My band, the Jugland Sunny Boys, and I performed at Klub King Rat in Kofu City on September 21. This article is about that live performance.
The article below is about my Jugland Sunny Boys.
I was concerned about whether the event could be held because a typhoon was approaching the Kanto region. However, the typhoon changed course and did not have much impact on Kofu. The event went ahead as planned, with three bands, including ours, performing. Here is my report of the live show.
The band flyer below was created by Abe’s wife. Abe is our washboard player and vocalist. She is a painter and sometimes holds exhibitions with other painters and artists. Thank you, as always, for your support.
Here is the flyer for the live event. HOBO YOSHII & TEDD are a blues guitar and blues harp duo. Marykyame Seimen is a duo that, together with HOBO YOSHII & TEDD, performs J-pop songs.
I really enjoyed listening to all of them. I was also very happy that everyone got the crowd excited during our performance.
Klub King Rat
This was my first time performing in Kofu, and King Rat is a very musician-friendly venue. The owner, Mr. Hagi, is also very approachable, so I was able to play in a relaxed atmosphere from rehearsal onward.
The King Rat website is here.
I love how stylish the place is, from the entrance to the interior. It is also easy to walk in and feels welcoming. The bar and the stage are just the right distance apart, so you can enjoy the live performance while eating and drinking.
After our rehearsal, I had a bowl of rice topped with tender braised pork. I had not eaten dinner yet, so I was especially hungry, but it was really delicious. I loved it. My band members had tsukemen, a dipping noodle dish, and I thought I would try it next time.
My equipment
My acoustic guitar setup consists of a preamp, a volume pedal, and a D.I. The photo below shows my pedalboard.
- Headway (alpineguitars) acoustic guitar
- NeotenicSound / Pure Acoustic (preamp)
- HOTONE / TUNER PRESS (volume pedal)
- L.R.Baggs / Align Active DI (D.I.)
- VOODOO LAB / Pedal Power X4 (power supply)
The article about my Headway（alpineguitars）acoustic guitar is below.
This is my go-to setup. I used to have a reverb pedal in the chain, but I do not think it is necessary, so I keep the setup as simple as possible.
The HOTONE / TUNER PRESS is very useful. It has not only a tuner but also a volume fader, so I can use the fader to adjust the volume with my foot, much like a PA mixer. For example, when I play rhythm guitar, I keep the fader around 70–80%. When I play a guitar solo, I raise it to 100%. The character of its buffer may not suit everyone, but I find the pedal very convenient and continue to use it.
I would like to introduce and review this acoustic guitar pedalboard in more detail another time.
HOBO YOSHII & TEDD, Marykyame Seimen
HOBO YOSHII & TEDD are a blues guitar and blues harp duo. The guitarist plays fingerstyle blues guitar in the style of Lightnin’ Hopkins. It was my first time seeing fingerstyle blues played up close, and the combination of open tuning and a slide was really cool. I had a great time.
Marykyame Seimen played J-pop songs such as “Plastic Love” by Mariya Takeuchi, as well as what may have been some of their original songs. Both singers had powerful voices. I had not listened to J-pop in a while, so it was nice to hear it again. By the way, they also talked about horoscopes during their MC, which was funny.
Set list and video of the Jugland Sunny Boys
My band played nine songs, including the encore. Here is our set list.
- Tomorrow (Carl Scott and Eddie Thomas)
- You Are My Sunshine
- On The Road Again (Willie Nelson)
- St. Louis Blues
- All Of Me
- You’ve Got a Friend in Me
- East Tennessee Blues
- After You’ve Gone
- When the Saints Go Marching In
Our band leader uploaded an edited version of the video without the MC, but the performance itself was about 30 minutes long. It meant a lot to me to see our repertoire gradually growing.
Conclusion
This was our first live performance outside our home area, and it was a great experience for me.
I thought almost no one would come because of the typhoon, but four people came to watch us. The other bands, HOBO YOSHII & TEDD and Marykyame Seimen, also helped create a lively atmosphere, so I really enjoyed performing.
As for my own performance, it was not bad overall, even though I had not fully memorized some of the songs and made a few mistakes.
Fortunately, the owner of King Rat asked us to join another live show in November. I would love to, but it will be on a weekday, so it would be difficult for me to travel from Nagano and back because of work.
Our next performance will be at the Oktoberfest in Ina City on October 3. I will practice hard and do my best to prepare for the event. I am really looking forward to it.
日本語版 : Jugland Sunny Boys ライブ @甲府Klub King Rat