Be With! Vol. 93 (March 2012)

Be With! » Be With! Vol. 93 (March 2012)

Interviewer:		We're going to start off with the dome tour for B'z LIVE-GYM 2011 -C'mon-. First of all, the set list changed in quite a few places along the way, with "BE THERE", "BLOWIN'" and "Itsuka no Merry Christmas" all making an appearance. When the intro to "BE THERE" started, the crowd went wild. Did you expect such a reaction?
Tak:		Their reaction far exceeded our expectations. It was really great.
Interviewer:		When you experience a reaction from the crowd that far exceeds your expectations, you get pumped while performing, right?
Tak:		That's right. We were playing it during rehearsal and thought it'd be good to insert the song at that point. You really come to appreciate your decision in such moments.
Interviewer:		It was the same with "Itsuka no Merry Christmas". The crowd started going wild when they heard the bells in the intro to the song.
Koshi:		I could really hear the crowd. Since the intro is a very quiet one, I could really hear the noise the crowd made.
Tak:		If we didn't do that song, people probably would've said, "I want my money back!"
Koshi:		Don't forget to let the bells ring (laughs)
Interviewer:		It's been a while since a LIVE-GYM took place in December. Since it was that time of year, was that why you put the song in the setlist?
Tak:		We did it this time because we knew that the last show would be on December 25th. However, we had decided to do the song right from the start... at Fukuoka Dome.
Interviewer:		Did you look forward to playing it, with it being a perfect fit for the season?
Tak:		If the fans appreciated it, then I'll be happy.
Interviewer:		Apparently, during the show in Tokyo, it was snowing outside while "Itsuka no Merry Christmas" was playing?
Koshi:		I couldn't see it, but when I got backstage, a staff member told me that it was snowing a bit outside. Just a little bit.
Interviewer:		And even though the song is from a mini album and wasn't been released as a single, it's pretty popular. The song also commonly ranks at the top in "Songs you want to listen to on Christmas" TV rankings. What do you think is the reason this song continues to be so popular among fans after so many years?
Koshi:		I wonder what it is? It's not something we can pinpoint or produce songs to fit that sort of purpose.
Tak:		I'm happy about it. Although it's not a single, it continues to be valued by fans. And then there was the commercial that aired in December where the song could be heard.
Interviewer:		The flying stage used during the Ain't No Magic tour also makes an appearance and has been upgraded, I see.