Our minds won’t change even after major debut.
―Finally you’ll make major debut. How are you feeling now?
Jung YongHwa: “I miss our activities as an indie band, also I’m glad to make major debut. I have mixed feelings.”
Lee JongHyun: “We learned a lot from our activities as an indie band for the last two years. We’ll continue making our efforts to respond with music to everyone.”
Lee JungShin: “While we are having street live performances as an indie band, step by step, the stage became bigger. We learned to value each audience.”
Kang MinHyuk: “No matter whether the venue is small or big, we developed from the experiences to stand on various stages. Our heart won’t change even after we became major band.”
―What is highlight of the debut song “In My Head” ?
YongHwa: “The lyrics has very positive message and the melody is aggressive, too. We sing it powerfully. When I composed this song, at first, the keyword “In My Head” came in mind, and then I wrote the melody.”
―How does the image or the lyrics of a song comes into your mind?
YongHwa: “At first melody comes in my mind, and then I find the core word. Then I write the lyrics with the core keyword. Once a core keyword comes in my mind, I write the lyrics overlapping my own experiences.”
JongHyun: “In my case, as I watch a lot of dramas and films, I express the feelings of the characters as if I’m one those characters.”
They care for me and don’t criticize me (laugh)
――When you complete composing a song, do you ask for the members’ opinions?
YongHwa: “Because all the members are my juniors, they won’t criticize or point out a fault (laugh). So, I judge from their faces when they listen to it.”
MinHyuk: “Although we can’t say anything, but we tend to show on our faces (laugh).”
JongHyun: “For example, my songs are in slow rate and put importance on feelings. On the other hand, songs that YongHwa composes are nice with its groove and rhythm.”
――Who is the musician that you’ve been influenced by?
JungShin: “Mr. Big is the first band I liked. Also, I liked K-POP and J-POP.”
MinHyuk: “I like Maroon 5. It was the very band that triggered me and got me involved with band.”
JongHyun: “I respect Eric Clapton and John Mayer.”
YongHwa: “As for me, it’s BON JOVI. I liked heavy metals and hard rocks, so I listened to SKID ROW and Judas Priest. When I was in junior high school, I had a chance to go to U.S.A. Since I knew LINKIN PARK there, I’ve liked them so much.”
――In September, you performed the opening act at LINKIN PARK’s event. What’s your impression?
YongHwa: “Their performance was perfect. I felt worldwide musicians are great indeed. We’ll work harder so that we can become like them, too.”
Was his acting poor?! “Because I was nervous ” (laugh)
――Western music seems to have a great influence on you. How do you see Korean Rock scene?
YongHwa: “Nowadays band has become active in Korea, too. There’s a TV audition program of rock band, and we have been able to see many rock bands on TV, too.
MinHyuk: “Although they are not well known in Japan, there’re famous bands which have worked for decades. Baekdu-san and SeoTaiji have legendary statuses in Korea.”
――You have other activities than music, as an actor or a model. What is the interesting point of each activity?
JungShin: “I’ve worked as a model twice. Though my main work is band activity for sure, I want to try it again.”
YongHwa: “I like working as an actor so much, too. Of course the first thing I do is to write songs and to stand on stage as a musician, but I’d like to have various experiences, too.”
MinHyuk: “I can learn from various experiences through acting in a drama. I appeared in Orange Caramel (a unit from a girls group, After School)’s MV and it gave me a good opportunity to let people know CNBLUE.”
YongHwa: “(Your acting in the MV was) not very good, though (laugh).”
MinHyuk: “Because I was nervous. (laugh)”
They’re obsessed to tease YongHwa!?
――What are you currently obsession with within a band?
MinHyuk: “To tease YongHwa hyung together (laugh).”
YongHwa: “If you do that, I’ll tear you apart! (laugh) Like this, we have always playful mood.”
JungShin: “While MinHyuk and YongHwa hyung were absent because of drama shooting, I went to gym with JongHyun hyung.”
――What is difficult thing in indie activities till now?
