March 13th 2003: I will update this page soon. I haven't because I lost the password. ^_^; Sorry for the wait, and thanks to everyone for a million emails on when I will update again.

カリフォニアでB'zはPVを作りました。　まつもとさんはとても優しい人ですよ！　まつもとさんは、”俺は大スター”と言いました。　SMAPが好きだったと私が彼に伝えた時、彼はそれらがまた好きだったと言いました。　こんしさんに話しませんでした。　一晩中こんしさんは腹を立てたように見えた、私は理由を分かりません。 このページはリンックフリーですよ！　しかし、写真を取ってないでください。まもなくもっと写真を見せます。　あなたはB'zについてサイトがあれば、私にリンクを上げて、私はこのページに含みます。　どうもありがとう！　バネシャーより

At first, I found out about B'z doing a video shoot on the JpopMusic forums on the net. There wasn't much information, just the basic link to the video registration and that was it. I submitted my name and email and waited for them to get hold of me. Taping would be on the 12th, a Wednesday and after delay emails, I got a final one Tuesday morning.... Needless to say, MUCH short notice. But I was very determine to go, I mean, It's B'z.. To get that chance to see them perform, is RARE but to be in their video is a chance of a lifetime. Driving to Los Angles, is no real big deal. I usually go for concerts and big shopping trips. I kid you not. ^_^; For me, the trip is at least 7 hours on a decent day. I had left with my Dad. The ever kind soul in this trip, since he drove most of the way and tolerated both Maki Goto's and Aya Matsuura's new cds. Bless him. We were at least one hour from getting into LA, when there was a landslide and the freeway was closed up. It was more tragic, than what I'm making of it. I wanted to wait, thinking they would open it up, after cleaning it up. My Dad had the idea that the way we could make it into LA, was going back to Bakersfield and starting in that direction. He said it would take an additional 4 hours. X_x.... I'm telling you, My Dad's a hero, I slept, he drove. We didn't even make it into LA until late 6pm. X_x... We got to the place we were going to stay at, and I took a shower and got my hair done, which would prove to be a waste, because of the weather. At around 8 we got to the venue. The Orpheum is rather beautiful, but the neighbor it was in, was a totally different story. Oh man... At 8 there was only one couple in front of the place, who snubbed me, when I asked what time they were going to start. She said, "Oh your not here, to see B'z are you??" In this tone, because I guess B'z can't have minorities as fans. ^^;;; Oh well. I told her I was and left to kill time. My and my Dad were looking at the older building and found a permit of the video taped inside this church. INSIDE THIS CHURCH. It had the basic outline of the video and what would be going on. I took it, read it and went back to talk to the couple. The man was eager to what I had to say, and the girl just stood there and blew me off. More people were showing up, all pretty much Asian's. X_X. I then had my first encounter with a paid extra, she was blonde and tall and looked very out of place and I asked her if she came alone. God that sounds so WRONG, but I just wanted to know, because it's a poor neighborhood. She said she did and was glad to see another Paid. What is it with people and not believing I'm a B'z fan??? I told her, I wasn't a paid extra, and she was cool with it. She thought B'z was a new American group and said her Boyfriend took the message on the phone and hadn't a clue what was going on. I showed her the permit I had taken from the church and she filled me in on all the showbizzy type words like "Waterdown" which she she was thrilled, because she gets paid extra when she gets wet. O_O. And then another girl showed up alone. We took pity on her because it looked like she was having a seizure when she saw the B'z sign. Her name was Yumi and she was so pretty.. She stood out because she had a thick lisp and tried to explain she though all this was a joke. Because B'z is so big, why would they randomly flim a video here. We then filled Catherine the paid extra as to how famous they were. At this point she had stars in her eyes because this means the video will be played everywhere. It's like 10 now and someone finally comes out of the building with a message, this Black man with a short Asian came out and said the typical, "everyone is happy to see a good turn out and how they will be setting up soon" and then stopped and said thinking his mic was off, "What's the group called?" And the Asian lady said "B'z?" and he asked "Like Bee's?" and everyone laughed. The street is closed and they asked all these extras to move across the street while they set up the cameras and clean the street. They did this and this took forever. FOREVER. (Really. It was forever.) We watched and waited for a glisp of B'z. All the paid extra's were called aside. These extra's stood out, because they were bored. And dressed like they were going to a rave. X_x... And they carried with them additional outfits. Catherine told me this is normal, because the director will check out your outfits and ask you to chance if he doesn't like it. They go inside, Catherine grabs me and I go inside the Orpheum. O_O. B'z is IN THERE. On stage filming. Gaaaaaaaah. My first shot of B'z and their inside filming the pair talking. All the extra sit, watch and ar e bored. Catherine comments on how pretty Inaba is. I told her, he use to be a Math Teacher and we make crude comments on how we never got to have such a sexy Math Teacher. B'z takes a break and are just sitting there, starting at the extra and the extra's stare back. Not even aware how lucky they are. I bust out my camera, take a picture and every single person is on my back and they take me outside. Wai.. Matsumoto laughs and Inaba is just staring. Poor guy, he looks good but didn't have much personality. I go outside and wait forever, because they're still setting up the camera. And after much time, they tell everyone to shut up, because their filming this shot where this Truck drives up with police escorts