(Note: This translation is a combined effort between my daughter, Eleanor, and myself and reflects the combined writing styles of us both. Special thanks to Pedro Guzman for his help in providing the many screen cap images.)

Yoshiki Fukuyama presents Fire Bomber 2005
A tribute to Nekki Basara
DVD Disc – 2

Main menu:
Interview
(Yoshiki Fukuyama speaks)
Attached Documentary Images
(Footage from rehearsal to performance day)
Discussion of the Production of Basara Guitar
(Everything from rough design to completion)
Play All

Interview

About this live
Fukuyama-san: Well, we rehearse, and we make- of course we make CDs, and we rehearse. And summing it all up, we feel like 'We're all ready now.' And up until now, I'd been pretty much focusing on my own original works and been finishing up my concerts. And it's sort of like 'Guess I'd better pick one this time, hadn't I.'

And while writing musical scores, and doing my concerts, kind of doing stuff over, or something… Since this upcoming concert is mainly remakes, I ponder on how to take those songs people grew up with watching Macross7 ten years ago, and make songs they will appreciate again.

I worry that they'll compare them.
'Cause, after all, they are remakes... and my voice has changed over the years.
Well, of course it would. It's gone through several changes in the ten years since…

And at the same time, those people who listened were listening ten years ago. And they've aged. And now I'm 41, and back then I was 31… y'know, for example, those people who are now 20 were only 10 years old when the show aired and so I figure they could have heard it differently depending on what their ages were. And so I ponder and worry about ways to make it still sound good and have similar feels to what they grew up with. It's been that way with CDs I've produced and my concerts at times.

I began to feel I might have one thing too many to work on.
And often that's when I get the feeling of; 'I don't want to stop.' and –
Um… And I'm the one working on it, and I've probably never thought about it unless I'm being interviewed like this. Yeah.

Attached Documentary Images


"It's hard to grasp extreme excitement every live, isn't it? But, it's a more perfect thrill that way…"
by Yoshiki Fukuyama

Seven days before the Performance…
First day of Rehearsal

[Miscellaneous scenes of setting up equipment]

[Fukuyama-san on the floor messing with a switchbox]

Fukuyama – Okay, so here's the switch…
The thing's not working, y'know. It's busted.

[Fukuyama-san holds up the Fender Stratocaster to show a broken string. Then He takes another guitar out of its case and attaches a strap]

Fukuyama - This is the famous and well-known Les Paul. All right.

[Freeze-frame on each of the band members]

Drums – Soichiro Aso

Bass – Tetsuro

Keyboard – HIDE

[Eleanor's comment about the warm up jamming: "Playing lots of inane music, they are." ^-^]

Today's keyboardist HIDE's first performance.

[Fukuyama-san and HIDE-san talking at the keyboard]
Fukuyama – Think it should go like this?
No, that's not gonna work after all.

About the first performance with Keyboardist HIDE
Fukuyama – Well, you see, if I had known about him sooner,
I would have had him join a lot sooner. We sort of got him at the last minute, so Hide-chan and the rest of us three were afraid we wouldn't be able to make it in time for the performance, but he was actually very professional, so we didn't need to worry about it at all in the end. Yeah.

It's just that, hm… what was it? Up until that point, the four of us that we had before, as long as we could come to an understanding, I could deal with anything that came up.

HIDE – Well, let's see… I've been keeping it a secret from Fukuyama-san, but I never write in the songs' intro or endings. Overall he has a very strong stage presence, and it's easy to work with. Y'see, he tends to go along with sound, and so I try to cultivate that towards our music. I tend to alter the music to work around him, in which he works around it. And to do it all at once is a bit much, and so I work on it one note at a time. Adjusting musical scores and refurbishing them as I go. And by the time I'm done, I believe that it becomes the best performance we can offer for the concert.

[Music: "Rock'n' Roll Fire"]

Fukuyama – Y'know, at that point where it goes kinda like: 'dun-dun'? I think it can be mostly 'dun-dun's – Y'know without too much extra with the keyboard. I want my 'dun-dun's and 'bun-bun' to be without all that extra stuff for now.

HIDE – Without? Okay.

Fukuyama - And then I think me going like: 'Jyan-jyan-juukujukkujukkujukku' after that point would have a good feel.

HIDE – Let's go!

Aso – 1 2 3 4!

[Back to jamming.]


Fukuyama – Well, it'll work.

Five days before the performance…

[Holds up double necked guitar]
Fukuyama – See, told you it was busted.
Yikes, that looks like it could hurt!

Tetsuro – That's dangerous.

Fukuyama – Yeah, I know it's dangerous.

Tetsuro – It needs to be sanded.

Fukuyama – It needs to definitely be sanded.


[Morita-san hands him the pieces that broke off]
Take a look at this thing. It busted right off the edge. It's all full of holes now. This thing's beyond help. It needs to be sent back to Jimmy Page or something.

