Damo

Damo Suzuki with Ghost: Masaki Batoh (Guitar etc.), Michio Kurihara (Guitar), Takuyuki Moriya (Bass), Kazuo Ogino (Keyboards etc.), Taishi Takizawa (Sax, Flute etc.) and Junzo Tateiwa (Drums, Percussions) http://www.ufoclub.jp

From Fukuoka directly to….UFO Club in Tokyo Tokyo is huge and there are many different parts like other huge cities have….but, strangely I perform mainly on Cyuousen-line (Central Line) area…West Tokyo.

I’m not living here, seems to be West Tokyo has kind of an alternative scene, which my kind of music fits here. West Tokyo is kind of my base when I perform in Japan. I know lots of people and sound carriers. I’ve performing quite often here at UFO Club this time will be twice I didn’t see Batoh for quite a while….

Performance tonight with Ghost, old friend sound carrier Batohs band…I performed with them a couple of times, with Batoh a bit more. Both shows tonight and tomorrow were arranged by Batoh, leader, vocalist and guitarist of that Ghost. They are similar to some other Japanese band, they are quite well known in foreign countries, but not really in Japan. There are not that much cities you can perform this kind of music on islands with 100 million inhabitants

Two guys of mini communication paper was there to interview me at sound check, but we made an another appointment few days later. Yuko and Neriya, I met in airplane to Tokyo came to the show. Nice to see them again. Its always nice to have new friends during travel. It’s pretty difficult to make communication with neighborhood now a days in airplane with furniture TV monitor and headphone..or maybe self carried laptop and DVD. Anyway good thing they liked the performance as they’re stranger in this kind of music.

Damo Suzuki with Chikara (Sax), Hideji (Handsonic Percussion), Mizuma (Drums), Onoda (Bass), Rokugenkin (Guitar), Satobong (Guitar) and Yui (Bass, Drums, Vocal)

The day before yesterday, I visited cousin Tomoko in outside Yokohama, a quiet place, after particularly hour there is none, no dog on the street. We talked much about her father (my uncle).

Late afternoon I arrived Fukuoka from Haneda airport found one of business Hotel. Every one in blue suits, but not me.(in blue jeans) Sometime the thing happen which you never ever expected. I had been performing in different situations, but I’d never performed with a pregnant on drums. Her baby is expected in December..So she is in 8th months. Some sound carriers were talk to me, it might happen tonight. Strong Japanese Lady!!! (In middle of December I received mail from BB, her husband and sound carrier, they got healthy female baby…Congratulations!!!)

Fukuoka is biggest city on southern Japan island Kyusyu. And this place is famous for „Hakata Ramen (Just to inform those who doesn’t know anything about Japanese food or for those who can not recognise different between Japanese or Chinese…whatsoever….. Ramen is Chinese noodle soup in Japanese style.) …Ramen is very popular in Japan, kind of Japanese fast food…but, its better. This noodle soup culture captured all over Japan, since long history taste of Ramen has been changed to Japanese taste and you can not put out this yummy food from Japanese food culture. Also nowadays you can find a lots of Ramen restaurant even in China or Korea. Every time I come here I try this. Much location in Japan has special local Ramen. (Just to inform you about Tempura, this is also not Japan origin. Know-how imported from Portugal, as they were first western foreigner on Japanese ground, words in Portuguese, temporas is witness of its origin.

In Fukuoka, I have a supporter of this project and sound carrier, Rokugenkin. Whenever I come this area he join me and gave me his hands. Naturally he joins tonight. The venue is miniature copy of Gaudis. It’s quite nice space, they have 3 floors in 6 floor building..So they can arrange small festival. There are few bands perform before us (Us? Still I don’t know who will perform with me, they’re not all here yet in this late afternoon.).

I was happy to see Akutagawa, who organized the show in March this year at Kumamoto, an another part of Kyusyu. He is a vocalist and guitarist of local band Ishiatamazizo. There were many young bands like last time. So, when we started it was quite late.

I was at merchandising table between floors. Speak with some people, drinking Uhron-Hai (Sake snaps and Uhron tea mix, my favorite drink in Japan) having pretty nice time. After the show I was accompanied by some sound carriers, went nearby to Ramen restaurant like last time.

1st Set: Damo Suzuki with Varunk Love (Fretless) and Masahito Nozaki (Drums)

2nd Set: Damo Suzuki with Hiroshi Higo (Bass), Katusei Koh (Guitar), Hideo Ohnishi (Drums) and Mitushide Tatusmi (Tp)

I came back to my home Cologne on November 8th at 22:45, Next day I took flight at 10:55 from Cologne via Amsterdam to Tokyo. I really had not much time (Imagine time for check in 2 hours before, Airport departure…all these inclusive!!!) It was really good idea pack suits case for this Japan trip before Iberia trip. I almost didn´t sleep anyway.

