Here, I will write about my experiences that don’t quite fit into other categories on this site but are related to the guitar. Throughout my journey, I have been involved in various things, visited different places, and encountered wonderful people. I would like to write about what I have discovered and felt, in these experiences.
Now, let’s talk about my journey through the music scenes I experienced in various eras.
I will depict the evolution of rock music as I experienced it through my five senses. Yes, it’s happend across the pond, several thousand miles away in Japan where most of people didn’t understand and speak English. But it didn’t matter, the wave came and stormed through it… For example, the exhilaration of jumping up and down in an arena seat while Mark Bolan held a Les Paul and sang “Telegram Sam” on a stage. That was at nonw other, the ledengary Budokan venue. And the enchanting sight of Pink Floyd performing on an outdoor stage surrounded by mountains. It was an experience where their sound slowly rose from the mountains behind the stage, filling the evening air, rising fogs and I could feel it with my whole body (this concert took place on the mountainside of Hakone, which is far away from Tokyo). Another an unforgettable memory, I witnessed the unique stage of Angus Young from AC/DC, spinning on the floor sideways, while playing his SGright, right in front of me . This happened at the Marquee Club in London. This happened when Angus started his trademark expressive guitar solo. It is a so powe packed solo, but then he started getting off of the stage descending to the floor. That was the space between front rown and stage. Back then it must have been a dancing floor there. Anyways, Angus, still playing solo, laid down on the cebter of the floor right there in fromt of us. 20 ft by most, could even have been 10Ft only away. As he laid flat, he shifted his pody position sideways, and to everybody’s surprise, He started spinning sideways kicking the floor, using his shoulder as an axis. All during this he kept playing the solo!!! Well, that is so so great but I have to tell you, however, this action, which would be impossible for an ordinary person, was made possible by the incredible skill of the one super-roadie. You may be surprised, but the bands of thie era didn have much luxury of spphisticated wireless equipment. And the venue was relatively small so Angus’ guiatar had just regular cable hooked to it. But thank God, the super loadie was able to skillfully twirled the guitar cable like a cowboy manipulating a lasso, perfectly timing it with Angus’s rotation, ensuring that it wouldn’t get tangled! It was quite a Gig!!! And I was luckey to be there.
Most of these stories are experiences centered around the guitar that vividly remained in my memory, so I believe it makes sense to talk about them here. If a topic becomes too broad or deviates from the main focus, I will consider creating a separate category and moving it there, but for now, let’s continue with this style.
One of the most important events in my life that I experienced was The Beatles’ concert at the Budokan. They were the first pop/rock band EVER to perform at the Budokan. I was honestly amazed that the venue actually allowed them to perform because the Budokan had traditionally been a sacred place for martial arts competitions like judo and karate. The translation of Budokan means “martial arts” referring to techniques for fighting, including the spiritual aspects, and “kan” means “hall” or “stadium.” It was the largest indoor stadium in Japan at the time, but its purpose had nothing to do with, and extremely away from rock ‘n’ roll. However after this historic concert, the Budokan became the top priority venue for foreign bands visiting Japan. Early ones I saw were Jhon Mayall, Chicago, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, Jrff Beck, Santana, T’Rex, Deep Purple, Boz Scaggs, Doobie Brathers, Lynerd Skinnard, 10CC, Bad Company…..yes you name it!!! Luckily, I lived in center oi Tokyo and happened to live less than 30-minute away! I still thank God on this.
Back to the Beatles…Getting tickets to The Beatles’ concert was extremely difficult. Luckily, one of the sponsors was the famous toothpaste company, Lion Toothpaste, and they had a campaign where if you purchased their product and sent in the cut-off end of the paper package, you had a chance to win tickets through a lottery. So, deparately wanting to see The Beatles at all costs, I asked my family to buy a bulk supply of toothpaste tubes that could last several months for entire family to increase my chances of winning. Just before the deadline, I was able to send in 10 entries, and fortunately, I managed to obtain one ticket. And so, on that day, I was able to witness The Beatles’ performance at the Budokan, just as it remains on video. Soooo happy. I knew and loved all of The Beatles’ songs, but for some reason, George’s rendition of “If I Needed Someone” left a lasting impression on me at the time.
Recently, while organizing my warehouse, I came across that ticket. Here they are!
Budokan.
To be coninued…