Interpretation by Dan Gear
Special thanks to Yukari Takahashi
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"There's a whole range of emotions…but when we're on stage, it's an emotional peak."
SDR Find Their Freedom. |
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 As punk icons age, one of two things happens: one, they mellow out, or two, they get rougher, more committed than ever as they gain experience and new sources of discontent. Supergroup SDR are the latter: their debut album, No Freedom, is actually more corrosive than many of the band members' previous works. And the previous works of the individuals who make up SDR are impressive indeed: Shigeru Nakano and Fujimaru Nagoya are veterans of Anarchy, arguably the first majorly successful punk band in Japan. Guitarist Ebi is from Mentai rockers ARB and Unicorn, and guitarist Kouya Naito, also a veteran of ARB, is guitarist for Zi:LiE-Ya. Somehow, they find the time. They also found the time to sit down with Jrawk in Shinjuku Loft, before playing Nakano-san's 50th(!) birthday celebration, where we discussed Sex, Drink, and Rock 'n' roll... SN: Shigeru Nakano / FN: Fujimaru Nagoya / KY: Kouya Naitou / EB: Ebi / JR: Jrawk
JR: So, is "The Covers" an annual event, seeing as i's happening on your birthday? SN: We've been doing this forever, but it's not annual...this year is the first in quite a while. It's coinciding with my 50th birthday, so that worked out well. JR: Is it usually a three night deal? SN: Usually it's just one, sometimes two, but this year is different. JR: So, how do you choose who plays? SN: Well, tonight...they're basically friends, although the spirit of their music obviously plays a part in that. We invited bands that we thought would make a good birthday party! (laughs) JR: Gotcha. So to start off...SDR is a supergroup of sorts, everybody in this band is from another very well known band. How did this particular group get together? FN: I dunno...fate? (everybody laughs) SN: Destiny! Both Anarchy and ARB were at a point where they weren't really doing much. Nagoya-san was in Anarchy with me, and Ebi and Kouya were in ARB. There was...there was a furniture store in Shimokitazawa that was having an anniversary. They had an event to celebrate, and the owners were fans of both Anarchy and ARB...they asked us if we'd be willing to play a set together, and we decided to give it a shot. Obviously, it worked! (laughs) JR: So is Anarchy done, broken up? SN: Yeah, maybe! (everybody laughs) We haven't done anything for so long... FN: I dunno! (laughs) SN: Maybe Anarchy will do something again in the next ten years or so...
FN: ...yeah, maybe if someone dies! (everybody laughs) SN: The Rock Band (aka Anarchy minus Taisei Hayami) is playing, though… JR: That brings up an interesting question…bands in Japan never really seem to break up. They just go on hiatus, and reunions seem almost inevitable. EBI: Well, a lot of bands who have things they want to get done, but they can't finish due to money concerns, or issues with the members, or whatever…so they tend to take breaks instead of splitting. Also, the Japanese way is to often not be too direct or harsh, so bands may say they're just taking a break rather than announce a split. SN: It's not usually problems with members, actually…it's usually money, or lack thereof. Keeping a band going in the Japanese scene is tough. FN: If it's personal…that's when bands out and out split up. JR: Listening to (SDR's debut) No Freedom, there's a bit of a disconnect…it's very serious, tough music, but watching you live, it's obviously a huge party. SN: Well, there's a whole range of emotions…but when we're on stage, it's an emotional peak. JR: You still seem as angry as you were in 1980. SN: I get asked about that a lot, actually. And yes, I'm still as angry as I was in 1980. Nothing's changed. When I was in my 20s, I had no idea whether or not I'd still be doing this in my 50s, still have that fire. And here I am… JR: Hmm…If you could meet your younger self, what would you say? (long silence while everybody thinks) SN: Nothing, really. When I was 20, that's the way I was meant to be, and now that I'm 50, it's the same. FN: I have a son now, and my attitude towards him is that he should do what he likes, it's his life. I'd probably tell myself the same thing. EB: When you're 20, you're immature and inexperienced, but you have a lot of energy. I'm not really sure what I'd say…I suppose I'd tell myself to be more confident. That's a tough question. JR: The reason I ask that question is that the first wave of punks had a very idealistic view of the world, and it didn't really pan out. Now they're hitting their 50s, and the World is still the way it is. There's a gap between the ideal and what actually happened.
SN: That's why I'm still singing. It's about perseverance. JR: The music seems rather dark at times. FN: It's hard to say for sure, but our age probably has a lot to do with it, and the fact that we've all had these long careers. JR: How do the songs happen? KY: The riff usually comes first. We'll jam on it until it takes shape. JR: Is there anyone who tends to take the reins? FN: Kouya. SN: Yeah, Kouya. FN: Yeah, we'll do what we like and one of us might push a bit, but… SN: You really think Kouya Mouya sounds dark? JR: It sounds pretty doomy to me, yeah. KY: That's just the way it came out! That's just what we like. JR: Having said that, there's the band's theme song…so, SDR is Sex, "Drink," Rock 'n' Roll? (everybody laughs) SN: Well, nobody does drugs! Alcohol's enough. FN: More than enough! (laughs) JR: It's been a big year for the band…in addition to the debut album, you released a live DVD.  SN: We're looking to expand a bit, yeah. We'd love to play overseas… FN: The goal is to break open what we're doing…play outside Japan, your some more. JR: So this isn't thought of as a side project to your bigger bands. KY: No, definitely not. I love what's happening in this band. So far as what the other guys think, I'm not so sure! (everybody laughs) SN: This is my main thing. Yeah. FN: Honestly, we haven't talked about it! JR: That might seem like a naive question, but in Japan, it seems like the scene is a lot more fluid, almost like the jazz scene. People are constantly moving in and out of bands…in the West, we tend to think of collaborations and one offs, but here, it's actually very common for people to be in several major projects at once. NS: The size of the Japanese scene makes that a necessity. If you're a professional musician, unless your band is absolutely huge, you're not going to get by. If this was all I did, I couldn't keep it up. FN: Yeah, no way! (everybody laughs) JR: So what's nest for the band? FN: New album, new tour. We'll keep going. NS: New album. I hope! (laughs) Maybe I'll write more songs about drinking. |
