MORE ADVENTURING IN KYUSHU
I documented the first of mine and Ichi`s performances of our southern tour in a previous blog. As we traveled further south into Kyushu with Yasu our friend who organised the tour, we were looked after so well everywhere we went, fed home grown and home cooked food to warm our hearts and feet as it grew wintery, were greeted by attentive audiences, and witnessed some amazing Kyushu musicianship.
Also I got to be a cat for a minute on the island of Nokonoshima, pretty cool as I lived half the time in the world of Haruki Mirukami, truly transported to a world where cats can talk and fish rain down from the sky. Kafka on the Shore is a really amazing book, and was brilliant to read on tour as the characters traveled a route similar to us. My reality was quite blurred at times!
YAMAGUCHI
I documented the first of mine and Ichi`s performances of our southern tour in a previous blog. As we traveled further south into Kyushu with Yasu our friend who organised the tour, we were looked after so well everywhere we went, fed home grown and home cooked food to warm our hearts and feet as it grew wintery, were greeted by attentive audiences, and witnessed some amazing Kyushu musicianship.
Also I got to be a cat for a minute on the island of Nokonoshima, pretty cool as I lived half the time in the world of Haruki Mirukami, truly transported to a world where cats can talk and fish rain down from the sky. Kafka on the Shore is a really amazing book, and was brilliant to read on tour as the characters traveled a route similar to us. My reality was quite blurred at times!
YAMAGUCHI
Shegeko San shelling the soya beans she grew. She cooked them for us with rice. Oiishi! Such a kind host who I want to see again one day.
FUKUOKA
Space Tetra
NOKONOSHIMA
Momokosan playing in Noconico cafe.
If I had to pick a favourite venue of our tour then Noconico cafe would be it. The island itself is agricultural, a mountain rising up out of the sea, a stones throw from the highrise metropolis of Fukuoka, but so so far away in so many ways. The cafe is tiny, but full to the brim of amazing colourful stuff: whales hanging from the ceiling, 7" records from china, old toys, children`s instruments...We stayed 2 nights on the island and were looked after so well by Shibattasan and Shokosan, the cafe owners. There is a video in my last blog of a communal performance, kitchen percussion at its best!
In Japan they know how to be cosy in winter. This is called kotatsu: under the table and within the blanket there is a glowing heater keeping us very toasty.
Ichi is a beautiful lady and I am a cat
KUMAMOTO
This is Impalanoheso. I loved their understated, beautiful, and subtly comic performance. www.myspace.com/impalanoheso
Chikasan looked after us so well and she also played in Kumamoto with us. Her music was mysterious and lovely. It was complimented well by Czech animation. www.myspace.com/zemankova
She took us to a beautiful place in the mountains the next day to eat the fattest noodles I have ever come across. Oiishi! And we ate a lot of Mikan
TRAVELING VIA VOLCANO ASO
YASU
Yasu did such a good job of organising for us and he`s a fun travelling partner. Thank you Yasu, so many good memories
NAGOYA
I played 2 nights ago in an old house in Nagoya with Bridget St John and Japanese musician Taku from Kyoto. Quite a magical evening.
Bridget St. John and her audience. She is a weaver of Warmth.
