On 1 August evening, Flumpool held their 5^th Anniversary Tour 2014 <Moment> Open Press Conference at Jstage, prior to their first solo concert tour the next day.

On their comeback after a 6 months break, Ryuta Yamamura (Vocalist) expressed his excitement in holding their first solo concert and coming to Singapore once again to meet the fans. The members remained secretive when asked if they had prepared any special performances for the concert.

When asked when was their most memorable moment since debut, Kazuki Sakai (Guitarist) cheerfullly said, “Of course it’s when we come to Singapore!”. Ryuta added that the Budokan concert held in Japan last October was unforgettable, but it was a shame they couldn’t share it with their Singapore fans. Seiji Ogura (Drummer) also added that <Moment> would be special because it’s their first solo concert.

In response to this, Genki Amakawa (Bassist Guitarist) shared, “It was when I received my payment for the first time, (laughs) because my bank account had always been in a negative figure.”

The topic later on switched to choosing a song which represents their journey thus far. Seiji chose Akashi, for it was memorable when he sang with the secondary school choir; as well as during the concert with fans. Both Ryuta and Genki chose their debut song Hana ni Nare. Kazuki initially picked Taisetsu na Mono, but later picked Frame when the members complained that he was not even involved in the shooting of music video for Taisetsu na Mono.

In response to their favorite Singapore food, Ryuta said, “Chili crab! But more so the fried mantou that comes with it, not the crab itself. (Laughs).”

On behalf of the band, Ryuta shares that Flumpool’s style of music has undergone some changes over the years. They started off with a sensitive yet strong image expressed through their lyrics, and later focussed more on band sounds, which showed their maturing and growing side.

When asked about their fourth visit to Singapore and Ryuta’s Mandarin skills, though Ryuta did not exactly answer the question, he delighted the fans by showing off his Mandarin proficiency.

In Mandarin, he said, “The best moment is having a concert with the fans. Our last concert at the café, fans were jumping in front of our stage!”

Kazuki recalls his previous visit where he took a picture with the Merlion, pretending as if he drank the water that came out of the Merlion’s mouth.

In response to their future plans, Ryuta explains they had previously worked with Mayday, the popular Taiwanese alternative rock band. Flumpool was inspired by Mayday, and aspires to become a band that would attract fans in every country.

Before they ended the press conference, Flumpool shared an acoustic live version of Hana ni Nare with their fans who came to support them. In addition, they handed out autographed posters to their fans who have bought Premium VIP tickets to their concert.

Special thanks to ­­­ONE Production for the invitation to this press conference.

Do visit https://www.flickr.com/photos/stararena/sets/72157645686515300/ for more pictures of Flumpool at the press conference.

Written by: Ong Yining