Link:
http://jame-world.com/us/articles-110260-interview-with-gacharic-spin.html
JaME had the opportunity to interview the all-girl rock band Gacharic Spin shortly after their return from Tekko 2014 in Pittsburgh, PA. The members shared their thoughts about the show, as well as their advice to all the girls around the world who hope to become musicians.
As this is Gacharic Spin’s first interview with JaME, can you please introduce yourself and share your most memorable experience from the convention Tekko 2014?
F Chopper KOGA: I am F Chopper KOGA, and I play bass guitar. I was so happy to see fans call our names individually during the signing event and the live show at Tekko 2014.
Hana: Hi, I am big brother Hana, and I am a vocalist as well as the drummer! Fans call me “big brother” because of my masculine drumming! Tekko 2014 was actually our first show in United States since the band underwent member changes. I was looking forward to finding out how fans would respond to our new style of performance, and it was very amazing to see many of them singing along with us in Japanese!
TOMO-ZO: I am the guitarist TOMO-ZO! My memory of Tekko 2014 is that many fans showed up so prepared. They had already learnt about our songs through our CDs and DVDs!
Oreo Reona: Gacharic Spin is a fully loaded and entertaining all-girl band consisting of four musicians and two back-up dancers.
Tekko 2014 was a very awesome event. The fans, staff, and event organizers were all really bright and energetic. I was bit nervous about our first performance in the United States since we recently became a six member band, so I was delighted to see so many fans welcoming us. It was overwhelming to see that a lot of fans already knew our songs and could sing along with us.
I was in charge of speaking to the fans in English. I prepared my speech, but I was not able to communicate so well because I was nervous. It was very encouraging to see fans trying to understand what I was saying to them, though.
Mai: My name is Mai, and I am the first of the Gacha Gacha Dancers. My best moment of Tekko 2014 was when we performed the leading song from our second album, WINNER. I ran around with fans for five minutes non-stop during the performance, and their support gave me the strength to finish the race.
Arisa: My name is Arisa, and I am the second of the Gacha Gacha Dancers. I was worried before Tekko 2014 that fans might not be interested in us dancers, so it was a really great experience to see them cheering us on and dancing along with us.
Were you able to do any sightseeing in the United States? If so, what were some of the sights you visited and what did you think about them?
F Chopper KOGA: We walked around the city of Pittsburgh and enjoyed shopping in a mall. I was able to buy cute clothes and I am actually wearing them in Japan.
Hana: I enjoyed shopping and dining out! It was impressive to see people in Pittsburgh enjoying their work!
TOMO-ZO: I saw two rainbows in the sky by chance! We cannot see such things so often in Japan, so it was very moving!
Oreo Reona: Hamburgers, pizza, steak; all of the food was so delicious! And the portions were much bigger compared to Japan! The event staff members were surprised because I ate all of it. They even said to me that they had never seen a female artist with such a big appetite.
Mai: I enjoyed shopping for American clothes and items I wanted to have at a shopping mall.
Arisa: I definitely enjoyed shopping in a big mall! I bought pretty clothes!
Can you explain what your shows are like for our readers who haven’t seen you in concert yet?
F Chopper KOGA: Please check out each member’s performance, because we are all leading players!
Hana: You can enjoy creating a great show with us! Let’s shine, dance, and sing together!
TOMO-ZO: You will never know what is going to happen during our show, as we have a lot of surprises prepared for you. We use a lot of items to produce an entertaining show, such as flashing instruments!
Oreo Reona: I believe that we are one of the most entertaining all-girl bands in the world! Every one of us plays a leading role during a show! So you can enjoy every part of it.
Mai: Gacharic Spin is different from other bands. We have back-up dancers, flashing instruments, and all kinds of surprises to satisfy fans with maximum entertainment.
Arisa: Our show is really fun and entertaining. You can enjoy dancing with us, even if you don’t know our songs.
How did your musical activities abroad enable you to grow as a musician, as a band, and also as a person?
F Chopper KOGA: We became stronger. We now have the strength to pull off our best performance in any environment.
Hana: I became more outgoing! Although there is a language barrier, I now openly communicate with people and enjoy our cultural differences. The experiences abroad enabled me to enjoy my life in different environments!
TOMO-ZO: Everything is different from our home country overseas, so we became able to give our best performance in any environment!
