Diary

Damo Suzuki with Makoto Kawabata (Guitar) and local sound carriers (I didn’t have information, if someone knows, please inform me) http://www.mrkyps.net/

Cheap flight is not that cheap, even would be more expensive than established liner flight. Clearly answer we’ve got this day. They ask much money for overweight. They accept (at this stage) until 14 Kg, overweight they ask you extra charge like if they’re thief. I had to pay 15 euro for maybe only one Kg over weight. Poor guitarist with guitar, effects, etc… Makoto had to pay 115euro (!!!) extra charge. They charge you things they can make money. (even now a day they charge using toilet…now, you know which airline I’m talking about) They are a pioneer on this field, and it’s good, people found to travel cheap….it was just beginning, now they are dressed in wolf’s costume, searching for victims. OK..our pocket is getting light..

Around an hour flight reached to London Gatwick airport. Then picked up by two sound carriers, drive through dark clouds directly to the venue in Poole. The venue has posters for future concert on wall, There are posters tight together hanging on the wall from famous or popular artists and bands for a first brick. One or two spell different….all posters of tribute bands. Between all those posters you find “Damo Suzuki’s Network featuring Makoto Kawabata” very shy placed on the wall. Maybe this one is also not original…one might think. The venue is just renovated a couple days before and huge backstage room is witness of it. Sound carriers sit on sofa, drink tea, beer whatsoever, people here seems to be very comfortable. Review at
http://reverbsnews.blogspot.com/2009/01/review-damo-suzuki-kawabata-makoto-with.html

Visual :

Damo Suzuki with Paul Condon (Bass), Fergus Cullen (Keyboards), Makoto Kawabata (Guitar), Barry Murphy (Percussion, Laptop) and Bryan O’Connell (Drums)

2 days break from Japan tour, actually this is not the worth time after 11 hours flight and some hours waiting for connecting flight at Amsterdam, then to Cologne back.

Amsterdam airport is one of my favorite airports. I had three hours time and spend a bit money and time at gourmet fish bar, shared bottles of champagne with one Canadian lady from Toronto, I met her by accident, who knows some of sound carriers I performed there and she has to wait for many hours..

Makoto Kawabata is one of an excellent guitarist from Japan, he is the guitarist, leader and founder of crazy-energy-explosion band Acid Mothers Temple. I performed last time in Italy with Makoto and he said he likes to collaborate with me one day if there is any chance, so I arranged some performances. Makoto is just finished AMT’s Europe Tour and fly from Italy. Our meeting point is Dublin airport. I wait Makoto for two hours, due to flight schedule. Bryan, the drummer showed up and we stayed at café for a while. (Bryan is the first guy who ever arranged my first Ireland concert a couple of years ago, he will join as a drummer tonight) Then Makoto showed up. We short went to Hotel and directly to the venue. I knew some of sound carriers I perform together tonight, Bryan, Barry….and Fergus with whom released CD “Damo Suzuki/Electronic Sensoria Band” which is very unique CD, every each cover is individual painted by hand.

At the sound check Peter, a grandson of my dearest friends Mary and Tom Murphy’s. I was not expecting we meet in so short months since we met last time. Anthony and David, Dublin based artists wanted to make visual documentation, so they showed up to prepare. Later met twin brothers of Electronic Sensoria Band for first time since three years. Also spoke with a couple came far from Highland Scotland by bus, ferry and train took almost a day to be here. I just wondered, we ( I and Makoto) have shows in Britain too…but, they came here…old Celtic connection?

First show with Damo/Makoto tour begun with Makoto play ambient, Dublin sound carriers were in dressing room.. they didn’t recognize Makoto is already on the stage and performing, so I joined him a little later, then joined by them. Strange thing was, the guy arranged the show didn’t appear, also I didn’t see Peter after the show.(He mailed me later that he wasn’t feel good that evening, but he liked the show)

Limited CD of the show available:

Review for CD

Play Video : http://www.archive.org/details/DamoSuzukiMakotoKawabataDublin08

1st Set: Damo Suzuki with Gou Fukuoka (Sax), Kouta Maruyama (Guitar), Manabu Shinkai (Guitar), Tatsuhiko Sugi (Drums) and Daisuke Tokikawa (Bass) 


2nd Set: Damo Suzuki with Hiroshi Hido (Bass), Katsuhiko Ishii (Guitar), Haru Miyazawa (Guitar) and Daiji Okai (Drums)
http://www.chikyuya.info/

