Kurawood @ Asakusa....Asakusa used to be THE area in the 50's and 60's for Geisha.... Not so much now days though....Only a couple of places left. There are also Temples here which we will go see tomorrow on our day off. It was a great gig at a great "live house". The acts on before us all were great. It's such a pleasure to play with well rehearsed accomplished musicians.... Since we were on at 9pm and we were there at 7:30 we listened to the three acts before us. Very refreshing to hear such variety and performed so well. Looking forward to Osaka.
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So Missions was interesting last night...all acoustic. The first act was a solo acoustic singer/songwriter? The next artist you could tell had a few piano lessons... again solo singer/pianist.... hmmm....next....The next act was a girl who played accordion and sang (sort of) kind of like Japanese version of Bjork.....We were next..... after us was a guy who played guitar and sang.... he started his set with Aerosmith's "Walk this way" playing while he danced around the stage for a bit and then started his set..... hmmmmm, couldn't figure that one out...... anyway.... like I said.. interesting night but fun! The staff are always great..
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Well.... did the train from Korakuen to Koenji today to make sure we wouldn't get lost going to and from the gig at Missions with guitars and back packs. It was no problem. Took about 45 minutes from go to whoa. Took the Namboku line to Iidabashi then changed to the Tozai line to Nakano then the Chuo line to Koenji. Easy....Went in Missions and they must have had a sewerage problem 'cause it stunk and there was no one there!
Usually some band would be sound checking when we got there. There were a couple of guys cleaning up something so we left to post a DVD to Osaka and get something to eat. What an ordeal it was to post a DVD. We found a post office and when I didn't put my name or address on the return box didn't they get all flustered. So I remembered as much as I could of the address we are staying at and put my mobile number down they were happy and so was I.... We found a great place to eat (same place we ate last time we were there). Excellent food and really cheap! Got the trains back home... now time to relax..........
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Sunday... last night at Live Freak. Had another great time at Live Freak. A heap of good bands on the night. It was the first time we actually had people come up to the front of the stage and clap hands and there were people in the audience singing along. What a buzz!! Jo sang Erase and Rewind in Japanese and they loved it. They said it sounded heart felt and they could understand it. Subareshi! Masako said "it was interesting like a strong drink, then you wanted more"! What else can I say..... Monday off.... yay......
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Saturday..... Nikki put on a nice little party at his place after the Sri Lankan Music Festival where Nikki's band played. Haow (who is a singer/songwriter/guitarist) and Yuki (who plays a Japanese instrument called a Sho) cooked up a storm and we had plenty of beer. Matto from Iwate (where the tsunami left devastation) came over. He is a young singer/guitarist and is playing the Sri Lankan on Sunday. He lost friends and family. Such a sad affair... But he was in good spirits and we had a great time trading songs.
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Live Freak again..... band night (Friday)... We played with the band before us last year called Pop Life. They remembered who we were.... They are really good and have some great songs. They should be playing on the world stages!.... The singer/guitarist works for the university as a handyman/janitor and the drummer works at a convenience store. We also played with another performer we played with last year. We didn't stay till the end of the night as we had to be up early to be at the Sri Lankan festival at Yoyogi park in Harajuku. Nikki's band played and I ran sound for them and Jo was the camera girl. It was brutally hot and we couldn't wait to get out of the heat.
Back home in the cool now and getting ready for a small party Nikki is putting on tonight. Then we start the shows again at Live Freak on Sunday..... I feel like we are the Live Freak house band! Monday off and Missions on Tuesday and Kurawood on Wednesday.
Reply
Live Freak gig was heaps of fun last night. A bit light on the audience though. Again, all acoustic acts but we played with our backing music so we made a lot of noise. After we were finished we invited all the other artists to play on Quit Your Lowdown Ways. So... everyone got some kind of percussive instrument... shakers, sticks, kohan, guitar, tambourine, whatever and we had a blast! At the end of the night the manager made some stir fried beef and a crab salad and for 1000 yen (about 10.00) the bands ate well and had free beer to go with it. Had a great time and made some new friends! What more could you ask for?
