Full Power For Every Show: DAMNED Interview on Soon Touring Europe

After DAMNED hogged the limelight at the 2MAN LIVE BATTLE “Kyōmei” [2MAN LIVE BATTLE【共鳴】] of fellow Visual-kei band BLAZE, we sat down with the band members for an easygoing interview. The group had just celebrated their third band anniversary and are soon heading to Europe. What better time to speak about the band’s history and expectations for their DAMNED 2025 Europe Tour “JUKAI”?

EN.CORE ROCKS:

Could you quickly introduce yourselves?

Sakura:

I’m Sakura, the bassist of DAMNED. I love dogs.

Kou.:

I’m Kou., guitarist. I love motorcycles.

Hitone:

I’m Hitone, the vocalist. I love insects.

Suica:

I’m Suica, guitarist. I love girls.

Masaya:

I’m Masaya, the drummer. I love gambling and horse racing.

Hitone:

And as a band, we’ve just celebrated our third anniversary!

EN.CORE ROCKS:

In 2024, your line-up changed with two new members, Hitone and Suica, joining DAMNED. How did you meet?

Sakura:

Suica was actually a member of my very first band.

Hitone:

And I was invited by Sakura to join DAMNED.

Sakura:

When I first heard his voice, I immediately thought, »He has to do Visual-kei.«

EN.CORE ROCKS:

Good choice.

Sakura:

[laughs]

Hitone:

Thank you.

EN.CORE ROCKS:

You started out with the project name VELTRO and then changed to DAMNED. How did you choose that new name?

Sakura:

We actually got the name from the Japanese card game Duel Masters.

Kou.:

We knew we wanted something that started with the letter ›D‹.

Sakura:

In Japan, words that start with ›D‹ or have a strong, punchy sound are really popular and said to stick in people’s minds. So we were trying to come up with a cool word beginning with ›D‹, and remembered there’s a card called ›DAMNED‹ in Duel Masters.

Kou.:

It’s a strong card.

Sakura:

And the way ›DAMNED‹ looks and sounds gives off a powerful impression, which we liked right away.

EN.CORE ROCKS:

You’ve mentioned that you celebrated your third anniversary. Where do you think you will be three years from now?

Suica:

Three years from now, I hope I’ll be able to make a living solely from music.

Sakura:

Yeah, Suica’s dream is to focus entirely on music.

EN.CORE ROCKS:

You’ve recently collaborated with CAZQUI. How did that happen? How did you meet and how did you decide to write a song together?

Sakura:

Kou. loves CAZQUI. He’s the musician he respects the most. We actually met him by chance. I was working part-time at a convenience store, and CAZQUI would sometimes come in. One day, he asked me, »Are you in a Visual-kei band?«

EN.CORE ROCKS:

Did you already look like a Visual-kei band member? What did you look like back then? The hair, the tattoos, the piercings, …

Sakura:

Just like now.

EN.CORE ROCKS:

I see. That’s why he asked.

Kou.:

And as a band, we met him at an event called MADPIT.

Hitone:

That was about two years ago.

Kou.:

At MADPIT, JILUKA, Nocturnal Bloodlust, and DAMNED all performed. That’s how we got close and decided to collaborate.

EN.CORE ROCKS:

So far, DAMNED only released a couple of singles. When can we expect your first album?

Kou.:

We definitely want to make an album!

Hitone:

Maybe before the European tour …

Sakura:

No, that’s impossible with the costs right now.

Kou.:

But we’d love to make a compilation album of everything since 2024, since Hitone joined, plus two or three new songs.

Sakura:

Maybe next year. We could release a ›best of‹ album. In Japan, though, a lot of listeners prefer singles over albums, which is why we’ve released so many. But we know that overseas fans usually like albums, so it’s something we’re considering.

EN.CORE ROCKS:

Do you think this tendency changed because of streaming services?

Sakura:

Yes, definitely.

EN.CORE ROCKS:

Your style is very reminiscent of older Visual-kei bands that a lot of us grew up with. Is that a choice? Are you inspired by these bands?

Hitone:

We like DIR EN GREY. And Sakura and Suica like the GazettE.

Sakura:

And Kou. likes Nocturnal Bloodlust and lynch..

Hitone:

Yeah, so like bands that were popular in the 2000s.

EN.CORE ROCKS:

Same.

EN.CORE ROCKS:

Do you think the Visual-kei scene has changed compared to the early 2000s? Is it different?

Sakura:

With the rise of social media, the distance between bands and fans has gotten much smaller.

Hitone:

Older Visual-kei bands had this larger-than-life charisma. These days, bands feel a bit more business-like.

Sakura:

But at the same time, they’ve become more approachable. Because we can interact more directly with fans, it feels a lot closer now.

EN.CORE ROCKS:

You’ve already made your overseas debut with Madmans Esprit earlier this year. What is your favorite memory of your overseas concert?

Hitone:

I ate hongeo hoe, a Korean traditional dish, together with the members of Madmans Esprit. It’s a bad smelling dish …

EN.CORE ROCKS:

What do you look forward to the most with your upcoming Europe tour?

Hitone:

Food and drinks.

Suica:

European beer.

Sakura:

The energy. I’ve heard European fans are really passionate, so I’m excited to experience that for myself.

Masaya:

Gambling. And European food, of course.

Sakura:

Masaya can get pretty intense when it comes to gambling.

Kou.:

I want to check out the motorcycles in Europe.

EN.CORE ROCKS:

Is there anything you’re worried about regarding your Europe tour?

Sakura:

The language barrier.

Hitone:

I’m also a little worried that Suica might gets super homesick.

Sakura:

Yeah, he’s really timid.

Hitone:

And then, there’s the exchange rate and customs to think about.

Sakura:

The yen is so weak right now.

EN.CORE ROCKS:

Yeah, that’s great for me at the moment, but not so much for you guys.

DAMNED:

[laugh]

Kou.:

By the way, can you only pay by card in Europe?

Hitone:

No, you can use cash too. If I remember right, it’s actually in places like Africa, China, or Taiwan where cash isn’t really used anymore.

EN.CORE ROCKS:

Is there anything you’d like to see when you’re in Europe? Cities or landmarks?

Sakura:

Churches. I love world history.

Hitone:

In Poland, I want to visit [the game studio] CD PROJEKT RED.

Suica:

Fully packed venues.

Kou.:

I’d love to see some historic towns and architecture.

EN.CORE ROCKS:

As a last thing, is there anything you would like to say to European fans?

Suica:

I look way cooler in real life.

Hitone:

And I sound way better in person, too.

Kou.:

We’ll bring our full power to everyone of our shows, so bring your best energy too!

Sakura:

If a lot of people come to our shows in Europe, we’ll definitely be back again. I promise!

Masaya:

I’m going to eat everything I can and come back fat.

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We are thanking DAMNED and Killing Daze Management for making this interview possible—and are very much looking forward to the DAMNED 2025 Europe Tour “JUKAI”!