. Everybody say ‘Narnac’ in Europe 2025⑧!” Honestly, it’s doing my head in!
My iPhone 12 mini’s acting up—screen’s almost completely blacked out. Need to get a replacement, but I’m stuck inside with possible infection symptoms. So, nothing much to do except meditate and look forward to “Squid Game 3” airing end of June. Bloody hell, it’s tough!
Morrissey! So sleepy! Sorry, but here comes the usual warning.
Just gonna say it: This blog is written solely by yours truly (Paris!? Kuriwara the Sheriff), full of bias and random thoughts. Consider yourself warned.
Reminder/Warning: This blog is as addictive as Twitter, Instagram, LINE, Mixi, FB, you name it. If you’re busy, don’t even bother. If you’re not busy, still, don’t bother. Breaking the rules could mess up your life, and I’m not responsible for that. So, after all that—still wanna read this? What are you even thinking, mate? “Fable! Fable!” (Scroll down, scroll down…) MISAKI-CHAN! AIM DOT! Extinct birds, innit!?
Anyway, diary date: 20250420! Chorissu! Let’s get pumped!
After surviving MPF Day 2 and Kuriwara’s near-death experience, staying at a different Airbnb from KAZ and Gaku, I’m dead chuffed I don’t have to drive for a bit. Now, it’s a 2-night, 3-day trip to Liverpool—no tour, just pure fun!
Been deep in the Beatles rabbit hole for half a year to a year. As soon as the tour was confirmed, I knew Liverpool was a must. Thought getting there from Manchester would be a doddle—only about 50km, right? But no, massive rail works meant I had to hop on a train, then a bus, then another train. Bit of a pickle, so I switched to a coach last minute. Turns out, you can go straight from Manchester Coach Station to Liverpool One—brilliant, innit?
Stayed at a lovely, cheap Airbnb—clean, comfy, and the lock was a right faff, but the host helped me out. That’s the charm of a guesthouse, yeah?
Bus stop’s a 3-min walk. Even if you get the wrong bus, you’ll end up near Manchester Coach Station—lovely city, can’t say it enough! At the terminal, two young lads were harmonising “Blackbird.” Absolutely mint. Made me realise, “Blimey, I’ve come a long way from Japan!”
Showed my QR ticket, waited for the bus. Stopped at Manchester Airport, then on to Liverpool. Realised I haven’t even explained why I’m obsessed with The Beatles. It’d take ages, but here goes.
No band is untouched by The Beatles. They’re up there with Mozart and Bach, honestly. Everything bands do now—writing songs, gigs, music videos—The Beatles started it all. Back in the day, you needed a songwriter and a lyricist, but The Fab Four changed everything.
Plus, their stories and antics are wild. Even after 50 years since they split, new books and films keep coming out. It’s mad, innit?
Liverpool lads, all born within 5km of each other, changing the world from the 60s onwards—proper legendary. Everything about The Beatles is a story.
On the bus, I dozed off. Woke up just before Liverpool—the city in full view! “Blimey, this is where The Beatles grew up!” Atmosphere’s spot on.
First stop: Liverpool College of Art. Took some snaps—this is where John, Stuart Sutcliffe (Quarrymen, early Beatles), and Cynthia Lennon studied. Stuart was John’s mate, died at 21, but shaped The Beatles’ look and name. Cynthia’s famous, so I’ll skip that.
Got off the bus, headed to the hotel. Liverpool’s a port city, proper chilly. Hotel’s on Mathew Street—right in the heart of the nightlife. Checked in, sorted myself out, and hit the town.
Staying two nights, so feeling relaxed. Only done two UK shows so far, so it’s a proper solo adventure. First, River Mersey! You know, “Mersey Beat” and all that. Absolutely buzzing!
Mersey Beat magazine was started by Bill Harry, mate of John and Stuart. DIY spirit, proper punk before punk. This story alone is worth three bowls of rice, I swear!
