post gig Tokyo

And so the post-gigs period began ...

With the hardest work done, we set about showing Michael D some of Toyko and surroundings.
We went up top of Roppongi Hills for the excellent surround view, would have been nice to finally see Mt.Fuji - but again , not today.
But the sun set like a red rubber ball beyond Nishi Shinjuku as we waited for the hanabi above the city.

There was a surprisingly deep show on the Silk Road China in the Mori gallery a floor below and three gift shops featuring all kinds of nice stuff - like detailed figures from the famous Bosch painting and cards, art pieces galore.

Next we went out to Kamakura (after the trains started running again).
This was great we entered the zen temples at Engakuji (will correct spelling)and stayed there for the afternoon,lost in the gardens, temples, private dwellings and pond.
Just the air alone made it worth going , steam hot -yes, but quiet and calm like you expect.
An old sennen` monk with long white beard strolled through the complex as we rested on a bench, workers buzzed around on scooters and a few other tourists hung out.
Ended our trip by taking the trolley to Inamora black sand beach where we could spy a Japanese military ship offshore , had a nice dinner at Peters ,saw the clouds lift enough to see back to Zushi and after nightfall we caught another fireworks show before heading home to Tokyo.
Next night there was a fine DCC after-gig party @ the Wire Cafe in the KDD building off Omotosando.
Kan ,Skatething ,Peter Daugherty , Kozo, Yumi and friends , Makoto and Nori ,Ms. Oda and friend ,Michelene (sp.?)
Takashi brought Kunio direct from his Hawaii trip

Next day the other DCC boys went bk to Narita and we packed out of Hiroo over to Meguro -Ikejiri where we are still ...

The shows

Well, Yoshi from Delic totally hooked us up ...
The bullet train to Osaka on the 29th was of course, right on time.
Jeez ,is there a better train service in the world ?
and the trains look so great, like super land schooners or as Rammellzee said - a dolphin.

The big van that picked us up was nice , the ride into town highlighted by the sight of the sky building Noyuri and I had visited last time we were in Osaka.
From beneath it looks like there is a big turntable perched between the two legs that tower up into the sky.
Osaka skyline has changed some since we were there last .

The people at club noon were so nice (YOU know who you are),
great to have a woman soundperson (thanks for the mix and tape from the board)
and the Delic DJs Latin Ras Kas and Matsumoto tore it up, the promoter set up this chain link mesh in front of the stage for some industrial atmosphere (and something to grab onto during the gig)
come gig time (2 AM) we were all jazzed and the gig went smooth ,nice and loud onstage.
As I had requested , we went after soundcheck to a grand okonomiyaki dinner at a place way down this long corridor with guys shouting invitations to clubs, skin bars and who knows what else .
Kiyoshi brought the new Ltd Ed. Vader DCC T shirts in his overstuffed North Face pack, Jun translated and we did our business.
Good crowd ,lots of ladies an some mixi people too ...

Bk to Green Hotel ,sleep a bit ,then get up and go to breakfast (of sorts)
everyone a bit tired but excited after the gig, punchy.

The plan was to take the bullet bk to Tokyo at 3 PM but we changed it to 12 PM and got bk to Tokyo when we would have been leaving Osaka . Whew ...

The soundcheck @ Unit was fine ,
but the meal afterwards was not the best on this trip and the 1 hour nap had me waking up in between refreshed and something else .
But by gig time ,again 2 AM all was good (thanks to that great J stomach med)and we saw the line at the club going way out the door and around the corner.
Waayyy around the corner ...
eventually 600 people got in .
Toshi and Plastics -ex did a fine set ,
followed by new friend top DJ Kan Takagi`s sweet set and well, time to play ...
Not so fast , we got pushed bk from 2 to 2:30 AM ,finally rocked it to the stage , drank a Carlsberg and let it rip DCC style.
Quite grand.
Big stage ,good sound (best sound system in Tokyo) we did the Riphop era songs and new ones too .
Cool bkstage scene with Hajime Tachibane and Mr.Shima buzzing through, Toshi had vocalist from Piccicato Five with him and a dancer who had her own pole onstage.
And this is in a town that has a candy bar called Crunky ...
DJ High Priest then went on to cut it uｐ further into the night while artist painted .
We bailed out at dawn , bk to Domi Inn

Tokyo nights

Welly,well,well

Finally catching up !
Its been an amazing trip to Japan this time, with cool side trips, fireworks
and two great gigs in Osaka and Tokyo (600 people).


The first week I flew in with DCC superDJ High Priest and we proceeeded to have a ball, staying in Hiroo at artist friends Apt.
Its been ultra hot and humid - two t shirts a day and cold showers.
There was a wild green garden growing out back and a sweet white cat with ice blue eyes would come by to look in on us from time to time.
The air conditioner talked to us every time we clicked the temp down another notch.

The first wkend friends drove us up to Yamanashi Pref. and we camped out in a very nice campground right next to a light blue river that ran down from the mountains
Morning meditation was esp. sweet ...

We drove up and bk past Sagami lake and listened to Siousxie And The Banshees all the way back to Tokyo.