| Spring 1983~1990.3: Teru met Takuro in elementary school. Takuro met Hisashi in highschool. They also met Jiro, who is a year younger than the other members, in another band. The four of them often recall their hometown, Hakodate, as "the town full of precious memories" where they established the basis of GLAY. GLAY was established in 1988. The original members were Takuro and Teru. At that time, Hisashi played in Ari. At the same time, Jiro played in C'est la vie as the guitarist. GLAY played mainly at AUNDO and little by little they became famous and had many lives. |
| Summer 1983 |
Takuro transferred to the elementary school where Teru went. Later, the two formed the basis of GLAY. "We were just play friends but I remember clearly when I visited Takuro's house for the first time. We were third graders in junior highschool. There was a guitar and a Beatles' song was playing. I said, 'I like the Beatles too.'" (Teru)
"Teru was a boy who had many facial expressions. He was a bustling fellow. We became special friends after we began GLAY." (Takuro) |
| 1987.4 |
Takuro met Hisashi when they entered the same highschool. "At first we were just acquaintances. We had known each other just as 'music lovers.' When we were in the second grade of highschool, there was a change in classmates and those who love music got mixed up in the class. This is how we began to get along with each other." (Hisashi) |
| 1987.5 |
Takuro formed the band which would later become GLAY. "The first song we made was called 'Crazy Dance.' Oops! It's embarrassing...[Laughs]" (Takuro) |
| Winter 1987 |
Takuro's band had a show with Ari, the band which Hisashi joined. "When I saw GLAY's live performance, I felt that the members had the same will to realize their dream. But I had the idea to oppose GLAY, such as 'What they play is not rock.'" (Hisashi) |
| 1988 |
Jiro joined PIERROT as the bassist. |
| 1988.4 |
Takuro and Teru officially form GLAY. Teru was initially a drummer. "I didn't have a serious thought-I just wanted to do the band. I could reside in my dreamworld only in the times that we played music, even though the days went by with the same cycle. The stronger the anxiety for the future, the more we enjoyed ourselves from moment to moment... That's why we played." (Takuro) |
| 1988 (the first Spring semester) |
Takuro visited Hisashi's house for the first time. "We didn't particularly get along but he suddenly said, 'I'm going (to your house).' When we were deciding who among us was going to buy ice cream by playing stone-paper-scissors, Takuro deliberately delayed showing his hand. I thought that 'That's unfair,' but he made me go buy the ice cream. [Laughs]" (Hisashi) |
| Early Summer 1988 |
Teru became the vocalist. "When I put my voice on the [demo] tape, Takuro said, 'You might be better as a vocalist.' Even though I was satisfied by being approved of as a vocalist, I had a feeling of shyness." (Teru) |
| 1988.7.2 |
They gave their first live performance at AUN-DO. |
| 1989.6 |
Hisashi joins GLAY. "When Ari split up, I quit music. I had one more year of highschool left and I was at a turning point, trying to decide whether to go to college or to work... Takuro called me to join the band. I thought, 'I can escape (from reality) into a band again,' and then GLAY changed my attitude completely. The magnetic force that Teru and Takuro had attracted people even in the early years." (Hisashi) |
| 1989.7.2 |
They gave their first live performance with Hisashi. [It was a contest and they played "One and Only" and another song.] |
| Summer 1989 |
Hisashi wrote a song for GLAY for the first time. "The song happened to be called 'Rhapsody.' It's a usual eight-beat song and the lyrics were done by Takuro. We played the song in concerts. Now we play songs that we come up with but at that time, I strongly felt that 'I write songs for GLAY.'" (Hisashi) |
| 1989.12 |
Jiro appeared with his band in a multi-band show which included GLAY. "It was when GLAY was at the height of their popularity (as an indie band) that I thought, 'I envy them.'" (Jiro) |
| 1990.2 |
They wrote a song, [Zutto Futari de...], for Teru's sister's wedding ceremony. "When I saw my sister crying because of the song I sang, I felt what it's like to produce something that can move people's minds." (Teru) |
| 1990.3.15 |