Near the Mersey: The Beatles Story and the Beatles statue—must-see, innit? Spent four hours at The Beatles Story, saw the statue, rode the Ferris wheel. By then, it was about 5pm.
Back to the hotel, searched for dinner, found “COSMO”—all-you-can-eat buffet. Proper feast! Bought some undies, did a recce for The Cavern Club (292 Beatles gigs!) and the museum.
Almost got scammed by someone offering to take my photo—story for another day.
Liverpool was a proper treat—The Beatles, luxury, and a break from tour chaos. Weirdly, hardly ever see other Japanese or Asians on tour. Just me, in a foreign land, feeling a bit sentimental—makes you appreciate home, doesn’t it?
Anyway, that’s it for today. Cheers for reading, mate!
Adultery? Never… But I Can’t Stop This Feeling! Everybody Say Nanac in Europe 2025⑦ Oh, give it a rest, will you!
Still feeling absolutely rubbish (might even be some sort of infection), and now my iPhone 12 mini is about to kick the bucket too.
Ahh, not that it matters, but Rina Chinen is just too cute for words…
You know that saying, “I wouldn’t even mind if she was in my eye”? That’s exactly how I feel. Honestly, thinking about Chinen-san, I can only sleep from 9pm to about 8am. Tragic, right?
And another thing—not that it matters, but will I ever get to see Yuki-chan from the Cat Bed again…?
I handed out flyers at Takadanobaba Station for four years and three months, just hoping to meet Yuki-chan…
I even put my mobile number on those flyers. But the only calls I ever got were prank calls or student loan companies—nothing good.
Ahh, I wish I could be the mouse or chair Yuki-chan uses with her PC. Just thinking about her, I can only sleep from 10pm to 9am. It’s rough!
Honestly, no matter how much times change, it’s impossible to suppress your feelings for someone, isn’t it?
I mean, even Van Gogh only sold one painting while he was alive…
What is love, eh?
Absolutely knackered.
My health’s at an all-time low—two weeks of asthma and a constant low fever. Didn’t even realise I had a cold. That’s a bit mad, isn’t it?
Sorry, but here comes the usual warning.
Let me just say this, as a word of caution: This blog is written entirely at the whim and prejudice of yours truly (Paris!! Sheriff Kurihara). It’s all a bit random, really.
Just a reminder, but here’s the warning: This blog, much like Twitter, Instagram, LINE, Mixi, and FB, is highly addictive. So, if you’ve got time to spare, or even if you don’t, maybe give it a miss if you’re busy.
Despite repeated warnings, some people just can’t stick to the rules and end up messing up their personal lives. I can’t be held responsible for that, so you’ve been warned.
So, let me ask you again: After all this, are you really going to keep reading? You must be thinking, “What on earth is this guy on about?”
The final on 16 May is over, the 21 May WALL and 24 May NUTTY’S shows are done, but the asthma and high fever just won’t quit. I’m a total mess.
Still, every person I meet gives me a bit of love and energy, but by the time I’m on the train home, I’m basically a zombie.
But honestly, every single event means more to me these days. Even if it sounds a bit dramatic.
In that sense, social media can be a handy tool, can’t it?
Not really feeling this vibe, but for all the maniacs who look forward to this blog, I’ve got to keep updating!
For now, when I’m mentally and physically exhausted, AGE OF KID’s “Purple Rain” just hits different. Give it a listen!
So, let’s look back, starting from the end of MPF Day 1 on 18 April 2025!
Strangely, I can remember it all so clearly.
Manchester is just a brilliant city.
It’s a mix of modern and medieval gothic design, and if you get out of the city centre, you find these classic British streets—absolutely full of charm.
After the first day of MPF, KAZ, Manabu and I stayed at a hotel arranged by MPF, but I ended up in a triple room all on my own.
(KAZ and Manabu were staying in Manchester for four days, so they had a different place.)
Oh, and by the way, hotels in the UK don’t have toothbrushes. Same in Liverpool, so just keep that in mind.
