Okay,
so at 11:45, Kayo wakes me up; I've got a phone call. It's Jun! We're
supposed to meet in 15 minutes! Fuck! "Ichi-ji ii desu ka?! Gomen!"
"Hai, ii desu!"
So
I rush through the morning rituals, fly over to the eki on my bike,
and just miss the express by a minute. So to kill time I nab some
Evian and Ritz Bits, which is probably the worst breakfast I've ever
had since my days of blood pudding and runny eggs at the Newcastle
Poly.
I
switch train lines at Shimo Kitazawa for Kichijioji, which is like
the last stop, 30 minutes away. But I've got exactly 30 minutes to
make it by 1pm, so I'm cool, and I read a bit more of Twelve Red
Herrings, a collection of short stories by Jeffrey Archer, a British
dude who writes wittily, according to the flap. Half the time the
stories suck, but half the time they're cool, so I put up wit it.
But I'm eager to get my arse over to Good Day Books, in Ebisu, which
has 80,000 English books, mostly used! And a nice selection of John
Le Carre, if the employee where who responded to my email is to be
trusted.
Okay,
so I get to the station, right on the dot. Wait 10 minutes. No Jun.
Maybe we're supposed to meet at the studio or something?! I dunno.
Oh, I'll call, he's got a cell phone. SO I use a 10 yen coin, which
connects me to his cell for about 10 seconds. I managed to utter the
words "Jun?! Jun?! Kichijioji imasu! Aimashou!" before getting
cut off.
I
try again, this time with three more ten yen coins, my last. But the
conversation goes just as poorly (there's a lot of noise, so it's
just hard to make out what he's saying, half of which I wouldn't understand
anyway since my Japanese is so bad). I figure, okay, I'll wait til
1:30, if he's not here by then, fuck it. He's a good guy, but I mean,
I hate wasting time... although at the back of my mind is the fact
that I'm late too, so I can't just blame him.
He
comes along a few minutes late, av. guitar, and we start to walk.
AHD, but there's a problem.
"Problem?"
I'm thinking that since I'm late, the studio gave
away our time or something, and I feel bad.
"Yes,
no more CASE" CASE's the singer. "Today at 12, we were to
meet. I called him, but nothing." Either CASE didn't want to
come to practice, or he didn't answer the phone, I'm led to believe.
"Oh
okay." CASE, he explained at our previous meeting, was a bit
of a jerk, so it's no loss to me. But then:
"So
I'm going to start looking for a new band. On my own." Meaning,
I don't want to start a band with you. "I'll buy you coffee."
"okay...
ah, no, ice cream!" There's a Haagen Daaz right in front of us,
and it's killer hot today. I end up getting a scoop of Blueberry Cheescake,
in a cone. I pay, because I know Jun's perpetually broke, and it's
all good.
"Sorry,
so no practice."
"Oh,
hmm." So I just wasted an hour riding out here I guess. "Studio
wa?"
"Too
expensive for just us two." Especially if we're not gonna form
a band together. Still, it'd've been nice to just jam for a bit; $25/hr
isn't that bad, and it'd've justified my trip.
But
instead we just wandered aimlessly for a bit, hit a CD store that
had nothing remarkable, and parted, promising to hang again and remain
friends. Which isn't out of the question, I suppose; it's nothis fault
he saw the light only a few minutes after calling me and waking me
up; we'll see I guess.
So anyway,
that was a bummer. So I marched around Kichijioji, in search of a
Disk Union or Book Off selling Missa for $1, but found nothing
-- no used CD stores at all. It was terrible. It's 35C (99F!), I've
been denied a rehearsal studio session, a possible band, and on top
of that breakfast sucked. (Ritz Bits and Ice Cream, merging in my
stomach like milk and lemon juice, curdling instantly. Bleah.)
So I
head to Shinjuku. I have a few hours to kill before heading to Takadanobaba
to meet Takashi, who's in that visual punk band I mentioned a week
or two ago. I stop in to Kinko's to check my email -- Good Day books
wrote back, they have Le Carre's at Y500 -- so cool. I scribble down
directions. Back to the station. A Yamanote train is pulling in, run,
run, bounce into the car as the doors close, and away we go.