After the highschool graduation ceremony, they gave their first one-band show at AUN-DO. It was a sold-out show. "Hisashi dyed his blond hair into black only for the (highschool) ceremony. He looked like Kappa (an imaginary creature in Japanese fairy tales). I thought that they were reliable. [Teru and Hisashi] have had a strong sense of manliness since then. We have had the sense of reliance that goes beyond music, and we saw ourselves as companions." (Takuro) |
| 1990.4~1994.4: After highschool graduation, Teru, Takuro, and Hisashi came to Tokyo. What they call "The Period of Dark Ages" began. They suffered to keep the balance between making ends meet and the band. They experienced shows with almost zero audiences. At that time, Jiro joined the band. They started organizing live events and releasing independently produced demo tapes. They had many lives in Tokyo and suburban Tokyo. At that time, they played not only one-man concerts but also tie-band concerts called "Majyogari Night" (witch-hunt night). And they did event lives too. |
| 1990.3.31 |
Teru came to Tokyo. "I still remember that 'something is going to happen.'" (Teru) |
| 1990.4.1 |
Hisashi came to Tokyo. |
| 1990.4.2 |
Takuro came to Tokyo. "The three of us came to Tokyo in three (separate) days. When I saw them off, I felt 'I'm going too' but then I might have been worried too." (Takuro) |
| 1990.6 |
Glay had a multi-band show with PIERROT, the band which Jiro joined, at Hakodate. "I was planning to stay in Hakodate after my graduation but when I talked to Takuro, Tokyo seemed to be an enjoyable place. The conversation we had that day made me decide to go to Tokyo. That was the day I befriended Takuro. Despite his (visual) appearance, I thought that he was a very gentle person." (Jiro) |
| 1991 |
They made 3 original [demo] tapes which were sold out immediately: [DANCE VISION], [GREATEST SHADOW], and [SPEED POP]. The [SPEED POP] demo tape is different from the major album. It is impossible to get these tapes now. |
| 1991 (end of March) |
Jiro came to Tokyo. "I was very sad so I cried." (Jiro) |
| Winter 1991 |
GLAY lacked a drummer and a bass player. At times, Hisashi played bass in order to continue the band. "We had nothing but anxiety, but we could go on because the balance between the members was very good. (There were times when) we couldn't find an answer, but when Teru said, 'It's going to be alright,' I thought that everything was going to be alright." (Hisashi) |
| 1992.9 |
GLAY give their first show at the Loft. At the party where their old "Hakodate" friends were talking in a bar, Takuro called Jiro into the band. "When 15 of us were talking in the bar, he asked me to 'Help us.' I thought he was joking at first." (Jiro) |
| 1992.10 |
Jiro joins GLAY. He is also from Hakodate. "I had been thinking of helping them. Even after I became a professional, I thought of GLAY as just a step to go beyond. I couldn't put myself into the band like the other members did. I trusted them, but then I thought, 'I can't give all of my life to the band.'" (Jiro) |
| 1992.10.31 |
They had their first live concert with Jiro at Yokohama Club 24. "There was an event called 'EXTASY Summit' and the audience was almost nil. I wasn't nervous." (Jiro)
Since then, they had 3~5 shows per month. Their main clubs were Kagurazaka Explosion, Ichikawa Club GIO...etc. |
| Winter 1992 |
They organized the event, "Witch-hunt Night." They had 8 concerts. "We began this in order to do 'something fun.' We made tapes with other bands and distributed them to the audience for free. We made round fans, and gave them, too[?]. We amused ourselves by doing something stupid." (Jiro)
At that time, Jiro joined in these recordings which were distributed free: demo tapes, omnibus CD ([KISSIN' NOISE], [GONE WITH THE WIND] and others). And then he joined in the release activity. |
| 1993.1.13 |
Three days before a concert, Teru was injured in a car accident. "I lost consciousness for half an hour. When I came to, I was covered in blood. I wondered whether I should do the show or not, but I did anyway." (Teru) |
|
The night before GLAY's debut
TAKURO: We had our first live at AUNDO in Hakodate.
JIRO: It was located on the second floor of a very old pub. The shop was bent with age.
HISASHI: We could make many tickets by using printogokko (it's like a small print-making device).
TA: We could decide the ticket price ourselves. There were many livehouses whose ticket prices were ¥300 or ¥500 (implies that they're very cheap).
TERU: We could sell the tickets very well.
-Was your first live (at) Lazy Ways in Koenji?
