FEATURE

Translated By DeepL

Unicorn talks about what the band values and costumes.
Drive You Crazy

Unicorn talks about what the band values and costumes.

Unicorn is in the midst of a tour in support of their album "Twice Island & Shau Island". The tour, which will take them all over Japan, will conclude at the Budokan on November 23 (Tue., national holiday) and 24 (Wed., national holiday). This rock and roll-themed album is, as one would expect from Unicorn, a skilled mix of royalty and playfulness. The tour and costumes that express the essence of this album were designed by Sawa Takai, aka "Sawa-chan," a designer back from New York, and were decided upon by Sawa and leader ABEDON. As we talked about the costumes and the new album, we felt as if we were able to understand what the band Unicorn values. The interview took place during the busy schedule on the day of the concert, and was conducted in a somewhat irregular format, with ABEDON, Tamio Okuda, and EBI together, and Koichi Kawanishi and Isamu Teshima one by one.

  • Photo_Takahiro Otsuji (go relax E more)
  • Text_Shinri Kobayashi
  • Edit_Yosuke Ishii

Even in work clothes, rock bands have to be cool. (Teshima)

ABEDON-san, Okuda-san, and EBI-san mentioned that Tessie-san (Teshima) might be the most fussy about fashion.

Teshima:There is a certain body type that goes with the clothes. I used to be a rock musician with western boots and long, thin hair,...... but as time goes by, my figure has improved. I'm not sure if it's a good idea to wear a costume, but there is such a thing as everyday clothes. Some people's faces change when they put on stage costumes, while others prefer to keep their normal appearance. I am the latter, and I think it is fine to wear everyday clothes.

What do you usually wear?

Teshima:I tend to wear slim Italian brands, denim, etc. I wear things that are recognizable to anyone who sees them.

I understand that you have an extraordinary passion for fashion.

Teshima:Even if they are wearing work clothes, people have to say they are cool because they are a rock band. I think there is a way to be a rock band. Unicorn is wearing matching clothes, and they think that's good. I think it's a goofy idea to wear matching uniforms, but I think each uniform has its own aptitude. A firefighter's uniform is because the person who wears it is a firefighter, a police officer's uniform is because the person who wears it is a police officer, a construction worker is ......, but a rock band has no reason to wear it. I, myself, have the idea that the right clothes for the right aptitude are the right clothes for the right outfit (laughs). In my case, when I play the guitar, I think about the fundamental .......

Do you ever get excited about wearing a costume?

Teshima:When I wore a bright red racing driver's costume with lots of patches on it, I was very excited. I knew that flashy colors and musical instruments go well together.

I'd like to see what happens when the clothes are under Tessie's direction.

Teshima:Now the meetings are over before I know it, and the costumes are done (laughs). (Laughs.) But I am grateful for unicorns. Even if you come here with nothing but your clothes on, they provide you with a set of shoes and clothes, so you just change into them and you're done. Because the clothes are all the same, if one person's clothes got soaked in the bathroom, everyone had to change at once.

I heard the exact same story from ABEDON, Mr. Okuda, and EBI in their interviews (laughs).

INFORMATION

Unicorn Tour 2021 "Let's Drive

Nippon Budokan Performance
Dates: Tuesday, November 23 and Wednesday, November 24
Doors open / Concert begins: 17:00 / 18:00
Ticket price: 9,900 yen (advance sale) (tax included)
Inquiries: Disk Garage 050-5533-0888
All seats reserved. Tickets required for elementary school students and older. No admission for preschool children.
*Seats for this performance will be sold with left and right sides open.
*This event will be held in accordance with the Guidelines for Prevention of the Spread of New Coronavirus.
www.unicorn.jp/special/2021/