Global Communication: GLAY News in English

"[SPECIAL INTERVIEW] GLAY"
"Tokyo Walker," 5.12.2004

This year GLAY commemorates their 10 year band debut. What they prepared for us was an EXPO staged at Universal Studios Japan. Along with their new single that goes on sale 5.19, the band members will tell us about their memories from the EXPO!

"When we debuted, we sent out all the songs we could write, and dreamed of the Budokan [one of the biggest exhibition halls in Tokyo] and the nationwide tour that we longed for. Because of the 10 years that were ahead of us then, and that we reached through the music and the concerts, we can now see the next 10 years ahead of us. It’s because of all the time we have behind us."

It was with these words that Takuro expressed his thoughts on GLAY's 10th anniversary. They've passed the time, but still want to keep going. Before their 10th anniversary, it was these men's thoughts that produced the title "THE FRUSTRATED." It's not too much to say that it was a masterwork album from a GLAY flowing with positive energy.

Since this new album's release two months ago, they've also released the two-sided single "Tenshi no Wakemae / Piiku Hateshinaku, Souru Kagirinaku" on 5.19. These two songs were released at the same time as the "X-RATED" tour was announced. Although the two songs had finished recording at the end of last year, they put off releasing it because, as Teru put it, "You gain power from the 'game of catch' your play with fans at lives, and I think it may make you sing better." In this way, now that the tour ended, they're recording one last take before putting the single out in stores.

"'Tenshi no Wakemae' is a melody that's been in my body since the '80's. It's like commercial music that you're hear in a chain jewelry store in the middle of the night." (laugh) "When I lived in Hokodate, my information source was pieces of commercials and songs I heard on the radio - this is a song that adds shine to those glittering memories. It's faithful to my roots..." (Takuro) "It's a song that really seems like GLAY. While we were recording it we did some arranging, but I think it's a song wth all of GLAY's popularity, as well as the things that we stand on." (Hisashi)

Besides the two title songs on this single, there will be two songs from the "X-RATED" tour, for a total of four songs. On 5.19 they'll release the regular edition, and on 5.25 they'll release 8 area-specific versions at the same time. Each of these 8 "X-RATED / Area EDITION" CDs will include the two title songs and two others recorded during the live, which will not be repeated on any of the other seven versions!

"The original concept was that, even a little would be good for people who couldn't see the live, so why don't we let them get the atmosphere of the live from their local music programs? The idea was Jiro's." (Takuro)

"When I came up with this idea, I was thinking that nothing would flow from the image but Hokkaido, and so thinking that living in Hokkaido is lucky is something that I've felt since I was little. I thought it would be interesting." (Jiro)

This year, for the 10th year anniversary, the first "GLAY EXPO" in 3 years will be held on 7.31. Also, this time, a special collaboration will be realized between GLAY, leading Japanese rock band, and Universal Studios Japan, the ultimate theme park where you can experience the world of Hollywood movies through cutting-edge attractions.

"You can enjoy yourself just in smiling when you leave a theme park, and if it's the arena for a GLAY live you want to go home with a smile. There's common ground there. I want to express the meaning of us joining hands with Universal Studios on stage. We're thinking of making an opening movie, but we're partnered with Hollywood, so making something better than that..." (laugh) "We're working on it." (Teru)

"We're in the middle of polishing a conception of entertainment's essence into a catch phrase," said Takuro. Teru: "Until now, GLAY has been going for 10 years, and we want to do something that's a compilation of the entertainment we've been striving toward. I want to make this such a great performance that you can see the highlight of all our tours until now in this EXPO; so that you link 'that one scene' with our great performance."

At the first "GLAY EXPO" in 1999, 200,000 people came to the stage in Makuhari Messe. The second "GLAY EXPO" in 2001 was held in Tokyo, Hokkaido, and Kyuushuu, and was attended by 300,000 people. And now the 3rd, "GLAY EXPO 2004" in Universal Studios Japan, will definitely be a summer night of incredible entertainment!

Profile: In 1988, Takuro and Teru formed the core of the band in Hakodate, Hokkaido, while they were high school students. In 1994 the single "RAIN" debuted. In 1997 their "best of" album "REVIEW~BEST OF GLAY" first took the Number One spot on the Oricon Charts.