Departure

We departed Maui on Thursday, July 11, and had our traditional tour-kick-off meal (Kailua Pork Sandwich and Longboard Ale) at Stinger Ray's in the Honolulu Airport. The tour has officially begun!! Missing Arthur but welcoming Merika aboard.

Singapore

After 24 hours of long but uneventful travel, we arrived in Singapore at 0030 on Saturday morning. Go figure. Our POC Debbie and driver Kumar picked us up. The Sling Inn was a welcome sight to our travel-weary bodies, although due to a security barricade we had to schlep our bags and ourselves about ¼ mile into the housing area. No complaints tho. Our Saturday show was cancelled which was a great relief. It was welcome to have one day to recover from the journey over the Pacific and across that darn International Date Line.

Debbie was very informative, although we did not see her again after the first early morning rendezvous at the airport. We later found out that she was in fact resigning to accept an outside position during the actual week of our stay. The MWR staff at the Terror Club, however, was always there to answer any questions and feed us well!

We played three shows in the Terror Club, mostly for a U.S. Marine Battalion called "The Ugly Angels", as well as some assorted Aussies and New Zealanders. The ship that was scheduled to arrive never did, for whatever reason, so we had small crowds of 20-30 people each night. But we all enjoyed ourselves. The Marines have a very strange way of dancing with each other; I suppose it is a way of adaptation to the adverse conditions in which they exist.

Our shows throughout this tour seemed like they started rather early. Perhaps this is by design, so that the show can be enjoyed as sort of a warm-up to the off-base nightlife? One such night the marines at our show took us out on the town, and we somehow ended up sitting in for a set at the Green Mango Club.

Future entertainers please be advised that the rumors are true. There is indeed a high concentration of uptight people in Singapore. Watch your step. Oh yeah and bring some food with you to the military airport, as none is available there.

Diego Garcia

Departed Singapore Tuesday at 2200 on a military jet. On take-off, the AC system overhead dropped about 10 gallons of condensation onto the laps of those sitting in the center seats. Wednesday morning arrived in Diego at about 0200. Billeting was excellent in the BEQ-17. Food is cheap here and pretty decent, but we got caught a bit off guard by the lack of currency exchange and ATM machines. Future entertainers should remember to carry US currency to DG!

Our POC Leila picked us up and oriented us to the island. She was AWESOME, in terms of being available to help us out, drive us around, etc. She hooked me up with her friend George and George got me set up with windsurfing gear. Wind was light Wednesday and Thursday, but I rigged a 7.9 and sailed the lagoon anyway, among massive ships and flying fish.

Our first show was at the Yacht Club, a cool wooden stage overlooking the lagoon, as well as an ocean of servicemen from Aussies to Brits to Canadians, to all four branches of US military. There were even a few hockey fans. Our show went over very well. Everyone seemed to like something different about our group and our music. The second show was at the Island Room, which was a tad bit stuffy. Next was the Tent City outdoor stage, which was an awesome spot and the crowd rocked, even though we were not allowed to play at "full volume" (Ours go to eleven). Then, as we were unwinding at the PK restaurant after the show, we were approached by a group of Canadian infantrymen, just returned from six months in the field. They were bummed that they had missed our show so the same midnight we put on an acoustic show for about 30 people at the Short Pier. John played on a plastic rubbish-bin. It was quite impressive.

Our final show at the officers club was a lot of fun. We went for a more "adult" setup, wearing nice clothes and starting with acoustic guitars in our hands. However, as the crowd warmed up we busted out the electric instruments for the final sets and a raging time was had by all!

Other highlights of our time in Diego Garcia: tours of B-52 bombers, deep sea fishing (I caught a 50 pound yellow-fin tuna) and rental bicycles.

We departed DG a half-day ahead of our itinerary and flew the military flight to Singapore. A day of R+R, and a visit to the night safari, and we were back at the Singapore airport at 0600. After a fiasco with our MCO not covering the excess baggage charges, and me having to charge ~$3500 on my credit card, we finally got on the plane and traveled to the ROK.

South Korea

First it should be stated that our driver Mr. Yi was a really cool guy to spend as much time with as we did. Second it must be stated that the ROK was a lot of work. It was fun but honestly we were glad to get through the experience in one piece. Our POC Mr. Song was very helpful in providing every kind of assistance to us, but our schedule was extremely intense, due to the daily road trips. We did 7 shows in 8 days, in 7 different locations.