Shyu brought me to New-Chitose airport. He is a young quiet guy (maybe only with his uncle) in modish cloths. You cant imagine, this is a local airport..but, they have incredible amount of souvenir shops and restaurants for every tastes. I used to go to airport earlier, this time was also not out of my schedule. We found German restaurant (which is not German at all) after suffering shall we go there or shall we go here…..drink beer and fake German sausages. Chikyuya…

After sound check, Takazou and his wife Yu took me to fish restaurant just few steps from the venue. This year March we were here as well, quiet nice place, many different fishes in original size not sliced…… this time joined by a lady who sings chanson. Chikyuya performances are always crazy and familiar. Tiny space and audience standing tight to next person like canned anchovies. So, even in cold weather outside, stay on the stage and perform sweating and it never seems to be stop also air is getting less, I had to go out with wet T shirts outside after 1st set to cool myself at temperature of around 8 or less.

On the street everybody covered with winter clothes, I just sit on bench with wet T-shirts, passengers watch at me if Im alien or strange vegetable. Cal with his girlfriend and Yuko showed up and many other faces I know. Many people relaxing outside. Kunitachi is a quite interesting place, there are many artists and freaks living in this city and has kind of own culture. Owner lady Elle san was former hippy and her husband plays in a band. Generally they have regular customers, a kind of nest, those people like to come and meet others.

It was amazing days in Japan as always. I decided to not come to Japan next year. Because I’m planning to travel all through Japan from August 15 2010 to November 7 2010. During this period if you’re in Japan, if you like you can travel with me some parts. Year 2010, I will be 60 years old. (Gosh!!! I don’t feel like that).

So, I like to travel all parts of Japan as I left Japan when I was teenager and I don’t know that much about Japan. I like to know about the place I was born and grow up while Im healthy. Leaving Japan. Love-san and film crew (Fujioka-san, Haruta-san Hirano-san) wanted to shoot some part of the film while I’m on the way to Narita airport, they hired two cars. One car comes front and near to another car, some changing shoots which was sometimes in skill.

This kind of things are quite normal for Love-san, as stuntman, also he was a professional motor racer. Normally everything goes smooth at airport. Air France overbooked and they don’t have seat for me, so they changed me to KLM via Amsterdam to Cologne, instead via Paris-Amsterdam to Cologne. For me this is even better, and they paid me penalty of 300 euro..:)..it’s not so bad. … . In Narita airport there is glass plate after security check, for last time you can see passenger and those who see off. Film is shooting, I see those film crews….

Damo Suzuki with Ken Matsutani (Guitar), Toru Watanabe (Guitar) and Qodibop: Tohru Iioka (Bass, Sampler), Fumio Motoyama (Guitar, Sampler) and Makoto Saito (Drums)

Friendly sound carriers friend Watanabe picked me up from Sin-Chitose airport that is quite far from Sapporo (by train around 40 minutes). Normally here must be meter high snow at this time of the year. I saw melting snow on here and there not much like I thought. Global warming?

Sapporo is not an old city, which has atmosphere of Scandinavian countries. People here eat many potatoes than any other place in Japan. They have dairy farming, farms are much like Scandinavian style. Hokkaido lives not that much people 67 person/quad. km, which is a bit more than Ireland. And food here..I tell you later ..specially, fish is amazing. Relaxed at Watanabes for a while. Met Ken (Cpt.trip) at the venue. He promised me to come to Sapporo and perform with me. He has been Network sound carrier for sometimes. I perform with Watanabe for first time. Son and daughter of my brother Hiro came to the show. Chihiro, his daughter lives here, didn’t see her for 15 years or some thing. She is now growing up (surly) and now a beautiful young lady; probably if I see her on the street I cannot recognize her. Shyu is his son and two years younger lives by his parents came here to pick me up.

After this show I will have 2 and half days break at Hiros place. After show like usual went to Izakaya, even it was after midnight there was many young people (Now a days there are only young people if I see from my sight anyway) Next day Shyu came and pick me up at Japanese traditional noodle (Soba) restaurant. I ate first time Soba-sushi. Instead of rice, use soba noodle in roll.

After last drink of Uhron-hai, we start for 2 hours driving to Niseko, a quite famous place for winter sports, one of best quality snow in the world. Many Australian comes here for Ski and Aussies own some of Ski ground. Outside window I see heavy clouds if next moment they’re falling on the earth.. and also here is the north this time of the year soon getting dark. He stopped at some places to show his uncle from Germany some beautiful views. Shyu took 3 days holiday to attend me. He likes to come abroad one day. I didn’t see Hero for one and half year, he is working as kind of guard or housekeeper at a dormitory. So, he is cooking for schoolboys and girls too. He likes to cook like me, so if I visit here, food is no problem good homemade dinner. I saw his wife Akiko for a while, she lives in an another place not far from here.

