Interview with Matenrou Opera at V-ROCK FESTIVAL

With an intensity that demanded attention, Matenrou Opera took to the main stage of V-ROCK FESTIVAL. Despite being one of the youngest bands on a stage that had been graced by many major and prominent artists over the course of the weekend, the band showed nothing but utter confidence through their music and throughout their performance.

Later that day, we had the opportunity to interview Matenrou Opera concerning their music, upcoming activities and a few other little gems. During this interview, bassist you was absent due to rehearsals with Versailles, for whom he was filling in as support bass that night, so the interview was carried out with four of the five members of the band.


Alright, first we want to say thank you for taking the time to talk with us today. We saw your performance and it was absolutely fantastic. Everyone looked like they were really in the moment. The crowd looked like they were really enjoying it. Well, you talked a bit about your new single, however, we were only able to catch about half the details. If you could give us a little bit more information about that, we'd really appreciate it.

yuu: Yep. (pauses)
sono: Well, the next single is our sixth single. It's called Murder Scope.

So, what type of song is Murder Scope as far as style goes?

sono: It's heavy metal. (laughs) Heavy metal.
yuu: (in English) Heavy and fast and cool. (All laugh)

Alright. Also to be released very soon is a collection of your old singles, and as well as the DVD of your first one-man live Dawn of Anomie—the preview of which is actually up on your website and it looks great—but what we'd really like to know is, is there anything to look out for? Were there any interesting occurrences or mistakes that people should not miss on the DVD?

sono: At the Akasaka Blitz concert on July 23 there were some lyrical mistakes and such, and they've been left as they are.
yuu: There were some performance mistakes, too. There's also my (in English) "fantastic face"—(all laugh)—and they've been left as they are.

We'll tell the fans to look out for it! Matenrou Opera is a very versatile band. There's so much variation in style, from beautiful ballads and cheerful tunes to head-banging songs, but is there any kind of music that you're not comfortable playing or making?

yuu: Don't think there is, no.
sono: Not really.
yuu: There really isn't, but something we haven't tried yet is bossa nova.

Bossa nova? What's bossa nova?

yuu: Ohh? (surprised)

I hadn't heard of it.

yuu: World Music. Conga!

Well then I'll have a listen next time.

(all laugh)

You often refer to your fans as "the opera" – "opera-tachi." So how did this endearment come about? Who started it? And what does it mean to you?

ayame: Opera-tachi.
yuu: I did! Um, (in English) "Opera means Opera."
sono: They asked why.
yuu: Oh, right, well, it's not "opera-tachi," just "opera." Matenrou Opera's "Opera." A while ago there was someone called Amuro Namie and the people who mimicked her were called Amura.

Do you have any plans at the moment to open a fan club? And if you did, would you open it to overseas members?

yuu: I wonder.
sono: We don't really have any plans at the moment, no.
yuu: But I'm pretty sure we will someday.

Matenrou Opera's "Opera" would be just about perfect. Often in your blogs, you write about going out to eat together as a band, and that meal is almost always ramen. But what if you were stuck in a country without ramen? What would you do?

sono and yuu: Often?

Well, always. Everyday.

yuu: (to anzi and ayame) Your turn.

anzi: If we went to a country without ramen...I'd start a ramen store.

What would you call your ramen store?

anzi: Operamen. (All laugh)

Good answer!

anzi: That was awful.
yuu: Awful!

Not at all! It was funny.

sono: Somehow.

So, concerning your impending two-man tour with Deluhi, have you spent much time with them? Also, what are you most looking forward to about this tour?

yuu: Well, obviously we've met them, but as for hanging out...
ayame: As in, going out drinking and so on...? Haven't we?
yuu: No, we haven't, have we? Oh, wait, I have! Actually, it was just with Leda, though. The guitarist, Leda.

Great, so what are you most excited about for this tour?

sono: Ramen. (all laugh)

Alrighty.

ayame: Ramen.
yuu: (in English) "And ramen."

And how about anzi?

anzi: I actually have a serious answer. Leda is a really amazing guitarist, so I'm excited to be able to work with him. Also: ramen.

Of course.

(All laugh)

Alright, so next year you'll be performing your first hall one-man show at C.C.Lemon Hall in Shibuya. Is there any exciting plan in the works like the Anomie project that was carried out in 2009?

sono: Not really, no.
yuu: Hang on, shouldn't there be...? From now on we'll start thinking on it to come up with a fun plan, but for now it's pending.

I'm sure the audience will have fun.

yuu: Thanks.

And on that note, could you give the foreign fans a brief message? If possible, in English.

sono: (in English) Forever love.
yuu: The door's right over there... (All laugh) (in English) "Forever love?" (Japanese) You okay with that?
sono: Yeah, I'm not finished.
yuu: No?
sono: Furthermore...
yuu: I thought you'd gone blank.
sono: Well that's what it's like, right?
yuu: Yeah?
sono: With the foreign fans.
yuu: Ah...

You can try it in Japanese, if-

yuu: No, it's okay. (in English) "Stay heavy metal."
ayame: If we get the chance to go to America, please come see us.
anzi: I'm preparing my guitar...

Well, that's all for today. Thank you very much.


JaME would like to thank Matenrou Opera and V-ROCK FESTIVAL for making this interview possible.