TenGooz Live in Australia!

East meets west as up-over goes down-under!The TenGooz have come back from their appearance at the Melbourne Fringe Festival. As always,I find that a trip to `MarvelousMelbourne` is a musical home-coming for me, as I have been so influenced by local musos Ascelin Gordon and Brett Johnson. This years pilgrimage was extra special,since all the TenGooz, Kenya,Tanaka,HaseG and Jon all Joined for the festivities.

We had a little scheduling trouble, and unfortunately the guys could not stat as long as I could,but they arrived in Oz 2 days before I did and had many adventures in their rented car, which they took out on the famous Great Ocean Road.

This was HaseG`s first time out of Japan and his first time on an airplane,and I was really happy that he could have such an experience and that his great bass playing skills could be seen and heard by people outside Japan.

I arrived on a Wednesday morning and had trouble getting in touch with the guys.Ascelin hadnt heard from them either.so we were a TAD anxious.Fortunately, with the abundance of internet cafes in the city and the able assistance of webmaster Sarah we finally got hooked up, and agreed to meet in front of a club at which Brett would be playing with his old friend.It was a memorably joyful moment to find HaseG enjoying a cigarette out front. We stayed for that gig and saw Brett and Met his girlfriend Yukari and then went by cab to Bar-Open,our first venue, and caught one of Adam Simmons groups playing jazz and shakuhachi duets.

We were amazed by the control of color and realized we had to PRACTICE! The next day we had a special morning practice,arranged by Ascelins special connections, at a studio inside an old warehouse. I loved the place and its rustic wabi-sabi interiors. We went through our songs and for some reason had trouble with BOMBS AWAY and decided not to do it in the show. As usual, we couldnt make up a set list, but came up with a provisional one,

during a coffee break. after practice,the guys headed out to Philip Island where they hoped to see the famous little penguins(which I think they never did!)

The next day we also had a rehearsal scheduled and i arrived quite early(as opposed to the previous day on which I was very tardy!),but the guys didnt show up for over an hour! I was really starting to panic! What if they had an accident! Just when I was at about to really have a stroke,the TenGooz pulled up, unharmed.

Our practice did not sound good at all. Kenya then told everyone to play more softly ,listen to each other and work as a team,not as individuals. That changed things and from that point on we felt more confident.

We had to rent drums, and it wasnt cheap! Getting the equipment upstairs at Bar-Open was no picnic either.Anyway, we started at 10 and had a really good crowd.They were into it right from the start and got more and more into it as the show went on. Ascelin and Brett played on Running and Ofuro and Infatuation.

We also had the help of a GREAT soundman who was a true magician.He later said that in all his years of mixing,Kenyas trombone tone was the best he had heard. Kenya certainly put on a show and people loved him!

As usual, Innishmoor got the crowd all together for a stomp. Ascelin said he had never seen that before at a club like that.

Anyway, to put it succinctly, the audience response was terrific.I was knocked out by the heat and hunger and was in bad shape by the end of the show.

Thats all fgor now. i will continue to document the trip over the next few days and hope the guys will also post their stories. Goodbye for now

Avi Landau