Oh,
this train is going in the opposite direction that I wanted to!
But
its all good; we're heading toward Takadanobaba... and Ikebukuro...?
I check my organizer: Brand X, a jrock CD shop, is in Ikebukuro. Cool.
So I
get to Ikebukuro. Meander through the crowds towards the East Exit
(following the signs for Central Exit, since it's either that, South
Exit, or North Exit). Emerge into daylight. Lots of big department
stores, and a gigantic intersection to cross. Cross. Check map. Adjust
vector slightly. Re-check map. What the fuck?! The map sucks.
I spot
two visual definite Dir en grey fans (see photo). "Sumimasen!
Sumimasen! Sumimasen!" They don't hear me at first, or maybe
they're hoping I'll go away, but then I tug on the one girl's arm
and immediately announce that I'm searching for Brand X (because in
my goofy touristy shirt and shorts, they'd never guess I'm a fellow
visual kei fan... which is I think why they didn't stop immediately
in the first place). And they become helpful right away.
They
give me some pretty detailed directions, then finish, and look at
me, and my mouth is hanging open and I repeat the only word I understood:
"Masugu?" And you can see them, like, rolling their eyes
and resigning themselves to the fact that they'll have to actually
guide me there. Which they do! I'm glad too, because it was so far
out I never would have found it on my own -- instead I'd have given
up, gone home (dissing the Visual Punk band) and sulked the rest of
the week. In the end, it turns out they really saved the day for me.
Arigatou!!!
But
so we get there, I thank them profusely, take a couple pictures, and
descend into the store. It's tiny, and only half the store is jrock;
the other half is punk and metal, with a sizable Wildhearts section...
what the hell is Silver Ginger, btw?
Brand
X has a decent selection of stuff. No Missa though. Most interesting
were some of the videos they had in stock. They were in plain white
boxes, with plain black-&-white labels. There were Aliene Mirrage
(how the hell do you spell that band's name?!) live videos, um, and
other bands. Signed, popular bands. Playing places like On Air East.
Selling for $20. I got the impression they were one-camera type deals,
but still, it's cool to know they exist; if you can't go see your
favorite band in person, you can at least get the next best thing.
I was also surprised by the amount of Raphael videos -- Vision
of Extremes I & II, and also a big live video, and
a fourth "Special" video... how long was this frickin' band
around?!
If you
visit, don't forget to look above the cash register (assuming the
autographed Dir en grey 8x10s are still there).
I buy
nothing.
It's
now around 3pm, and so far, helpful j-rock girls not withstanding,
my day still has pretty much sucked.
On the
way back to Ikebukuro Station (I take a different route, always in
search of new CD stores), I pass a rehearsal studio. There's a visual
rock band hanging out on the steps, with their gear. Bummed out, I
don't say hello or nuthin'. I just keep walking.
I get
to the main intersection, near the station, and start thinking to
myself, "You shy fucking dork, you better go back and say hi
to those guys, you coward. Don't be such a dork, dork! Maybe they
need a guitarist!" (Turns out they don't.) But I cross the street
anyway.
The
light switches to Don't Walk, the cars get a green light and start
moving again, and I say to myself, "Oh, look, now it's too late
to go back, the light changed." And that just pisses me off -so-
much that I turn right the fuck around, wait for the signal to change
again, then head straight for the studio, totally expecting them to
be gone. But they're still there, loading their van.
After
they're done I just say "hey" to one of the blond guys.
We talk for a second, but really briefly, and I get the feeling he's
in a hurry -- or, maybe, that he doesn't want to talk to me. So it's
like, "oh, okay, bye" and then I'm just starting to feel
totally totally bummed out, like if this day got any worse I'm just
gonna puke my heart out onto the sidewalk and step on it -- 'cos,
I mean, if ANYone asks you about your band like I just had, you talk
and talk and talk until they can't stand it any more! Promotion, baybee!
