Damo

Damo Suzuki with Bledi Boraku Ape (Guitar),Duncan Gray (Bass), INAKTIV( Synth, Guitar) and Dritero Nikqii (Drums)
https://www.facebook.com/DestilAlbania/

From my curiosity I planed to stay one extra day in this city. And it was like a win in lottery, I found a fresh young wind (energy) that may bring something, this mean Hope & FUTURE. Genti, a first contact person for this Kosovo/Tirana shows, a London based guitarist and some friends spend time with me take breakfast, at afternoon, hanging around at Sheshi Skënderbej, a square, the symbol of the city, drink a cup of espresso. It’s nice to comeback here again one day. It’s no more unknown country, it’s no more „last empty spot in Europe”. Huh..

Flight was so early (quite stress!) departure Tirana at 4:30, arrival Zagreb at 8:50 via Belgrade (changed flight) Pick upped by Kornel, I know him for decades, since my first tour in former Yugoslavian countries. I came here a day before the performance, stay at Kornel’s flat that is not so far from the airport. Zagreb is same like Athens, I see none of the city attractions just I spend time around venue or accommodation. Especially this time stay like as it was.

I wasn’t in best health condition, early flight put me out of concept. Anyway first day, I stayed so long in bed. Kornel arranged veggie food, he’s a vegetarian. I eat just everything, even veggie food is well come. Genti contacted me by mail, is saying I packed wrongly a remote control box for cooling system at the hotel in Tirana. Huh..this kind of thing happen when I’m not concentrated or very sleepy. What a poor action from me and what a strange gift. (By the way I sent this tool back to Hotel few days later from Cologne. Strangely it came back again few weeks later.)

Next day at sound check, I met ol’ friend sound carrier Niksic, a keyboarder, after long years again. I know him from my first former Yugoslavia tour, also I toured together with Tena Novak, he was involved, 11 years ago in 2006. Niksic know some of my sound carrier friend, Jonathan LaMaster and Makoto Kawabata for example (Anyway Network sound carriers, somehow walking on same path.) He was same as him I knew, just shortly he sold his old keyboard to Peter Braatz, another my friend, lives in Ljubljana. It’s a small world. Coincidence?

Damo Suzuki with Tetris : Burim Gora (Guitar), Edmond Krasniqi (Guitar), Dritëro Nikqi (Drums) and Vigan Nimani (Keyboards)
Additional Sound Carriers on stage : Adem Hasani (Keyboards), Agron Mjekiqi (Drums), Arif Muharremi (Guitar), Gent Nimani (Guitar) and Bujar Sylejmani (Bass)
https://www.facebook.com/hamambarprishtina/

A young English student pair talked to me after the show, they chose visit this area as they don’t know much about Kosovo, now they’re so happy to be here even saying, like to come back again in near future. They’re positive surprised about kindness of people and infrastructure, so I did. I heard for some former US soldier is, Kosovo is the best place. Indeed, it’s really interesting, it may secret tip to visit here, it has SOMETHING. Young creative energy is there!

Next late morning, promoter Alush invited me for breakfast at his wife’s café at busy café-restaurant area of the city. Enough space, bright by natural light. Sun is continuing….heating us. Albania is “North Korea of Europe” or “last empty spot in Europe” Western countries won’t talk good thing about this country. When I stayed with and performed together with local people, every negative curtain this country had went off from my brain. People here knows meaning of hospitality. Even small hotel I stayed, they asked me if I like to have breakfast at noon.

I don’t know why people in Europe has negative thought about Albania. It’s brainwash. Not much people visiting here then why they build up already opinion about this country? In fact is Albania is an Islamic country. But, different, for example, Christian and Muslim can marry, also females are not forced to wear scarf. There’s no barrier between religions. Monday concert is very seldom, probably not good weekly day. It’s different here, many young Albanians, also some foreigner joined Network Albanian performance. Visitors stay long after the performance, you can’t imagine…. It’s different here.

1) Damo Suzuki with Obohtal : Tonio Mitevski (Piano), Davor Serkinikj (Percussions) and Guest: Nebojsa Mitic (Drums)

2) Damo Suzuki with Rib : Ivica Dimitrievikj (Guitar), Dzano Kuch (Drums), Jane Trajkovski (Guitar Trumpet) and Guest: Sasho Spasovski (Guitar)

3) Damo Suzuki with King of Pseudo :(Keyboard, Bass), Srdjan Janakievikj (Electronics , iPad and Iphone), Igor Vasilev (Keyboard, Bass), and Guest: Goran Trajkovski ( Electronic, Back Vocals)
www.nucktrajkoprokopiev.mk

The venue is a theatre with 700 seats. 1st floor opened for a photo exhibition. I brought not much merchandising, all sold out yesterday. It is not good for young to middle aged music lover tonight, they want have “something” after the show. I felt sorry about this. If you once visited my performance, this old grey hair creature is standing at merchandising table…I’m a one man company…I do everything for Suzuki san. Before show, talk with visitor, after the show connect with visitor is one of my habit during my tour.