Today's Feature is…
[Someone opens up guitar case]

Fukuyama – Ooh, yeah.
This thing is tiny!
I see…yeah yeah yeah…

Basara Guitar

[Miscellaneous jabbering in the background]

Fukuyama – Do you think they'd let me alter this part a bit at this late date?

Mumbling delivery man – It'll add to the cost.

Fukuyama (turning to the others) – It's here! Check this thing out!

[Sounds of oohing and awing ensue.]

Tetsuro – What the heck is that thing?

[Plays with various parts on the guitar]
Fukuyama – And look at this! This does: Absolutely nothing!

Aso – Amazing!

Fukuyama – It's a switch! A switch for the sake of being a switch! It has no tuning pegs!
It has no bridge! Its neck is entirely too long!

Guy – Well, this really is something!

Fukuyama – Oh, here's where they hid the pegs!

Guy – It's has Velcro here!

HIDE – That's interesting.

Tetsuro – Yeah, it's really interesting!

[Aso-san hmming all over the place in the background.]

Fukuyama – I looks like a bird!

[More hmming in the background, courtesy of Aso-san.]

Tetsuro – The head's got some pointless balls stickin' on it!

HIDE – It's squash balls!
[Echoing of 'Squash balls' ensues.]

Fukuyama – This strap is all wrong!

[More general background comment as Fukuyama-san prepares to play]

Fukuyama – Oh Wow!
How should I put this: Super Happy! This is pretty easy on the ears!
I always had the thought that if it went like this, then it would be cool if it did this kind of sound, and for it to turn out EXACTLY like I wanted is just…

Well, to cut it short, it's very surprising. When I first saw it I thought it would end up sounding kinda rough, but it turned out sounding nice and smooth!

Day before the performance…
[Music: "Yume no Michi"]

A few words about tomorrow's performance…
Fukuyama – Okay, so now we're pretty much done with rehearsals. And even if we had more time to do any, we believe we're at our peak already. There are a lot of new songs, and there are a lot of songs that haven't been brought to any concerts yet, and it feels good that they'll be introduced in this presentation. Yeah.

Day of Performance
12:00pm

[Fukuyama-san gets out of car]
Fukuyama – Good morning! Yeah!
Good to be working with you today!

1:00pm
[Various scenes of stage setup]

Fukuyama – Please move it a little over!

[Music: General sound check jamming]

Fukuyama – We're only half-way through set-up, right? Think someone's playing with the lights?

5:00pm
[Scenes of people entering the venue.]
[Music: "Nekokoshan"]

6:10pm

Tetsuro – Gonna do my best…

HIDE – Same here.

Aso – I'm hoping for a good experience.

Fukuyama – What, me? Yeeeah! Fire!

[Concert begins. Music: "Holy Lonely Night"]

Two and a half hours later…
8:53pm
[Going backstage]

Tetsuro – Good work!

[All reply in turn, much of the same.]

Fukuyama – Well, that was tiring, wasn't it?
Good work, you guys!

HIDE – Good work.

Fukuyama – I'm soaked in my sweat!

Aso – It was a good performance.

[Still saying  'good work' to each other.]

Aso – Right.

Fukuyama – Oh yeah, I almost forgot to comment: Yeeeeeeeeah!
I'm tired. Well, 'We really pushed ourselves from day one!' is sort of the way I feel right now.

Aso – To see everyone's enthusiasm and happy expressions, I was just… so happy…
I was just… I'm so glad I'm in Fukuyama Band! [Fukuyama-san throws a box of tissue at him.] Ow! Thank you…

Tetsuro – I would like to extend my thanks to everyone who came. It was a lot of fun for all of us as well. We would like to be as fired up in Osaka and Nagoya as well. So… look forward to it. [Then he ends with some word that neither  Eleanor nor I can understand.]

HIDE – As someone who's just become a member… um.... It's been very difficult, but it's also been very fun, so I'm going to do my best in Osaka and Nagoya. Pleased to be working with you!

Fukuyama [speaking with his chin resting on the back of a couch] – Fukuyama Band thrives on fun… so our rehearsals are fun… And… other stuff is fun. And…what was it? And we're kinda nervous about performing in Osaka and Nagoya, but since we had a good opening day we might be off to a good start, eh? Don't you think? Right. And with that, this was Yoshiki Fukuyama, thank you and good bye.
[Sinks down behind the couch]

To Osaka…
[Music: "Red Data Friends"]

[Scenes of Fukuyama-san and Aso-san making faces at the camera, then cuts to Tetsuro-san dozing]

Fukuyama – He's sleeping with his mouth open!

Tetsuro [wakes] – Oh, that's not good.

Fukuyama – It isn't?

Tetsuro – Excuse me.

