Music production company WACK will hold its fifth overseas concert, WACK in the UK vol.5, at The Underworld live house in London, UK, on Wednesday 26 March 2025 (UK local time). The three groups performing this time are ASP, GANG PARADE and KiSS KiSS. Interviews with these three groups will be posted one by one.

This interview is with GANG PARADE, an 11-member idol group whose theme is ‘a playground for everyone’, and whose fans are collectively known as ‘playmates’. The current 11 members are YAMAMACHIMIKI,YUMENOYUA,CAN GP MAIKA,COCO PARTIN COCO,YUI GA DOCKSON,TSUKINOUSAGI,KILA MAY,CA NON,CHANGBABY, NARUHAWORLD and AINASTAR.

Including their previous groups, Pla2me and POP, they have nearly 150 songs, ranging from WACK’s typical emotional rock to digital-sounding dance tunes and alternative rock.

Their live show in March 2025 will be their second London show. Here is an interview with the 11 members.

-At first, please introduce yourselves one at a time.

YUA: Hi, I’m YUMENOYUA. My member colour is pink. I love music and I am looking forward to the London show. I listen to a lot of rock music and last time I went to London, I also toured live music venues. Nice to meet you.

DOCKSON: Hi, I’m YUI GA DOCKSON. My member colour is white. I love ramen and gorillas and I have read all the Harry Potter books. My favourite spell is ‘Crucio’. I’ve been fascinated by London since I was a little girl and I would love to go to the Platform 9¾.

TSUKINO : Hi, I’m TSUKINOUSAGI, My member colour is light blue. I like make-up and cosmetics and have experienced solo events. I have the loudest voice among the members!

CHANGBABY: Hi, I’m CHANGBABY, My member colour is yellow. I like cute clothes and I produce an apparel called HAPPY BABY CLUB. I have actually lived in Korea before. Nice to meet you.

MAY: Hi, I’m KILA MAY. My member colour is light pink. I love comics and my parents’ house and home are full of them. My e-book data is also about to be full (laughs). I would love to talk with manga lovers from abroad one day.Thanks!

AiNASTAR: Hey, I’m AINASTAR. My member color is purple, which I call “eggplant color”. I love reading books, especially the dark fiction genre called ‘IYAMIS’. I’ve been collecting LOLITA clothes from Liz Lisa recently. Thanks!

NARUHA : Hi, I’m NARUHAWORLD. My member colour is light green. I like eating sweets and watching dramas, and I often put on twin-tails. Thanks!

NON : Hi, I’m CA NON. My member colour is blue. I like writing, walking around the city and enjoying the scenery. I’d like to take a walk abroad to see the cityscape. Thanks!

MIKI: Hi, I’m YAMAMACHIMIKI. My member colour is green. I’m a big Disney fan and I write a column once a week. I’m also into Marvel, but I haven’t got into comics yet, so if you’ve got any recommendations, please let me know. Thanks!

COCO: Hi, I’m COCO PARTIN COCO from Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. My member colour is red. I’m into idols in general and recently I’ve been into K-pop in particular. I’ve loved travelling abroad since I was a child and spent a month at summer school in the USA during the summer holidays when I was in primary school. I love foreign countries in general. Thanks!

MAIKA: Hi, I’m CAN GP MAIKA. My member colour is orange. I love dogs and Japanese idols. I’ve been into Hello! Project since I was a kid and I’m currently doing the choreography for GANG PARADE.Thanks!

-What type of group is GANG PARADE?

TSUKINO: GANG PARADE is an 11-member idol group belonging to WACK. Their concept is ‘a playground for everyone’ and their motto is to create a fun floor for everyone by removing the barriers between the stage and the audience. As the group with the largest number of members in WACK, our performances are characterised by the power of their large numbers. The collective term for their fans is ‘ASOBININ’!

MAIKA: I think we’re more of a variety group, like a zoo than an idol (laughs). Some parts of us might not look like idols, but that’s what makes us stand out. We’re not making it up, we’re just showing our real life size. A dreamlike existence that’s been perfectly completed is great, but we’re known for our muddiness and our life-size humanity. It’s probably similar to reading a boys’ comic book.

-Why did GANG PARADE become such a style group?

TSUKINO: I think the spirit of trying everything is what makes the group unique. We’ve become a diverse group by trying out all kinds of songs, from cute to cool and emo, without being bound by stereotypes.

