I always play the drums with the feeling that “this stage might be my last.”ーThe band has been incredibly busy ever since its formation. Your live shows lasted two and a half hours with nearly 20 songs including solos and encores. You yourself tweeted something like, “My neck might be ruined soon.” How was your physical condition?
YOSHIKI Just to be safe, I'm careful about how I play the drums. I'm not doing any reckless headbanging. However, this is always the case, not just with this band –I always play the drums with the feeling that "This stage might be my last". Then after the show, I feel like “Oh, I survived again.” I am not sure if I will be able to play the drums 5 more times or 50 more times. I don't think it will be triple digits, it’ll come to an end somewhere.
ーYou’re approaching it with that level of resignation.YOSHIKI Of course, I'm training rigorously, following a strict diet, engaging in workouts, and under the guidance of doctors—I'm doing everything I can. It's not about needlessly injuring my body. However, on stage, I want to show the best to all the fans, and I want to show the members the best drumming. Seriously, no joke, I play with the feeling that I don't mind dying on stage.
ーThat determination really comes across on stage. At this live show, the band performed several self-cover songs by each member. The band played X JAPAN's "Beneath The Skin" and "BORN TO BE FREE." Then you performed "Kurenai" ("ENDLESS RAIN" in the LA show) as a piano solo. What was your intention in choosing these songs?YOSHIKI “Beneath The Skin” was a song we did back in the days with S.K.I.N., composed by SUGIZO with lyrics by me. In a sense, it’s like the prototype of this band. So I thought it should definitely be included in the setlist. As for “BORN TO BE FREE,” I wanted to include an X JAPAN song that didn't have a very strong X JAPAN vibe. So, after looking at different options, I chose this song. For example, a song like "Rusty Nail" might have brought a slightly different vibe. I took the overall balance of the live performance into consideration.
ーI think it was a perfect balance. When this band started, fans voiced their concerns on social media about what would happen to each member's respective bands. Emotionally, fans might be happy to hear familiar songs, but at the same time, they might feel sad to hear too many played. YOSHIKI You’re right. I don't think anyone can decide what is right. But still, I believe that the setlist was built with a lot of thought put into it.
ーThe band performed three shows in New York and Los Angeles. How did the audiences react to the band, and how did the members feel about it?
YOSHIKI I think most of the audience, both in Japan and in the United States, already knew who we were. So we didn't feel like we were playing an away game at all. We felt like we were being watched warmly by the audience. Going forward, it will be more about how well we can capture the hearts of the audience in larger venues or in places that feel more unfamiliar.
ーWhen playing an away game, the audience may be completely unaware of each member’s story so far.YOSHIKI That might be when our power truly explodes. Up until now, each member of the band has experienced harsh environments around the world. In fact, I'm rather looking forward to it.
YOSHIKI Photo by @ogata_photo, Styling by Yasuhiro Watanabe （7B）, Hair and Make-up by Takaki Toshihiro （SEED&beauty） 
