Interview with MUCC at RTOC in Birmingham

As part of the 2008 Rockstar Taste of Chaos Tour, MUCC performed at the Carling Academy's sold-out show in Birmingham. We met with the band in their dressing room after their set to ask them about touring overseas and their latest releases.


First of all, how did you find the concert tonight?

Miya: The venue was small today, which made me happy because we were close to the audience and it was much more intimate.

Have you been having fun on the tour so far?

Miya: Yeah. Yesterday, we had a party for the first time with the other bands and we really enjoyed that. We got to communicate a little more with the other bands.

Your latest single Ageha was produced by Ken from L'Arc~en~Ciel. How did this collaboration start and would you consider working with him again?

Miya: As a producer, Ken just gave us lots of advice, like "You should do it like this" or "You should do it like that", that kind of stuff. So we basically got to keep our own style but he brought something else to it. It was a good collaboration.

Shion was recently released in the UK. What are your feelings about that?

Miya: I was a little disappointed because the release for Shion was really late in the UK compared to Japan, but I was pleased that it was released before the Taste of Chaos International tour. Doing the tour all over the UK is really great promotion for the album.

What was the idea behind the UK cover of Shion?

Miya: The picture which we used for the UK cover was originally in the CD booklet and the UK promoter really liked it when he saw it, so suggested that we used it for the cover.

What differences will there be between Shion and your upcoming album?

Miya: We haven't actually completed the album yet. When we go back to Japan we're going to start recording again. Our previous album, Shion, is mainly like electric sounds, but for this album we want to use much more natural sounds, so that will be the main difference between them.

You performed at the hide Memorial Summit last May. What was this experience like?

Miya: Aah, it was amazing. We were really happy to be able to play with such great artists like Toshi from X JAPAN.

In the US leg of the Taste of Chaos Tour, you performed with two other Japanese bands, but in the European leg you are the only Japanese band. Is there much difference?

Miya: Well... There's not really that much of a difference, but when we were with the other Japanese bands, we didn't really get much of an opportunity to talk with the bands from America and other countries, so this time it's good because we have more of a chance to spend time with them.

In December, MUCC are performing two shows in the United States. Are you looking forward to returning and doing one-man lives?

Miya: (Nods and says in English:) Very much.

Do you have any releases planned for America?

Miya: Um, no, we've not prepared anything for those shows.

What's the weirdest thing you've experienced during overseas tours?

Miya: The toilets.

Tatsuro: Mm, yeah.

The toilets?

Miya: A few times when I've gone to the restroom there's been no seat on the toilet, which really surprised me.

Does that never happen in Japan?

Tatsuro: No.

Miya: No, that never happens in Japan.

Tatsuro: Also, at one venue, I was looking for a toilet and when I found it, it had been completely destroyed! (Everyone laughs)

Miya and Tatsuro: You both worked with girugämesh on their album girugämesh. Could you tell us a little about this collaboration?

Miya: I produced the album and I like the band so I really had a good time doing it.

MUCC have been around for over ten years now and you have developed as musicians over this time. However, sometimes fans and the media may criticise the changes you bring to your music. How do you deal with this criticism?

Miya: Sometimes when someone criticises something it's bad. Some people might say that what you've done is better than before and some might not. I think that we just do what we want to do because that's what we want to do. We don't really care.

Your image for each release is very different. Where do these image concepts come from and why do you make the changes so drastic?

Miya: The image of each album is different because of the songs on it. First we make a song and we think about the image of that song and go from there.

If you hadn't become musicians, what do you think you would have become?

Tatsuro: Probably a hairdresser.

Miya: A recording engineer.

SATOchi: A construction worker... (laughs)

YUKKE: A Premier League football player.

What are your thoughts on the current J-Rock and visual kei scene and why do you think it has become so popular overseas?

Miya: I think it has to do with the culture of visual kei. There isn't anything like that in Western culture.

Finally, could you each give a message for your fans?

Tatsuro: I really want to work hard so that we can come back to the UK again by ourselves.

Miya: There's not really a big difference between having a show in Japan and a show overseas, we just want to keep on having more shows.

SATOchi: I really want MUCC to become a big, famous band, because I had to borrow a drum kit for this tour and it was really small. I want to be able to have my own drum kit, so I want to work hard in order to do that.

YUKKE: I'm really glad that we have the chance to play in the UK, but this is quite a small show. I want to come back and do a big one-man show in the UK in the future.


JaME would like to thank Rockstar Taste of Chaos, Fukui Yoshihisa and, of course, MUCC.