Matsumoto.
A jet-lagged rise at 14.00 & a 15.30 lobby call.
22.25
Hotel It-Is-Less-Than-Modest-But-At-Least-It-Is-Unassuming, Matsumoto.
Soundcheck improved on yesterday's dismal position and, by the time doors opened, the sound was do-able. Reportedly, the FOH sound for the show, in this 8-year old venue, was very good. Onstage, the sound was solid while loud. The audience were supportive and, at the end of the performance, visibly & demonstratively so.
Our performance was honourable, with a few defeats snatched from the jaws of victory. A new Crim expression, used in moments of exceptional note-choice (switched to random select) is why not? Ade found a new spin on the descending sections at the end of VROOOM and returned my look of astonishment with a why not? Also tonight: Ade joined the Rhythm Buddies with in-ear monitoring. I persisted with stage monitors.
A new Crimson technical term, one that was featured prominently in tonight's set, is asswind. The term originates with Trey, who used it as a synonym for vectorisation. This is itself another Crim technical term, one that originates in the ProjeKct Two sessions at Studio Belewbeloid in November 1997. Vectorising is something like a sonic amuse bouche, or swirling sonicscape, that functions as a bridge between pieces where silence, or quiet, is not appropriate. A vector shift may function as an ear-clearer, a lug-sorbet as it were, to cleanse the aural palate before the next piece of stonking Crimson terror is delivered to drive wives from halls.
Recently, Trey has taken to suggesting a vectorisation with the word asswind. The usage of this term has spread, carelessly, and now extends even to Soundscapes. An introductory Soundscape, prior to the band coming onstage, has even been declared a savage blast of asswind. This is, of course, close to sacrilege.
Ade broke a string, which he attributes to not having time to return to the hotel for a shower: this interrupted his personal ritual of performance-preparation. While Ade was changing guitar, and re-tuning, a vectorisation was needed. So Ade called to me - asswind. In and of itself, this was fine: I understood what Ade wanted. But it didn't quite occur that, with in-ear monitoring damping his sense of vocal amplitude, Ade's voice was somewhat louder than it might otherwise have been. In addition to being clearly audible at the edge of the stage, which had Ken & John rolling in laughter, Ade was standing not far from the microphone.
I'm not sure what the polite & respectful Japanese audience made of the singer calling out asswind to the guitarist stage left .
The dressing room goodies included French patisseries from Cosy Corner & bean treats of wonderment & delight.
Now, back to a lonely cubicle marked #911, two suitcases outside the door for collection and overnight delivery to Hotel Much-More-Acceptable-Than-This in Tokyo. In Matsumoto it's guitar practising time.
"A lie divorces who we are from what we are."
