music history

[Greeny]

I started a punk band called 'Charlie Don't Surf' and we used to make a racket at our village hall practice sessions.

Dude, I distinctively remember Axl Rose wearing a "Charlie Don't Surf" Tshirt on some live Gn'R concert footage!  What's up with that!?

It's a quote from the movie Apocalypse Now 

[Greeny]

Anyway we have a show coming up this saturday.. Wish me luck!

You don't need luck! Just mojo 

But good luck anyway!

[Greeny]

All my favourite bands at the time were electronic-based: Heaven 17, Human League etc. And Japan.

Ah Japan. Used to love them. At one stage I had a big floppy fringe with blonde highlights a la Sylvian. One of the best gigs I ever saw was Japan with Masami Tsuchiya on guitar, totally awesome. Also supported by Sandii and the Sunsetz, another great but underrated band from the 80s. My missus and I's "song" is Japan's version of "I second that emotion". Now I'm going all maudlin.....

Cheers,

Nigel

Dear oh dear... this is all a bit weird. I too had the Sylvian bleached fringe - and the leather jacket like he had on the cover of Quiet Life. My dad wasn't keen on me wearing eye-liner though, lol. I was pretty obsessed with them between the ages of 15 and 18.

I still love Japan to this day. Every note and every word of their music. And they are partly responsible for my current relationship - I never thought I'd meet a girl with the same love of Japan as me, but I did! 'I second that emotion' is a pretty imprtant song to us too. Nothing maudlin in that! 

And Nightporter.

My personal faves are Talking Drum and European Son.

Fancy that - two Japan fans on the same forum!!!!

p.s. I'm secretly hoping Flash is going to buy that fretless bass for some Mike Karn antics 

[64Guitars]

Fancy that - two Japan fans on the same forum!!!!

Add me to that fan list. I have a few of their albums on vinyl - "Adolescent Sex", "Obscure Alternatives", and "Gentlemen Take Polaroids". Some of my favourite tracks are "Obscure Alternatives", "Rhodesia", "Ain't That Peculiar", "Don't Rain On My Parade", and "Television".

[Greeny]

Fancy that - two Japan fans on the same forum!!!!

Add me to that fan list. I have a few of their albums on vinyl - "Adolescent Sex", "Obscure Alternatives", and "Gentlemen Take Polaroids". Some of my favourite tracks are "Obscure Alternatives", "Rhodesia", "Ain't That Peculiar", "Don't Rain On My Parade", and "Television".

Brilliant!!!!!

Rob Dean's first lead lick / opening solo on 'Television' gets me every time... !

And I was secretly excited that my son was born in Lewisham - where Japan were formed. How sad is that?!!!!

[Greeny]

For anyone who doesn't know Japan, here they are. Don't worry about how they look - just listen to Mick Karn's fretless bass. It's breathtaking...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flHWJoDt3Yo

[Ferryman]

And I was secretly excited that my son was born in Lewisham - where Japan were formed. How sad is that?!!!!

Fairly sad but understandable, at least by me. I had the same Mick Karn thought as soon as Flash mentioned a fretless. He was (and still is) totally amazing. I love all their stuff, Halloween and Polariods are particular faves, and I love their version of All Tomorrow's Parties. Time to get that fringe growing again......

Cheers,

Nigel

[Davo]

Hmm lets see I started with my at age 7, my mother asked me if I wanted to play violin-I said yes.  I played through high school, its not a "cool" instrument but now I love it even more.  The most difficult instrument Ive played ever.

A few years later (age 10) I picked up the saxophone.  I played through high school.  Symphonic bands, jazz bands, marching bands.  I loved this instrument and unlike the violin, sax always came easy.

At age 14 after listening to bands like Nirvana for a while I decided to play the guitar.  I convinced my mom to get me an acoustic, and played non stop.  In high school after learning some theory and a few more chords I began to write songs.  I played in my first rock band with 2 good friends, our name was In Synch.  This was unfortunate because 6 months later a boy band came out with the same name! 

My senior year as a graduation project I wrote, and recorded a mini album with 6 or so songs.  I was completly new to recording.  I even had a cello on one song.  That project started up a new band for 6 months after high school.

Then I gave up music for nearly 8 years.  I became a Paramedic and became a "grown up".  On occasion Id pick up a guitar.  Christmas before last, I just picked up that guitar and it felt right.  I began writing again, and playing.  Even hit up a few open mics.  Formed a group called the muthalovers for 6 or so months.  Im happiest writing songs, and just a few weeks ago stumbled upon my new micro br and this site!

[TomH86]

im 22 now..started mucking about on my older brothers acoustic when I was..umm..17, my older brother is rly good..he plays smiths songs and i think he knows pretty much every single radiohead song..didnt rly know what I was doing...I remember learning the basic open chord positions like, C, G, A etc...Just used to play around on it when I was bored...Then I got an electric when I was 18...didnt like that so I switched back to acoustic..Got my own guitar when I was 20, started taking it more seriously...I was Hugely inspired by songwirters like, Elliott Smith, Nick Drake, Syd Barrett etc..Then started to write my own stuff shortly afterwards. Ive always been into music...Ive never had a formal guitar lesson but ive watched instructional videos and I bought a book..But it was little help to me really...Im also happiest when writing original songs. Im an amatuer with some good ideas Still to play a live show..Dont know if my nerves could handle it to be honest..and i dont think im good enough to play in front of ppl yet.

[hewhoiscalledj]

I wanna play...

Got hooked on the radio around the time that MJ's Thriller came out. At the time, my folks were listening to lots of the Beejees, Stevie Wonder, and James Taylor; at least that's what stuck in my mind. So I fell in love with all sorts of radio music from Genesis and INXS to Rob Base and the Beastie Boys. After my parents realized that I spent a lot of time making mixed tapes and breakdancing on cardboard boxes, they offered me piano lessons. I declined and instead started lessons on the electric organ since it was the closest thing to a modern synthesizer as I could get; bass pedals and all. That only lasted a little over a year as I fell out of love with the strict practice routine and the clueless and lifeless instructor i had at the time. I ended up getting a fun little Casio keyboard for Xmas and started emulating bands like Depeche Mode, Joy Divison/New Order and the Pet Shop Boys. New wave was the thing and man you should have seen my hair. I wrote songs and jammed or improvised over favorite mix tapes. I used to record snippets of things from records and from the radio onto standard cassette tapes and then mix them altogether in fun ways. I used those tapes as backing tracks for my "weird electronice experiments."

Anway, then I got interested in girls and cars and all sorts of teenage angst driven activities. It wasnt until I started hanging out with some rock musician friends that the bug really hit me. I was about 20 when my girlfriend lent me her acoustic guitar. I dont think I've stopped playing ever since that fateful day but things really got accelerated years later when I moved to Las Vegas. I didnt have any friends at the time so I spent hours upon hours writing songs and improving my craft. Then I formed a band with some guys I met and the ball just kept on rolling. I'm with a great group of musicians/friends now and I love every minute of it. 2 days a week, I am blessed with the ability to relax, unwind, let loose and just be myself... Its' almost magical. Man I love music.