Firstly, we do appreciate all the audience who came to this live this time.
We felt that we were really welcomed. So we could play much better than we expected.
This concert was almost after 4 years since the last live. The fact is, I was so nervous even when we rehearsed at the studio the day before this concert that my knee was really trembling very much.
So the members were surprized to hear that.
Especially, only imgining to sing the new song " TOWER", I was so depressed!
I couldn't sing well at the studio and just felt as if Mick Jagger is singing "ANYBODY SEEN MY BABY".
Singing out of tune! SO......
But, acutally, the atitude of the audience in Taira village was so warm and hearful that our fear has been blown away! THANK YOU SO MUCH !

This song is on Micheal Schenker Group's new album " UNFORGIVEN", which was just on sale in this March.
We decided to play this song just before one week of the concert due to Ritchie's strong recommendation, I think it was rather compulsory execution.
On the other hand, my recommendation, "ANGIE" was completely refused by all the members. It was so sad....
Anyway, it was much tough to sing this song than I expected. Because, we haven't played a new song since 1992.
And playing this new song as the opening number, we were under heavy pressure.
I forgot the lyrics, just whispering. Even Rithchie made a mistake! Everybody was so nervous.
This song has not been ours yet. However, playing a new song got us realized that we haven't retired yet, but still could rock and roll as we started.
Now I really appreciate Ritchie's decision!

｣ｲ｡･LIGHTS OUT

This song is a winner this night. We are sure that this song was the best and greatest one! This is also up to Ritchie's strong recommendation.
We played in a quick and hard rythm. Tight and Tough, this is our band's character.
I think that the songs we used to play can express our own good point and natural good personality! Everything seemed to be going well on this song! Ritchie's said after this show that we were really matured on this song and now, in our prime. Especially, Ritchie and I could play so well by the strong support of the great rhythm collaboration, John Paul and Watanabe. These guys were excellent. They are the tough foundation of our band.
everybody in the crowd seemed to enjoy it and they sing with me "lights out, lights out in London!". So awesome to us! It has never happened on this song.
We were surprized, but very happy.

REALAUDIO FILE of TOWER and LIGHTS OUT(1199KB) It's heavy. But worth hearing! Try!

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｣ｳ｡･ON WITH THE ACTION

This song is due to my recommendation. We have played this song on live once.
I was so intent on singing and moving around on LIGHTS OUT that I got out of breath and I felt that I couldn't move anymore.
So this song gave me a little break, since I must play the guitar on this song. However, the problem on this song is whether my fingers could move as I want them to do. This song starts with my guitar. Whether this song go well or not depends on my guitar's beggining. So much pressure on my shoulder.
I think that the balance of two guitars were good. But 4 years interval gave my voice a fatal blow. It is difficult to vocalize graduatelly.
Anyway, the sound was good. Ritchie's guitar, John Paul's bass and vocal and Watanabe's drums, everything is perfect.
By the way, does anybody know the correct lyrics to this song? For example, on the second verse, I hear " Someone cuts a brown man who just can't make a run". But according to the lyrics card on this album " No heavy Petting", it says that Someone cuts a blind man,,,,,. Which is right?

"REALAUDIO FILE of ON WITH THE ACTION (620KB)"

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4｡･LOST HORIZONS

Since 1988, we have played this song on live. This goes much dramatically than any other song. It starts with Ritchie's roaring and howling guitar. In the middle of this song, Ritchie's guitar and John Paul's bass interwined perfectly in silence. After that Ritchie started to play loudly just as Micheal Schenker does, when I always dance beside Watanabe as Mick Jagger did beside Charlie Watts on "You can't always get what you want" on the movie "Let's spend the night together". From the 3rd verse after Ritchie's long solo play, I always have a fun to sing "My mind is serching for reason why! a time to live or die". If my voice and Ritchie's guitar interwined well, it always must be cool. But this time, my voice seemed a little bit faster.

5｡･TRAIN KEPT A ROLLIN'

Watanabe is good tonight! I think that this is his song. Why can he play the drums so tough after 4 years.? He told me that he had done nothing since the last live. It is unbelievable that he can do. Especially, his bass drum sounds so strong and stimulant our intension to play.
Our rough playing on this song also were stimulant the audience. Their response was so good that some sang and some danced with us.
I got completely out of breath. It is very regretable that I couldn't move as I did in 1988. John Paul looked so happy when we play this song. He (of course, all of us) felt the special fun which we can get only when we play as Yamaguchi Schenker.
Anyway this song excited the audience extremely.

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ROCK BOTTOM(ENCORE)

Everybody knew what the last song was. It must be this one. However, I couldn't continue my consentration. So I made a lot of mistakes, although unvoidable misfortune occured. My first string was broken suddenly.
So I feel that I'm terribly sorry for the other members. They could play perfectly.
Audience didn't seem to find my misforune, but were having a lot of fun. Some guys came to us and share a microphone and sing with us " ROCK BOTTOM" "ROCK BOTTM!".
Everybody had a fun. That's all right! Watanabe and John Paul supported the important rhythm and Rithchie's guitar expressed lots of feeling to the audience. I threw away the guitar and grabbed a mic and sing " Rock Bottom!". Finally we knocked the audience down completelly. This song lives and grows with Yamaguchi Schenker.

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After the show, Ritchie and I talked and realized that there were some points which we must reflect. There are lots of mistakes and my voice was not so tough as I expected.
So we must practice and recover for next live. We must do. We can do.
We fully realized that we are still rolling and are going to improve more, since we still much power to play as YAMAGUCHI SCHENKER. We can have a fun by playing together. Rock can give us the special and wonderful power.
If we are asked " Was this the last concert?", It's a really bullshit stupid question, we just loudly answer "NO! We are gonna play until we die".
BY Y.S. KOSHIDA on 4th APRIL, 1999

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