YUA: I think this open-minded atmosphere is actually something that’s been passed down from BiS, the very first group of WACK. Back then, BiS also shook up idol culture and really valued individual characters. I think this DNA has kind of taken root throughout WACK.

-Why have GANG PARADE had so many unique activities in the past, such as marathons and splits, and why did you take on so many challenges?

COCO: I think that’s a characteristic of early WACK in particular: since the time of BiS, we’ve tried a lot of things that normal girls and idols would never do – both painful and interesting things. I think it was WACK’s way of showing the uncomfortable feeling of these young girls doing these things, their raw emotions and the stories that came out of them, as entertainment.

-Aside from the marathon, what other challenges have you faced that other groups haven’t?

MAIKA: There was a time when We used to do a comedy act where we had to wear pantyhose at our live shows. When we are new to a group, we tend to make up a lot of stuff about yourself. You can’t reveal your true self, and you tend to make up a version of yourself that you want to look like, but it’s easier for people to support you if you show more of your true self. That’s how the tradition of wearing pantyhose was born in GANG PARADE.

COCO: There was sort of a tradition of doing one song while wearing pantyhose.

TSUKINO: When you wear pantyhose, your face gets messed up and you lose the original shape of your face, like a comedian’s one-shot performance. Performing a song like that was a traditional GANG PARADE tradition (laughs).

MAIKA: I feel like we’re all starting to come out of our shells at the moment and focusing on performing the songs.We’ve also tried living on a remote island and going back on a raft.

COCO: I lived for a week in the cosplay of Kyojuro Rengoku from ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba‘(laughs).

NON: I played ‘Doraemon Life’ with Bebi(CHANGBABY) as a punishment. We even lived with school bags on our backs (laughs).

-You value the variety factor.

YUA: GANG PARADE’s songs have many different colours, so introducing this kind of variety element during live performances is like a break from it all. I think it’s because we have so many characters that it’s easier for the audience to feel closer to the members when we do this. It’s a style that other groups don’t have, so I think that’s part of the fun of GANG PARADE.

-Do you feel that GANG PARADE is in a unique position within all of the idol scene?

AiNASTAR: We really stand out when we perform at one-on-one events (laughs). When I was a guest on KiSS KiSS’s two-man tour (“NonFic! × KiSS KiSS 6-City Tour ‘FiCKiSS!’ – October 23, 2024”) before, I had the chance to hear other idols’ impressions of what GANG PARADE looked like for the first time. At that time, the costumes we were wearing were each pink and unique in shape, with shoulders and horns, so they said, ‘That’s a great costume! I was told. I think it was unique from the outside, as most idols these days wear frilly costumes. Furthermore, one of the other groups who saw our rehearsal said, ‘It looks like a musical’. I think our style looks fresh given the recent trends in the idol scene.

DOCKSON: The way we get pumped up before a live show is also unique compared to other groups. It’s not like, ‘Let’s go for it!’ but like, ‘Let’s do it!’ more like a warrior before a fight. We’re prepared to fall down, and if we fall down, we’re prepared to help.

TSUKINO: “What are you going to do? Are you going to fight?” (Laughs).

DOCKSON: But I think that’s the essence of who we are.All we can use as weapons are our souls and bodies, so in order for the audience to enjoy our music, I think we have to be prepared to die in order to get through to them.That’s why we shout at each other when we get into the spirit of the show. It’s not pretty at all (laughs). (laughs). We shout from the bottom of our bellies to get into the spirit of the show.

-GANG PARADE has a lot of songs, but can you tell us what song you want us to listen to first?

TSUKINO: I recommend ‘Yakudou’! From the intro, the music starts with a strong Japanese element that sounds like ‘Japanese sound’, but the chorus is a very exciting tune and very fun to listen to. The choreography was made by MAIKA and it’s really cool.

MAIKA: The music video for ‘Yakudou’ can be seen on YouTube; it has a particularly strong Japanese element among GANG PARADE’s works, and the choreography was created with the atmosphere of walking around wearing a kimono. This song is visually enjoyable, so please check it out!

NON: I would ‘ROCK wo Tomeruna!!’ to recommend it. It’s a song released last year, and GANG PARADE is a group that has a quality that has remained unchanged throughout their long activities. I think the parts of the group that haven’t adapted to the times are conversely attractive, and the parts that haven’t changed are really wonderful. I feel that this is also expressed in this song. When we performed this song in London, I felt that there was something that was delivered through this song that was beyond words and borders. I still remember the moment when I made eye contact with the audience and shared it with them.

