Loud Park 2016 (Day 1 Part 1) / ラウド・パーク ２０１６年 （デイ１ パート１）

With the first announcement of this year's Loud Park, Japan's only all heavy metal festival, I think it might be time for me to write about last year's show. This is my 6th time of going to Loud Park. I have been going every year since 2010 (except for 2012 - I didn't like the line-up at first). However, I was excited about going to this year's show. Headliners Whitesnake and Scorpions! And there were so many other bands I wanted to see which included Armored Saint, Queensryche, Candlemass, and Aldious (just on the first day!). I was also looking forward to seeing Lords of Black. The vocalist was the singer for Richie Blackmore's Rainbow summer tour. Two other bands I was really excited to see were Aldious (an all female Japanese band that dresses in frilly costumes) and Myrath - heavy metal from Tunisia!  This year, once again, there will be three stages. On the first night there will be the Ultimate Stage, the Big Rock Stage, and the Kingdom Stage. I will be busy going from one stage to the next. The following day there will be the Ultimate Stage, the Big Rock Stage and the Extreme Stage which will mostly feature death metal and extreme bands. Of course I will be banging my head from 10am until 10pm at night for two nights in a row! Metal Church with the return of Mike Howe was originally on the bill as well but for some reason or another they cancelled.

ラウドパーク１７第一弾のラインアップが発表された為それそれ、昨年のフェスのネタを書くべきと思った。今回は僕の六回目のラウドパークです。２０１０年から毎年行く様になった。ちなみに２０１２年だけは行ってません。ラインアップにあんまり興味を持ってなかった。でも今年は大興奮した！ヘッドライナーのスコーピオンズとホワイトスネーク！見たいバンドもぞくぞく。特にアーマード・セイント、クイーンズライク、キャンドルマスとアルディオス（初日だけで！）。他に楽しみにしてるのはローズ・オブ・ブラック。ボカリストのロニー・ロメロがリッチー・ブラックモアズレインボーの夏公演にも努めた凄い人です。アルディオスは日本で話題になったオール女性バンド。ビジュアルも良いし、音も凄い。そしてチュニジア出身のバンドミラスも楽しみだ！今年も三ステージがあって、アルティメットステージ、ビッグ・ロックステージとキングダム・ステージ。次の日も三ステージですが、アルティメット・ステージ、ビッグ・ロックステージとエクストリームステージ。エクストリームステージはほぼデス系やエクストリームバンドがメインになる。もちろん二日間朝１０時から夜１０時までヘッドバンギングしまくるぞ！メタル・チャーチも最新作出す予定でマイク・ハウが戻って凄い楽しみしてたんだけど、どういう理由が知りませんが出演キャンセルとなりました。

I got to the venue early and was able to catch the very first act on the first day. I had to make a choice between watching Flesh Juicer from Taiwan or I Promised Once, a Japanese-German metalcore band. I decided to start my headbanging day by watching the band from Taiwan.

会場に早めに着いてオペニングアクトはどっち見るかと迷った。台湾出身のFlesh Juicerか日本とドイツのメタルコアバンドのI Promised Onceを見るか。結局キングダムステージで台湾のバンドを見に行きました。

FLESH JUICER

Checking out the schedule of which bands are playing on which stage. Of course I have a small card that provides me with the same information too.

バンドのスケジュールとステージを確認してます。もちろん小さなスケジュールカードを持ってます。

Here I am at the Kingdom Stage waiting for Flesh Juicer to appear.

キングダムステージに着いて、Flesh Juicerの出番を待つ。

No, your eyes are not deceiving you. The vocalist is wearing some kind of pig mask.

いえ、目の錯覚ではない。ボカリストが豚の麺を被ってます。

Yeah, that's kind of scary.

ちょっと怖いかも。

Set List:

1.Intro

2.登陸月球
3.回到未来
4.Loop One
5.崩大事件
6.光計劃
7.Loop Two
8.天崩大事件
9.Loop Three
10.病入膏肓
11.Loop Four
12.泡茶
13.上山

As I was watching Flesh Juicer, I did not get a chance to see this band that was playing on the Big Rock Stage at the same time.

Flesh Juicerを見てたので、このバンドはビッグロックステージで演奏したためまったく観てません。

Set List:

1.Under the Influence

2.Let Me Go

3. Far Away

A quick run from the Kingdom Stage to the Ultimate Stage to see the Sons of Texas.

キングダムステージからアルティメットステージでSons of Texasのライブを見る。

SONS OF TEXAS

Set List:

1.Never Bury the Hatchet

2.Nothing King
3.Pull It and Fire
4.The Vestryman
5.Blameshift
6.Baptized in the Rio Grande
7.Texas Trim

I had to run back to the Kindgom Stage because I didn't want to miss Lords of Black's performance. At the same time Lords of Black were playing, Zardonic, a DJ from Venezuela would be playing on the Big Rock Stage. I already knew I would skip watching Zardonic.

急ぎでキングダムステージに戻った。Lords of Blackのライブは見逃したくなかった。同時の時間にビッグロックステージでベネズエラ出身のDJが立つ。DJにはまったく興味なく、ちょっとでも見ようとは思えなかった。

ZARDONIC

Set List:

1.Against All Odds

2.For Justice
3.Crush It
4.Vigilante
5.Override
6.Pure Power
7.Raise Hell
8.The Time is Now
9.Antihero
10. Highway 666

LORDS OF BLACK

Set List:

1.Merciless

2.Nothing Left to Fear
3.Everything You're Not
4.New World's Comin'
5.Ghost of You
6.Lords of Black
7.Shadows of War

Once again I had to hurry to the Ultimate Stage to check out Aldious, the all female metallers of Japan.

