Diary

Damo Suzuki with T.B.I.

Fly from Milano, Put my step on 2nd time this year in Portland..just shortly..in September I was here. Portland is similar to Germany. Many rainy days therefore so much green. Anyway I like place with green. Wendy picked me up from airport with her so friendly warm face like always. (Is she reading this? then she has much more smile on her face…I can imagine)

This is the day before performing day I have break, I decided to relax, in fact I was not only tired from flying also from 4 restless days Italy trip. In the evening Wendy cooked her vegetarian food….She had Mochi (Japanese rice cake or however you can say it’s sticky rice stuff) and also other Japanese stuff. She seems to be like Japanese food…which is healthy.

In fact Wendy is always looks very healthy, this must be come from all the healthy food. Next day Wendy’s home mate and sound carrier friend Lindsay brought me to fake Japanese Restaurant where served by American girls and some soul music background . Whenever I stay here I use to sleep in balcony, it’s nice..even it’s not that loud…But, not this time…it’s November!!!…wet and cold. I don’t know city centre of Portland really. For me traveling is meeting friends and not really touristic thing. ..It makes me more nicer to stay with friends everywhere. Portland is exactly this example.

Evening my friend Archie invited me for dinner, he mailed me before I started this tour that his wife going to make dinner for me so I have to call him when I arrive. He informed me she was the chief at restaurant in Seattle..somewhere at Pike Place (Nicest place in Seattle, NE?) .. and still people are talking about her cooking art even she left there since long time. And she did this evening well. Also it was funny, Wendy knows her but, she never thought that she is living here with Archie. Funny, NE?

At the venue…Sound man was a member of the supporting band I performed in Geneva few months before. During traveling I meet someone I know from somewhere…it’s nice. By the way Portland is getting art metropol at west coast USA. There is alternative scene and I feel something is moving.

Damo Suzuki with Luca Ciffo (Guitar), Mattia Coletti (Guitar, Ukulele), Fiè (Bass, Warp Piano), Xabier Iriondo (Table Guitar, Guitar, Electronics) and Marco Mazzoldi (Drums)
http://torchiera.noblogs.org/

Train ride to Milano. Italy is nice place to travel with train, surly ever changing landscapes are nice to see..Price for train is very cheap here. Platform is so low. Milano is the city my sound carrier friend Xabier is living in middle of city, with security gate and I stay at his place whenever I come here. Mattia, young experimental guitarist who has project with Xabier called Polvere was already there.

Relaxed and Xabier cooked. Some wine.. cheers!!!! The venue is alternative scene and it’s looks like that, you can imagine. Atmosphere is very familiar and relaxing people. The guys Fie and Marco, I performed with few days ago in Sardinia showed up. They have training room here, probably many artists has their studios. It was quite wet and cold day…Italian November.

November is kind of sad month, maybe not attractive month before Christmas. Dark, Melancholic, ……

Damo Suzuki with Paolo Campani (Sax), Sonic Boom (Electronics, Synths, Guitar) and Julie’s Haircut: Nicola Caleffi (Guitar, Percussion, Synths), Luca Giovanardi (Guitar, Electronics, Tapes), Roberto Morselli (Drums), Andrea Rovacchi (Piano, Organ, Synths), Andrea Scarfone (Bass, Guitar) and Fabio Vecchi (Guitar, Piano, Organ)
http://www.vibra.tv/

Andrea, Luca and I drive to Modena through wonderful Landscapes. Traveling in Italy is fun, this land is quite new republic around 150 years old. Local to local very ordinal things are staying still. So, every location has their specialties to eat, cities, mentality of citizen. Even small village they have old building with atmosphere.

On the way our hungriness get us to eat something. We dropped us somewhere in Tuscany (One of my favorite place in Italy), I forget the name of the village. Casstelo..something.. On the hill build up village, almost nobody on the street, Heard lonely barking naughty dog, rest is silence and calm wind… Sure I ordered pasta and fish (even here is not fisher village, I had hungry for fish, so I cannot help). What good in Italy is average restaurant like this you can enjoy food and wine and payable also good quality. Conversation about food during eating is usual and makes me fan. Italy has most organic farms in Europe. (I heard two times more than Germany)..and they have Agra-turism at quite a lots of place. To get good quality is to get contact with nature. We had many healthy foods before… when we lived together with nature and we had harmony with them. I tell you all those good restaurant with experienced chefs use good materials…that mean organic meat, organic veges… You can see in people today, hundreds of years before all rich people ware fat, now look rich people are shaped by fitness training and healthy food..they can pay..so they are good shaped. The other hand poor people are getting fat..eat fast food and bad energy food. Why I am telling this to you….because, I like Italian food…because, it’s healthy if you eat Italian food here. No. I’m not interesting to eat Italian food somewhere else.

