Moon_Dawg
Joined: Apr 22, 2006
Posts: 98
Fairfax, VA
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Posted on Sep 15 2008 07:25 AM
This is a somewhat delayed after-action report. Ivan P. (Space Cossacks, The Madeira) and I (Moon Dawg) were in Tokyo last week for a professional conference (we're both economists by day). The ever-helpful Ferenc of PdM had tipped us off to the existence of a place called the El Camino Club and put us in email touch with the owner. Its a membership club where guitarists and drummers gather to play tunes from the Ventures songbook. Coincidentally it was only a short walk from our conference hotel in the Akasaka district of central Tokyo.
When you walk in, the first impression is that youve entered somebodys rec room. And you have. Given Tokyo's rents, people live in smallish apartments, and probably none of the members has a rec room or garage at home unless he lives way out in the suburbs. A slightly raised stage up front sports a variety of amps and two drum kits. Facing the stage are half a dozen sofas and glass coffee tables. The walls around the back of the room are lined with the members vintage and reproduction guitars. And a few 1960s LP covers.
We got there Thursday around 9 pm and were greeted by the friendly club owner, Kenji Toda, who furnished us with drinks. Six members were already there, four of them on stage. One was in his thirties, I estimate, while the rest were in their fifties. For a visual (please forgive the stereotypes) imagine Pat Moritas heavier brother on bass, Rockin Enockys dad on rhythm guitar (a Teisco del Rey model, Ivan told me), the Dalai Lamas younger brother on lead guitar, and an energetic white-haired fifty-ish guy on drums. We listened to a few tunes, faithful covers of the Ventures arrangements with rock-steady bass, rhythm, and drums. Then a few more with the thirty-ish guy switching in on lead (with a Telecaster).
Then Ivan borrowed a red Japanese Stratocaster and took the stage with the same backing band. With only a little language difficulty negotiating song titles, they played six or eight Ventures and Shadows tunes. I sat on the couch with an idiot grin on my face.
Other combinations and permutations played. After hearing Ginza Lights I shouted out a request for Manchurian Beat (the only other Ventures Japan-market tune title I could recall), which was fulfilled. We also got Caravan with the Mel Taylor drum solo beat for beat. I counted five versions of Walk Dont Run during the evening.
Later in the evening Ivan re-took the stage with a vintage Yamaha guitar (warmer tone) and played some different tunes with some different members who had come in, including "Telstar," "War of the Satellites," and a stab at the classic eleki tune Black Sand Beach.
At some point a younger woman came in, introduced to us with shes a sing-ah woman. Single woman? Singer woman? She sat on the frontmost couch and played tambourine.
We were ready to go at 11:30, but Kenji (on guitar synth) and the young woman took the stage. Singer woman it was. And as a singer, she was pleasant to look at. We were treated, if thats the word, to some unfamiliar 1970s J-pop.
We finally got out around midnight, but not before being asked for ¥3000 ($30) a head. Well worth it for a surreal immersion in the international fellowship of Ventures fans. Its amazing to know that an American guitarist can fly halfway around the world and find a pickup band who know the same instrumentals in the same arrangements.
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Brian
Joined: Feb 25, 2006
Posts: 19195
Des Moines, Iowa, USA
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Posted on Sep 15 2008 07:52 AM
Wow, that's amazing! What a great story, it must have been quite an experience. I think I remember Ferenc posting a photo of himself playing there, and he was a good 4 feet taller than everyone on stage: "big in Japan".
— Site dude - S3 Agent #202
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"It starts... when it begins" -- Ralf Kilauea
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Surfgitar
Joined: Mar 16, 2007
Posts: 1342
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
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Posted on Sep 15 2008 09:25 AM
Very cool. Perhaps surf is the international language of music.