So then
I'm just standing there, by myself, now pretending that I'm waiting
for someone by cleverly checking my watch every couple minutes (like
a dork). A few minutes pass, the van's still there. So I guess he
wasn't in a hurry -- I guess he just didn't want to talk to me! Good
lord what a crappy crappy day.
But
then he comes back with this big blue-haired guy. And we talk about
X Japan and Dir en grey, and being in bands, and they give me a flyer
-- the band is called Gidi -- and they look pretty cool! Do they have
any lives coming up soon? Tonight maybe, at Area?! Nope, their next
show is at Narciss on 7/23. I'm gonna try and make it.
Two
of Gidi and Me
Studio Penta, Ikebukuro
So at
this point in the day I'm feeling just a little less bleah. Like,
I haven't accomplished anything, but at least I'm meetin' people <snaps
fingers> places t' go, peoples ta meets!
I head
back to the station, take it the two stops to Takada no Baba (aka
Takadanobaba), and then realize: I don't know where I'm meeting Takashi.
The
only place I know in this area is AREA, a club which Cameron tells
me is pretty cool. But I don't even know where it is! So I pester
another obvious jrock girl, who's leaning against a column in the
station waiting for her friends to arrive, into giving me directions
-- it's just a minute up the road. Go left. Doumo!
It was
really close to the station, and it's not so far from my house, either,
which is a very good thing. I descend the stairs. Jrock girls litter
the steps, I feel like Indiana Jones in that third movie where he's
gotta step on the right place to avoid falling... only if I make a
mis-step I'm gonna get the crap kicked outta me!
The
ticket purchasing goes pretty well -- it's the first time I've done
it on my own. (Don't laugh! They ask how many tickets you want, and
if you've already got one reserved, and what band you're hear to see...
it's not easy, lol!)
To the
last question I reply, "Um, 'Visual Punk?'", not knowing
if that's the band name, or maybe just a slogan... "Visual Punk
no Takashi? Do you know him?" They're helpful, and the place
isn't too crowded yet, so we briefly mull over the possibilities;
but it's a no-go. I'll just have to figure out which of the guitarists
is Takashi on my own... or hope he finds me. I hand over Y3000 (I
had actually forgotten I'd have to pay to get in), and head inside.
One
of the coolest things about AREA is that, unlike most clubs, it has
two separate sections: the performance area and a lobby area. The
lobby area is where the bar is, and the loo, and where all the cool
people hang out, one supposes. It's also where you can talk without
yelling over loud music, and meet the band members, if they decide
to come out. Also cool: the whole place was well air-conditioned.
I could've worn jeans, or even vinyl, and been comfortable. Now I
know for next time! (God, I -hated- the shorts and shirt I was wearing
by now... I looked like a friggin', I dunno, farmer's helper or somethin...
meanwhile everyone else is in these cool lacy black frock-things and/or
military gear type of stuff, looking as cool as the bands.)
Another
cool thing that I definitely wanna mention is that the audience area,
divided into thirds by metal "headbanger" bars, are also
raised: the back third is a few feet higher than the front third.
Result: everyone can see, even latecomers. This, combined with the
lobby, the bar (staffed by very generous schoolgirls who don't spare
the booze) and the A.C., makes AREA my current favorite place to go...
I hear the Machida Playhouse is also good (and 20 minutes closer for
me) but I haven't gotten there yet. Mou sugu!
Quickly
I move towards the biggest door I see, which I incorrectly assume
leads to the performance area. It's the dressing room, where I dunno,
twenty-or-so jrock guys are in the midst of applying eyeliner or putting
on their stage gear. Oops!
The
next door I try leads to the stage area. I sit down just in time for
the second band. A guitarist comes out and goes, "We Are... 'FUH!!'(?)"
and the show starts and it's really cool -- heavy shit, but also melodic.
The drummer's really impressive, and I really get into the show. Tight,
heavy songs, very X Japan, but without the string/keyboard arrangements
-- not simple punk like I was kind of expecting. I'm hoping this is
the band I'm supposed to meet, so I start flipping through the promo
stuff they hand out upon entering the venue, and there's a Takashi
on guitars, so that's a good sign. And then I notice the "Visual
Punk" tag line. Cool! Then I see the band's name is "Fuss".
