“Yomo” April 2021, 15th edition.

At this very time, in March of 2016, by a twist of fate.
Thanks to it, I’m (for better or worse!) I’m still in the band…still doing music.

In 2013, my band spontaneously died after only two gigs.

One of the band’s closest members (I’ll call him D)
D and I had been hanging out since we were 18, and we were so close that we hung out at each other’s houses every day.

D taught me a lot of music.
Jazz, fusion, crossover, anime songs, heavy metal…

Instead, I taught him 60’s rock, blues and hard rock.

We spent 12 hours in the studio and hung out in coffee shops.
We even went to Luminarie together. (creepy)

As mentioned above, D and I became estranged from the day the band spontaneously disappeared.

I started a different band and my musical life was fulfilling.

D also formed a different band, and we would occasionally play together at art houses.
We would talk to each other and say, “How are you? How are you?” (ex-lovers?!)

The days passed, and my band once again fell apart.

In addition to that, I got a job.
I became estranged from not only the band, but also from live music and music itself.

But this is a common story.

2016. I had no band and my work was getting too busy.
I decided it was time to retire from the band.

From now on, music would be my “hobby.
I’ll play the guitar at home.
Playing live is not everything.

To commemorate my retirement, I decided to sell my equipment and buy a good guitar.
I made up my mind.

Now that I’m telling the truth
It was hard for me to look at my guitar that I had used so much in my live performance. I didn’t want to see it.

The guitar that used to shine under the blazing lights of the stage was now
The guitar that had shone under the blazing lights of the stage was now a dusty guitar exposed to the fluorescent lights of a dimly lit room.

That’s how I bought my 700,000 yen PRS

It looked and sounded gorgeous.
I think the hard case was also gorgeous.

This is fine, this is fine. I’m going to spend the rest of my life with this thing.

With that thought in mind, I left the music store with the PRS in my hands.
I left the music store and headed for JR Sannomiya station.

Under the elevated railway tracks in front of the escalator heading for the west exit

In March of 2016, my fate would take a major turn.

A voice called out to me, “Oh.” I turned around and there was D.

What’s that? Did you buy a guitar? Let’s start a band again.
(Original text. I still remember this moment vividly.)

I sent him a line for the first time in years back home, and later we went into the studio together.

Of course I took my PRS with me.
“Not this one ！！！！！！” So I sold it a few months later.

(*It is an undeniable fact that PRS is one of the best guitar manufacturers in the world, and is first class in all areas. I mean, I still regret to death that I sold it.)

And now, a year and eight months later.
We are once again under the lights of the art house!

I shudder to think what would have happened if I hadn’t seen D again that day.
I shudder to think if I hadn’t seen D again that day.

I wonder if I would have been playing my PRS peacefully at home.

I’m still in the band thanks to you.
I can’t say that to D, and I don’t want to say that to him.

Instead, I asked him, “Are you interpreting the song? Did you practice it properly? An? instead.

I guess “continuing” means repeating encounters and partings.

Oh, I’ve got practice tomorrow.
I’ll buy you a cup of coffee.