Connecting with locals is fine thing, so today I feel bit strange without merchandising. Since long time, I never performed with three different formations on 3 sets. It was really something in Macedonia. At break I went to entrance hall, a young girl was crying and hug me, her teardrops never ends, saying something but very soft. Words she produce is not catchable, but she is saying she is crying for happiness. When all sets are over, she came to me again and begin to cry……It was happy moment, she caught our music so deeply and emotionally, it touched her hearts, cannot stop crying. She hugged me again…… Made appointment next day at a grill restaurant near the accommodation at noon. I wanted to take late breakfast at this place, but I ordered Kebab from sheep. That I could finish only half, it may to early for my stomach, the other hand my stomach is smaller than before surgery. I cannot eat that much, anyway meat is not my favourite, mainly people eat meat here. Food here is influenced by Far East and Mediterranean kitchen. Also you may find Shopska again. By the way name of the grill restaurant is DOMA, sound like someone’s name? Alush, the Pristina gig promoter picked me up exactly in time. We sat together for a while, drink cup of coffee. He says it’s not so far from here to Pristina. This is first time I perform in Albanian countries. Kosovo and Albania is well connected.

These both shows are arranged by Genti, an Albanian guitarist lives in London, he is also running label. Later I meet him. He performs tonight as well. He brought some friend sound carriers from London. I’d been in every part of former Yugoslavian countries except Kosovo. Now it get complete. It’s always curious to visit first time, also both countries, are quite unknown, Albania still is an empty space in Europe. I had image of Yugoslavia war and expected many ruins and depressed people or if they have dark image. It’s all turned to positive image. Young people here and Tirana has young fresh creative energy and very curious about what is going on at the other part of world as for them to get out of country is very difficult both financial basis, and political reasons (isolation).

It’s really a fantastic story, the venue I perform tonight with Albanian, Kosovo and UK sound carriers tonight : Hamam Bar is chosen as one of top 5 best designed bar 2013 in the world by the World Architecture News Competition, the world’s largest architecture and interior awards program. Hamam has been selected from hundreds of top-quality and highly-regarded entries from design capitals across the globe such as Paris, Barcelona, London, Dubai, NYC, Singapore, Sydney, Shanghai, Berlin, Hong Kong, Sao Paulo etc. David against Goliath! It’s really nice to hear story like this. I love it! Venue owner Dardan was a nice guy, treat me if I’m his old friend. (He was many times saying „how you make it?“ he was wondering about our instant music.) Seems to be we performed for 2 and half hour, I just can’t imagine! I felt it was short time. (Absolutely longest show after my illness!)

This happens often when you perform with Network, time tick different, you don’t realize real length of performance, you feel always too short, but it isn’t.

Damo Suzuki with Angel Draganov (Keyboards), Kaloyan Ivanov (Guitar), Delyan Karaivanov (Bass) and Georgi Malchev (Drums)
https://www.facebook.com/mixtape5/?ref=page_internal

Before sound check, one guy introduced me himself that he performed with me already twice. But, I’d never performed in Bulgaria before. He is living here since few years, originally from Belgrade and member of that band with so long name, it’s difficult to remember, therefore for me just “the band with longest name”. Neočekivana Sila Koja Se Iznenada Pojavljuje i Rešava Stvar“ (hope you don’t bite your tongue!) was name of the band. This is meaning like „ The unexpected Power That Comes Suddenly and the Solving Thing“. So he joined us…..as a Sofia sound carrier.

Staff of concert organisation team were so kindly to take care my merchandising and care hospitality. Not only in Bulgaria, Balkan area generally, people is natural and have good hospitality, It’s just normal standard, I guess. Non-makeup beauty. Next morning, remember of a carpet in elevator?, …Next day it turned to “Friday”, why not? today is Friday. Next stop is Koumanovo, as we promised, Vasko and his daughter picked me up from Sofia. Daughter is 16 years old, keen in English. She was few times in London. I feel this part of Europe many young people speak English. Her father doesn’t speak English, I would say an another generation. Vako is a former bass player, even we have no communication, he is really nice guy, understand what I need. Koumanovo is this tours idea started and seems to be interesting spot as (I hear ) rock’n roll in Balkan started from here and its basic place. This is not first time I perform in Macedonia, many years ago in capitol city Skopje.

