Feeling okay with ONE OK

ONE OF THE most popular bands to hit Japan’s music scene in recent years, pop-alt-rock outfit One OK Rock achieved international fame with the release in March of their sixth studio album, the algebraically titled “Jinsei x Boku = (Jinsei Kakete Boku Wa)”. Formed in 2005 as a five-piece, today’s band features frontman and guitarist Toru, vocalist Taka, drummer Tomoya and bassist Ryota.
The band, currently on a world tour, stopped in Thailand on Tuesday for a concert at CentralWorld Live that sold out within hours of the tickets going on sale.
Yet despite their level of popularity, the four are refreshingly down to earth and friendly, eager to chat about their passion for rock.
We had no trouble convincing them to sit down for a few minutes before the show for an exclusive interview.

THIS IS ONE OK ROCK’S FIRST CONCERT IN THAILAND. HAVE ANY OF YOU BEEN HERE BEFORE? AND WHAT DO YOU EXPECT OF YOUR FANS HERE?
Taka: I was in Thailand once before but this is the first time we’ve been here as a band. I’ve no idea about how many Thai fans we actually have. I guess that’s something we’ll figure out at the show.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE BANGKOK AS A STOP ON THE TOUR? HAVE YOU PREPARED ANYTHING SPECIAL FOR THIS CONCERT?
Taka: One OK Rock tries to go wherever its fans are. That’s our philosophy. For this show, we’ll be performing a set list that takes in songs from our previous and latest albums.

HOW WOULD BE DESCRIBE YOUR SIGNATURE SOUND?
Taka: Most of our inspiration comes from Western music though, of course, our songs have mostly Japanese lyrics. So I guess the answer is the combination of Japanese and English sounds.

A THAI FAN COMMENTED ON YOUTUBE THAT HE LISTENS TO YOUR SONG “THE BEGINNING” EVERY DAY BECAUSE IT GIVES HIM COURAGE AND INSPIRATION. WAS THAT YOUR INTENTION WHEN YOU WROTE THE SONG?
Taka: I started composing “The Beginning” on the piano without any particular direction in mind. Yet I was really satisfied when it came out this way. I’m very grateful that a fan has seen fit to make this comment about the number and hope it gives other listeners strength too.

HAVE ANY OF YOU HAD ANY STANDOUT EXPERIENCES DURING THIS TOUR?
Toru: I tried to swing my guitar once, but it ended up slipping off my shoulder and crashing to the stage. That impact broke it!
Taka: I’ve dropped the microphone, fallen down on the stage and forgotten the lyrics. In fact not being able to remember the words happens quite a lot so I don’t panic anymore but improvise instead.
WHAT EXPECTATIONS DO YOU HAVE OF YOUR FIRST SHOW IN BANGKOK?
Taka:Well, as we’re really not familiar with the tastes of Thai fans, we’re hoping that the concert will give us a better idea of the culture here. We’re hoping to come back too and get to know our fans better.

WHAT’S THE BAND’S ULTIMATE GOAL?
Taka: To have the chance to play a live tour in the US and create and record an album there. We enjoy making music in our own style but we haven’t decided on the concept for our next album yet.

DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY TO YOUR THAI FANS WHO’LL BE OUT THERE WATCHING YOU PERFORM?
Taka: Yes, it’s been great talking with The Nation and I hope it will make us better known here. We’d like to tell our fans that we are incredibly excited about performing here for the first time and we promise to do our best.
The band certainly stuck to Taka’s promise with a concert that started on time, a rarity in Thailand. J-rock fans, both Thai and from other Asian nations and mostly clad in black and red, turned out en masse, swarming the merchandise booths well before the show started and snapping up the jackets and t-shirts on sale.

Thunderous screams greeted the band as they came out on stage and continued as the foursome swung into a high-powered set. Taka won this fan’s heart with his simple statement, “It’s nice to know that although we live in separate parts of the world, music has brought us here together”.
The concert ended with an encore of the emotional track “Whenever You Are”, with several fans in tears as they sang in English, “Wherever you are, I'm always by your side” and “I promise you ‘forever’ right now”.
The reaction to their show must have taught One OK Rock a lot about their Thai fans and the culture, so here’s hoping they’ll be back here soon.