— CUTBACK
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IvanP
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 10321
southern Michigan
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Posted on Sep 15 2008 10:06 AM
Wow, Moon Dawg is fast!! I just returned home late last night after my trip to Seattle (the Surf Coasters & Pollo del Mar show), Tokyo (six days at a conference) and then LA (the Surf Coasters & Slacktone show). I'm sick as a dog, jetlagged to hell and absolutely exhausted. But hell, it was an unforgettable trip. I'll (I hope) write some more about the shows I saw, but here are some photos (many of them taken by him) to go with MD's exhaustive report:
I played seven songs the first time around, through a fake Hank-Marvin-model Strat and a blonde Fender Vibro King:
Walk, Don't Run '64
Diamond Head
Journey to the Stars
The Fugitive
The Savage
Man Of Mystery
Blue Star
Theme for Young Lovers
Then the young Dalai Lama (??) played a few, seeming a bit nervous:
Here are some guitars hanging on the walls of the club (including several vintage Mosrite Ventures Models, a few of them signed by Nokie, who apparently has been there several times and gotten up and played with the guys):
Moon Dawg and another colleague enjoying the music, while Pat Morito plays bass  :
I got up and played a few more songs, this time with a beautiful vintage Yamaha SG-5 which played amazingly well and sounded fantastic (hmmmm....). The songs were:
The Cruel Sea
Black Sand Beach
Pipeline
Walk, Don't Run '64 (again! for the different bass player)
Telstar
Penetration
Maybe one more? Not War of the Satellites, sadly - the guys didn't know it.
(I hadn't played these songs in years, so it was a bit rough in places trying to remember all the parts!)
Then the 'ringers' came on and played a bunch of songs, including many obscure late-sixties Ventures stuff. They were all REALLY good players, looking like they were having a time of their lives (though they probably do this every night!) and most of them could play several instruments, all very well, switching off through the night:
Then Kenji, the owner of the club, got up on a white modern Yamaha equipped with a guitar synth module, and the girl got up to sing. They played maybe half a dozen J-pop songs (Japanese pop from the seventies), which sounded pretty cool. The girl was easier on the eyes than on the ears, but it was still very enjoyable.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3252/2859069025_e8fd1b4427.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3260/2859898620_71aa95a274.jpg
The night came to an end at that point (around Midnight), and so as we said our goodbyes, we took a photo, Kenji, Moon Dawg and I, on the street outside of the club (notice the sign with a Mosrite guitar in the right corner of the photo):
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3189/2859070331_5e0846ce78.jpg
A lot of fun, and thanks so much to Ferenc for the tip and helping us get in contact with Kenji. If any of you are ever in Japan, you must go to the El Camino club!!
(BTW, Moon Dawg and I bought a LOT of eleki CDs earlier that day in the local Tower. More on that later.)
Ivan
— Ivan
Lords of Atlantis on Facebook
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mom_surfing
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 5267
the outer banks of north carolina
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Posted on Sep 15 2008 10:18 AM
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Ruhar
Joined: Jun 21, 2007
Posts: 3909
San Diego, CA
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Posted on Sep 15 2008 10:28 AM
So cool Ivan! Any idea what 70s J-Pop was being played? Any Meiko Kaji? That looks like my dream club
— Ryan
The Secret Samurai Website
The Secret Samurai on Facebook
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PolloGuitar
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 5080
San Francisco
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Posted on Sep 15 2008 10:50 AM
I'm so happy it worked out for you and MD! what a cool and weird place that is- it would be great if we could have something like that here.
— Buy Speed of Dark @ Bandcamp
Buy Spin the Bottle @ Bandcamp
My Blog- Euro Tour Blog
Pool Boys on Spotify
INSTAGRAM
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Pollo Del Mar on FB
DJ Frankie Pool Boy on North Sea Surf Radio
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JakeDobner
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 12159
Seattle
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Posted on Sep 15 2008 11:10 AM
Ferenc, is that where you guys played last time you were in Japan?
Ivan, that SGV looked great.
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Rick_Volcano
Joined: Mar 05, 2006
Posts: 287
Detroit
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Posted on Sep 15 2008 11:21 AM
Wow! What cool story!
Sounds like quite a unique experience.
— The Volcanos
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eddiekatcher
Joined: Mar 14, 2006
Posts: 2764
Atlanta, GA
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Posted on Sep 15 2008 11:44 AM
Damn, Ivan...............! And hey, you better get well quick! You have "work" to do this weekend in Cincinnati!
See ya there!
ed
— Traditional........speak softly and play through a big blonde amp. Did I mention that I still like big blonde amps?
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PolloGuitar
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 5080
San Francisco
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Posted on Sep 15 2008 12:03 PM
JakeDobner
Ferenc, is that where you guys played last time you were in Japan?
Here is my report from 2003:
http://pollodelmar.com/words/japan/right.html
Pollo played there with Nokie Edwards 2005, here's a vid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76MG9KH4FU4
Not trying to steal Ivan's thread, just commenting on what a cool and happening place this is, too bad it is so far away, and we all can't enjoy it. I was just so happy that I could share some of my experiences with Ivan and Larry. I had also made a map of record and music stores in the Shibuya area, if anybody is going to Japan and would like a pdf of the map, let me know.
