Occupation:
Master of Slut Rock
Time in Japan:
Too long
Where are you from?
California, where the sun shines all year ' and the girls always have nice tan lines.
What brought you to Japan?
Pure insanity. I still can't figure out why I came. Japan is like a spider web - once in
it you're stuck until the bitter death.
What do you do here?
By looking at my bank account I don't do much. Actually, I'm the lead singer and guitarist
of Love Buzz. Before that I was a DJ at FM Banana, which was the first all-English cable
radio station in Japan. I really enjoyed that job because it gave me the chance to play my
own material on the radio.
How did you form Love Buzz?
Basically, I put the word out that I was forming a new band with a raw sound. It took
about one year to find the right drummer. As for the bassist, everyone to this point has
just been a gun for hire. Once I find a bassist that has the right attitude and motivates
the whole band, then he/she will become more than that. James Brown might be the hardest
working man in show business but I'm the hardest man to work with in show business. One of
Love Buzz's many bassists once called me a control freak; I axed him. I guess I proved his
point.
What is the most difficult thing about trying to make it as a musician in Tokyo?
No matter where you go it's difficult but Tokyo can be a real bitch at times. The pay is
terrible unless you've made a name for yourself. It was hard for us at the beginning
because kids wanted to hear cover tunes and we were writing and performing our own
material. To answer your question, the most difficult thing is finding the right mates to
get a groove with and this can take years.
Any advice for newly arrived bands in Tokyo?
Don't give up your day job [laughs]. Get to know as many musicians as you can because that
will be your ticket in the end. Work together and don't have a chip on your shoulder.
Let's face it, musicians are a dime a dozen and you need something that brings in the
crowd. Don't try to be what you think is cool or in fashion, just be yourself and it will
all come into focus in due time. I've never written a song with kids in mind; I write what
I feel and if other people like it, that's great but if they don't, that's fine too. Don't
sell out unless the money is damn good [laughs again].
If you could change one thing about Tokyo, what would it be?
The local government.
What's the weirdest thing you've ever seen or experienced in Japan?
The other day I went into a local hamburger shop and ordered a hamburger. They told me
they only had cheeseburgers. I thought this was a bit strange so I asked them to make me a
cheeseburger minus the cheese. And what do you know, I got myself a hamburger at the price
of a cheeseburger. Only in Japan.
If you could take one thing back from Japan to your native country, what would it
be?
What's left of my sanity and a six-pack of Japanese beer. Oops! Was that two things or
seven?
What's your recipe for a happy and successful life in Japan?
Cigarettes and alcohol with a twist of lemon.
Love Buzz are Ace Hanley, Stevie Starr and Dave Scott. Their next gig is July 10 at What
the Dickens. Contact Love Buzz at 090-8344-6937, homepage http://www.hi-ho.ne.jp/gunn
Occupation:
LIFE IN JAPAN: