{"id":37796,"date":"2019-04-24T07:00:12","date_gmt":"2019-04-23T21:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/maytherockbewithyou.com\/mtrbwy\/?p=37796"},"modified":"2019-05-09T13:35:25","modified_gmt":"2019-05-09T03:35:25","slug":"minoru-niihara-of-loudness-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maytherockbewithyou.com\/mtrbwy\/2019\/04\/minoru-niihara-of-loudness-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"Minoru Niihara\u00a0of Loudness"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>\u201cLive is everything, well how can I describe this, it\u2019s kind of hard to describe in English, we love playing music, we want to share happy times with our audience. Live is everything for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

From Release: Formed in 1981;\u00a0LOUDNESS<\/strong>\u00a0released their first album\u00a0The Birthday Eve<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>and it created a huge stir on the Japanese Metal scene. In 1983\u00a0LOUDNESS<\/strong>\u00a0hit the west and toured the U.S. their stunning energetic live show caught the attention of\u00a0Atlantic Records<\/strong>\u00a0and became the first Japanese metal band to sign a multiple album deal with a major label. Their defining album\u00a0Thunder In The East<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0exploded and hit the Billboard charts at # 74 and staying there for 19 weeks as they embarked on a nation-wide tour with Motley Crue. The following album\u00a0Lightning Strikes\u00a0<\/strong>hit the Billboard charts at # 64 and firmly entrenching the band as International superstars. Now some 33 years, numerous line-up changes and 28 studio albums later\u00a0LOUDNESS<\/strong>\u00a0are still at the top of their game and still charting every album in their homeland. In 2018\u00a0LOUNDESS<\/strong>\u00a0released their latest album\u00a0‘Rise To Glory.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>The good news is that Loudness are heading our way. They may be almost 40 years into their distinguished career but\u00a0LOUDNESS\u00a0<\/strong>remains one of the hottest live acts out there and now Australia gets the chance to witness\u00a0LOUDNESS<\/strong>\u00a0for the very first time.<\/p>\n

While he was in Tokyo we gave Minoru Niihara\u00a0a call to talk about Loudness making their way to Australia for the first time, their history, their new live album, and more\u2026<\/p>\n

We’re here because you’re finally heading to Australia. When you’re coming to a country for a first time, how do you go about putting a set list together?<\/strong>
\nOK well most of the songs we are going to play from our 80\u2019s albums like \u2018Thunder From The East\u2019 album, \u2018Hurricane Eyes\u2019 album and \u2018Lightning Strikes\u2019 album, and some songs from our latest album, you\u2019re gonna have a good time we have a great set list now.<\/p>\n

How important is the live aspect of the band for you?<\/strong>
\nHow important for us? Live is everything, well how can I describe this, it\u2019s kind of hard to describe in English, we love playing music, we want to share happy times with our audience. Live is everything for us.<\/p>\n

So tell us, in three words how would you best describe a Loudness show?<\/strong>
\nWell, awesome, great and sweat *laughs*. It took us 38 years to be there in Australia finally, we debuted in 1981 it\u2019s now 2019 this year it\u2019s been quite a long time to be there but finally we going to be there to play for you in Australia, so excited.<\/p>\n

What are you most excited about?<\/strong>
\nWell we have never been there, myself I was there once but Loudness has never been there so we don\u2019t know how the Australian people will react to our live show, our rock music, so just curious just interested in Australian people.<\/p>\n

We did have a new album last year in ‘Rise to Glory’ can we expect more from the band soon?<\/strong>
\nNo, well you know what? We had 28 studio albums we made so far, we made a lot, maybe in a couple of years we\u2019re gonna start the next album, you know time is changing, people are changing their way of buying music, they\u2019re not buying CD\u2019s anymore. Maybe we\u2019ll make a few songs for digital, well I have no idea but different, different from 80\u2019s.<\/p>\n

The band has now released 28 albums, what for you has been the biggest change in the way the band writes songs over the year?<\/strong>
\nWell the 80\u2019s we had some producers and producers told us what we should do. After then we didn\u2019t have any producers so we made it our way you know, that\u2019s the big difference.<\/p>\n

Of course we also have a live album coming, what was the process like putting that together?<\/strong>
\nThe DVD and Live album? I totally forgot about that! We played four shows in Tokyo last year and they recorded and we did not know live album would come out, we did not know when we played that shows. After they told us we recorded great shows so why don\u2019t we release this live recording stuff, so OK, we\u2019ll see how it sounds like, we thought it sounds great. We played four nights, first night we played most of songs from our latest, second shows we played many songs from 80\u2019s \u2018Thunder In The East\u2019 album, and third show we played songs from our early debut album and stuff like that, and fourth show we played with our friends, many friends they showed up on stage as special guests, so we played jam sessions and stuff like that. So you can enjoy pretty much all about Loudness from those live albums.<\/p>\n

Almost 40 years into the band’s career what is it that you still enjoy about being in Loudness?<\/strong>
\nAhhh well, being a member of Loudness you can go to many countries, you can see many people in the world, we have special experience in my life so it\u2019s so special, well if I\u2019m a regular company people I cannot do that but I\u2019m a musician so I can go everywhere we want to go, so fun, it\u2019s so fun to see people and play for people in world and make people enjoy, smiling, singing along. It\u2019s been great.<\/p>\n

Over time it can be very easy to say what’s changed but what for you is the one thing that’s stayed the same about Loudness?<\/strong>
\nWell, let\u2019s see\u2026 that\u2019s a good question I have never thought\u2026 hmm\u2026 well keeping it loud, play loud, play hard.<\/p>\n

Lastly let’s look ahead to the future, finish this sentence for me. By the end of 2019 Loudness will…<\/strong>
\nWe\u2019re gonna do, end of this year we\u2019re gonna do some shows in Tokyo that\u2019s definitely what were gonna do I don\u2019t know I\u2019m gonna take my kids on vacation or something at the end of this year *laughs*.<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a>LOUDNESS May 2019 Australian Tour Dates:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thursday 9th May – Melbourne \/ Max Watts<\/strong><\/p>\n

Friday 10th May – Sydney \/ Crow Bar<\/strong><\/p>\n

Saturday 11th May – Brisbane \/ Woolly Mammoth<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tickets at: silverbacktouring.com\/loudness-2019<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

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Essential Information<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

From:<\/strong>\u00a0Japan<\/p>\n

Band members: <\/strong>Akira Takasaki\u00a0(Guitar),\u00a0Masayoshi Yamashita\u00a0(Bass),\u00a0Minoru Niihara\u00a0(vocals),\u00a0Masayuki Suzuki\u00a0(Drums)<\/p>\n

Website:<\/strong> \u00a0http:\/\/www.loudnessjp.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Latest Release:<\/strong> \u2018Rise To Glory\u2019 (Out Now)<\/p>\n

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