Damo

Damo Suzuki with MKM: Norbert Möslang (Cracked Everyday-Electronics), Jason Kahn (Analog Synth) and Günter Müller (Percussion) http://www.palace.sg/

I don’t like DB (Deutsche Bahn…German rail), it’s most expensive in Europe and every time I take this, delay or canceled, I’d never had good luck…even if train go “Normal” I will be surprised and I have to mark this date on my diary. This time also as usual… not out of unfortunate. Anyhow I felt something will be happen this morning, You know sometimes you feel something before thing happen….7th inclination?

A couple of weeks before I took contact to Rainer, is cousin of excellent guitarist late Michael Karoli. Rainer and I have not seen for more than 5 years and he was really happy to meet me and experience my performance. So, I decided to go St.Galan a day before the performance since he mailed me and informed that he is living very close to St.Galan. So, our plan to meet today and go for pub and eat (is just not happened). Fortune in unfortunate, I didn’t miss my performance. My odyssey…. Cologne-St.Galan is really far.

I bought rail ticket a week ago before I flied to Italy to avoid stay on long line at ticket office. DB has bad service too, especially when you buy ticket you have to wait for around half an hour if it’s goes well. And every customer on the line looks very nerves, angry, some shout at ticket seller..it’s not good atmosphere. (Now a day I buy on net.) Always something in the air. So, I bought mine at airport, I don’t have to wait so long, also before fly generally I take enough time. My train schedule is quite mess. Cologne to Mannheim, Mannheim to Ulm, Ulm to Friedrichshafen Stadt, Friedrichhafen Stadt to Friedrichshafen Hafen, Friedrichshafen Hafen to Ferry, Then to Romanshorn in Switzerland, then from there to St.Galan. Many changes.

I feel quite skeptic, if one of those train come a bit later all my schedule will be messed up. Every change has around only 5 minutes between. DB (Deutsche Bahn) did it again!!! Already at 2nd change at Mannheim, train I have to take was delay for 70 minutes on technical problem. (Mainly this is the reason..wait, wait..don’t they check locomotive before ?…Quality Check?) So, now on I have to improvise, through all plan away! Anyhow I arrived in Friedrichshafen…I have to go to opposite side of Bodensee, biggest German Lake between Germany, Switzerland and Austria. It took not long to realized couldn’t reach last ferry of the day. I took Hotel near Friedrichshafen train station…and also went to hotel restaurant. If you had plan this kind of situation is just empty solution. Rainer called me in Hotel and we had appointment for tomorrow. The day 1st is over. 2nd day, I woke up early enough to get breakfast..I was not able to sleep. Just let my body rest. If your body is really resting then next day (This is my theory).

Early enough at harbour, ferry across Bodensee. Breakfast at restaurant on ferry. A small bottle of sekt (German Champagne ..generally far cheaper) and white sausage (strange combination!!) I could see Rainer already far as there are not that much people waiting for passenger. Through sleeping villages seeing mountains to his apartment. We had enough time to visit is his colleague and share local drink (exactly I say local snaps!). When we arrived the venue that is theater it was early enough, three sound carriers tonight were already there for sound check or preparing their self made machine that makes soft electro-mechanical sound. (Oh, We don’t have any percussion at all, not standard formation..Even no Bass and guitar….I thought in my head)

All three sound carriers are electro noisemaker, set up their instruments on desk. They look much like professors of physic or whatever. But, they produce not loud noise. So, soft..Almost like technical lessons at school or research labor. Then after all we went to eat at old part of city. Switzerland is mainly you can eat good quality things. ( I don’t mean price here, my Yams are paid by the promoter Damian a very young guy, and he got this job at the spot as booker recently. The performance was very strange sort, I say. Sometimes I felt like homeless child in sound they make. So, I left the stage and running through audience for a couple of times (Am I sporty?) They on the stage thought I escaped from this kiri kiri electro insect sounds. I tell you, I feel sometimes happiest person on this planet, have opportunity to challenge many kind of sound making.

This was truly one of most interesting performance which I’ve ever done. There are many possibilities to create and this night I won another experience, which makes me rich in my energy source. Finally I was happy to be in this sound universe.

Next day before I leave, Rainer took me to restaurant runs by two nice young ladies. Final close often like beginning. Way back to Cologne, bad situation with DB was exactly same like when I come to Switzerland. This trip was almost like from nightmare to dream and back to nightmare…….

Damo Suzuki with Maurizio Abate (Guitar), Christian Calcagnile (Drums), Xabier Iriondo (Guitar), Maikko (Effects) and Nino (Turntables) http://www.trok.it/

Now a days very difficult to find public telephone, generally people has a cell or two. I travel without and I will never be owner. Cell or normal house telephone, just I don’t like telephone. People who spoke with me on wire will never have long talk with me. So, that’s why for me not understandable, some talk hours and hours, even at party. Maybe at least once in a year, it may be necessary for emergency for me..But, I don’t miss this tool at all.

Xabier wanted me to call when I arrive beautiful and very gorgeous central station of Milan and he will pick me up. It was not easy to find public telephone, took a while. They’re stands very shy placing invisible at unattractive part of the station. (In front of Police) Flight to Malpenza, then shuttle bus to Milan Central, I did it many times and this is routine thing. Somehow, I feel quite at home here where I have good friends. I must have cuisine that is a singer at opera, I tried to find her, no success. Maybe it’s good so, I met her may be only once in my life, may be I’ve never see her, I don’t know.

Milan has lots of contracture at the moment, preparing for Expo 2015. The venue is alternative scene Milan’s, quite a ruin. Xabier, Valencia and I are there for sound check, it took a while for. You know, everywhere I go, I don’t know many people, and even I don’t know who will be Network sound carrier tonight.

