Japan Rescheduled!
OK folks, things are finally looking up!
After one of the weirdest weeks of my life and that of our promoter Mr. Nobu Maruyama and some of our most diehard fans, I can let you know that Wishbone Ash and Club Citta have been hard at work and have now been able to reschedule the two cancelled shows, in Kawasaki, Japan! The club only had two weekends available; one in October (too far into the future and we are on tour in the UK) and one in August. We plumbed for that one, to try and keep the momentum up. So, August 14th and 15th it is.
I’m doing much better since suffering the attack. It’s taking me a while to focus in the mornings and I still stagger a bit but I’m feeling this will pass. Thank you all for the get well wishes I received. I really appreciated these and got to hear that I’m not alone in experiencing something awful like this. It was scary there for a while and agonising, not being able to get on that plane for Japan, right at the last moment. The difference for me, unlike some of you fellow sufferers, was that my situation got played out in public.
The closest we can get to a diagnosis is BPV - Benign Positional Vertigo. It’s a bit of a nebulous term but can be something to do with calcium crystals being dislodged in the inner ear. The result for me was waking up at a London airport hotel, on the day of departure for Japan, with total loss of balance and disorientation accompanied by nausea and vomiting. In other words, I was rendered a complete non functioning unit (musical or otherwise) and was rushed to Chertsey hospital, near to London’s Heathrow airport! My initial thought about the cause, was heatstroke or stress, since I’d been driving down to Heathrow from Burnley in the old Mog for 5 hours, in the sun, with the hood down. But both of these were categorically ruled out by the doctors.
Anyway, Nobu, can now get back on track with promoting the weekend of August 14th and 15th and the thought is that we’ll have sold out shows. In addition to the whole of the Argus album, the two and half hour sets will feature pieces like F.U.B.B., Lady Jay and Lullaby and other less heard gems. I hated the fact that a goodly contingent of our diehard Brit fans had flown all the way out to Japan to support us only to find out that we would not be there. It seems like you all had a pretty good time there despite everything. You got to meet up with our friends in Zizoh, the amazing Tokyo based, Wishbone Ash tribute band. Thanks to them for their hospitality. It makes me realise and appreciate what a great fan community, Wishbone Ash has. But, I can tell you (Dave, Ian, Doreen, Carol et al) that we’ll have a surprise UK show in store later in the year, where we hope to make it up to you all!
Once again, most important; sincere thanks to all our Japanese fans for your understanding and patience!
Special thanks to Miyuki, Nobu’s assistant, who was brilliant throughout and also to friend and super fan, Atsuko who entertained the troops (in our absence and at her peril) in the Land of the Rising Sun. We’ll see you and Pat in California, soon, no doubt!
Love, Peace and Happiness to you all ~ Mr.P.