MinHyuk: “Since travel expenses are high, we had difficulty in making do with what we had. We were always hungry (laugh).”
YongHwa: “That’s a joke (laugh). I still have Suica (* Suica is an IC card for transportation). When we had live performance in Fuchu (* a town in Tokyo), I felt it was very far (laugh). We sometimes walked to save travel expenses, so carried our instruments and equipments on dolly.”
JungShin: “We performed at clubs in Shibuya many times, so I remembered the places of the most clubs. If I have a chance, I want to go there again.”
――What do you want to do after the major debuted?
JongHyun: “As we had ZEPP Tour once, I want to continue it from now on too. I want to communicate with variety of Japanese bands, and I want more male fans to listen to our music.”
JungShin: “CNBLUE is a young band. We’ll try various things and grow up from now on. I want many people to have expectation and come to see our live performance.”
YongHwa: “CNBLUE is an alternative rock band, but has a variety of musical styles. So, please listen to our music.”
Last Indie Live Concert Gathered 15,000 Fans
CNBLUE is a band which consists of 4 members including twin guitar & vocal, and has gained enormous popularity both in Japan and Korea. On 25th September 2011, they held their last live concert as an indie band “CNBLUE 2nd Album Release Live -392-” at Yokohama Arena. Making a smash hit with their Japanese album “392” released on 1st September, they’ve been in great form. In front of 15,000 audiences, they showed their high-level performance that they gained from street live performances.
“Whether the venue is big or small, we always do our best.” The leader Jung YongHwa said at the press conference before the live concert. It’s one of CNBLUE’s identity to have unchanged attitude, even it was the last indie live concert at a big venue, they didn‘t strain. After a short delay of start, lead by Kang MinHyuk’s bouncy drumming, the other members started to play at once. Their live performance started the same as always.
After they performed powerful songs that are suited for opening, like “The Way part2 ~Ready N Go~,” “Now or Never,” and “Voice,” they performed their hit song in Korea, “I’m A Loner.” We could feel they had composure and dignified presence despite of the fact that it’s been only 2 years since they released their first CD. Then, they continued to perform their familiar songs such as “Intuition,” a bitter sweet song, and “LOVE,” having bouncy shuffle beat, and they increased the sense of unity with the fans.
During “ballad session,” they appealed the singing skills of YongHwa and JongHyun. Especially YongHwa’s transparent falsetto in “Y, Why…” must have captivated many fans. They performed live the new songs on their latest album such as “Man in front of the Mirror” for the first time.
“Surprise” assured us their Second Step!
What had biggest impact in playing was “LOVE GIRL” in the middle of the concert. During this refreshing guitar pop (twee pop) song, I became strongly aware of their obsession as professional musicians in that Lee JungShin took slapping in, JongHyun octave playing, on the other hand MinHyuk kept beating out a heavy rhythm. Also, I found at the live performance that JongHyun’s play having both of “sensitivity” and “wildness” is the keystone of their sound. I was able to confirm this at various points such as solid guitar sound that reminds you of U2 in the beginning of “Lie,” roaring sound in “The Way part1 ~one time~,” and rhythmic stroke playing in “Kimio,” and that is a valuable experience.
However, they have a spark and momentum now as a band, so such musical analysis and note cease to matter. That was proved by their Japan major debut single “In My Head” (released on 19th October) that they unveiled as a “surprise” at encore. It is a song with funky and hard guitar sound and manly vocal. Though they performed only a little part of it, the band sound assured us the 4 members’ second step and should have been engraved in audiences’ heart.
CNBLUE came to Japan for musical “knight-errantry (musya-syugyo)” and has gained their technique and sense from their experience through live performances at clubs and on streets. The music style is unique in its own way. Fine combination of catchy and hard guitar refrain and refreshing melody, and soothing harmony at chorus are the special characteristic of this band. To let more people, such as J-Pop listeners and Western music listeners, know their attractive points will be one of the reasons they become a major band. Keeping their basics, CNBLUE will grow up strong with absorbing in variety of music from now on.
Originally posted at cnbluestrom
No comments:
Post a Comment