[The camera swings around to Fukuyama-san as he shouts "Ooh!" then "Yeah!", then puts on a mock serious face.]
Fukyama – I am Yoshiki Fukuyama.

Fukuyama- [sing-song voice in the background]
This is Hamanakooo.
That actually had a nice feeling to it.
Hamanako, Hamanako.

[Standing in front of the resort at Hamanako]
Fukuyama - I hear the air here is good for one's health.

Tetsuro – Yes, it is. It's not half bad.

Fukuyama – 'Course it's not.

Tetsuro – So, shall we be getting around to the famous…

Fukyama – Yes.

Tetsuro – Shall we jump now?



[Scenes of Fukuyama Band's traditional 'Hamanako Jump', then various scenes around the area]

[Fukuyama-san running back to the bus with a pack of cigarettes in hand]
Fukuyama – Okay, I bought 'em.
I need at least one every morning.
Thank you very much.

Tetsuro – Yeah, yeah…

Fukuyama - I'm tired.  

[At the hotel]
Tetsuro – We have arrived…

[At dinner. Cheer's and the like = Let's get drunk!]
[Eleanor's comment: 'Cept for Fukuyama. Fukuyama + Juice = Not drunk. Good for him. ]

Fukuyama – Okay, so of all these places… Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, they're all going to be pretty different, right? And maybe their view on Fire Bomber will be different… I think.

Osaka Big Cat

Fukuyama – Oh yeah! Dynamite Explosion!

[Music: "Dynamite Explosion" as scenes from the concert begin]

[backstage]
Fukuyama – Okay then, small cheers. Banzai, banzai, banzai…

Aso – That wasn't bad…

[More cheering and getting drunk.]
[Eleanor's comment: Minus Fukuyama and his orange juice.]

Nagoya Electric Lady Land

[sign]
Member Staff Room – Electric Lady Land
Welcome Back Yoshiki Fukuyama-sama!

[during setup and rehearsal]


Fukuyama – The lighting's boiling me alive!

[begin various scenes backstage]


Fukuyama - Since it's hot, I'm taking a break.

Fukuyama [in goofy old man voice] - My song. That right, listen to my song!

Fukuyama - Today is the first day in Nagoya. I'm gonna rip through it!
[Shakes hands with band members as they head towards the stage]
Good to be working with you,
Good to be working with you,
Good to be working with you.

[Interview]
What are you going to do now?
Fukuyama – Though Fire Bomber won't always be as highlighted anymore as time progresses, I'm hoping to always keep the fire in my concerts. Though being as popular as it is, it's hard to think about that. Yeah, how do I put this…

I would like to work on more unconstrained projects… more folk-based songs… There are a lot of things I would like to be able to play. I would like to grow in that fashion. And of course, I would like to continue doing the hard rock… the things I want to do… have grown to a mountain load of them… and… there's that, y'know?

There's um… what was it? Macross7 has been a staple for me since I started, but… I feel I can do a lot more from this point on. But Macross will always be around, so I can still work on it from time to time. At least that's what I feel. Make you excited?

[Various tour scenes..]

Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya
Those who saw us perform…
And to everybody else, thank you!

Yoshiki Fukuyama

Discussion of the Production of Basara Guitar

Fukuyama – It's closed, right? This is the Basara Guitar, which is a little time-consuming when it comes to setting it up.
When I first brought in the design of this thing, I was asked, "Where in the world did you get this shape from?"

Basara Guitar Diagram

Fukuyama – To tell you the truth I dug through the various manga. Since they all had many different shapes, it was very difficult to decide which guitar design to use for the diagram. So I grabbed the guitar with the most 'guitar-like' shape, and decided that was the one I was going to use. And so they started to make it but…

One of the biggest problems we had was up in the head. Normally there would be tuning pegs, which adjusted the notes. But this, just like Basara's, doesn't have any. Well, the strings are stopped here. And so you would ask, 'Then where would the tuning pegs go?' wouldn't you?

This is a very vital point here.
[Takes trim piece off to expose bridge]
Whoops, I left some tape.


To tell you the truth, they moved the tuning pegs down here. This bridge was constructed by a company named Steinburger,
And if this part isn't open, I can't tune it, so… It turned out being a pretty bizarre shape. One where it's necessary to have this lid on, covering it.

The neck is constructed of unfinished maple, and there are no marks to point out the fingerboard. And they begin to make it in this fashion… but y'know… Since this is a guitar design which has never been made before, ever… We had to remake the shape and play with it again and again… Ordering it over again, having it made again, ordering it again, and continuously re-making it.

Particularly, this part. Originally this part was about this size (shown in drawing).

  
But after altering this part again and again, we finally got it to where this much of my hand could fit into the space to play, at least that's how it feels.

It's incredible, isn't it?
No matter how many times I look at it…
And this thing can even actually play…