On May 13th I arrived in Nagoya, Japan, got a training schedule and saw that the next day was a day off. It was also deadman's final Nagoya show. As soon as I got to my hotel, I headed over to the venue and the nearby Like an Edison to see about tickets. Alas it was sold out. The next day I stood outside Electric Lady Land, listened to the muffled show and mourned the passing of one of my favorite bands.
I had not come to Japan to stand on the outside.
For the next several months I got settled into my new job, went to shows constantly, dropped hundreds in Raika and tried to establish myself as a writer. Unfortunately, the editors of Purple SKY knew me only slightly and while live reports and CD review were assigned, the interviews that I craved were not forthcoming.* The bands themselves ignored my amateur-ish inquiries through merch tables and email.
By January 2007, I had decided to take matters into my own hands. I heard about a festival called Independence-d in Tokyo. On the bill were Plastic Tree, Merry, D'espairsRay, Balzac, 12012, Girugamesh and a ton of other bands. What's more, with a few foreign bands on the bill, they were marketed as an international event. I knew a reporter from an English mag would be welcome. Getting the OK from pS, I emailed them in my best keigo (woefully inadequate, I realized later), sent in my application, and a week later got my very first press pass in Japan!
On February 4th I headed into Studio Coast with the pass in one hand and brand new business cards in another. I was determined that this time I would not be shut out!
* This is not a criticism of pS. They were trying to put out a professional work and didn't know if I could be professional around bands or if my Japanese were up to the task. They know now! XD
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1 comments:
Ironically I've been listening to deadman for the past hour before coming to your page.
That aside, I am glad you decided to share your experiences with your readers.
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