That concert I can remember, not clearly, but I can remember, next day we (organiser team and sound carriers) went on hill with historical building (could be a church), there we took lunch…local food. That was odd many years ago. The car went through mountain, a beautiful country view driving. Before the border we stopped at a bar, Vasko brought me a bottle of local beer. Before surgery I was a beer drinker, but things has been changed, occasionally I drink a beer, but now my usual alcohol consume is white wine with 1/3 mineral water, even this is just occasionally. I may be too careful no…I just don’t taste good with any kind of alcohol since release from hospital. It may effect by medicine I take everyday. Whisky is just for a collection. I’ve a day break in interesting nostalgic city of Kumanouvo, a second largest city of Macedonia, is north near to Kosovo and Serbia border, agriculture powerpoint. It’s all bio agriculture here, supported by government. It’s very good thing. Vasko and daughter brought me to the accommodation for today and tomorrow, baton touch to next attend person Anton. It’s on main street, quite busy national road. A communism building pure. Take a rest a bit. An hour later Anton appeared again, asked me for Lunch if I have some wish. “Fish” was my answer. Few steps to city centre, a fish restaurant, a part of four restaurants at backyard, some trees make shade, protect from midday sun. Very relax, start with Raki (anis spirit = Ouzo) , then ice cold beer, I normally take white wine and bottle of mineral water, an alcohol drink is depend on matter, The day like this, hot, no wind, almost no air flow makes me thirsty and after drive for few hours, best drink is just ice cold beer!…feeling of the moment, a local beer! Main dish, a grilled fresh caught rainbow trout was huge,(with large amount of salad),delicious! For side dish I couldn’t find rice on menu, I asked a shy young service girl and she asked chief and it’s OK, he’ll make risotto for me. It’s nice to be place like here, chief is flexible, if it’s necessary he cook just even for a customer. People here generally owner of natural human feeling pure. Mushroom risotto appeared. Oh, yeah, I almost forget to tell….before lunch dish, Anton ordered grilled chilli I have to try this. It was really hot, tongue is burning, all my hair standing. (Few hours later I had problem with my stomach, Anton was very sorry, but it wasn’t chilli made me uncomfortable stomach, it was my medicine and something, bad chemistry matter.) Anyway here you feel eat fresh, therefore healthy. No microwave shit! Anton is an actor, works in Sofia. Indeed, his mimic is already that of actor. If I’m a film director, I arrange him, he smiled and pity that I’m not director, he took my compliment. He’ll play bass tonight by one of three Network bands of the night. Yes, I’ve 3 sets with 3 different formations.

Last time I performed in Skopje was quite a same…. Few times different staffs showed up one after another (my nature is not having much capacity of memory, sorry I forgot their names!) and taking care after me at the accommodation, even one of staff brought me dry herb tea (seems to be very common at this area), mixed by his wife with many different herbs to get my stomach better. He was an architect, he said he doesn’t like to talk about architect as it’s his work. Late in the night the architect brought me to the club where all stuff and some sound carriers were. He introduced me many people, but it was not possible to hear people speaking, music was TOO LOUD! I don’t stay place like here for long, I quit very soon, this wasn’t good manner from me, but I cannot stand in loudness, even mainly I don’t like to hear music. It was quite long day, many information already capturing my brain.

Damo Suzuki with Naxatras :John Delias (Guitar), Kostas Harizanis (Drums) and John Vagenas (Bass & Synthesizer)
https://eightballclub.gr

There is always the first time, this first time is that I had an accommodation in construction hotel building. (What??) Whole hotel rooms will be finished in 2 weeks. My room was completely finished version, so no worries! It’s middle of busy part of the city, walk to venue just few blocks. Nightlife is also interesting at this area, pubs, and clubs…. I drink just a small, so I don’t miss to be in pub. In the night nobody was in this provisionally hotel, so it was ghost silence.

This Balkan tour I visit three places I’d never been. It’s always curious to visit for very first time. If my brain-washed information is correct or fake, it will show. Young people from Sofia picked me up from the provisionally hotel. Took quite a while as they parked far away from the hotel, also traffic jams situation was as usually in South Europe. Transfer to Bulgarian capital city took around 4 hours, quicker than I thought of. Many people has been in Bulgaria for low budget beach holiday package and know at least one taste of Schopska (Salat with sheep cheese). Fortunately, this part of Europe serve many fresh vegetables. Hot summer like now, fresh vegetable support our substance. Few hours rest at a communism-period-style hotel, directly beside park at quite middle of the city. Whatever you drink or eat, everything is so cheap compare with our part of Europe even this is quite a noble place, probably 4 stars hotel in the city. When you step into an elevator you don’t miss that carpet on floor spelled “Thursday”, because today is Thursday, why not? Is this carpet have “Friday” on it, tomorrow? I’ll see. Picked up by minibus to national radio station, on the way I saw the busy city and people. First time in Bulgaria’s capital city!