INDEX
What Both Acts Value Most in Continuing Their Work Today
You have been performing overseas more frequently in recent years, and you have a world tour coming up this year. OGRE YOU ASSHOLE have also been playing abroad for a long time and continue to tour Asia regularly. How do you feel about the increase in overseas shows?
Kaneko: It feels like a challenge. Like, let’s see what happens if we take this on. And audiences overseas tend to have a higher energy, which I really enjoy.
In a previous interview, you mentioned that in Japan you often perform for people who already know your music, whereas overseas you get to play in front of people who may be hearing you for the first time, and that is part of the appeal.
Kaneko: Yeah, that is definitely fun. When you play for people who do not know you at all, it feels like you can just do your thing freely. I mean, I do that in Japan too, but it still feels different, and I really like that.
Also, when you go abroad, you can only work with the equipment you are able to bring, and that is actually part of the fun as well. Sometimes you only get ten minutes for soundcheck and you are like, are you serious? But I kind of enjoy that too. It feels like a jump, like showing what we are really capable of in that moment.
At the same time, after going through that, when you play in Asia and have a sound engineer coming from Japan, you feel grateful. And when you are back in Japan with your full setup, your own amps and drum kit, you really feel that sense of appreciation too.
Deto: Do you go without a front of house engineer as well?
Kaneko: In Europe, yeah, we go without bringing our own sound engineer. There is usually someone local who helps us out, but since they are not from the same team like Acoustic, we have to start by sharing things like, this is the kind of mode we are in right now, and it ends up feeling like stepping into a slightly new version of ourselves. There is a bit of fear in that, but at the same time it is like, let’s just take the jump.
Showing what you are really capable of. How have your recent overseas shows been?
Deto: Audiences in China are incredibly passionate.
Kaneko: They really are.
Deguchi: Right now, there are times when we cannot go because of political circumstances. I think people there are very aware, on some level, of how unstable things can be, so when a band from overseas does come, it becomes a rare chance to fully express those emotions.
So even during this period when we cannot go, it feels like there is a lot of energy building up over there.
Because there is a sense of instability in everyday life, the release through music becomes that much more intense.
Deto: Exactly. From the outside, I had the impression that it would feel very restrictive politically, but the energy in the cities is incredible.
In contrast, Japan is supposed to be more politically free, but somehow it can feel more restrained.
Kaneko: I get that.
Deto: So in a way, it was the opposite of what I expected. I imagined something closer to a dystopian feeling, where political restrictions would directly translate into people being more constrained. But there are moments where it actually feels more lively than Japan, which I find really interesting.
Japan can feel more systematic, for better or worse. Even in music, there are established ways of expanding your reach, playing more festivals, securing tie ins, building your presence on social media. But neither OGRE YOU ASSHOLE nor you seem to prioritize those approaches. Based on your experience both in Japan and overseas, what do you value most when planning your activities now?
Kaneko: I am not sure but probably just staying stress free. That is the main thing. Being in a state where things feel enjoyable is the most important, and that is what I focus on when planning.
In recent years, you have been playing a lot of shows both in Japan and overseas. Does that ever become stressful, or do you actually find that pace more enjoyable?
Kaneko: Last year might have been a bit too much, I even felt a bit of physical risk at times. But it is not like we end up fighting each other over it or anything. Personally, I feel better when I have shows regularly. Playing live is fun for me.
How many shows are OGRE YOU ASSHOLE playing these days?
Deto: Probably around ten to twenty a year. But in our thirties, we were doing something like fifty.
Kaneko: Yeah, I remember that impression, it felt like a lot.
Deto: It really was. But since around the pandemic, it dropped to around ten, and I started to feel like that was enough. If that had not happened, I probably would have kept thinking fifty shows a year was normal. It made me realize we had been doing too much.
So in terms of planning, I might not be thinking about it that much, to be honest. But one thing is clear, I do not do things I do not want to do.
Kaneko: Yeah, I do not do things I do not want to do.
You played Nippon Budokan in January. How was that experience?
Kaneko: It was really fun. I was able to enjoy it.
Deto: I heard a lot of people say the sound was incredible, like you would not expect it to sound that good at Budokan. Nakamura said the same too.
Kaneko: That makes me happy. That is all thanks to Sasaki, it was pure magic.
In terms of venue scale, you mentioned before that while Budokan was fun, you did not feel the need to go bigger. Has that changed?
Kaneko: No, that has not changed. Budokan was definitely fun, and the distance to the audience felt closer than I expected. It did not feel that far from the kind of shows I usually do.
But anything bigger than that… especially when it comes to sound, I cannot really imagine myself on that kind of stage. I do enjoy going to see large scale shows, but as a performer, it is not something I am drawn to right now.
The Osaka edition of “DELAY” is moving from Misono Universe to Osaka Castle Music Hall this time. It is a shame about Universe closing, but outdoor shows have their own appeal.
Kaneko: An outdoor show, huh. It is coming up soon. I am really looking forward to it. I just want it to be a show where we can celebrate properly afterward.
Deto: We started “DELAY” in 2024, and it has become a really meaningful event for us. It is one of the few things we have been able to continue consistently.
We always struggle with who to invite, trying not to repeat the same artists, but in the end, Kaneko was the only one who came to mind. Now it is already the second time, so I am not sure how that will work going forward, but I just hope it turns into a great event.
““DELAY 2026””
Event Information
April 18, 2026 (Sat)
Venue Osaka Castle Music Hall
Lineup OGRE YOU ASSHOLE / kanekoayano
Open 16:30 Start 17:30
Advance Ticket ¥6,500 plus drink charge reserved seating
Info SMASH WEST 06 6535 5569
General Sale February 21, 2026 from 10:00
Ticket Pia Lawson Ticket eplus
June 6, 2026 (Sat)
Venue Yatsugatake Natural Culture Park Concert Square Nagano Hara Village
Lineup OGRE YOU ASSHOLE / deca joins / and more
Open 14:00 Start 15:30
Advance Ticket ¥9,500 plus drink charge general admission with numbered entry
Info SMASH 03 3444 6751
General Sale March 7, 2026 from 10:00
Ticket Pia Lawson Ticket eplus
Tickets https://t.pia.jp/pia/artist/artists.do?artistsCd=49160082