— Buy Speed of Dark @ Bandcamp
Buy Spin the Bottle @ Bandcamp
My Blog- Euro Tour Blog
Pool Boys on Spotify
INSTAGRAM
Frankie & The Pool Boys on FB
Pollo Del Mar on FB
DJ Frankie Pool Boy on North Sea Surf Radio
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IvanP
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 10321
southern Michigan
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Posted on Sep 15 2008 12:26 PM
Ryan, I know nothing about J-pop. so I have no clue what they played, sorry.
Jake, it's an SG-5, not SGV (meaning, it's an original sixties model, not the reissue) - and I heartily agree! I've always had an interest in those guitars, and after playing this one I'd really like to pick up one (though probably the reissue). Lots of fun!
Eddie, I'm about to go get some antibiotics - pray for me!! 
Thanks, Rick and Carol and all others, it was definitely a memorable experience. I hope you all have a chance to play there, too!! (And Ferenc, please, hijack away! No problem at all. I forgot you played with Nokie there, though now I remember. How unbelievably cool! Lucky dog!)
Ivan
— Ivan
Lords of Atlantis on Facebook
The Madeira Official Website
The Madeira on Facebook
The Blair-Pongracic Band on Facebook
The Space Cossacks on Facebook
The Madeira Channel on YouTube
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zak
Joined: Sep 24, 2007
Posts: 2728
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Posted on Sep 15 2008 12:33 PM
This post has been removed by the author.
Last edited: Sep 27, 2009 23:25:31
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IvanP
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 10321
southern Michigan
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Posted on Sep 15 2008 12:54 PM
Zak, I followed your SGV saga on the gear forum. Glad to hear you're really enjoyin' it. It's not a priority for me, but I'm sure I'll pick one up sooner or later. It would be just for fun around the house. Can't imagine gigging with this guitar, but who knows... I guess it's really working for you! It's definitely more of a Mosrite-type guitar than a Fender, which is cool.
Ivan
— Ivan
Lords of Atlantis on Facebook
The Madeira Official Website
The Madeira on Facebook
The Blair-Pongracic Band on Facebook
The Space Cossacks on Facebook
The Madeira Channel on YouTube
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Stormtiger
Joined: Dec 12, 2006
Posts: 2676
Ventura, CA
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Posted on Sep 15 2008 01:34 PM
There is an SGV-800 on Craigs List for sale near me today, $300. Is that a good deal?
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zak
Joined: Sep 24, 2007
Posts: 2728
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Posted on Sep 15 2008 01:38 PM
This post has been removed by the author.
Last edited: Sep 27, 2009 23:25:34
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Stormtiger
Joined: Dec 12, 2006
Posts: 2676
Ventura, CA
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Posted on Sep 15 2008 01:54 PM
zak
Stormtiger
There is an SGV-800 on Craigs List for sale near me today, $300. Is that a good deal?
YES! I'd jump on it, now that I know how cool these things are. When they were new they used to sell for around $600.
Oh Dear. Just when I thought I was finished...
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CaptainSpringfield
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 4387
Under the Sun
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Posted on Sep 15 2008 02:10 PM
Sounds like a great experience, Ivan. Glad to have another convert to the SG-5/V series.
Stormtiger
There is an SGV-800 on Craigs List for sale near me today, $300. Is that a good deal?
That's a killer deal even if the paint is diarrhea-burst Antigua.
-Warren
— That was excessively violent and completely unnecessary. I loved it.
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ElMonstroPorFavor
Joined: Sep 01, 2006
Posts: 2674
New Orleans, LA
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Posted on Sep 15 2008 02:45 PM
PolloGuitar
I had also made a map of record and music stores in the Shibuya area, if anybody is going to Japan and would like a pdf of the map, let me know.
I'm going to keep this in mind. I studied Japanese in college and though it freaks me out in a lot of ways I want to go there someday
— Storm Surge of Reverb: Surf & Instro Radio
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tommyalvarado
Joined: Jan 03, 2008
Posts: 512
Delaware, USA
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Posted on Sep 15 2008 03:49 PM
Stormtiger
zak
Stormtiger
There is an SGV-800 on Craigs List for sale near me today, $300. Is that a good deal?
YES! I'd jump on it, now that I know how cool these things are. When they were new they used to sell for around $600.
Oh Dear. Just when I thought I was finished...
No, no, NO! You're never finished! You're no quitter! Buy that guitar!!!
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