Next day Shyu pick me up by his car, went to Yoichi. I know Yoichi for Whisky. Nikka Whisky comes from here..no wonder Temperature here is quite like Highland, Scotland. Also peat that is very important to produce Whisky may found here. We went to one restaurant which was not that tasty (but, better than any Japanese restaurant abroad.) with Australian flag hanging at the window, seems to be many foreigners (Specially Aussies) comes here even they had menu with English translation which was quite surprise for me at place like this at countryside.

This part of Japan is quite silence and feeling like I came to the end of the world, feel like if I’m in Tasmania or Southern Island of New Zealand or Aberdeen…. On the way back, I saw many fresh fish shops. I found one shop sells crab for 4,000 yen (around 30 euro) a box. Its cheap!!!! 4 living piece in it. I have to buy it.

In the night Hiro cooked foods and also this gourmet fresh crab meat. Its nice place, so many different fresh fishes which is payable from everyone’s pocket. (This is one of nicest thing in my Never Ending Tour, you can eat luxury (expensive) things for incredible (cheap) price at local to local… I recommend if you come to Hokkaidou, eat fish!!!

Damo Suzuki with T.B.I.

I had 4 days brakes….one day I visited my old school friend Kaoru, early 70s he visited me in Cologne and after he travel to Ireland, Mrs Murphys farm „Sweetmount So, we have some memories together. Atsugi is city with around two hundred thousands people, when I lived here in 60s there were even not 40,000 found this area. Its a local…but, what is local just 45 minutes to middle of Tokyo, you have everything a big city has.

The city make-uped her face since. All things have been changed, almost impossible to find something memorial from that time. It’s one of all those suburban cities; bed-town has no really original face…an Average city. I spent my childhood here for around 10 years. Kaoru used to run steakhouse, but now he is keep away from his business he says he is not well with health. His steak house was Korean style as you can find many in Japan…but, tasty self-baking on table with much garlic. As he likes to drink with me tonight he let his wife drive to modern pub complex…not really pub ..much like restaurant. I guess we had good time together, this is first time I speak with him café talk this and that since beginning of 70s…

I guess we had good time?…because I cannot remember that night well. I was drinking (I don’t know if he was, probably not as for Japanese he belongs to tall and big..he stands on many drinks than me anyway) after I have to get back to Takazous..I had 2 changes from HonAtsugi to Yaho (Takazous). First station I have to change the train I missed to change…so, I found my self at last station Shinjyuku on Odakyu-line, from there I had to take last train to Tachikawa. Monster city Tokyo has no late night public traffic connection to other parts of Tokyo which is quite strange as many Tokyoer go out in the night, drink and eat, party or theater, everybody have to run for last train. Taxi here is very VERY EXPENSIVE!! …Unfortunately I have to take the most expensive solution as there is no other possibility from Tachikawa to Yaho. Even in Yaho this drunken sailor almost forgot Takazous address, so smiling taxi driver have to check block after block. (Japanese address is counted by block, so even domestic people don’t know from this block address..Europe is much easier, street name and number, even I as stranger in other country I can find it easy.)

Next day I woke up I found not that much money left in my pocket….. Next day, at 5PM I had appointment with guys I met in UFO Club for interview in middle of Tokyo and good suited society place Aoyama, at Spiral. At the stair steps in subway station Omotesandou, grey haired old man lost his conscious break down and brooding this was few steps in front of me within 1 meter for sure. Good many people try to help him even each one of them was quite busy at this time of the day.

Interview guys and photograph wanted me to stay much longer for drinks…but, I had appointment with Keiichi and Takazou. One party to an another party. Sound carrier friend Love-san, and his pals fujioka, Haruta, Hirano and Ohyama found film production team and now they like to start with representations film..and they choose one with me „A day with Damo. Part of this you may find at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDr_l4t3wS4

They are nice guys and already complete film team in good way. They’re all specialists on this field and earning bread in this business. One day they decided to make production together and seem to be they’re in good chemistry. So, next day we did this shooting…I’m not a good actor even as teenager I visited an actor school for few days. I quit because I had to learn only Japanese language in good and clear way. It was really boring..since then, give up to be a movie star. So, I told them I’m not an actor and Im not good in camera or movie..this is not my world. Anyway they shoot at one small comfortable pub. Then took scene at Hachiouji Station. I come out exit with my suitcase and welcomed by Love-san..this was scene. But, before I had to make-up on very busy living street side near that station. Satomi is a young pretty and ambitioned make-up artist made me two or more dozen years younger face out of me. I had to take scene I come out from exit for few times. So, employee of the station doubt about us and almost calling police…so, we stopped shooting more.

