Poetic License – Extreme BBQing

.. I saw a man walking a whippet that was wearing a leather jacket…  I finished my Japan tour and flopped back into the UK for an Xmas Sesh special with the Legendary Mak, amid puffed out chests, loose giblets and a few pigs looking for blankets.

One of the final shows in Tokyo was a Guns and Roses themed event at the Velvet sun Cafe…Each artist was asked to play a song by the LA hair rock band to participate. The night was a reet laugh and as-well as playing  a shuffling acoustica version of Welcome to the Jungle, I got up at the end of the night with the other bands to join in for a full blooded version of the same song. Surreal indeed but impeccably organised, with cue cards facing the stage. After the show… it was 30 minutes before I was bombing down the spinal cord of Tokyo to a studio in Yokohama with my pal Daisuke.

It is the musical den of Oyakata, an eccentric building firm owner with hyperactive tendencies who has built and nurtured it among shrink wrapped bathroom suites, forklift trucks and wood shavings.

An unexpected hidden gem with all the gear… and after a good nights kip on the floor in the control room, I took the home made floor lift and spent a day casting spells and mixing beats in the live room downstairs while Daisuke mixed his album. The live room is airtight, it is important to turn on the air supply unit in between recording takes, otherwise the Oxygen runs out, the lungs stop and then brain dies… health and safety.

Evening drew in and Oyakata appeared in a splurge of activity and within the space of 15 minutes, we were in the yard with a make shift table made from a forklift and a pallet, with two BBQ’s blazing away laden with steak and fish.  I knew it wasn’t exactly yer average BBQ when the blow torches came out. After avoiding serious burns, we hung out under the fluorescent light, shovelling rice and meat until bursting.

Extreme BBQ

The final gig was with friends at Lagg time, with Mr Moran and spider Steve guesting with covers. Highlights were a solo air guitar performance by the pub owner, twisted T-rex in a suit and the giant sized bucket of Guinness Dan quaffed. The FBI dog was in the house.

A great way to end the trip… possibly a renaissance  in the new year with man-made compadres. Although words cant really do him justice, I must say a massive thanks to my brother and gentleman Dan Moran, to whom I am deeply indebted for his support, world education and stage crooning.

After being shafted for hefty excess baggage leaving Tokyo Narita Airport, I was then told by my large, camp steward while sat on a Helsinki runway, that due to industrial action I wouldn’t be receiving my luggage in the UK. Having made the bold decision not to insure my stuff on the trip, and knowing about £3500 worth of guitars were disappearing in limbo, I felt the bile rise. After a week or so, they did turn up though via the magical DHL just in time for a  band practice.

After a reunion with the Man-made Noise boys, we crawled down the M62 last Friday through a blizzard to play at the Primrose in Leeds. It  was a nice warm up for The Sesh Xmas special on Tuesday which was extremely enjoyable, with lots of friends and a few old faces braving the cold to cheer us on for our first proper home town shindig. Bizarrely, the Dancing Werewolf made another unexpected appearance amid our version of Wham’s “Last Xmas” which seemed to please everyone.

Next month I am heading into Fairview to record a musical version of the Philip Larkin’s Mr Bleaney.

Its for a project to make an album of his works to music, headed up by local musician Jim Orwin.

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I managed to buy enough strange Japanese tat, to avoid any Xmas shopping in Hull city centre which is a bonus, so now I shall mainly eat me ma’s famous mince pies till Santa comes.

Have a great Xmas and new year, see you in 2010.

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