THE TRAINS ライブ終了🚃
2022.3.20
LOVE LIKE aiko vol.23
吉祥寺Planet K
SET LIST
1.列車
2.間違い探し
3.私生活
4.Power of Love
5.赤いランプ
6.プラマイ
THE TRAINS
Vo.うずら
G.しみず
G.コバケンソン
B./Cho. Cham Sakamoto
Key.やなつー
Dr.いいだ
aikoのコピーバンドイベント、LOVE LIKE aiko vol.23にTHE TRAINSとして出演した。個人的には約2年半ぶりのライブ。バンド編成だともっとか。
ライブハウス入りする時の若干のソワソワ感、リハの緊張感、本番前の袖での高揚感、ライブ中のバーストした訳わかんない感じ、終演後の解放感、オーディエンスとの語らい、ドリンクカウンターでのライブハウススタッフさんとのやりとり、気楽な胎盤ライブの鑑賞と興奮のヘドヴァン…
ようやく「現場」に帰ってきた。
結論から言って、めちゃくちゃ楽しめたライブになった。いや、メンバー全員でそう仕向けた、というべきか。
ギターのしみず（以下瞬ちゃん）&コバケンソン（以下ケンちゃん）は旧知の中ではあれど、瞬ちゃんと演（ヤ）るのは初めて。Vo.のうずらちゃん、Keyのやなつーさんはセッションではあるけど、バンドは初。で、Dr.のいいだくんはそもそもスタジオで『はじめまして』。
練習3回のみ。（内一回は勘違いで派手に遅刻やらかしました🙏）
パーマネントバンドでなく、このイベントの為に集まったメンバーではあったものの、結果、このメンバーでしか出せない音とライブになったと思う。
バンド名のTHE TRAINSは既にSET LISTの曲が出揃った段階でオレが提案した。昨年の本家ライブで演奏された『列車』に多大なる感銘を受け、ライブで絶対に演りたいと激プッシュしていたのがきっかけ。The history repeats itself. 古よりバンドといえば、ザ・◯◯ズでしょう🚃
しかしながら最初のスタジオ練習はやはり現実が如実に露呈した。演奏曲そもそもの難易度の高さに加え、メンバー各々の個性や音、声、リズムの探り合い、そしてそれにチューニングしていく作業。
その実、皆、もがいていた。正直、ライブ本番をイメージするにはほど遠い前段階に一抹の不安がよぎった。
それでもやはり皆の意見には皆が聴く耳を持っていたのが「バンド」としてリハを凌駕し、当日に化けた理由だったように思う。主に意見を出し合っていたのは竿隊（卑猥な意味で）の3人（瞬、ケン、チャム）だが、誰か意見を言ったら皆必ず前向きに捉えるような心持ちが皆にあった。それはそのままメンバー間の信頼関係につながった。
Vo.うずらちゃんの歌には主にオレ（チャム）がディレクションを入れさせて貰った。2年間オペラ歌手の師匠に師事していたチャムが、#（シャープ）を意識したピッチコントロールや脱力の効能、頭蓋骨に響かせて落とすイメージや一曲を通しての表現力など、僭越ながら教えられる範囲でアドバイスした。彼女からは女性Vo.バンドの他メンバーからの歌へのディレクションなど普通あまりないものだと思っていて、でも実際歌に対して色々忌憚なく意見してくれて嬉しかったと言って貰えた。あっそうだ、初リハの前に2人でコーラス練と称してカラオケも行ったんだっけ。あれは今年、雪が降った日だったな。
彼女の素晴らしいところは地声が大きいところ。これはドラマーで例えると『出音がデカい＝カッコイイ』に比肩するくらいのプレイヤーとしての資質であり、それはそのまま本番で遺憾無く発揮されたように思う。細かい事を言えば色々あるが、ライブ2回目とは思えない肝の据わりようも手伝って、プレイバックを見た限りでは往年のロックプリンセスさながらの貫禄ある歌唱だった。個人的に歌にまつわる事柄全般が音楽的に何よりも好きなので、そう言った意味ではうずらちゃんと演（ヤ）れて嬉しかったし、自身のコーラスの絡め方（歌い回しや声量、オフマイクの加減など）も含めて大変勉強になった。
G.の瞬ちゃん。いつの頃のaikoセッションからか仲良くなった、ザ・同年代。お笑い好きで、今や伝説とも語り継がれる『オードリーのオールナイトニッポン武道館』にチケが外れて途方に暮れているオレを連れ出してくれた事は感謝してもし足りない。忙しい中バンマスとしてバンドをまとめてくれた。
瞬ちゃんのプレイは常にバックビートでリズムを捉えている印象。その微かな音のズレが生み出すカタルシスが気持ち良い。オレが割とリズムに対してツッ込み気味なので、彼を見てるといい意味でバンドとしての軸が合う気がしていた。ライブ中では訳わかんないとこでコーラスしたり煽ってたりしてたな笑。
同じくG.のケンちゃん。ここ数年色々なところで共演したり、お世話になっている真のBuddy。
とにかくギターに対しての探究心と音楽的な向上心が凄い。ギターに関しては「ミニ四駆をカスタムしている感覚」とは本人の弁だが、常にupdateを欠かさないその姿勢は敬服する。
加えてバンド全体を見る視点にも長けており、ここぞというときに肝心な事を具体的に伝え、改善という形で具現化する。これもヤツの資質だと思う。
Key.のやなつーさん。aikoセッションではお馴染み、年季の入った鍵盤屋さん。今回ご一緒するのはとても楽しみだった。ライブではキーボードソロをはじめ、多彩な音色で楽曲に彩りを与えてくれたね。意外にもツエッペリンなどのロックンロールがお好きなようでそれにも好感◎。あとは、酒好きですよね笑。
Dr,のいいだくん。正直ここまでモーションをコンパクトに叩くドラマーは初めて会った。が、その分リズムに隙が無いのでこちらとしては合わせやすかった。一音一音もしっかり「鳴って」いたしね。箱バンで演っているからか他人と合わせるスキルも高かったように思う。まだ若いのでどんどんいろんな経験を積んでほしいと思う。将来有望！