After travelling from London the day before, finally having a shower and a bed after two days was enough to make me cry with joy.
Same as the 47TOUR—being able to shower after a gig is just the best.
It’s all travel, travel, travel—sometimes I feel more like a driver than a band member.
Baths and sleep are so precious, honestly.
The next day, the only plan was to see waterweed at The Union around 3pm, so I just had a bath, watched some cable TV, and crashed out.
Probably around 11pm…
Slept straight through until 8am.
Went for a walk in the park nearby and messaged KAZ and Manabu to see if they fancied a bit of sightseeing. Didn’t get a reply (probably too tired), so I decided to explore the city on my own.
Turns out, “Manchester Cathedral”, the “National Football Museum”, and “Old Trafford” (home of Manchester United) are all about 30–40 minutes away by car.
Forgot I’m a bit of a nervous driver in Japan (except on the motorway), but I set off into the city alone.
That decision nearly cost me my life. No joke.
I didn’t realise the area around the venue was a bit out of the way, so I thought the city wouldn’t be too busy…
But driving to Manchester Victoria station alone was terrifying!
It’s like Takeshita Street in Japan, but with trams and one-way streets all mixed together—total chaos if you’re driving.
I was planning to park near the Cathedral or Football Museum, but every car park was absolutely rammed.
The only available spots were underground car parks at about €20 an hour—madness!
So I tried to find a cheaper spot further out, and that’s when things got dicey…
Honestly, I nearly died.
Maybe I actually did die…
To get to a car park further from the station, I hit a few panic moments:
Missed calls from family on LINE—couldn’t answer because I was driving and the phone was hooked up to the car.
Accidentally went down two one-way streets the wrong way—kept missing the satnav and had to turn around about ten times to get out.
No idea how to use the city parking—usually it’s service areas or street parking on tour, but this was my first time solo in a city car park.
Normally I’m a careful driver, but three car-related troubles in a row had me on edge…
While looking for parking near the Football Museum from Victoria station, I had to turn right across traffic. The light was green, so I followed the car in front, but suddenly two cars came flying at me at about 80km/h.
I must have made a mistake with the turn.
Suddenly, two cars were right in front of my left bumper.
It was like one of those near-death experiences—everything went into slow motion…
I barely remember what happened.
But I just thought, “If I don’t hit the accelerator now, I’m dead!” So I floored it.
Everything went silent, and I felt like I was floating…
Maybe something cosmic saved me…
It was silent. I was floating.
That’s it.
For a split second, I thought, “If I die here, who’s going to find me?” “How will my family in Japan find out?”
Just like they say, your life flashes before your eyes.
Maybe the MPF tree wanted me to enjoy waterweed and the rest of MPF, so it saved me.
Anyway, thank you.
I really did nearly die…
19 April 2025—Kurihara, nearly dead in Manchester.
Oh, give it a rest!
After all that, I couldn’t enjoy any sightseeing. Wandered over to the MPF venue in a daze.
Told KAZ and Manabu about the incident, then rushed off to see waterweed.
Long story short, their live show was absolutely world-class—so confident, so tight…
Honestly, after my near-death experience, I ended up crying while watching waterweed.
It was a wild gig.
Afterwards, I just wandered around the venue until my legs were dead, chatting with random punks, and before I knew it, the day was over.
All I could think was, “I’m so glad to be alive.” I must have said it a hundred times.
Apparently, ancient Japanese samurai always thought about how they’d face death every day.
Me? Never thought about it. Just been drifting through life!
Thank you! That’s it for MPF Day 2! Thanks for reading.
No idea when the next update will be, but next time it’s Liverpool!
昨日の伝説的なFINAL公演（Everbody Say ナーナックin Europe 2025）を無事に終えて、 今は、半笑いな感じでふわふわしているので、ここからまた当たらなSTARTという事で、 ボーッとしています。 まず、最初に昨日O-Crestに集いし皆様と、声援と、お祝い品を送って頂いた方、 皆様にお礼の言葉を伝えてさせて頂きます。
