BABYMETAL's sound engineer Hidefumi Usami wrote a new blog post to share his experience with BABYMETAL in the BABYMETAL World Tour 2015 Part 2 in Germany and United Kingdom at Reading and Leeds Festivals He talks about how much the band evoluted during his 6 months absence, advices to the girls, the new staff members and the recently announced headline show at Wembley Arena. Read his full blog post translated below.
Hidefumi Usami talks about the BABYMETAL World Tour 2015
Two headliner shows in Germany and two festivals in the U.K. ended safely. BABYMETAL World Tour 2015 began in May this year, and I participated from the latter half. It’s been long since I participated in the overseas shows, and an exciting experience this time, too.
Headliner shows in Frankfurt and Berlin in Germany. Before the show, I thought “air-conditioning is a bit too cold.” But as soon as the show started, it got very hot by the fervor of the audience and I got soaked with sweat (Laughs) Even during the fleet withdrawal after the show, I could watch the audience’s smile still on their face and hear their “BABYMETAL” calls, so I could enjoy till the very end.
In the United Kingdom were act on the main stage of each of that "READING AND LEEDS FESTIVALS"! I hear they are the model of “Summer Sonic” in Japan. We were the opener for both Saturday and Sunday, and since the festivals are where many other bands also perform, spectators might drift away to other stages, but despite that situation, so many audience interested in BABYMETAL gathered that my sight was almost filled with heads of the audience.
On our first day in Reading, as I saw the surface of the turf, which I could see at first, quickly becoming invisible, I recalled "Oh, it is exactly the same as Sonisphere last year.", and while everybody around me were furiously head banging I was on verge of crying a bit (Laughs).
If you use the words of SU-METAL, people stop with "Nanja korya (what the hell is it)!?" as they go by, and as the show goes, it changes to "Maybe it could be fun?", and smile blooms gradually on their faces…
I think the festival is the event where you participate on your own will, and therefore, many music-loving audience who actively enjoy the music rather than to be entertained by music should gather. So such people came to our show and didn’t leave means that they considerably got interested, I believe. I hope they became "It was fun, I want to see BABYMETAL again!"
I felt that while I had not seen them (=Su, Moa, Yui) for a while, as I didn’t work for them for more than six months, not to mention girls themselves, but also the band and staff crews, i.e., each member of "team BABYMETAL" ‘s level had gone up tremendously.
The words one of the crew jokingly said stuck with me: "Going to the shows abroad is now an ordinary thing like going somewhere in Japan on the plane"
I have a mantra “repeat the same “best” as usual”, but I realized the girls who stand on stage in a dignified manner without any fear, and the team supporting them had already reached to that state.
I felt, as a part of such a team, that I must dedicate myself even more.
A show is a living creature. We don't know what would happen even when we prepared very well in advance. The part I am in charge is often regarded as the part where you cannot do other than what is set beforehand, but I am here to respond flexibly to the unexpected situation. Therefore, I said to the girls again that no matter what may happen, trust and leave it to us in the back and focus on their magnificent performance and captivate the audience.
I also believe the live show is about the trust and confidence. A wonderful audience who gather to watch awesome artists and musicians. To meet the expectation of such a wonderful audience, the performers and staff respond with great performance.
With overseas crew who I met after as long as one year, I could exchange greetings as if we met a day before too. I attribute it that during last year's world tour we influenced each other in positive way.
Some new members have joined the crew this year and before we knew it we became a team, spending time together, though short. It may seem like a serial movies or manga comics (Laughs), I am looking forward that the team will grow even bigger.
BABYMETAL will begin their first Japan national tour from September after this festival. I earnestly wish the girls enjoy the tour, and wish the audience enjoy them even more.
The headliner at Wembley Arena (!) next year been decided and announced. I don't know whether I can be there, but I am already looking forward to their best stage!
Translation by: Heeta