AiNASTAR: I would also like you to listen to ‘PassioGila’! This song was released at the same time as ‘ROCK wo Tomeruna!! ’ and in Japan it was particularly popular at one-on-one events and soon became a regular song at our live shows. We often get comments like ‘I liked that song’ from people who have heard it for the first time. I’d like you to give it a listen!

-Once GANG PARADE has performed in London, can you tell us about the response and atmosphere of actually performing abroad?

YUA: I was very happy to be able to experience directly that people were really waiting for us, genuinely. Not only from people who live there, but also from other countries in Europe. I realised that there are listeners and ASOBININ outside of Japan. It was a wonderful experience to be able to deliver GANG PARADE’s music and performance directly to them, and being able to get closer to the audience in the space of a live house made me think that more people might come to like GANG PARADE’s music. When I thought about the possibility of GANG PARADE’s music reaching the people around me, it gave me hope for the future that I want to increase the number of even more ASOBININ overseas.

MAY: I was really impressed by the audience’s reaction when we performed live. I think there are many barriers, such as not being able to understand the language or the lyrics. But I was very impressed by the smiles on the audience’s faces. There is a style of live performance where people get excited and enthusiastic, and there is a style where people watch intently, but I think the reaction of people smiling is the most wonderful reaction to what we are doing. It was very impressive to see that this is still felt even in different countries and cultures.

-What kind of enjoyment do most people get from GANG PARADE’s live shows?

MAY: At GANG PARADE’s live performances, the most people dance with us. We have the concept of a ‘playground for everyone’, so many of our choreographies can be done together. Of course, there are songs that we show, but basically there are many songs that create a sense of togetherness with the audience, so I think that naturally there are more people dancing.Photography and video recording are allowed at GANG PARADE’s live, so some people take photos with big cameras, while many others enjoy themselves freely! . It’s characterised by a freestyle feel.

-And also, the glow stick that wrap around your arms are a unique features of the GANG PARADE live show.

COCO: Yes, that’s right!　They use a glow stick called a band light that wraps around their wrist, which shines in the colour of their favourite member, and then they dance together. You don’t see this very often in other groups. The advantage is that both hands are free, so it is easier to move your body.

TSUKINO: We are often told that it is indeed groundbreaking, but at first it didn’t take root at all. But now it’s become a very popular thing, and it’s what people think of when they think of GANG PARADE live shows!

YUA：At first, there was a bit of resistance, because the other groups in WACK had more of a rock element and didn’t really have the ‘idol-ness’ of waving psylliums. But I’m glad we took the risk to incorporate it. As a result, I think the enjoyment of the live show has expanded.

MAIKA: In GANG PARADE’s live performances, we have the opportunity to perform in many different places, such as outdoors and in live houses. In every place, the band lights make the whole venue feel united. The views are so beautiful.

-You are holding your second London show in March.

MIKI: I think there were many people who saw GANG PARADE for the first time last time, and I was impressed that they enjoyed themselves freely and as they liked.This time, I want to make sure that we show them how much more fun it can be if we enjoy ourselves in this way in our performance.The language barrier is a big one, and it’s not always possible to directly communicate everything we want to say and everything they want to say, but that’s why I hope we can break through the barriers and communicate through our performance in a live performance. I also get the impression that many people from overseas come to live houses for fun rather than to see the artists, and it would be great if they happened to see us live and felt that the group was interesting.To achieve this, we want to be conscious of conveying our personal side – ‘This is the kind of group we are’ – at our live performances. As a result, I think it would be wonderful if we could become the kind of group that people can confidently tell their friends, ‘The idol I like is GANG PARADE’.

-For example, a comedy with English might be interesting.

YUA: It might be good to think about it from a different perspective and approach from Japan.

DOCKSON: I think that if we tried to feature a bit of creative parody, it would be enjoyed by people from overseas as well.

-Lastly, could you give a message to our readers, one by one?

YUA: I think the best way to get a sense of GANG PARADE’s live show is to see them in person. We are planning to go to London this year, and we will continue to do our best so that we can go to other places as well! If there are any shows near you, I would be very happy if you could come and play with us. While we can’t go to live shows, you can listen to a lot of our songs on streaming services and watch videos, so I hope you can feel closer to GANG PARADE. We are looking forward to seeing you at the live one day!

DOCKSON: Many people overseas may not yet be familiar with idol culture, but GANG PARADE’s music can be easily listened to on Apple Music and subscription services. There is a wide range of genres, from hard to cute, so I want to say, ‘Think you’ve been tricked, give it a listen!’ I would say. Life with a favourite is really fun. We hope you will find your favourite member among the 11 and support them!

