Tokyoi!

Andrew *Plug*Lazonby is a friend and a mover and shaker in the Tokyo_Japan musicworld. Some thoughts and reflections*



1) Why did you move to Japan?

london sucked.
i`d harboured a personal interest in certain japanese electronic artists at that time, and i met a lovely girl.

2) was it hard to move into and live in Japanese society?

yes. but if`d reached a point in your life where you felt uncomfortable listening to the station announcer at east croydon threatening to kill the man on the bmx (who was bored), simply because..........
all things are possible.

3) Did you ever play in a group/orchestra/combo before you moved to Japan?

yes, i played in very absurdio rhythm & blues bands, dance orchestras, big bands, then once i`d spent a certain amount of tax cash i studied as an orchestral percussionist. this lead to the answer to the Q
bbc philharmonic, symphony, philharmonia, london philharmonic and if i managed to miss it out - the essex philharmomic.
various degrees of the good, the bad, the indifferent and the downright arse.

4) When and if did punk rock hit Japan?

within a 6 month radius of it breaking mainstream attention worldwide.

5) Is there a junk food culture in Japan?

yes, haven`t you noticed?

6) Are the free thinking, progressive bands in Japan treated with respect and due accalim in Japan as they might be in the *West*?


yes by the people that`ve heard them....
ignored politely by the populus
aren`t the free thinking, progressive bands in Japan good..! vintage obscurity.,

7) Does the Japanese music world/scene support /subsidise the free/impro scene in japan?

no

8) how does a band from outside Japan try and get their records distributed in Japan and come and play shows over here? Difficult / easy? Where/how/when/with whom?

with great difficulty

9) how do we persuade *The Fall* to come and play in Japan?

i was going to ask you the same question..

10) Japan in the World Cup...........how realistic are their chances?

same as england

11) what is the difference between Japanese music fans/record buyers/gig-go-ers and westernites?
driven by a different kind of hype.
alas.