The popular indie band
The Candy Spooky Theater will perform in the USA for the first time on May 20-22. We held an interview with vocalist
Jack Spooky, guitarist
Zull and bassist
Peggy in order to get to know them a bit better and to find out their thoughts about their upcoming USA tour.
First of all, please introduce yourself. Who is The Candy Spooky Theater?
Jack:
The Candy Spooky Theater is just ourselves, it means the space in which we express ourselves.
Zull: I'm a vision flower; guitarist,
Zull.
The Candy Spooky Theater is the place where I express my beauty.
Peggy: Frog; Pyonkichi
How did you all first meet? When did you decide to form a band together?
Jack: I wanted all of you to touch the world inside my head and I felt I could shape the world so I chose to do so. The other members also agreed to express my world with me. We decided to make our band in December 2002, just around Christmas time.
Zull: They are my old friends. I joined them on their way.
Peggy: An apple fell from a tree in a baseball field.
How did you come up with such a unique concept of horror and Halloween?
Jack: I love old horror movies: the movies of Tim Burton, toys, figures and flyers related to horror and I was inspired by the popular ideas of horror in particular.
Zull: The concepts were all determined before I joined. I think they are wonderful.
Peggy: I'm hungry.
Your band has a pretty specific image. Do you consider yourselves part of the VK scene, a part of the horrorpunk/deathrock scene, the gothic scene or is what you're doing something completely unique?
Jack: We don't consider ourselves part of anything. It’s not our business. We just want to enjoy ourselves.
Zull: I consider us part of Emotional Rock, or Alternative Rock.
Peggy: It's hard to make Takoyaki.
Why do you refer yourself to the "living dead spooky dolls"?
Jack: I'm a friend of Horror toys and dolls and since some point I have been called as such myself.
Zull: That's right. I’m different from others in the way that I'm a doll wanting beauty.
Peggy: I'm surprised!
For your concerts, you often change some things on the stage such as putting candles there, and an electric chair on which Jack Spooky gets electrocuted. Where do you get the inspiration for these kind of props from and isn't it very difficult to change the stage for this?
Jack: I think I'll continue to get inspiration from my favourite horror movies, toys and so on.
Zull: From dreams; we turn our imaginations into real worlds. The other members come up with the principle ideas and I just arrange small antique items and Blythe Dolls.
Peggy: An athletic meeting is held in a grave in night.
Do you design and make your costumes yourself?
Jack: I design and then the staff arrange to make our costumes. I sometimes combine clothes of my favourite shops too.
Zull: Our designer makes our costumes. I just ask her to make mine white and beautiful. She is very talented.
Peggy: Dogs and cats dislike each other.
Can you tell us something about Tsutomu, your 'mascot': the doll that is seen at your lives, photo shoots and even in your PV?
Jack: He takes charge of the MC mainly, because I'm not good at talking.
Zull: He is higher-ranking than me (laugh).
Peggy: Beam.
How do you usually write your songs? Do you write the lyrics first, then the music, or the other way around?
Jack: I convey my images to the other members and after they make the songs, I put my lyrics and melodies on them.
Zull: I make sounds and bring them to the studio. I let
Jack make melodies. His scales are unique and I'm always looking forwards to listening to them. I really enjoy making new songs.
Peggy: The engine is worked by gasoline.
What inspires you to write the song lyrics?
Jack: I combine my first images and the songs' images together, and make words of the images in my head.
Can you tell us the idea behind the PV "Exorcist"?
Jack: I didn’t want to put in scenes of us performing, because I wanted to make it like a movie.
Zull: This is the work of the movie director. The girl was a real punk! We were asked to act but I didn't want to, because I think that musicians shouldn’t act.
Peggy: Ninpo-Musasabi no jutsu. (The art of a flying quarrel by ninja)
Do you have any plans to release an album or a mini-album soon?
Jack: I'll make plans whenever I want to make them.
Zull: I think we won't release for a while but there will be a small release soon.
Peggy: Bugyousho (The old Civil Service in Samurai period)
Concerning your upcoming tour in the USA, how do you think your American fans will react to your music and show?
Jack: I hope you enjoy our shows. I'm looking forward to playing them.
Zull: I want you to feel how you want and I think you will feel. I want to make our tour one that I can talk about the memories of it to Japanese fans after we return to Japan.
Peggy: Ninja! Samurai fights!
Is there anything in particular you are looking forward to, aside from the lives, about touring in the USA? Any places you would like to try to visit or things you’d like to do?
Jack: It's my first experience to go to America, so I'm very excited. I want to go to Hollywood, the Statue of Liberty and the home of Disney World.
Zull: I wonder if I could see Madonna. I want to see her.
Peggy: I like melon as much as water melon.
As a next step, do you have any plans to perform in Europe as well?
Jack: We released our CDs in Europe, so we want to play in Europe in near future.
Zull: Of course, we get many offers. I really want to go to Europe. I want to make my guitar sound out in Germany.
Peggy: In Shogi (Japanese chess), we should read ahead.
Word associations: Please give us the first word that comes to your mind about each of these things.
Halloween
Jack: Monster pumpkin
Zull: I usually do a costume party since I was a high school student.
Peggy: Magical banana
Horror movies
Jack: Vampire
Zull: Love drug
Peggy: What's next saying banana?
Fans
Jack: Friends
Zull: Fate
Peggy: Yellow
Music
Jack: Toy box
Zull: Madonna
Peggy: What's next saying yellow?
Love
Jack: My pet cat, Damian
Zull: I love N.Y.
Peggy: Signals
Sex
Jack: Roller coaster
Zull: All people
Peggy: What's next saying signals?
Candy
Jack: Colorful
Zull: Bite
Peggy: Car
Thank you very much for the interview, and we wish you good luck with the tour!
JaME would like to thank The Candy Spooky Theater and Tainted Reality for this opportunity.
