happen in July.

In the blog the European fans could see a message of apology in French so I think the fans are looking forward to what is going to happen. Well, we mentioned Hong Kong a while ago, I've heard that many guests from all parts of China came to watch the live, especially guests from "The Bird's Nest" that became famous in the Olympics. So what do you think about a performance in "The Bird's Nest" of the Beijing National Indoor Stadium? Is that going to materialize and can we expect you to actually perform there?

YOSHIKI: That's right, it's going well now. But we don't know what would happen where. If this continues the way it's going, it should happen in autumn. Around October I suppose.

This has become a global subject now I think, we are looking forward to it.

YOSHIKI: If it were a normal concert, it would usually be decided a year in advance. But in the case of X it's always an abrupt decision.

With this project, a lot of things are being decided speedily.

YOSHIKI: I feel guilty when it comes to fans, we release tickets abruptly. The Hong Kong live, the additional live's tickets went on sale 10 days before the live. That's why I would really like things to be decided earlier. But we can't get an OK easily.

This is the YOSHIKI that the fans know, so I think that all the fans have an understanding.

YOSHIKI: We must not be spoiled by such thoughts.

That's right, sorry. We've heard many interesting things. You have fought for fans, as I want to use the word 'fight' here, and you will perform on the stages which you fight for. We are looking forward with high expectations, so please do your best. Thank you very much.


Next the press present was given a chance to ask some questions.

Do you have plans to come and watch the actual races?

YOSHIKI: Yes. The first race clashes with our dates in Korea, but I will come to watch the second race on April 17th.

Will you come from Los Angeles for that?

YOSHIKI: Yes. I'll come back from Los Angeles...and race...but it's a secret.

You might be racing?

YOSHIKI: Sorry. It's not like I'm going to race (laughs).

Announcer: He means running (laughs). (note: in Japanese "running" and "racing" are the same word)

Another question, the Osaka Dome concert fell through, but apart from the X jump problem, was there anything else?

YOSHIKI: The volume of X's sound is also very high. Also things like a problem with the time of the end of the concert and such. The biggest problem is the vibration problem. That's why we thought about a central stage, building a stage in the centre. In regards to that, not only X but also other bands seem to have problems with it. If the other rock bands can't do it, it's not like we will be able to do, I thought (laughs). But in X's case we can also work with the orchestra, and there are also quieter songs, so we are not giving up yet.

You are also not giving up on Koshien?

YOSHIKI: We are not giving up. We want to try doing it.


Finally, some fans present were given an opportunity to ask some questions.

Approximately when is the announcement about the 6th member going to be made?

YOSHIKI: I'll say it when I can say it(laughs).

We're looking forward to it.

Last time when you performed in Tokyo Dome, there was an auction format bidding for charity, as an adult I feel grateful for that. Is there something like that planned for the next performance?

YOSHIKI: Is it really easier to get tickets in an auction format?

We can make good use of money.

YOSHIKI: I didn't want to go into the technical details, but there are problems with royalty. Please imagine there is a seat that cost 1,000,000 Japanese yen; I heard that in Japan there is a system in which we would have to pay the royalty if the seat cost 1,000,000 Japanese yen, so we can't do it easily. And we have troubles if people use a lot of their money, so we gave up on the idea last time. From now on, of course we are thinking about charity, and we want to do it depending on the circumstances. But I don't think this is going to happen for the currently planned Tokyo Dome lives.

Thank you very much.


If you drink ROCK STAR energy drink, how much horsepower will you have, and what speed will you be able to hit the drums at?(comparing YOSHIKI to a racing car, which was being discussed before).

YOSHIKI: There are some similarities, aren't there? (laughs) I have some health regulations as well, so I would break at some point. I can hit the drums quite fast I think, but I don't really know how much it would be if I were to put it into speed.

What about the horsepower?

YOSHIKI: There is also horsepower I think. I have self-confidence.


Thanks to Non-Non for translation help.