Normally I visit Japan after Australia since 5 years. As I don´t go to Japan next year, so I´d decide to tour Japan at this period which is not tourism season at all and in Germany the call this month “Death Month”, something sad, much fogs and wet, getting cold uncomfortable month. This time none of my friends had time to pick me up from Narita airport also I had enough time for appointment with Love-san, my friend sound carrier base player of Varunk at Tachikawa. In Airplane Amsterdam – Tokyo I met two nice girls, a Japanese Yuko and Neriya, from Baltic who married with Japanese and speaks cute Japanese. We were speaking and drinking wine half way until suddenly each of us kept own mouth shut, head down as natural sleeping came like thief….or sun in Africa…fall in deep suddenly.

Anyway stewardess don´t want to give us any more wine…..We´re drunk and nasty. Narita airport has many restaurants and also for every taste. Yuko went directly to home after she promised me to come to my performance. Neriya has a bit time to go back to Chiba, where she has home with Japanese business man husband who is working at this stage. So, we both went to eat Sushi..and I ordered naturally “Uhronhai” (Japanese rise snaps + Uhron tea mix) and from stomach I felt I am now in Japan. Neriya went home. I had enough time to departure at 14:50 by airport limousine bus to Tachikawa, where is US military base, busy and too many people like middle of Tokyo. Quite seldom that bus arrived destination around 15 minutes earlier.

Love-san appeared without his car…hum..he is thinking to go to drink after the show. Japan is very hard with penalty if you found by police at driving with alcohol. You have to pay extreme high penalty, also passenger in that car have to pay great amount of penalty too, also pub or restaurant who served this fire water to customer going to lose their license.

Monday night at Kokubunji is not that good idea to perform as this city is relative far from the center Tokyo, audience come from only around this area.

Damo Suzuki with Arra Akauzazte (Drums), Mikel Etxegaray (Drums), Joseba Irazoki (Guitar) and Iban Urizar (Trumpet, Electronics)  

I had enough time wake from long deep ocean dream,had comfortable breakfast with sound carriers. On Thursday I don’t have performance today is just transit day. So, everything is very comfortable. Easy thing. I can enjoy much with time. I’ve never been in San Sebastian, famous place for international film festival. I had to stop over here to meet up Jon who brings me to Getaria, is not that far from San Sebastian and he is organizer of concert in Getaria.

I took bus from Zaragoza, it’s very comfortable journey, bus drives between mountains and unknown villages. It was around three hours of bus ride. I waited for Jon quite a long at bus terminal, San Sebastian. eating unhealthy fried chicken with old man with white mustard as trade mark, which I bought at stop over at one bus stop.

After while young Basque appear and introduced himself told me we have two hours, his friend will pick up us to Getraia, he told me even we can go there with public transportation, but I said I like to see a bit of San Sebastian before I hide myself in small village. He wants to show me pier and old parts of the city. This is kind of place people go for bath and seems to be good economic rules through tourism quite similar atmosphere like Brighton, if you’re Britain you understand what I mean. The day is getting dark, his friends pick up us from the middle of the city. Any 15 minutes drive on ocean road. Such a wonderful view. I remembered of New Zealand, In Dunedin, I had such a trip like this. Very nice to drive on ocean road even it’s not the best season to be here. No, might be better this time of the year, no tourists!!!

I stay in this small fisher village with around 7,000 populations for two nights. Jon booked guest room just in front of fisher harbor at middle on hill. Seems to be nobody else is here, so friendly hotel owner gave me house key. Nice sight from here. The village is so quiet, off course this time of the year, no tourists. You can hear endless looping of waves, winds breath and sea gulls.

Next day, we took a walk on the small mountain which stands very curiously beside harbor. It does take 15 minutes to get top where you can see panorama, unfortunately a bit rain and wind. To arrive the venue you have to take stair steps as this village is placed at stomach of mountain. Even there is elevator (outside). The venue is at the middle of apartment houses, a kind of culture center of the village. Next day I went to Bilbao, stayed at the promoter Jon (an another Jon)`s house.

It was quite complicated back to Cologne. Bilbao to Palma de Mallorca .wait there for 5 hours then Palma to Cologne. I packed already for Japan tour before Iberia tour as I just came back home for few hours change suitcase and fly to Japan.. Its tomorrow!!!!

Damo Suzuki with Cristian (Guitar), Libi (Bass) and Pablo (Drums)

Zaragoza is 4th biggest city in Spain and an industry city. Compare with other cities where I’ve been on this trip, in the city you cannot find any old typical Spanish buildings, so feeling like I’m just somewhere else but, not in Spain.

Train ride from Madrid took only just one and half hour, arrived Zaragoza railway station which is much looks like airport. Some designed mosaic stone on wall. Two sound carriers picked me up from there and brought me to Pablo’s place to relax. We have enough time. The venue is shared by artists and bands, every parts pay same amount money monthly to keep this venue run. Pablo and his band has one or two special days in month to arrange performances of his band or their interesting artists. So, he put me for today’s program. This is quite good idea, to have space with some amounts of people who has closer thoughts, and let it go. With world wide financial crises, local organization has no budget to support art and culture.

So, this kind of silence movement is good for now and might be good too in future. The band members do many thing like, sell ticket at front, bar and after the performance cleaning. Pablo was happy that much people showed up has never been here at this venue.