It all started 20 years ago…I admired Imawano Kiyoshiro! Hidehiko Ishizuka of “Honjamaka” reveals his “unknown band activities

Hello, everyone. When I am waiting at a traffic light, I always think to myself, “Something good will happen when the light turns green in 10 seconds,” and when it really turns green in 10 seconds, I feel happy.

Now, I would like to write about my little-known band activities.

It all started at a bar in Shimokitazawa.

It all started about 20 years ago. I had a vague idea that I wanted to be a vocalist in a band, so I asked the master of a bar in Shimokitazawa, Mr. Masai, about it.

Mr. Masai had worked with my idol, Imawano Kiyoshiro, and hosted regular live performances at a live house called “440” in Shimokitazawa. Combined with his great career, he was very much admired by the artists in Shimokitazawa.

Upon my consultation, Masai-san immediately gathered a guitarist, bass player, and drummer. The band members and I practiced together in a studio rented by the hour and performed live. We wrote many original songs while copying “RC Succession” and other songs.

I was able to write lyrics because I was also a contralto writer, but I could not compose. How can I tell the members the melody that comes into my head?　Please don’t worry. I have a savior in the form of the Nintendo DS software “Dai-Goso! Band Brothers” software for the Nintendo DS.

I would type the melody that popped into my head one note at a time into the software, and it would make it into a single song. It was like a member of the band. I asked the members to listen to the songs I created on the DS and played them live. Thus, songwriting and songwriting activities were added to my profile.

An emotional event that happened at a rock festival

It was Seishiro who was my role model for singing. One day, when my love for Seishiro was deepening day by day, I had an opportunity to meet Mr. Shinji Miyake, who had been working with Seishiro. Mr. Miyake was performing solo at a live concert organized by the aforementioned Mr. Masai.

When I sang “Ameagari no Yozora ni” (In the Night Sky After the Rain) at the rehearsal, Miyake-san asked me, “Do you like RC, Ishi-chan? He spoke to me, “Do you like RC, Ishi-chan? I only exchange phone numbers with Debutare, but with Mr. Miyake, I did immediately.

After that, I was invited to Mr. Miyake’s live concerts, released the song “I’m Smiling,” and accelerated my musical activities. When Miyazaki’s cattle and pigs were affected by foot-and-mouth disease, Mr. Miyake, who is from Miyazaki Prefecture, and I, who love Miyazaki beef, together with Mr. Yamazaki and Mayoshi Yamazaki, launched the “Rock Festival of Hope and Sunshine” in order to help in any way we could.

Many big artists participated in this festival, but what moved me the most was being able to sing “Slow Ballad” with the performance of everyone who came to build the stage behind Mr. Seishiro.

Despite the rain forecast, there were no rain clouds over the stage. One of the staff members started laughing as he looked at the rain cloud radar on his cell phone, so I asked him to show me the screen. We all laughed, thinking it was Seishiro, who loves hearts.

The festival is still going on, so please come and join us. Also, I have formed a band called “Overols” with Mr. Miyake, Great Maekawa, and my son Kosaku. I look forward to working with you as well.

From the May 30, 2025 issue of FRIDAY