Sonic Boom is a friend of Julie’s Haircut, they made vinyl together and some concerts together. We pick up him from their (He was traveling with his wife) hotel. Today’s formation is I, Julie’s and Boom. Saturday night….. It’s Saturday night, party time after their show…

Damo Suzuki with Alessio D’Onofrio (Guitar), Luca Giovanardi (Guitar, Electronics, Tapes), Lex Luthor (Bass), Umberto Palazzo (Bass, Guitar), Pax (Drums) and Andrea Rovacchi (Piano, Organ, Synths)

Early shuttle bus to airport came a bit late, The promoter brought us ( was together with the guy who going back to Marseille, specially for this show he made travel to his native island) to bus stop. Took airplane to Roma then change to train. Even I don’t understand that much Italian (sound good…but, actually almost nothing…), things went smoothly even after only two hours of sleeping …it’s quite long way.

Train ride was good, many beautiful landscapes changes see some snows on top of mountains. Outside looks very cold not really a friendly weather for me. When I was young I use to live in North…exactly ….in Sweden and was nice to do ski, enjoy cold air …but, when you are getting old, my body needs more warm weather if possible just sun, sun, sun…. Arrival!!!Railway station of Pescara is looks like an airport. Too huge for 120,000 people city Pescara. Umberto, the guy booking shows for Wake Up Club, today’s venue also bassist of the night picked up me from this huge train station told me that this city is beside Latina, Mussolini’s city. went to Hotel then to venue, Local sound carriers are already set up their equipment waiting for me for action when we arrived.

Luca and Andrea, members of my friend band Julie’s Haircut come from Reggio Emillia, I heard they have problem with their van and will be here a bit later. Hope nothing happen with them. It took not that long until they appear. All local sound carriers are wondering what will be happen.. But both guys from Reggio knows what would it be, even they didn’t play their usual instruments.. ….they are going to make a bit noise of toys and effect, they said. Anyway Luca had always find some toy-like-things whenever I see him. He likes to play toys beside he is very expert on cinema. He runs DVD shop in Reggio and told me once, he wanted be a director of movie, but he is not good enough, so he opened shop.

Like most Italian people have style he has also his own. Reggio/Pescara formation of sound carriers found friends. It’s nice to have two different cities sound carrier on spot. They’re are performing together for first time as well.

Damo Suzuki with Bronyaur: Fabio Cerina (Guitar), Luca Ciffo (Guitar), Fiè (Bass) and Marco Mazzoldi (Drums)
http://www.trasponsonic.net/

This is second visit to Sardinia within last 3 months..it was September last time and Fabio told me even in November here in Sardinia one can swim. I’m not swimmer and I don’t try..but, still warm here. Like last time, the venue is middle of nowhere, it’s impossible to reach without car and also it’s difficult to find if you’re not from this area. It is just in middle of woods and no neighborhood.

Even the guy picked me up from airport had difficulties to find this. He came from Genoa, Mainland Italy. We stop for late lunch. Whole lotta fishes. Its always nice to visit southern Europe. Fish is the thing I love to eat, very satisfied enjoy wine too. I was feeling that we are getting late as he said we have to drive an another hour.

So, complicate to reach the venue, we had to stop and had to call the organizer several times. The venue stood middle in woods and surroundings are getting dark. The venue is looks like restaurant which is open for only summer time. There are many organic farms in Italy. They are number one organic farmers place in Europe. I understand that Italian food has quality, so it is necessary to have good product. Good quality kitchen is always link to good quality product. Smell nice from smoked meat. What is that? One told me if you are in Sardinia, you have to try roast pork, Sardinia is best place to eat roast pork, they say proudly. I can remember of the restaurant just visit pig farm where we couldn’t eat as we didn’t reserve. At an another place I ate Sardinian pig and it was tasty.

My sound carrier friend from last Sardinian show Fabio came later, he comes from Cagliari. There was no stage at the venue. Set up on floor. After sound check, eat in with sound carriers, two of them, Luca and Marco will perform with me in few days in Milano too, they come from Milano. Later showed up local young people, among them friend of Makoto, the guitar player from Acid Mothers Temple.

The show went to deep in night and after talking with people..I have only two hours to sleep to get early bus.

Damo Suzuki with Zukanican: Phil Lucking (Trumpets), James Pagella (Drums, Percussion), Harry Sumnall (Electronics, Percussion) and Tom Sumnall (Bass)
http://sthelens-connect.net/sthelensmusic/

Zukanican is now getting smaller, two members left the band and now they’re four. Zukanican is the band I performed quite often here (I perform on this small town near Liverpool for already three times) and Liverpool. Manchester to here was so short travel, Promoter team picked me up from very small train station (I forget the name) which just one person at cashier, no cafe or bar just platform and empty waiting room, no taxis no bus…..brought me to the venue.

