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Denied

January 29, 2010 By

Utada In The Flesh 2010

Before I left Canada I received an e-mail from my IDJ media rep indicating that he would follow up on my interview request. After an hour and 40 minutes of an uneventful flight. (All I did was watch Buono’s Hybrid Punch concert)  I arrived in Denver and activated my phone once more. After waiting what seemed like an eternity I finally connected to a network & 5 e-mails were in my inbox.  One of them bearing bad news (name of rep and e-mail address not noted for obvious reasons):

Subject: RE: Selective Hearing Utada Interview Request
Date: Fri, January 29, 2010 1:44 pm
To: “admin@selective-hearing.com”
Hello Greg,

I regret to inform you that Utada will not be able to complete your interview request; I have been informed that they will not be doing any requests of this nature for the remainder of the tour.

Moving forward, please let me know if you have interest in any of our other artists and I will do my best to coordinate an interview with them – www.islanddefjam.com

So that’s that folks. Nothing.  I’m not going to bitch, whine or complain. I gave it a shot & got farther than I ever thought I would possibly get. So I consider it a small victory that I got denied. So apologies for getting everyone’s hopes up. If you feel bad, imagine what I’m feeling right now. It’s not exactly the best news to enter the U.S. with.

Again, I’m not going to feel sorry for myself. In fact I proposed another scenario because I’m going to work every angle until they tell me to go away. =) But for now… Well at least I have my concert ticket.


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Filed Under: Hikaru Utada, J-Pop, News
About Greg

Greg is the creator, administrator, editor, code monkey, overlord and general jack of all trades at Selective Hearing. He can be found lurking among the overseas Asian pop fandom and at most major conventions and events where a J-Pop/K-Pop act (or Gashicon) appears.

  • johpan

    I didn’t really learn the details about how the process of asking about an interview started…

    Just from seeing this though, I don’t really have a problem with it. My beef with what happened at AX was that we were given the green light all the way up until the door MM was behind THEN they decided to pull the rug from under our feet. That’s kinda bitch-worthy. At least here, you have advanced notice that it won’t happen.

    Hope you enjoy the concert!! Can’t wait to read your review.

    • http://www.selective-hearing.com G

      Good point joh. Unlike at AX I was at least I was told up front that I won’t be getting an interview instead of going in with expectations & them having them dashed in small quarterly increments. But now I have nothing but the concert to fully concentrate on & I’ll do my best to do an honorable recap of the show.

  • jim

    Sucks, but I think it’s just a matter of timing. It’s like she did a whole tour of just interviews, now she can do one of just performing…except it’s not like that it’s exactly that. Damn.

    • http://www.selective-hearing.com G

      As much as it sucks I understand that it’s business & that perhaps yes, my timing wasn’t right. Oh well, I learned a lot out of the process even if I did fail in the end.

  • lord_jagganath

    oh well, at least you are “familiar” to them now :D … and this does provide an insight to how these things work… thanks ! XD

    • http://www.selective-hearing.com G

      I was glad to provide some insight & yes perhaps I’m more “familiar” so it may work out next time I ask for something.

  • http://sqkisiggy.wordpress.com SIggy

    sorry to hear
    now u need to make a post simulating the interview and the answers we WANT to hear.

    oh and hybrid punch was awesome, specially with the live band.~

    ~Siggy

    • http://www.selective-hearing.com G

      Hahahah… A simulation interview would be fun but I’d rather not go that route.

      And Hybrid Punch was great & made my plane ride much enjoyable.

TONE (Jacket A)(ALBUM+DVD)(Japan Version)