Topic: Joe-san in Tokyo
Joe-san
Many thanks for coming to Japan. I think we were really lucky to have you over here while you are still relatively unknown in these parts – although I sense you might have discovered that actually there were quite a few people here who have heard of Joe and the rest of the band!
For those reading this on the forum, ?thought I’d tell a short personal story about Joe’s visit to Tokyo. Myself and my daughter’s boyfriend, Mikey, bought our tickets a long time ago, but Mikey also managed to get involved with the Japan street team. (my daughter is at Edinburgh University, so she couldn’t join us). On Tuesday we both went to Joe’s clinic in Harajuku, Tokyo. Joe sat there in front of about 50 people, talked (through an interpreter, Miki-san) about how he studied guitar, his influences, etc. He played “Further on up the Road,” and “Woke up Dreaming,” and some other short pieces. He asked for 3 guitarists to join him. Mikey went on stage, sat in Joe’s chair and played some blues in E on Joe’s Yamaha acoustic guitar. Mikey is still in a state of shock! (Joe, if you’re reading this, Mikey was the one who played twice).
On Wednesday we both went to the show venue in Daikanyama, Tokyo, about 4 hours before the show began, as street team members. I was a bit late for the sound check myself, but Mikey caught it. We hung around and I chatted to Dave, Joe’s guitar guy (and a very nice guy he is, too). The trouble was, there were a bunch of reporters from Japanese guitar magazines photographing the guitars and trying to also talk to Dave, so I decided I should let them get on with their job! Dave, if you’re reading this, thanks very much for the chat anyway. Mikey and I also chatted with Joe’s manager, and we had a sneak preview of the RAH DVD on his laptop. Wonderful!!
Eventually the show started, and we were right at the very front, standing right in front of Joe, (he was on a raised stage, about 1.5 meters high). The show was fantastic. I couldn’t hear the vocals when things got really loud ( I think because the PA system was projecting them behind me) but I could hear them most of the time, and sang my throat sore anyway. There was a slight resonance on stage in “Last Kiss,” which seemed to happen when everyone was playing a low “E” – which is just about the whole song. But, it didn’t bother us in the slightest. My personal favourite was Woke up Dreaming. Joe came to the front of the stage, bent over a little and played right in front of my nose! Ha, I felt like I was having a private guitar lesson (still can’t figure out how to play it, though).
After the show I went home, but Mikey went back stage and met the band. (and, is still in a state of shock… ha!).
Joe, your next visit will probably be at bigger venues and we might not be able just to “hang around” so easily. So Mikey and I are very grateful to have had this chance to be there at the start, chatting, shaking hands, playing your guitars, getting CDs signed, etc.
As we said when you signed my copy of the “Best of JB,” let’s hope you’ll be at the Budokan in few years from now (saw Clapton-san there in February)
Kevin
18 years in Japan: “not from around these parts”
) assistant for (Japanese scripts challenged) Nippon 'Net hookups for the Nico, Nico Live, (Nico, Nico fa unday Joekimono feeno ah na nay) Joe Bonamassa appearance webcast clinic from TowKayo Tower Records...Much Coolness and uh, the wet t'ing... Nice stories of witnessing Kev, beats a sermon like a drum!