Front of the venue is pub, through pub to the venue with low stage. I had enough time in awful English November day, so I stayed here and begin to drink Jameson, sound man is preparing,Zukanikan is not arrived yet. In typical English Harvest day dark, wet, rain and wind, people lost way to come here…it’s anyway uncomfortable.

It’s very difficult to perform in front of few audience. It’s easy game in front of huge audience like performance at festival. Anyway, it’s skill to perform for few people. Even you can hear their breath. James told me he might come to ATP…..

Damo Suzuki with Jon Green (Drums), Ben Robson (Guitar), Ben Taylor (Drums), Jay Taylor (Guitar) and Dan Thomas (Bass)
http://www.theroadhouselive.co.uk/

Many times I performed in Night and Day, this time an another venue. Few steps from Night and Day is this venue tonight. Both not so far from Piccadilly Station. I come to Manchester and stay at this area. You can reach by foot everywhere and always people are full up on the street even late in the night. Ben was working at Night and Day before and now moved to Roadhouse. Roadhouse is run by Jon the another drummer. Taylor brother’s have been performed with me. with Jay O performed four or five times in Manchester. He is setting Networks regular sound carrier in Manchester. Came too early, nobody was at the venue.

I took a walk in cold dark November day look for place to eat. I went to Indian just near to the venue. If you are tired and weather is ugly November day, you don’t walk that much to find good place to eat. Also without attending person, not that much fan to go to eat. So, I took easiest way. also quite difficult as stranger. Specially in England. I am not fan of Indian food, but, I eat mainly Indian in England or not well taste Japanese food. Indian I found at first so, I went in. Nice young lady of the venue brought me to Hotel, the same like last few times. Rest a little, it’s just on Piccadilly, few steps from the venue.

Damo Suzuki with Champion Kickboxer, The Tajalli Vortex and Gated Community.

Since couple of years I have good relationship to Jonny the organizer, sound carrier, label man /Free Noise man) and artist. I performed here around half year before. Seems to be Sheffield has good improvisers scene, Gated community is one of them and Jonny’s The Tajalli Vortex. I performed with both already last time. Jonny arranges improvisers event once in a month at this venue. He is now learning arts and he is exciting to draw paint during my performance with Gated Community, he said. Result you can see front site of my website www.damosuzuki.com.

I had quite many time painter(s) drawing darling I’, performing. It’s nice to collaborate with artists. Well, all together three sets today. Many of them I met once or more. Gated Community people are discussing at middle of the venue. I met two Japanese students studying English here. I don’t know if they stayed until performance end. Maybe they just saw sound check.

Martin Archer is the guy with sax who mailed me a couple of years ago and performed with me . Last time he wasn’t there for his performance. He perform with Gated Community today. He also has label. There are many sound carriers parted in three formation. If there are many sound carriers, already warm at sound check.

Damo Suzuki with Frakture Big Band
http://www.magnetliverpool.co.uk/

Liverpool is partner city of Cologne beside San Francisco, Kyoto, Thessaloniki etc… Maybe for this reason I have always sympathy to Liverpool. Also style, how FC Liverpool play with energy attack front is always interesting, as I am a soccer fan. They remain me Borussia Mönchengladbach in their best time.

Phil, the guy organized this performance also sound carrier tonight picked me up from railway station with his bicycle. It was before noon. I don’t no what was wrong, Hotel was too slow to give me a room. They say until 15:00 I don’t have clean room. So, I walk some blocks to my hungry stomach to full spontaneously purpose get full up…this reason you never find better place. I have been in Liverpool for several times so, I know about city center. Liverpool once had population of 880,000, now it’s around 440,000.

There are many constructions, I guess for European culture capital city next year. Hotel is just 5 minutes to walk to the venue, I performed once…called Magnet. Sound check…..countless sound carriers, very tight on the stage tonight. So, we will go on stage separated to some sets. I found an another Phil, the trumpeter, I performed a couple of times, is member of Zukanican. He will perform with me too.

Later I found live material on YouTube, so you can see/feel what was about with your eyes/ears, Here they are….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HtFR6W6lfc

Damo Suzuki with The Pattern Theory and The Window Right: Neil Atkinson (Drums), Anthony Smith (Bass, Keyboards) and Matt Littlewood (Guitar/Laptop)
http://www.brudenellsocialclub.co.uk/

First time since booked not by Jonny, he now don’t organise show more, instead I work together with Chris. About the Window Right, I wrote some times that I like their sound, so tonight I perform with them for 2nd time.

Another young talented band The Pattern Theory will join my set as well. The venue is the same The Brudenell Social Club, has nice ambiente kinda 50’s 60’s look, nice place. Both bands had own sets then we all went on the stage. Pure organic sound.