VOX ARTICAL MARCH 1995:
LAND OF THE RISING SONYA
By the time they fly into Narita from a US slogathon, Echobelly feel like they've been on tour for a decade and everybody's keen to get home to feed the cats. Their last show, at a celeb-studded LA Roxy, was apparently unprecidented plaudit city, and now only a brief dash around Japan separates pining pets from shagged-out owners.
After soundchecking at the Liquid Room, Shinjuku, a short walk to check out the local HMV turns into a marathon as Echobelly unexpectedly have their first serious encounter with the Legendary Japanees Punter, Progress is slow as they are repeatedly waylaid by droves of polite but determined teen limpets bearing gifts, letters of welcome and disposable Fuji cameras.
"The Smiths-san desuka?" (Are you the Smiths?)
"Hai! Watashi wa Smith desu." (Yes, my name is Smith.)
Each sold-out-and-then-some show at the Liquid Room and Quattro club is met by ecstatic wall-to-wall fervent appreciation, with everybody singing along word-perfect (they got a set-list on the way in). Echobelly romp home like Godzilla on gin-seng and a lump comes to the collective throat. We reappraise the term "tremendous reception".
"Keikan o yonde kudasai!" (Call the cops!)
The licence to party expires just after 8pm, when suit'n'tie security with loud hailers and uniformed vacuum-cleaning teams disperse the rammed hordes in minutes, despite a seven-floor ride to street level in a tiny elevator.
Outside, a streetful of LJPs have rearmed with pens, presents and cameras to stake out the club for a last look ast "Echoberry", indistputable flavour of the month.
The apprearance of the band triggers a feeding frenzy. The words "Night" and "A Hard Day's" come to mind as Echobelly cheefully sign their way through a ton of stuff (including a bottle of whisky) and collect enough letters, parcels and furry animals to cause them serious luggage problems.
Miaow. Even the local arcades give Sonya cause to pine for the kittens back home. Eight out of ten Japanees cats prefer yen. The Love Machine gene blender (below) generates an image of potential offspring for lucky couple Alex and Debbie. They decline the opportunity to see what they'd get by cross-breeding with dogs, apes, etc. Veggie Sonya leaves the Robotayaki eatery as hungry as she came in (even the rice is cooked in fish stock), but thanks barbie chef anyway for the rustic atmosphere. But hey, hold on a minute, who's going to pick up the tab?
"Credit cardo tsukaimasu ka?" (Do you accept credit cards?)
Opportunities to visit neon-clad canyons of consumerism or partake in ancient tea ceremonies do not appear to be on Echobelly's Tokyo schedule. Between dawn and soundcheck, Sonya fields the lion's share of avid probing in an unenviable schedule of back-to-back press/photo/TV commitments.
"Sumimasen, eigo hanashi-masu-ka?" (Excuse me, do you speak English?)
And when intense conflict between giri (social obligation) and ninjo (natural or personal inclination) cannot be reconciled, the result may be another teenage suicide...
"Domo arigato. Oiya-sumi-nasai. Kuko wa doko desu ka?" (Thank you and goodnight. Where is the airport? )
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