Day 5 in The Room of our Tokyo hotel… It’s not going badly. We, the band and crew, are all on the same floor of the hotel - normally there might be some visiting and hanging out, but the rules here are strict; no leaving the room at all until Wednesday’s rehearsal day, so it’s practice, read, practice, write a road diary…

The pic above is from the only time I tried on the outfit the hotel provided… it’s ironically kind of prison garb. Or maybe a monk.

A thought: this is the longest I’ve gone barefoot since I was a child.

A thought: I hope I remember how to tie my shoelaces, when the time comes to go out.

A note: for those who came to this page via my site’s ‘Road Diary’ index… the photo I chose for the Japan tour leg is one of Robert and Adrian aboard the Shinkansen, Japan’s high speed train, back in 1981. It seemed appropriate to me because these shows we’re about to do will likely be the last ones Crimson will do in Japan, and the Discipline Tour of 1981 was the band’s first trip here. So it’s kind of closing the circle, or as Robert has said, ‘the completion tour of Japan.’

It’s going to be a very special string of shows.

Meanwhile, back in The Room…

I think it’s a two haiku day… here’s one

Lacing up sneakers

after many days barefoot

old skills become new

Aside from looking over the Crimson repertoire, I’ve been just practicing bass - nice to have some time to do that here. I’m guessing quite a few readers know of Scott’s Bass Lessons. A few months ago I started a 26 week online one on basic technique. (I don’t know him, but think he’s a great teacher.) Back on the U.S. Crimson tour, it was pretty interesting to be backstage in the afternoon playing very slowly, only on one note, working on right hand technique, and then a few hours later onstage playing Crimson’s material. At home, I’d fallen behind on the weekly lessons, but here in The Room… no excuses!

Finished re-reading Dune, and now I’m seeing giant sand worms everywhere. Here’s a mockup I did of Dave, our tour manager - I think arranging this tour has been akin to riding an Arrakis worm.

Okay, that’s the news from The Room.

Next update will be from rehearsals.

Haiku of the day:

Floating bird lingers

outside my hotel window

perhaps lonely too