09.53
Hotel Acceptable With An Ace Breakfasting Trough, Nagoya.
A reflective breakfasting with a strong future-sense.
The in-house sonic provider plays chamber music of the historical variety, very welcome & acceptable, but this morning at double pianissimo. So I have been listening to the Beethoven & Bartok String Quartets via i-Pod & noise cancellators. This music is a need on this morning, a vital nourishment.
11.34 A Crafty professional has sought my advice on his adventures with a very successful band. I sympathise with his predicament, and have offered practical advice based on many years experience of dealing with those in powerful positions, persons who look on little people as opportunities to test footwear.
Lobby call at 11.45.
Farewell Nagoya! Centre…
Left…
Right…
Mid-left…
13.23 Bullet Train Nagoya>Osaka.
On the platform in Nagoya I…
II…
III….
Left…
Centre…
Right…
Happy Gigsters waiting for their train…
On the way to Osaka I…
II…
III…
IV...
V...
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VIII...
IX...
X...
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XII...
XIII...
XIV...
14.16 Hotel Acceptable, But Less Acceptable Than Nagoya, Osaka.
Centre…
Left…
Right…
Lobby call 16.00.
21.25 Taxi ride to the venue, the Zepp Osaka, with Masa Matsuzaki of WHD. Masa has been representing DGM in Japan since the early 1990s. Few people understand promotion in this territory better than Masa. Masa also takes the opportunity to ask me questions no one else would dare ask me: the artist/business interface is a difficult one to negotiate. Masa finds no difficulty with this in our relationship: if he sees something as needed, he asks me to do things that have me shaking with fear & reaching for instruments of self-immolation. Fortunately, in Japan, these instruments are readily to hand.
But, in respect of those with whom Masa has less intimacy & familiarity, the Japanese code of courtesy, manners & professional respect apply. On occasions, I act as a reconciling & mediating agent. Masa Matsuzaki…
The musical passion of Masa’s life is English rock act of the early 1970s. The word progressive does seem to apply here. Porcupine Tree are now an WHD recording artist in Asia, an introduction which I effected. Masa has become a PT fan & even goes collecting CDs in paper sleeves with Steven. This is not as bad as pulling the wings from flies or tormenting small creatures, but is decidedly suspect in mature men.
Schedule I…
II…
Supporting Artist’s Dressing Room I…
II…
III…
Hall…
This evening’s performance was made possible by the quality of the audience’s listening. Very generous & quiet. This enabled me to think and continue thinking, and use dynamics. For the second evening, Soundscapes began with Fantasia On The Theme Of Schizoid.
Regrettably, still too jet-lagged to stay for PT’s set.
Lobby call 10.00 tomorrow morning.
"Define the aim simply, clearly, briefly, positively"