またキングダムステージから急いでアルティメットステージに戻り、次演奏するのがAldious。

ALDIOUS

Damn, they were awesome...and I'm not being biased because they were cute or good-looking. They really do rock! You would be surprised at the state of women metallers in Japan with other bands such as Cyntia or Mary's Blood.

最高に良い。綺麗だから言ってる訳じゃないよ、本当にメタルって感じ。美しさは彼女たちのプラスアルファですよ。現在の日本って女性のメタルバンドは結構ありますよ。CyntiaやMary's Bloodもようチェック。

Set List:

1.Ultimate Melodious

2.White Crow
3.Raise Your Fist
4.Die For You
5.Luft
6.Dominator

Live coverage continues. 14 more bands to go. I also have to eat at some point in time.

ライブ情報はつづく。まだまだ１４組が残ってる。あとランチもどっかで食べないっと。

To be continued...

つづく。。。

Kamakura Day Trip with an Old Classmate / 幼馴染と鎌倉日帰り旅行

At the beginning of October last year, one of my oldest and dearest friend was coming to Japan with her husband, along with her brother and his wife. I had acted on their behalf as an interpreter so they could communicate with their relatives. They would only be in Tokyo for a day or two before heading to Kyushu where their relatives live. One of their goals was to see the Great Buddha in Kamakura and I offered to be their guide. My wife and I had just gone to Kamakura a week or two before but I never get tired of going to Kamakura. Such a beautiful place with lots to see.

去年の１０月の上旬、アメリカから僕の幼馴染とその子の旦那とお兄さん夫妻が日本に来ることになった。僕は彼女の為に、九州に居る親戚と通訳してあげた。彼女のお母さんは日本人ですが、彼女と彼女の兄は日本語が喋られません。東京滞在は短いですが、一日は鎌倉に行きたいと言い、僕が彼らのガイドしてあげた。丁度２週間前妻と鎌倉に行ったばっかりですが、鎌倉は何回行っても飽きない。もちろん最初に目指すのは鎌倉大仏がある高徳院。

Our first stop was to Kotoku-in where the Great Buddha is located.

最初の目的地は高徳院。

Great Buddha at Kamakura / 鎌倉大仏

My friend's name is Emily. We have known each other since the 6th grade. She was my first love, even back then much to her annoyance. However, we still remain friends to this day after some 40 years.

彼女の名前はエミリ。私たちが出会ったのは小学校６年生の頃。実は彼女が僕の初恋の人。彼女もそれを知ってたけど当時は相手してくれなかった。ま、４０年も過ぎて、まだ友達ですからなんとも言えない。

Those slipper are taller than Emily!

あの草履が彼女よりでっかい！

Construction explanation / 胎内の説明

I told Emily it's not often you get to check out the inside of a Buddha. There really isn't much to see but for 20yen, it makes for good conversation.

エミリに大仏の中はほぼ見られないから、見てみよう。入場料は２０円だし、面白い話のネタにもなるじゃん。

Kangetsudo (Moon Viewing Hall) / 観月堂

Kangestudo explanation / 観月堂について

I suggested going to Hase Temple as it is located near Kotoku-in and that is where we went next.

僕の提案で長谷寺にも行きました。

Emily and her brother Jimmy.

エミリとエミリのお兄さんのジミ。

Explanation for the above picture / 上記の写真の説明

Hotei - one of Seven Lucky Gods of Fortune / 布袋 ー 七福神の一人

Temple Bell / 鐘楼

Clam Shell Prayer Boards / かきがら絵馬

Manji Pond / 卍池

1000 Jizo / 千体地蔵

Jizo-do / 地蔵堂

Benten-do / 弁天堂

We are going into a cave. It is the Benzai Cave.

洞窟に入ります。弁財窟です。

There are thousands of miniature Benzaiten statues. Another one of the Seven Lucky Gods of Fortune.

洞窟の中に数え切れないほどの弁財天が居ます。

Daikoku-do / 大黒堂

Daikokuten - God of Wealth / 大黒天

Taisenkaku Ryokan  / 旅館對僊閣

A Japanese Inn, Taisenkaku has provided lodging services at the same location in Kamakura since the late Meiji era. The splendid north facade, decorated with four transom window railings and exquisite lattice windows, looks just as it did when first constructed. This inn is historically important since it was built before World War II.

對僊閣は、明治時代末期よりこの場所で旅館業を営んでます。４つの欄間窓、高欄、組子が密な格好窓を持った華やかな北側ファサードは、創建当初の姿をよく留めています。鎌倉における戦前の和風旅館として、歴史的にも大変貴重な建物です。

Hopping on the Enoden (Enoshima Line) to take us to Kamakura. The Kamakura Buddha is actually at an area called Hase.

長谷駅（鎌倉大仏がある場所）から江ノ電に乗りました。目指すのは鎌倉。

Me and Emily on the Enoden / 江ノ電の中の僕とエミリ

This particular train had the wooden floors.

乗った電車の床が木材です。

The Enoden / 江ノ電

Frogs at the end of the line. The word for frog in Japanese is kaeru which could also mean "going or coming home".

お帰りのカエルなんでしょうかね。

At Kamakura Station.

鎌倉駅に到着。

A  Totoro Shop! / となりのトトロ

And we made it to the Tsuruoka Hachiman Shrine.

次の目的地に到着 ー 鶴岡八幡宮。

I managed to get a shot of a Miko-san and if you look closely, you can see Emily beyond the gate as well.

巫女さんの写真を撮ったら偶然にエミリも写ってる。

Emily with her husband Kelly.

エミリとエミリの夫のケリー。

And so ended our day tour of Kamakura.

そして鎌倉の旅の幕が閉じた。