The performance day, film team shoot live performance. After the show we went to Izakaya I’ve been here once in March this year. This place is open until 10AM. So, there are always enough young drunken souls with never-go-to bed attitude, mastering language of zombies. My plane to Sapporo start Haneda airport at 7:40AM, so I had to take very first shuttle bus. All film team and some friends brought me to bus stop, sure they shooted this scene as well.

1st Set: Damo Suzuki with Tetragrammaton: Cal Lyall (Guitar, Synth), Ken Nobunaga (Drums), TOMO (Sax, Hurdy-Gurdy) and T.B.I.


2nd Set: Damo Suzuki with Masataka Fujikake (Drums), Keiichi Miyashita (Guitar) and Mitsuru Tabata (Zeni-Geva)

3rd Set: Damo Suzuki with AxSxE (Guitar), Jin Harada (Bass, Diidg), Eiko Ishibashi (Keyboard) and Tatsuhisa Yamamoto (Drums, Metal)
http://www1.odn.ne.jp/shinjuku-dom/index.html/dom.html?

Cal arranges today’s shows and the venue placed at just few Steps from his flat in Shinokubo, Shinjuku. Middle of Tokyo with atmosphere of South East Asia, as there are many original restaurants from those countries. Cal once told me he likes Thai food..so this is right place for him to live. This time Im staying at Takazous place.

Takazou is friendly dentist, I came by train (Cyuou line!). I arrived the venue quite early with hangover (also trouble with stomach) as last night I had appointment with my brothers daughter Shiori we drunk until last train. So, when I arrived at this venue, I was not really good condition even I cannot remember how I get back to Takazous from Shinjyuku last night… feel dizzy. Promised myself not to drink any alcohol today..just have water. I done 3 sets..but all 3 were so different. Yuko was also here as she promised. She knows my music since we met on airplane. She seems to be enjoying my music. Shiori brought two friends, they’re out from their evening school for art curator almost end of shows.

After the show we went to Korean restaurant near by in midnight with some sound carriers, there are many place like here, very comfortable and normal price..even cheaper. Tokyo is mammoth city, but not comfortable late night. No possibility to get back home after last train gone. You can imagine if you’re living in London..its same. But this kind of restaurant doesn’t close until last guest go home. It was yummy Korean foods, we share…I kept just drink water and tea.

So, we, few sound carriers, who cannot get back home right now stayed here until first train start, eat and drink….Japan is he best land to do this. These Korean people were so friendly. After WW2 lived around 2 million Korean, now something like 600,000. Generally they speak good Japanese. But, have to say we Japanese so much ugly thing to them in our history.

Damo Suzuki with Helena Espvall (Cello,Vocal), Keiji Haino (Guitar,Vocal), Seiichi Yamamoto (Guitar) and Tatsuya Yoshida (Drums) http://www.ufoclub.jp

Normally I don’t come late for an appointment. First I tell you that Chyuou-line is famous for suicide..I’m sure the company is not proud about this….Get out from Takazous place at same time like yesterday and planed to arrive at the venue at the same time, changed the train at Tachikawa then the train doesn’t start and I heard an announcement, there was accident on this line and I have to take other possibility. My origin is Japanese but, if you don’t know local traffic system, it’s not that easy to get right line. My friend sound carrier Cal, a Canadian lives in Tokyo for eleven years told me with his sweet Japanese, every 6 minutes someone is trying suicide in Japan. Especially mammoth city like Tokyo. Many people come from local, isolated from social…loneliness, frustration in company social, stress in (probably) biggest city in the world. What made him suicide? In fact if you are on platform waiting with really too many people, train come near, possibility is that you try to jump into coming train without any thought. Reality and Illusion lives tight together, when you lose control…… all this situation hypnotize some sort of people. It may not suicide..it’s something else maybe. My thought this moment is get the answer why people have to suicide…Anyway I’m getting too late which I hate.

When I arrived the venue..Sure (Japanese people are well known as exactly) all sound carriers are there sound checking hardly. Sound Carriers of today are curate by Batoh and Japanese parts of sound carriers are well known in Japanese music scene and also abroad as you can see…Haino, Yamamoto and Yoshida…I don’t have to introduce. And female sound carrier in Network (always nice to have female in the formation),…Helen, lives on Philadelphia, originally from Sweden. Well, I tried some loosing-knowledge of Svenska.

UFO club has often foreigner guests, after the show I spoken with the guy from US and his Japanese girlfriend, they promised me they will come to next show in Shinokubo, much closer to them.

Visual :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRlk2DkJzMU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I2DLFepPZc

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.