Reply
Rebirth was really cool gig. There was heaps of talent on the night. All acoustic. Just f***ing great music all night at a brand new live house. The best music we've heard in Tokyo since we've been here. A pleasure to have been a part of it!! Thank you Shida san for having us play and asking us back to play again.
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What can I say about Diglight...... It is always one of the best gigs in Tokyo! Chatta (owner) and Ginny and the regulars treat us like family. A fantastic night with Massa sitting in on drums. He brought a tiny drum set with a small kick, snare and two toms, two cymbals and a hi hat. Amazing sounding kit for being so small! Much support from out friends in Tokyo.....
Reply
We left Nikki's and caught the train to Yotsuya. It's not the train we usually take when we are in Tokyo because we staying at a different part of Tokyo. When we got outside we didn't have a clue where we were. Oh f**k.....and we had 10 minutes to sound check. Luckily there was a police box near by and I managed to find where we had to go. Only up the street about five minutes walk away. We came in from the opposite side of the club from where usually do when we take the JR line.
Outbreak was great... the crew are such professionals and the sound and lights were superb. I think that's why we love to play in Japan. It is soooo professional and you are treated as such.
The first band to play was very interesting. More like an art installation.... It was a three piece with a guy on bass and violin and girls on drums and guitar. They were dressed in traditional Japanese outfits and played some really weird shit but it was very cool. I can't even imagine how the guitar player got the sounds she had coming out of that thing....
The show was very ghost like.... eerie...
We played next and had a surprising crowd. They must have been hiding before but it was quite packed when we played. The stage was hot as hell and we were soaked when we got off.....
There were three more acts on after us. You really had to be there to see and hear what was happening. All the acts were very professional in attitude and dress. There were there to entertain! And they did....
Reply
The Sign / Blog
Tokyo Tour 2011/Kansai Music Conference
Kurawood @ Asakusa....Asakusa used to be THE area in the 50's and 60's for Geisha.... Not so much now days though....Only a couple of places left. There are also Temples here which we will go see tomorrow on our day off. It was a great gig at a great "live house". The acts on before us all were great. It's such a pleasure to play with well rehearsed accomplished musicians.... Since we were on at 9pm and we were there at 7:30 we listened to the three acts before us. Very refreshing to hear such variety and performed so well. Looking forward to Osaka.
Reply
Tokyo Tour 2011/Kansai Music Conference
So Missions was interesting last night...all acoustic. The first act was a solo acoustic singer/songwriter? The next artist you could tell had a few piano lessons... again solo singer/pianist.... hmmm....next....The next act was a girl who played accordion and sang (sort of) kind of like Japanese version of Bjork.....We were next..... after us was a guy who played guitar and sang.... he started his set with Aerosmith's "Walk this way" playing while he danced around the stage for a bit and then started his set..... hmmmmm, couldn't figure that one out...... anyway.... like I said.. interesting night but fun! The staff are always great..
Reply
Tokyo Tour 2011/Kansai Music Conference
Well.... did the train from Korakuen to Koenji today to make sure we wouldn't get lost going to and from the gig at Missions with guitars and back packs. It was no problem. Took about 45 minutes from go to whoa. Took the Namboku line to Iidabashi then changed to the Tozai line to Nakano then the Chuo line to Koenji. Easy....Went in Missions and they must have had a sewerage problem 'cause it stunk and there was no one there! Usually some band would be sound checking when we got there. There were a couple of guys cleaning up something so we left to post a DVD to Osaka and get something to eat. What an ordeal it was to post a DVD. We found a post office and when I didn't put my name or address on the return box didn't they get all flustered. So I remembered as much as I could of the address we are staying at and put my mobile number down they were happy and so was I.... We found a great place to eat (same place we ate last time we were there). Excellent food and really cheap! Got the trains back home... now time to relax..........
Reply
Tokyo Tour 2011/Kansai Music Conference
Sunday... last night at Live Freak. Had another great time at Live Freak. A heap of good bands on the night. It was the first time we actually had people come up to the front of the stage and clap hands and there were people in the audience singing along. What a buzz!! Jo sang Erase and Rewind in Japanese and they loved it. They said it sounded heart felt and they could understand it. Subareshi! Masako said "it was interesting like a strong drink, then you wanted more"! What else can I say..... Monday off.... yay......