で、Cham Sakamoto (B/Cho.)。役作りとしては日系イタリア人ということでとにかく異彩を放つこと「だけ」を念頭に置いていた。だってその方が自分が演っていて楽しいから。演者なんて板の上に出た時点で客からの「突っ込まれ」役な訳ですよ。だったらその構造を少しでもわかりやすくした方が良いでしょ？笑。で、その延長でお客さんやオーディエンスにもヤヴェ奴がいるなと思って貰えたら望外の喜びってもんでございやす。
前半はバンド名にちなんだ電車のTシャツ、後半は瞬ちゃんと奇しくもお揃いの「リトルトゥース」Tシャツ。ラス曲のイントロとともにヘドヴァンでズラを吹っ飛ばす演出を予定していたけど、１曲前でなっちまった、まあいいや笑。
セットリストの中ではとりわけ『私生活』がポイントだったように思う。
唯一のミドルバラードで、ギターもこの曲だけアコギが入る。そして極めつけはほぼWヴォーカルかっていう程全編入っているコーラス。
しかしながら、この曲だけは初回練習から「馴染んだ」んだよな。メンバー皆のリズム感が合っていたというか。とにかくこれだけは軸となる実感を得られた曲だった。
ベースプレイ的には、これ以外の曲は全編ピックでのダウン・ピッキング。逆に緩急をつけるべく、『私生活』だけは通して指弾き。しかも親指だけで弾く通称サミング、またの名を「いかりや長介」奏法で弾き切った。誰が気づいたんだっていうくらい些細なことだが、こういう演出も自分のモチベーションを上げるためには必要だった。うずらちゃんとのコーラスワークも楽しかったな。
と、ゆう訳でお送りしてきましたテキスト余韻ライブ。めちゃくちゃ楽しかったんだよな。やっぱライブっていいよなあ。
またのご乗車お待ちしております。見てくれたみんな、気にしてくれたみんなありがとう！
2022.3.20LOVE LIKE aiko vol.23 Kichijoji Planet K
SET LIST
1.The Train
2.Mistake Search
3.Private Life
4.Power of Love
5.Red Lamp
6.Pla-Mai (Plus-Minus)
THE TRAINS
Vo. Uzura
G. Shimizu
G. KobaKenson
B./Cho. Cham Sakamoto
Key. Yanatsu
Dr. Iida
We performed as THE TRAINS at aiko's copy band event, LOVE LIKE aiko vol.23. Personally, this was for the first time in two and a half years. More, I guess, with a band formation.
The feeling of being a little nervous when entering the live house, the tension of rehearsal, the elation at the backstage before the show, the burst of incomprehension during the show, the sense of freedom after the show, talking with the audience, interacting with the live house staff at the drink counter, the easygoing appreciation of the joint live and the excited head-banging…
I finally returned to the "scene".
As it turned out, it was a crazy fun concert. Or should I say, all the members made it so.
Shimizu (Shun-chan) on guitar & KOBAKENSON (Ken-chan) on guitar were old acquaintances of mine, but this was my first time to play with Shun-chan, Uzura on vocals, and Yanatsu on keyboard, who had played in sessions before, but this was my first time to play in a band. Dr. Iida was a first-timer in the studio.
We practiced only 3 times. (One of them was a mistake and I was so late.)
Although the members were gathered for this event, not as a permanent band, the result was a sound and live show that only these members could produce.
The name of the band, THE TRAINS, was suggested by me after the songs on the SET LIST had already been selected. I was so impressed by "The Train" played at the original (aiko's) live concert last year that I was pushing hard to play it live. The history repeats itself.