(aciel's note: Koenji has many famous livehouses.)
TA: It wasn't really. We had many lives at Lazy Ways during the middle of The Dark Ages. We learned a lot during this period about the Indies world. (Laughs)
HI: The Indies world is just an amateur band world. (Laughs)
JI: But there was a tradition at the livehouse, Lazy Ways.
TA: I was scared of Lazy Ways because there were many fights in front of the livehouse. There is violence of vertically-structured society. If you don't say "Hello", they take you away. (Laughs)
HI: In those days, tie-bands PENICILLIN and MALICE played there.
TA: We also played at Kagurazaka EXPLOSION
JI: I sometimes borrowed an amp from a person who played in a hard rock band.
HI: In that period, our dream was to appear on the front cover of EXPLOSION News Magazine. That magazine was a community music bulletin.
JI: Then we appeared on the cover.
TA: Our first one-man show was at EXPLOSION.
HI: At that time, TERU had a car accident 3 days before the concert. However, he played in spite of his injury.
TE: (Laughs) We have many memories of EXPLOSION.
(Other members): Agreed.
TA: Usually, we had 50 audience members. But at Majyogari Night ("witch-hunt night"), we had 100 audience members. It was like a main event.
HI: (The EXPLOSION staff) said, "Please do Majyogari" but we didn't like that a bit.
JI: Vol. 6 or 7 was our top form. We made uchiwa (it's like a fan) with our own hands.
TE: It was a very painful effort.
JI: When the audience went into the concert hall, TAKURO and TERU played the guitar and sang. They wore chanchanko (a padded, sleeveless kimono jacket).
TA: After that, we appeared at the Loft, which we admired.
JI: In the loft, (during a) midnight event, there was a tie-band, Gas Tank and BAKI. At that time, I wasn't in GLAY. I was an audience member. Then I met GLAY. It was the first time I saw GLAY.
-Did you have a live at Rokumeikan?
JI: Rokumeikan is very famous-the livehouse where traditional heavy metal bands played.
HI: The players at Rokumeikan are very cool, too cool. Some people have bald heads (because they're old).
TE: That band has only 1 audience member.
JI: However, our band had only 30 or 40 audience members.
HI: Before the concert, we said, "Cheer up!" or "Hang in there." But onstage we would find a small audience. We were a little bit disappointed.
TA: The only audience member was the guitarist's wife.
TE: If we took the audience from other bands to our band.
HI: It sounds dangerous because you said you took the wife.
JI: Backstage at Rokumeikan there are many stickers so we tried to put up our own sticker. We thought that if we stick it at the center, maybe somebody would pull it off. So we stuck our band's name near the border.
HI: We don't like people writing "You are stupid" under our sticker so that's why we stuck our sticker on the edge. It doesn't stand out.
-Did you have a live at Pedestrian Heaven Hokoten, Harajuku?
TA: At that time, Hokoten boom was gone. There were only a few people. We only had 1 amp. Then Hisashi and I shared 1 amp. (Laughs)
HI: The night before, we argued about whether we should borrow an amp or not... Finally, we decided to go to the pub to drink. (Laughs)
TE: After drinking, we slept in the park. The next day, we were very, very tired. (Laughs)
HI: It's almost like being homeless.
-You made demo tapes and took part in an omnibus recording, didn't you?
TA: Omnibus? I have a sad memory (about that) because they didn't give me any money. They gave me other things instead of money. We realized that it's hard to make money. It's hard to make ¥10, 000.
TE: Anyway, it was a good experience because we had a chance to debut.
JI: When we recorded the omnibus song [KISSIN' NOISE], we were in the studio in Izu. It was a great mountain villa.
TE: It was like lodging together. There were many insects. (Laughs)
HI: The villa has very small bedrooms. There are bunk beds and I don't know why, but baths are too hot to take. (Laughs)
JI: My most impressive memory of that time is working with professional engineers. We had a spirited mind.
-SEXUAL RECORD was established at this time, wasn't it?
TA: No, they already had 11 years experience. It's longer than Unlimited. (Laughs)
HI: It's a taste of a longstanding store.
TA: I'm a president. We went to the hot springs by using the interest. It's a very nice company because we distribute to everyone fairly.
JI: It's a really good enterprise.
TA: Come together! Young, talented men. |
