Mei ManuelHappy new year minna!
Yes yes yes! 18 days to go before the big day and heck! I feel as if Christmas is just coming and my birthday now since well, this concert was a birthday gift to me! Hahaha! So, without further adieu, here is this year’s first update for the ONE OK ROCK Live in Manila Specials!!
As I have interviewed quite a lot of fans for the Fans on ONE OK ROCK: The Interviews (and more soon for Love for 10969), its but right I also get to reveal my own story on how I ended up in this fandom in the first place and how exactly did ONE OK ROCK break me out of my comfort zone and brought me to this zone now.
Although I can do this interview on my own and with my own flavor, I like making surprises so I had Kimberly Gill do the interview! Here is how it went, much to my amusement as she said it was revenge (I didn’t feel the pressure hahahaha XD)
NOTE: This interview also appears in Kim’s blog so check out her blog My Random Reality by Kimberly Gill to view her take on this interview. She posted this quite early than this post but of course, I also added a few things to add a little flavor.
I love shocking people at that.
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Q1 Where did you first hear about ONE OK ROCK and how?
Like many fans here in the country, I heard about OOR in the ending credits of the first Rurouni Kenshin movie in 2012.
Q2 I know that for every fan there’s always that ONE song from this band that changed their life forever, so what was that for you?
Hmm, I can’t say for certain as to what song got me. But i would definitely say its The Beginning since after that one song, that was it. I could also say Mighty Long Fall or Heartache but, hahaha it was genesis :))
Q3. How about your most favorite song from the band then?
Hmm, I have loads. Right now, I’m rallying between The Way Back (Japanese version) and Juvenile.
Q4: I can see that you’re really into a lot of their songs then XD. So let’s move on to the next question: Who’s your favorite band member and why?
Definitely Taka. There’s just this aura on him that glues the band together. As he sings, you know its not just him making the music, its the entire band. Plus, he is admittedly handsome.
Q5: I do agree with you on that. His fans can really feel his passion when he sings though, so prior to that “passion”, my next question would be this: Did their music move you in a particular way as a person?
Yes definitely. it gives you another niche to try out new things. As the lyrics of Juvenile go, “Don’t be shy whenever you want something. What you waiting for?”
Q6: Mei so I’m gonna ask this to you, because to us fans the band merch is like the “Holy Grail” for us, right? So out of all the merch you have, which one’s your favorite or the one that you are most proud of to have? *coz mine would be that Toru shirt*
Not including the PR Ticket? I guess right now, its the VANS X ONE OK ROCK Collaboration shoes coz only a few could safely say we have it. Hahahaha!
WOW! Lucky you! That shoes was designed by Taka also, right?
Yup! as you are aware, I sold my first pair, but I did get another one. Right now, those shoes are worth 15,000 yen (current price in Yahoo Auctions). So, yes, it is my holy grail at the moment.
Q7: Nice one! Okay, so next question, out of all the OOR albums released from Zeitakubyou up to the latest 35XXXV Deluxe Edition, which one is your favorite and why?
JinseiXBoku=, the raw emotions in that album is straight up. You know the band is in their next frontier and they are giving it all they have before they move to that frontier
Q8: Well said with that one. And yes, jinseixboku= is my fave from them as well.
:) So I’m done with all the fan questions, so let’s move on the most awaited event of 2016! How did you feel about when OOR announced that they will be having their concert at the Mall of Asia Arena this coming January 19th?
Elated! I have seen the fillers from P.O.O.R. and rumors that Amuse would be announcing something extraordinary sometime June. I originally wanted to watch them in Makuhari Messe last September, but I didnt go out of another thing. When it was finally confirmed, I thought it was a birthday gift fulfilled as the tickets would be sold a day before my birthday
And I guess that PR ticket was the best birthday gift to you ever, right? (Mei: Yup! Definitely a birthday gift). ;)
Now we’re down to my final question, Mei.
If you get to meet the guys from OOR in person, what would you like to say to them in person? Since I know we’d all be like speechless when that time comes *laughs*
After thanking them profusely, I’d say “Never let the criticisms get to you guys. Just keep making the music you know feels right and us fans will support you all the way. Don’t stop and keep moving forward. But never forget to look back every once in a while when you need guidance. Rock Manila down hard and we hope you come back for more. From the bottom of my heart, I love you guys so much as your music brought me out of my comfort zone and challenged my limits”
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As Kim ended our little interview, I took another retrospective glance at my own answers and said ‘Yep, ONE OK ROCK has indeed changed my life’. While my exact love for ONE OK ROCK is a bit hazy on the early beginnings, I have to say I can’t really determine how i got into this and I know this is for life. From The Beginning in 2012… well, it all came crashing down like a wild fire this year (though I think it has something to do with that duet of Taka with Simple Plan and Against the Current… tis hazy. hahaha). Regardless of what my history with ONE OK ROCK fandom was, I never expected i’d be hooked into something and stick with it. I even forgot my love for anime for this fandom (the only recent anime I followed since ONE OK ROCK made headlines in my life is Himouto! Umaru-chan) It started out with me buying Mighty Long Fall in Yokohama Stadium, Primal Footmark 2015 and that awesome magazine of Taka (see this post as to which one I am talking about) then well, it all went to the coveted Pulp Royalty tickets.
I also never expected in my wildest dreams that I would attempt something big for this one band since I end up with the media pass. Yes folks, if you guys haven’t seen my Facebook Page, Autumn Sky is a media partner for this momentous occasion and the goosebumps are all here! Hahaha. I am excited, nervous and elated but I know it will be one for the books. I hope I will be able to keep up with all the madness
I also have met friends through this band (and also followers from across the world, I even met people from South America!) and I could safely say it will be chaos once we meet up on Zero Hour. As the days pass by and the day comes closer, let’s just say the chills are there especially as I know i’ll be finally seeing the band that started everything.
Of course, if you want to feel what I and other ONE OK ROCK fans across the country or region for that matter are feeling right now, tickets to ONE OK ROCK “The 2016 35xxxv Asia Tour” Live in Manila is still available at all SM Tickets branches nationwide. You can also check out SM Tickets Online or you can also call SM Tickets at 420-2222. New areas are open, but they are slowly fading away so hurry and buy your tickets now!
This super cool event is brought to us by PULP Live World, 28 Black and Amuse Asia Inc. Event partners also include Monster Radio RX 93.1, MYX, The Philippine Star, Astroplus, Odyssey Music Video, Pulp Magazine, G/ST and SM Mall of Asia Arena.
For more details for this event, visit either http://pulpliveworld.com/shows/2016/one-ok-rock
or
https://www.facebook.com/events/964161710306885/
For show updates, follow @PULPLiveWorld on Twitter or through its Facebook page. Of course, you can also follow this blog and its’ official Twitter feed @oneistoinfinity for updates!
What are you waiting for? Find your door and don’t let this chance slip away! Just a few more sleeps left!