However, the first studio practice was still a revelation of reality. In addition to the difficulty of the music itself, the members had to explore their individual personalities, sounds, voices, and rhythms, and then tune in to each other.
In fact, everyone was struggling. To be honest, I was a little anxious about the preliminary stage, which was far from what I imagined the live performance would be like.
Nevertheless, I think the fact that everyone listened to each other's opinions was the reason why the "band" surpassed the rehearsals and transformed on the day of the concert. The three members (Shun, Ken, and Cham) of the pole team (in an obscene sense) were the ones who mainly shared their opinions, but everyone seemed to have the mindset that if anyone expressed an opinion, it would always be taken in a positive light. This led directly to trust among the members.
Cham, who had studied under a master opera singer for two years, gave direction to the vocals of Uzura, who sang with an awareness of # (sharpness) in pitch control, the effects of relaxation, the image of resonating down to the skull, and the power of expression throughout the song, etc. I gave advice as far as I could. She told me that she thought it was unusual for other members of a band with a female vocalist to give direction to a song, but that she was actually glad to hear my frank opinions about the song. Oh, that's right, before the first rehearsal, we went to a karaoke session together as a chorus rehearsal. That was on a snowy day this year.
The great thing about her is that she has a very loud voice. This is a quality as a player that can be compared to "a big sound = cool" in the case of a drummer, and I think it was demonstrated without regret in the performance. There are many details to mention, but it was hard to believe that this was only her second live performance, and from what I saw on the playback, she sang with the dignity of a rock princess of yesteryear. Personally, I like singing in general more than anything else musically, so in that sense, I was glad to be able to perform with Uzura-chan, and I learned a lot from her, including the way she sings in the chorus (singing style, volume, off-mic adjustment, etc.).
G. Shun-chan. We became friends through aiko sessions around the same time, and we are the same age. He loves comedy, and I can't thank him enough for taking me out to the now legendary "Audrey's All Night Nippon Budokan" when I was at my wit's end because I couldn't get a ticket. He kept the band together as a bandmaster in spite of his busy schedule.
Shun-chan's playing always seems to capture the rhythm on the backbeat. The catharsis created by the subtle sound discrepancies is very pleasing. I am a bit of a rhythm fan myself, so watching him, I felt like we were on the same page as a band, in a good way. During the live performance, he was chorusing and cheering in the most incomprehensible places.
Ken-chan, also a Guitar. He is a true buddy who has played with me at various places in the past few years and has been a great help.
Anyway, his inquisitiveness for guitar and his musical ambition are amazing. He says that he feels like he is customizing a mini 4-wheel drive" when it comes to guitars, and I admire his attitude of always keeping up to date.
In addition, he has a good perspective on the band as a whole, and when the time is right, he communicates the important things in concrete terms, which are then materialized in the form of improvements. I think this is one of his qualities.
Yanatsu-san, the keyboardist, is a well-known keyboardist for aiko sessions. I was very much looking forward to working with him this time. He added color to the live performance with his keyboard solo and various other tones. Surprisingly, he seemed to like rock'n'roll music such as Zeppelin, which I also liked. Also, you like to drink, lol.
Dr. Iida-kun. To be honest, I have never met a drummer who plays so compactly with his motions. But that made it easy for me to match with him because there was no gap in rhythm. Every single note "sounded" well. I think he has a good skill to play with others because he plays in a boxed band. He is still young, so I hope he will gain more and more experience. He has a promising future!
And Cham Sakamoto (B/Cho.). As for the role, I had in mind "just" to be unique as a Japanese-Italian. I thought it would be more fun for me to play the role. As soon as you go out on the stage, you are "thrust" into the role by the audience. So it would be better to make that structure a little easier to understand, wouldn't it? LOL. And by extension, it would be a great pleasure for me if the audience and guests think that there is a guy who is fxck-up.
The first half was a train T-shirt named after the band, and the second half was a "Little Toos" T-shirt that coincidentally matched Shun-chan's. I had planned to blow Zula away with head-banging as the intro to the last song, but it happened before the last song...oh well.
Photo by Captain
I think "Private Lives" was especially on point in the set list. It is the only middle ballad, and this is the only song with an acoustic guitar. And the chorus was so strong that it almost sounded like a double vocal.
However, this song was the only one I felt "at home" with from the first practice. The members' sense of rhythm was in tune with each other. Anyway, this was the only song that gave me a real sense of axis.
In terms of bass playing, all the other songs were down-picking with a pick. On the other hand, I finger-picked the entire song "Private Lives" in order to create a slow and steady rhythm. I played the whole song using only his thumb, a.k.a. "thumbing," or the "Chosuke Ikariya" technique. It was such a small thing that I wondered who noticed it, but this kind of performance was necessary to motivate me. I also enjoyed the chorus work with Uzura-chan.
And that's why I've sent you this text afterglow live performance. It was a lot of fun. Live performances are great, aren't they?
We look forward to seeing you again. Thanks to everyone who saw and cared!
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