Shou (vo.) – Townwork (2017.06.14)

Interview of Shou (A9) 『 All the important things to know in our society are taught by part-time jobs 』【Our talk about work  Vol. 10】

Visual Kei’s artists and bands continue fascinating fans day and night with their sophisticated rhythms and melodies. They are active on stage but often faced painful experiences that led them to grow up. In this series, we will go deeply into the past work experiences of these artists and get them to talk  about topics they have never talked about.

A9 is a band that is about to celebrate his 13th anniversary. Their charm lies in Shou’s high-pitched voice and in the treasures of the rhythm of their songs that are never in the same style.
Far away from their impressive stage performances, here is an inescapable interview with Shou, who continues to show us how impressive his manners are. He tells us about how he deals with his work today, after starting his life with part-time jobs and about how his student sports activities have always taught him to persevere.

« Moving a fridge was really difficult without any lift. »

TOWNWORK
What was your first job?

SHOU
My first job was during my High school first year, I was a removal man. I started to work because I wanted to earn some money to buy CDs and all my friends advised me to get a job.

TOWNWORK
The removal man job is rather difficult, isn’t it?

SHOU
Usually, our superior gave us instructions and we, part-time workers, just had to implement them … But when I ended up having to take a fridge up in a building without lift, I regretted having chosen this job (laughs). But the advantage was to be paid immediately.

TOWNWORK
You were paid by the day?

SHOU
Having a same day pay really made me think  « I have money! « . I remember having been deeply moved at first.
After that, I worked in many places but for the main ones, I worked in a karaoke, in a second-hand clothes shop, I worked as a waiter, I worked in a mobile phone shop where I was employed with a  full-time contract and when I started to work in a store with various clothing brands, I joined the band I was in before A9. And I came to what I’m now.

« For me, getting involved in my job meant earning money for my hobbies. »

TOWNWORK
The second-hand clothing store and the other clothing store are fashion-related jobs, what is intimately involved with music. About your work in a karaoke, it is also a choice made by many people who love music.

SHOU
At that time, I was attending a music school, but I wanted to be a sound engineer. I thought that being in a band would only be a hobby so I did not really choose my work so that it was related to music. For me, getting involved in my job only meant to earn money for my hobbies. But I think that to work, I preferred to do something I was interested in, that is why I chose these jobs.

TOWNWORK
Since your goals were clear, I feel like you were really serious about your job.

SHOU

Absolutely. Whatever the job, I’m always serious. When I was working in the second-hand clothing store, even though I was a new employee, I was in charge of the biggest department of the store.
Even if I felt a bit of pressure and if I apologized because I only was an amateur compared to more experienced people who came from fashion schools like « Bunka Fashion College », it was still fun.

« The sous-chef had a really cool appearance but he was able to work putting aside his ego and his true personality. »

TOWNWORK
During all the jobs you had in your life, have you met people who made a deep impression on you?

SHOU
Yes. In the second-hand clothing shop, one of my superiors looked like Hideaki Takizawa (T.N. : Japanese singer and actor, he is part of the pop duo “Tackey & Tsubasa”) and he had a great personality. He kindly teached me how to fold the clothes and how to put some order, and if I have been able to continue to work so long there, it is thanks to him.
Also, during two years, in addition to the clothing shop, I was a waiter in aa restaurant. The deputy head had a hairstyle in the Pompadour style (T.N. : shaved on the sides, long on the top), he was wearing perfecto, had tattoos and went back home everyday riding his Harley Davidson, so his aura was really cool. But at work, he appied himself doing his tasks quietly. Thanks to him, I learnt to be totally devoted to my work, putting aside my personality and my ego.

TOWNWORK
Being able to meet such persons when we have a part time job is a real treasure. But I guess it was difficult to have two jobs at the same time.

SHOU
Right. During the day, I had a part time job in the clothing shop and in the evening, I went to work in the restaurant. Honestly, there were times when I was thinking “I don’t want to go” (little smile). But thinking back to it now, I would like to give the people who are searching for a part time jo at the moment some advice : instead of choosing a job solely according to the salary, it is better to choose it according to what you would be able to learn from this work, what it could give you and what you would like to accomplish.

TOWNWORK
This is something that can only talk about after we have experienced it. Moreover, it is surprising to see that you worked in a mobile phone shop and even more if it was a contract and not a part-time job…

SHOU
For me, it was just the logical continuation of my part-time jobs’ series and the salary was really interesting. But when I worked there, I often had to do some study groups or research sessions. Besides, I had to wear a suit to meet the customers and I had to take all my piercings off and dye my hair black, I didn’t recognize myself.

TOWNWORK
I guess the store was hoping to make you sign a long-term contract sooner or later.

SHOU
Actually, it was a shop that only accepted elites and sales professionals. At that time, I was employed only because staff was lacking (little smile). At first, I was really lax with myself, I was going to work wearing transparent piercings thinking that it would be okay without problems but I was quickly called to order. So that I could stay in the store and serve customers better, they taught me a lot of things, like how to stand up, how to talk and how to greet customers.

« Even if you are scolded, you must never give up before having the chance to redeem yourself. »

TOWNWORK
You must have learned and achieved many things by working in so many places. Are there times when you feel that you are using this experience today in your band?

SHOU
I am constantly making use of this experience. I think that my parents weren’t strict enough regarding my education, so I learnt all I needed to come through in our society thanks to my various jobs.

TOWNWORK
We often have this image of quite strict relations between juniors and seniors within the bands. But regarding you, Shou, who has such a polite voice and really sweet manners, I can’t think of you making anyone angry at you.

SHOU
That’s right, I have never been scolded when I worked with the band. But when I had part-time jobs, I was told twice that « you don’t need to come back anymore ». Once, when I was working for the mobile phone store, I answered the phone but not as I was taught and moreover I gave the customer the wrong number. I have been told of really harshly for that.

TOWNWORK
Since it was nothing but a work that you had started only to save money and to finance your hobbies, I think that you could afford to leave after such kind of unpleasant time…

SHOU
It is because my body and my mind became hardened in high school when I was playing basketball. I thought that if I was scolded and that they gave me the chance to redeem myself, I had to try. If it still didn’t work, then I resigned. Since I kept a low profile all the time and apologized abjectly, they forgave me.
When I was a waiter, I came up at the job interview with black hair. Naively, I thought that everything would be fine then, son on the first day, I showed up with brown hair and with my piercings, and of course they told me « you don’t need to come back » (little smile). But I refused to give up.

TOWNWORK
Having such high spirits allows you to face all small problems of life!

SHOU
I think that it was important. Even my vocal coach was puzzled at first, he told me « what kind of no-talent guy are you? » (little smile). But even though I was inexperienced, I didn’t give up. If you are not afraid of flunking and try again and again for at least two or three months, you will be able to imagine what you want to be in one or two years. That’s why it seemed so important to me.

TOWNWORK
You have been active with A9 for thirteen years and always with the same members, so your words are really convincing.

SHOU
When I seriously started within a band, I felt frustration many times but I always refused to give up. My desire to always want to « look at the future » is my strength. And when we created A9, I was rewarded with members I can really trust and with whom I can go through with my dreams. I fully commit, for those people who work hard at their part time job while pursuing their dreams and for those who hope to find what will make them dream!

Source : https://townwork.net/magazine/serial/c_oretachi/41535/

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