JAPAN TOUR-DAY 4 UPLINK PERFORMANCE

I am getting super-behind because I lost my internet connection.

So much happening at one time I am starting to have each day blur.

Got up in around 4AM, still can’t remember how to sleep. Usually I am catching about two to three hours of consecutive sleep, then wake up for a hour of so and fall asleep until 8AM.

Got up at 8AM, me and Bob got suited up for a jog. We were feeling pretty torn up so we decided to visit this shrine/temple and honorary historic site at Mike’s suggestion.

It is a beautiful place. Very soothing to the addled mind. Beautiful greenery, trees and shrines. Water flows out of bamboo pipes for the visitor to drink from.

We also walked around the residence of, I think General Nori. The story goes that him and his wife committed suicide after the death of there leader out of respect to him. Nori was also very fond of horses and built amazing stables to house his horses.


Then after taking in the sites we took our usual jog in that park I told you about earlier. Very glad to be jogging.

Got off to such a late start that we had no breakfast. Me, Marshall and Bob ended up eating lunch around 3PM-a light feast of chicken, rice, pickled veggies and a small salad-for all three of us-about $15. You can make it work!

Picked up by Mike, our gear left by car-thank goodness, it sucks lugging that shit around Japan-and it is lightly raining.

Off to Shibuya…

Take the subway to empty out into the Time Square of Tokyo.

Walking though the narrow streets of Shibuya in the rain at early evening as the lights are blinking everywhere-guess what? I officially got the “Blade Runner” moment I always thought of when I dreamt of Tokyo. Was Rutger Hauer gonna wax about death, where is Decker, am I a Replicant, was that Edward James Olmos? Far out. Very cool, very weird moment!

Got to Uplink. It is like the Millennium of Tokyo but super-small. Space has a lot of design furniture experiments of 70’s design firm overruns. We set up for sound check in a small space.

The show went very well. Me and Bob suggested to Marshall to bring his keyboard and let loose with the tunes. I told him to worry less about the images and get into what he is playing. It worked-he played very nice. Great moments. As the doors opened to allow the audience in, Marshall got us involved in playing something beautiful to “invite” the people in. Better than sittin in front of them and staring at them.

It was my favorite thing we played that eve. Marshll does have it on tape so it will make it into the archive. One audience member said how unusal it was to hear a headliner play live music to invite people in. She thought that what we played was so joyous, it made her so happy that she wanted to sing. Awesome.

People were very receptive to the films and were often thanking me for the film experience.

Me and Marshall were involved in an interview after the show. The questions were very good, and many were directly about me and Marshall working together. Great to be interviewed and be reflecting on the past with Marshall while then interview is being held.

I met the people that run the club and they were very generous with DVD’s that they had for sale of comtemporary Japanese media artists, thank you Uplink.

Low turn out is always in my mind.
Back to hotel, and too hungry. Not getting to eat right-its hard when on tour. Me and Bob got some Indian food. Very good and to bed by 2AM.