TSUKINO: At our last London concert, we were able to meet many different people, some of whom were seeing us for the first time and others who had been waiting for us for a long time. It was also our first overseas performance, so we went to the live with a feeling of ‘nice to meet you’, but this second time we want to make the live more relaxed and feel more close to each other!　We hope to see you at a live show sometime soon!

CHANGBABY, This time, we are scheduled to perform in London in March, but we believe that there are ASOBININ in other countries as well. We will continue to do our best in Japan to spread GANG PARADE further around the world!　We have a wide range of song genres, and you can see our large group performance on TikTok and other social networking sites, so please check us out!

MAY: GANG PARADE’s live shows are a ‘playground’ that involves everyone, no matter what country you’re from or if it’s your first time. We want people to feel a sense of togetherness at the live show, and if you feel that going to a live show is too much of a hurdle, please try watching live videos on the internet first!　You can take photos, so many people have uploaded videos. If you get the impression from that this is the kind of live performance then I would like you to go and see it in person!

AINASTAR: When I spoke to fans at the last London show, I was really happy that they had learnt Japanese and told me that they were listening to a lot of our songs. I haven’t had much exposure to foreign music and films since I was a child, so when I studied English, I realised how difficult it is! That’s why I’m very happy that you read this article and tried to get to know GANG PARADE. I will continue to do my best on SNS and other media so that many people can get to know us, and I hope to meet you at a live show sometime in the future!

NARUHA: We will be performing overseas for the second time in March, and we want to give a live performance that conveys the appeal of GANG PARADE even more. Just a little, If you think this group looks interesting, please come and see us!　We will do our best so that we can go abroad more too, so please come and see us.

NON: I am usually in the position of having fans come to see me, so I was really happy to meet the people who were waiting for me the last time I went to London. It was very impressive to be able to meet in person the people who wanted to see me, even though we were speaking different languages and at different times. I would like to keep going to meet everyone around the world and spread GANG PARADE’s ‘playground’ more and more!

MIKI : If you’ve read this far, I’m glad if you’re interested in GANG PARADE even a little! Our music has so many different genres, our members are so unique and each performance is full of highlights. I hope to visit you all one day and deliver our music eye-to-eye. Until then, please listen to GANG PARADE’s music.

COCO: GANG PARADE is a group with a rather strange name (laughs), but inside they are all very attractive members. The last time we performed in London, it was a really valuable experience for me to realise that there are people actually listening to GANG PARADE there. There are various barriers such as language and distance, but I believe that music has the power to break through these barriers. We will continue to do our best to perform live to reach as many people as possible!

MAIKA: The last time we performed in London, I definitely felt a language barrier, but I realised that we could communicate with each other through singing and dancing. To everyone who reads this article, please try to experience Japanese idol culture through GANG PARADE. Japanese idol culture is really deep and interesting, and I would be very happy if you like it!

INTERVIEW：Hiroo Nishizawa
Photo：Yuki Ohashi

■Live information

WACK in the UK Vol. 5
DATE: Wed. 26th Mar. 2025
OPEN: 7PM
VENUE: The Underworld (London)
APPEARANCE : KiSS KiSS,ASP and GANG PARADE

General Tickets: £30 (Entry from 7pm)
VIP Upgrade Ticket: £120 – strictly limited. It includes:
· Light lunch with the members
· Cheki photo with group of choice
· Cheki photo with member of choice (plus autograph)
· Exclusive T-shirt (Japanese XL size)
· Early entry to the show.
· VIP ticket holders do not need to purchase a general entry ticket.
To upgrade via DICE please purchase a general ticket, then log into your DICE account and choose the upgrade option.
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Timetable:
12:30 – VIP light lunch and cheki event
14:00 – Cheki ticket sale begins for general ticket holders.
14:30 – General cheki event
18:30 – VIP early entry
19:00 – General entry
19:30 – KiSS KiSS
20:20 – ASP
21:10 – GANG PARADE
22:00 – End
About Cheki event:
Cheki are a type of polaroid style photo that is popular in Japan. The VIP ticket already includes 2 cheki opportunities. Further opportunities, as well as opportunities for general ticket holders, will be available by purchasing cheki tickets from the mech stand. Each cheki ticket purchased will allow for one cheki to be taken with a member of the ticket holder’s choice.

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