and they did this numerous times. And then they take everything apart and we wait some more. These groups of Japanese ladies with cameras begin to film people, one had their camera covered with a sweater, another had her's out. I'm shocked because no one cared. While to me, that just screamed live additional DVD footage. After much waiting, it's raining off and on and did I mention it was deathly QUIET. O_O. You think they would play the song so we can know the words and get ready for when B'z comes out. But no. Real QUIET and very boring when they set up lights, the Truck and clean the street a bit. I didn't have a watch, so I've lost all sense of time. All I know, is that it's wet, cold and LATE. Very late and everyone is getting angsty. This Japanese lady comes out and talks to everyone in Japanese and the director asks where is the guy who flew out from Japan and this guy timidly raises his hand and everyone claps for him. He's a diehard fan. Who could resist that? Then there are some jokes to these ladies in bizarre hats. And more time is wasted waiting. Then after setting up, they ask everyone to go to the front of the theater and pretend we're waiting for the theater to open, I see Catherine the extra and she said B'z thought I was turned to the authorities because I had a camera. LOL. They talked about me!! So after being yelled at to shut up, they asked us to do a practice take. We would look inside the theater, waiting for it to open up, the Truck will drive up with the band on it, we'll turn around and see B'z and run like lunatics and watch them perform outside. Heh. B'z... Tricking the fans. So we did the practice take and it was sad. No one but a handful of die hards ran to the front of the Truck. The director gets pissed. Screams at everyone some more. The Japanese lady comes out and talks to everyone in Japanese again. They ask us all to move back and try it again. They played a bit of the music and everyone ran. Of course, everyone gets to the front and no one is busting out the moves. The director screams some more and we get back up front. I think we do it one more time. Which was better, because he says he's going to bring the band out. The director screams at everyone to turn around and not look and the Truck goes away, then comes back and pulls in with B'z on it. A female guitar player and a white drummer. Everyone runs like hell and let me tell you something... I have been to MUCH concerts and have been in mosh pits and have gotten beaten and almost strangled. Them Japanese people are freaks! Those little guys are strong as hell and determine to get in the front. Everyone was pushing and peace signs were in the air. The director stops and asks us to go back in our place and do it again. The second time, I note the ladies in the crowd are being cute and freaking out and doing their fan girl thing. So we do it a second time, and don't even make it to the front, because a large group trip on the wet street and everyone falls on them and such on.. They're still filming, so that was weird. BIG gap in front of the Truck, I could imagine. After they take, girls wouldn't go back to their place in front of the Theater and are trying to talk to the singer, who looks like he doesn't want to be there. He doesn't even LOOK down to the crowd. Matsumoto throws out his pick to the crowd and tries to shake a few hands. He's a good guy, I took a picture of him looking at me. Waiiiiiii. More takes and their noticing my camera and ask me to put it away. X_x... They now doing separate filming of the sides, I make sure to get in both groups and get filmed on both sides. I'm shameless like that!! More takes and it's basically the same thing over and over. Towards the end, Inaba starts to shake hands and tries to touch the girls who seem to reach endlessly to touch him. The Japanese lady is filming the female Guitar player, talking to one of the crew members who is telling her she is hot and she's clueless and asks "HOT? HOT!!!????" Lucky bastard, he gets to be on additional DVD footage. I'd tell her she was hot, only she was wearing a purple tutu. Couldn't get pass that. Anyway, their were more takes of their "live" performance, and it's rather boring, after doing the same thing 10 times. A white van pulls up and is waiting for B'z to step in, and then three blonde extra's showing skin were pushing some of the Japanese girls to get the attention of Inaba or Matsumoto.. Matsumoto shakes them off and tries to make some contact with the Japanese girls before leaving. He's a good guy. Much love to him. After they leave, which they were only at the corner in an alley way. The director says he's going to show everyone what they were filming and says thanks and stuff. So I leave after that. I didn't want to be there when they were showing what they filmed, because I know I will stand out like nothing else, cause I took pictures while they were filming. O_O. So I'll wait, till it comes out and I'll let you know if you see me, or if you see a girl with a camera. Yeah. That's me. Overall. Music Video filming is very boring and takes much time and setting up and many takes. I never appreciate crowd scenes or anything like that, but that sure was a lot of work, so I'll appreciate them more. B'z owns. And Inaba should interact with the fans more. Don't know what his problem was. Matsumoto being the GOD that he is, didn't even HAVE to interact with fans, but he was real considerate and was out to make anyone's day. The Japanese fans are hard core and rowdy in the crowd signs. So quiet at first and then shamelessly violent at the end of the night. I had fun, it was well worth the drive. If you went, send in your own comments, or if you have any questions, hit me up at this email address or aim! My SN is: VanessaAyukawa . Thanks for reading this, hope you don't mind to much my insane long babble.