Oreo Reona: What I feel most strongly is that music can unite people. Being able to have shows abroad is truly a blessing, as it is a much more eye-opening experience than just sightseeing.
Mai: I found that our hearts can communicate beyond language and cultural differences.
Arisa: Gacharic Spin has had shows in various countries. I learnt a lot of different languages, and actually used them during the shows.
Gacharic Spin released its second album WINNER on April 9th. What do you think is the most interesting musical feature of the album? Also, please tell us about overall theme and message of the album.
F Chopper KOGA: The spirit of the album is that we play to win, because 2014 is going to be a career-defining year for us.
Hana: This is a very important year for us. The album title says it all: we will come out victorious!
TOMO-ZO: This is the title shot year for us. We’ve taken on a lot of new elements in the album. You can enjoy listening to them through it, and of course during our live shows!
Oreo Reona: We will gain momentum this year, and the album title symbolizes our strong determination.
Gacharic Spin is a live band rather than a group of studio musicians. We created songs thinking about how our fans would sing and dance together with us during a show.
Each member of the band sings lead in different songs. How do you choose who will take the lead in a particular song?
F Chopper KOGA: We let each member sing to find out who is the best fit for a song
Hana: It depends on whose voice would best fit with the music. But we also purposely choose an unlikely lead singer sometimes as well. I have no comment on TOMO-ZO’s vocals (laughs).
TOMO-ZO: I am in charge of the cuteness of the band, so I often sing positive and adorable songs.
Oreo Reona: We decide on a singer when we finish composing the music.
It’s pretty rare for a rock band to have back-up dancers. What made you decide to add that extra factor to your band?
F Chopper KOGA: We wanted to have an element that other bands do not have.
Hana: Mai actually joined our show as a guest dancer before, and the fans really loved it. I personally wanted to add a dance element to our show again ever since. Also, because our drummer and keyboard player are preoccupied, since we both do vocals, we wanted to have dancers who can move freely and stir up the audience while we are singing. Now, I cannot think of the band without the Gacha Gacha Dancers!
TOMO-ZO: We do not have a lead singer in the center, so we wanted to have members who can run, dance, and lead the audience during a show.
Oreo Reona: Both lead singers are at slightly distant positions from the audience, so we wanted to add performers at the front who can attract people to the show.
Hana, you sing while playing the drums. It looks like very technically and physically demanding. What kind of training do you do each day to make such a performance possible?
Hana: A special exercise I do is breathing out a lot! Also, you can enjoy working out by singing a lot!
What do you like to do during holidays?
F Chopper KOGA: I take a walk with my dog.
Hana: Sleep and compose music!
TOMO-ZO: I visit places with beautiful natural scenery, such as flower fields!
Oreo Reona: I sleep all day long or go out shopping!
Mai: I enjoy watching dance videos and my favourite movies.
Arisa: I relax at home and take a walk with my lovely dog.
Please give a message or some advice to all the girls worldwide who would like to pursue a band or music career.
F Chopper KOGA: You don’t have to limit yourself because of your gender. Take action immediately if you want to be a challenger!
Hana: Love and enjoy what you do! You will naturally work hard to learn what you love to do, whether it is to sing or to a play an instrument.
TOMO-ZO: I am happy to see more and more female musicians these days! Let’s work together to expand our fields!
Oreo Reona: I think how you express yourself on stage is as important as how well you can sing or play an instrument. I put an emphasis on giving a sexy performance that only a woman can show.
Please give a final message to our readers.
F Chopper KOGA: We will do our best to have more shows in the United States! Please check out our music videos if you become interested in Gacharic Spin.
Hana: Gacharic Spin is very unpredictable. Please check us out and create lasting memories with us!
TOMO-ZO: Thank you for reading our interview! We will continue to do our best to create a special show full of joy and excitement for you! Please continue to support us!
Oreo Reona: We will do our best to come back to United States again as soon as possible! We will come back better and stronger! Please wait for us!
Mai: Thank you to everyone who came to see us at Tekko 2014.
We will try to come back to Pittsburgh again with our current band structure. Please continue to support us.
Arisa: Gacharic Spin always gives 100% to each show, so please come to see us when we go to your country. Please support us so that we can go to many countries.
JaME would like to thank Resonance Media and the band for making this interview possible.
You can stay tuned for more updates from Gacharic Spin by checking out their official site and Facebook page.