Reply
Tokyo Tour 2011/Kansai Music Conference
Saturday..... Nikki put on a nice little party at his place after the Sri Lankan Music Festival where Nikki's band played. Haow (who is a singer/songwriter/guitarist) and Yuki (who plays a Japanese instrument called a Sho) cooked up a storm and we had plenty of beer. Matto from Iwate (where the tsunami left devastation) came over. He is a young singer/guitarist and is playing the Sri Lankan on Sunday. He lost friends and family. Such a sad affair... But he was in good spirits and we had a great time trading songs.
Reply
Tokyo Tour 2011/Kansai Music Conference
Live Freak again..... band night (Friday)... We played with the band before us last year called Pop Life. They remembered who we were.... They are really good and have some great songs. They should be playing on the world stages!.... The singer/guitarist works for the university as a handyman/janitor and the drummer works at a convenience store. We also played with another performer we played with last year. We didn't stay till the end of the night as we had to be up early to be at the Sri Lankan festival at Yoyogi park in Harajuku. Nikki's band played and I ran sound for them and Jo was the camera girl. It was brutally hot and we couldn't wait to get out of the heat. Back home in the cool now and getting ready for a small party Nikki is putting on tonight. Then we start the shows again at Live Freak on Sunday..... I feel like we are the Live Freak house band! Monday off and Missions on Tuesday and Kurawood on Wednesday.
Reply
Tokyo Tour 2011/Kansai Music Conference
Live Freak gig was heaps of fun last night. A bit light on the audience though. Again, all acoustic acts but we played with our backing music so we made a lot of noise. After we were finished we invited all the other artists to play on Quit Your Lowdown Ways. So... everyone got some kind of percussive instrument... shakers, sticks, kohan, guitar, tambourine, whatever and we had a blast! At the end of the night the manager made some stir fried beef and a crab salad and for 1000 yen (about 10.00) the bands ate well and had free beer to go with it. Had a great time and made some new friends! What more could you ask for?
Reply
Tokyo Tour 2011/Kansai Music Conference
Rebirth was really cool gig. There was heaps of talent on the night. All acoustic. Just f***ing great music all night at a brand new live house. The best music we've heard in Tokyo since we've been here. A pleasure to have been a part of it!! Thank you Shida san for having us play and asking us back to play again.
Reply
Tokyo Tour 2011/Kansai Music Conference
What can I say about Diglight...... It is always one of the best gigs in Tokyo! Chatta (owner) and Ginny and the regulars treat us like family. A fantastic night with Massa sitting in on drums. He brought a tiny drum set with a small kick, snare and two toms, two cymbals and a hi hat. Amazing sounding kit for being so small! Much support from out friends in Tokyo.....
Reply
Tokyo Tour 2011/Kansai Music Conference
We left Nikki's and caught the train to Yotsuya. It's not the train we usually take when we are in Tokyo because we staying at a different part of Tokyo. When we got outside we didn't have a clue where we were. Oh f**k.....and we had 10 minutes to sound check. Luckily there was a police box near by and I managed to find where we had to go. Only up the street about five minutes walk away. We came in from the opposite side of the club from where usually do when we take the JR line. Outbreak was great... the crew are such professionals and the sound and lights were superb. I think that's why we love to play in Japan. It is soooo professional and you are treated as such. The first band to play was very interesting. More like an art installation.... It was a three piece with a guy on bass and violin and girls on drums and guitar. They were dressed in traditional Japanese outfits and played some really weird shit but it was very cool. I can't even imagine how the guitar player got the sounds she had coming out of that thing.... The show was very ghost like.... eerie... We played next and had a surprising crowd. They must have been hiding before but it was quite packed when we played. The stage was hot as hell and we were soaked when we got off..... There were three more acts on after us. You really had to be there to see and hear what was happening. All the acts were very professional in attitude and dress. There were there to entertain! And they did....
Reply