The band finally got back together after 3 years and everything seemed to click all over again. Kenji had been at me incessantly and Brian was encouraging. He and his mate Suzi (a bloke, not a girl)were fixing up a 2-storey wooden building and converting it into a bar. Brian asked us to open the place with the band on St. Patrick's night. Ah, sure, what can you say to that? We had only the one practice session on the previous Sunday but it went well. All the memories came back and we just needed to review the chord changes and get the timing down again. The building was still in a shambles with lumber, and tools, and pots of paint all over the place. 'Ah, it'll be grand on the night' said Brian. And it was!
The first set was supposed to start around 8 but we never got rolling until after 9. Just like old times, in fact. It went pretty well but all of us thought the second set from half-ten on was much better since it got the crowd going ... of course, they'd had a lot more to drink by then!! The place looked great with loads of colourful posters of Ireland all over the walls, thanks to Bord Failte (Irish Tourist Board in Tokyo) who had sent them down along with a load of shamrock stickers as well -- ah, shure, daycent folk: go raibh maith agat!! A good number of people came -- a very good turnout considering everything had been done by word-of-mouth and slapped together at the last possible minute. At one point, in fact, I was passed a cellphone on the stage in a pause between songs and asked to give directions to a taxi driver. The boys were lost entirely!! Anyway, here are some photos of the night, courtesy of Ryuji Horiike. Ryuji was lepping around with his camera like ... a very good man. How else would we have these pictures otherwise? (And I know you thought I was going to say lepping around like a leprechaun ... God, the minds we call our own). The lineup, from the left in the picture above, is Kenji (guitar, flute, tin whistle), Brian (guitar, vocals), myself (bodhran, vocals) Satoshi (bouzouki, vocals), Matsu (fiddle), and Tibor (bass). Sláinte Éireann Gael go leor!!
What do you call a drummer? Some eejit who hangs around with musicians. Ryuji sent along a lot of pictures of this pesky craythur and not enough of the band ...!!