Anyway there is fireplace at the middle of the venue. Some people are standing in front of fire, it’s necessary at the place like here, and also yesterday I was in Sardinia. I feel much colder if you come from south. Here is alternative scene, drinks are really cheap (I don’t talk about quality) also they had home made food after sound check.

One of guy at the fireplace was an old African guy in traditional West African dashiki. In West Africa is taboo to ask old man about his age. I’m sure he is far younger than me. I thought he belongs to supporting band. But, after I found he is an immigrant and poor. So, he is hanging around here to get some food and drink. Promoter was happy as it was full, much more than he was expected.

Damo Suzuki with Fabio Cerina (Baritone guitar, Bass guitar), Laura Farneti (Synth and Samples), Andrea Ferrari (Guitar), Valter Gosamo (Drums and Saxophone), Manuel Lain (Guitar) and Mirko Santoru (Trumpet and Clarinet)
http://www.myspace.com/sleepwalkersclub

I was in deep sea diving for pearl. I slept like respectable rock with moor sleeping for hundreds of years. When I back from trip, it was already 9am. Xabier brought me to Linate airport (Milan has two airport, this is smaller than Malpenza, an another airport) Edward explained me last night the flight company is terrible, they just sent him SMS to inform the flight he booked for Sunday has been canceled. And he had to take Monday flight, which is not good for him, he has appointment. Same airline, I take today.

At Cagliari airport, after baggage claim find the economic teacher at college I see Fabio, an economic teacher at college after baggage reclaim I cannot imagine we didn’t see us for a year. Time fly so quickly…feel like I saw him a couple of weeks before. He was a little handicapped to walk from his Kunfu training. I forgot I have interview this afternoon, after Grappa we went to radio for interview. A couple of young people at the studio, listen to my words translated by Fabio.

Then Drive to Guspini…Sleepwalker. It’s very difficult to find it if you’re not local..it placed at middle of nowhere. Just middle in Agra tourism. No, neighborhood, no houses, no police..The venue stands alone, surrounded by nature ..They have own garden and parking place. Two years before I performed here for first time and that was first time in Sardinia. Last time was even open-air festival, tonight is inner room. This time of the year even in Sardinia a bit cold, which is no compare with Middle Europe. Fabio told me people here come so late…we will start from 00:30. I don’t know from where all those come from but, lots of people inside, everybody seems to be very relaxed. We performed two sets.

Damo Suzuki with Xabier Iriondo (Taisyou Koto, effects) and French Doctors: Edward Perraud (Drums), Sébastien Borgho (Guitar, Electronics), Nicolas Marmin (Bass, Electronics) and Olivier Manchion (Guitar, Bass, Electronics)

To visit Italy is such a fun….good foods, drinks, culture, girls, history, life-style….except politic and mafia…they’re colour of my taste. Arrived in Bologna airport, found there Davide, arranged the show, a free concert at the art space. Davide and I have to wait around an hour at the airport for Edward, the drummer from Paris.

Davide asked me for drink at bar…without any second to wait my voice made „Grappa!!” I do like this sort of snaps like Tequilla, Vodka, and Aquavit strong transparent drinks. Edward!!!…Father of two daughters came from Paris. Around 30 minutes drive we arrived the venue.

Today is my birthday. It’s not bad idea to make performance on own birthday. Good personal new year begin, see many sound carriers friends at once even we perform tonight together. Also I haven’t been performing for almost a month. Hungry to perform.

French Doctor is one of bands, I have good relationship. Unfortunately Franq is not able to join us tonight. Instead Xabier came from Milan and joined us. Luca and Ricci visited me before show start. Ricci is a pregnant, so she cannot stay long. Opening performed by excellent drummer Charles Hayward solo. I performed with him last time..not long ago in Birmingham. After the show all together enjoyed good Italian food…everything was tasty and this is worth to be in Italy. Concert organizer brought birthday cake with number 59 (after 30 I forgot to count..man, time is melting so quickly). So beautiful decorated colorful fruits cake.

Tomorrow, I have to go to Sardinia, My flight is from Milan so I joined Xabier, Nick and Valencia. When we arrived Xabier’s house, I was really tired. Just I have to go to bed…..anyway already 5 o’clock in the morning. Visual :
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfmfuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=50589295

Damo Suzuki with Valentin Altenberger (Oud, Bass, Gitarre), Christian Burchard (Xylophon), CPU (Noise-Ambient-Soundscapes), Didi Foth (Sax), Johannes Frisch (Double Bass), Kosmik Klaus (Visuals) and Michael Ströder (Drums, Percussion)

I didn’t see Christian since beginning of 70’s. He is Embryo Drummer and last time I saw him was at University festival somewhere in Germany..I cannot remember which one was it? Darmstadt?.

Also joined by two concert organizers. Valentin was also member of Embryo, but later. He is a Bass player makes bass guitar by own and he sale them. I arrived here and was totally tired. This is my last concert of the year 2008, maybe all tiredness come together. Kosmik Klaus and Andreas (KOSMIK KLAUS and his Solar Sea Slide Show) were here again to show their talent, but unfortunately they cannot make their size of light show as usual for some technical reasons..and I’m sure they were disappointed.

Anything was strange this night. Gosh, it wasn’t that much worked out. Karlsruhe is world famous for ZKM (Centre for Art and Media) and seat of two of highest courts in Germany. A very important city for German law. This part of Germany (closer to French border) is one of most interesting place for gourmet. My thought is so, where good wine exists, foods are also good.