Ugh! But it's all good. ^_^
After
the show, I hang out near the dressing room for about an hour. (I
grabbed a beer first, because I was starving... it's now like 5pm.
Beer doesn't really make a good meal though. And increasingly I'm
finding myself enjoying inebriation less and less... probably because
the more I drink, the less I can speak to everyone else. The singer
comes out, but I don't say anything. He stops to talk to this girl
(one of a dozen) waiting by the dressing room, but I figure I should
talk to Takashi first.
After
a while, I start thinking maybe I should ask that girl if -she- knows
Takashi, but I had already tried that once inside, right after the
show, to two girls Takashi (or was it the bassist?) waved at in the
audience, but they had never met the band before, apparently, and
it was then just and awkward for me to do the, "oh, okay, bye"
kinda thing, so recently done to me, and which I didn't want to repeat.
Another
act starts, which I skip (they don't sound so great, or at least not
my style). I look again at the flyer, just to try and remember Takashi's
face, in case maybe I had seen him but missed him or something, when
someone comes up to me and goes "Ah!" It's Takashi. We leave
to the club to go talk. I wondering if I'll be able to get in again
as we head up the steps (hey, Y3000's a lot! I like to get my money's
worth!).
We meet
up with the drummer (Hajime) and bassist (Yousuke) by their van; and
that girl that the singer had spoken to is there too. She's Takashi's
wife!
We head
to Dotour, a famous coffee chain, grab some coffees and teas, and
discuss everything. What kind of guitar do I have? What bands do you
like? Do you want to be famous? When can you practice? Can you play
fast? What about makeup? That kinda stuff. It went well; we saw eye
to eye on everything, and the language barrier wasn't to terrible.
Plus they're all 28-ish, like me. We're meeting next Sunday, in Tachikawa,
which is a simple straight ride for me on the Nambu-sen.
And
of course, we took a few pictures!
Fuss!
Takashi (g), You(b), Hajime (d), me. The singer
left early; his voice was shot. (I'm amazed his throat didn't burst
on stage, actually -- oy, the screaming!)
I
walked right back into the club (the ticket takers recognized me,
I guess!) and sat down to catch a few more acts:
Delta
Ark
If one act gets famous from tonight's roster, it'll be these guys.
They just had it going on -- they looked all-pro, they played great,
and the girls ~loved~ them; you shoulda seen the moshing going on!
They're young and they're indies, but already they're touring the
country (Kyoto, Nagoya, Sendai -- all in the next couple weeks).
Me very jealous! I dunno, some bands just have "it".
Delta
Ark
Told ya they were pretty; unlike a lot of bands,
they look good in person, too!
I
said hey to the vocalist; he was a friendly enough chap. The gathered
gaggle of girls giggled when I shook his hand. Hmm, maybe I don't
wanna know why!
Kannabisu
(Cannabis)
More nu-metal; but again, really good. Definite cool grooves. Someone
should get these guys and Mesumerian (the Limp Bizkity band from
last week's live report) on the same bill and make a wad of money.
Cool songs, and two guitarists, which I prefer to one-guitar bands
(more complexity to the stuff!) <whiny old woman voice> But
they curse too much! Waaaaeeehhh!
Cannibis!
"Fuck!"
Liruka
Cool guys with a really cool act -- you know how a lot of visual
kei, especially that whole vampirey Malice-Miser subset, takes itself
really seriously? Well these guys exaggerated the seriousness to
the point of lunacy! Wacky shit! I didn't understand what they were
saying, but they effected these effeminate voices and poses, and
the audience was captivated and laughing with 'em the whole time...
and I only went in to watch after I noticed the lobby cleared out
(everyone else ran in to see them as well). A breath of fresh air!
Plus they were all good players, so the songs sounded strong as
well (loved the guitar vs keyboard solos)!
Liruka
Liruka Liruka!
One last photo before I head for home...
And
that was how a really lame day turned into a really cool one. ^_^
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