Show 1: A four hour drive brought us to Army Camp Henry. We received a last-minute notice that our show was going to be 2 hours earlier than we had expected, which caused some exasperation, because we were not going to be able to make it there on time. However, when we arrived at "Henry's Place", entertainment coordinators Laurel and Joe were reasonable and we were able to find a solution that worked for everybody: We showered at the gym and got onstage as soon as possible. After the very well-received show, we loaded out and checked in to the Dong Inn (which was excellent), and then hit Taegu for a little nightlife and ended up at Café Elvis just down the street. A fine time was had by all.

Show 2: A three hour drive brought us to the Chinhae Naval Base. We checked in to the Hilton (which was fine, but seemed to cater to an hourly clientele, if you catch my meaning) Loading the gear in to Duffy's Club was a hassle, because it was long and there were steps. The show was very well received and we crashed immediately after loading out.

Show 3: A five hour drive brought us to the Osan Air Force Base. It was an easy load into a very nice large club called "The Mustang". The house sound system was huge and we could not resist the temptation to plug into it, even though there was no soundperson present to run it for us. This led to a few technical difficulties at the beginning of our show, but we straightened everything out in the first set break. We enjoyed the inexpensive shopping district just outside the base. After the show, a two hour drive brought us back to the Rainbow in Seoul.

Show 4: A three hour drive brought us to Army Camp Long . We had an easy load into the Community Club, and a nice dinner. The crowd was among our smallest, and most appreciative. There was even a mosh pit at one point. We were disappointed to have to hit the road immediately after the gig, but we signed some t-shirts and were back to the Rainbow after a three hour drive. (BTW, I lost my hat at this gig. Green camo with knife holes in the top. If anyone reading this has any information regarding the whereabouts of this hat, please contact me.) Future entertainers hold on to your hat.

Show 5: An easy two hour drive brought us to Army Camp Gary Owen. The crowd was so ecstatic to have us that the would hardly let us leave. Some Army guys bribed our driver to allow us to stay and party with them after the show, and they barraged us with gifts and beer to keep us there with them. A group returning from field exercises let us explore inside two styles of tank and a humvee. Finally we drove back to the Rainbow.

Show 6: An early morning and a 6 hour drive in heavy traffic brought us to Kunsan Air Force Base. Most of the staff were really cool at the Lohring Club, but the entertainment coordinator was rather stand-offish. (?) Nobody knows why. We set up in a room that looked more appropriate for a formal banquet than a rock concert. Nonetheless we put on a high energy show and got a great response from the crowd. We were burnt out after previous late night and did not hang to party, but crashed immediately after the show in our quarters on the base.

Show 7: A five hour drive brought us back to the Yongsan Main Post in Seoul. As we set up our gear at Harvey's Club, the house DJ made it clear to us that we were not really wanted to play at that venue. The posters were not put up, and we were requested to "keep it under 85 decibels" by a funny little man with a decibel-meter. We were told that nobody likes rock music there, and that we should either play Country or Western. We adapted our show as well as possible to the adverse conditions by telling the crowd that we were the "Good Old Soul-Flower Boys" and playing our songs in a more subdued, less in-your-face style than usual. We even added a bit of a twang. We considered the show a success based on the fact that none of the usuals got up and left during our show. (We were told that in fact that should be taken as a pretty big compliment)

Future entertainers should request billeting on base when possible. At least in the Yongsan area. The Rainbow hotel that we used as our "home hotel" in the ROK was pretty skanky. Also, be prepared to get fitted for custom leather clothing in Osan, if at all possible. Incredible values can be found there. Forget about the mink blankets and buy something cool. Also when ordering food be very clear about the fact that you want beef. Make "moo" sounds. Make horns with your fingers. Paw the ground. Otherwise you may end up with dog ribs stew and kitty cat brisket and not realize it until you are nearly finished grinding. I wish I was joking.

Mr. Song managed to get us on the plane without incident w.r.t. the extra bags. A short flight and a breath of relief and we landed in Japan.

Mainland Japan

POC Spike Uchino drove us to Yokota Air Base. What an awesome guy Spike-san is. He went above and beyond the call of duty for us on this trip and is a strong candidate for the prestigious "Soulflower POC Award of Excellence" for this tour. We spent our first day tramping around Tokyo looking for Zeppelin posters and Seiko watches and even Miss Merika was too tired to hit the spa afterwards.

We then drove out to Camp Fuji to play a couple shows at the Roadhouse. We are told that there will be a new club facility soon, which is a good thing, because Sascha and I both nearly passed out on stage due to the heat and smoke and lack of oxygen. Great crowd, tho. The Marines were very enthusiastic. (1st and 11, 1st and 12, 3rd and 3, Fuji Marines) Lots of these guys are stationed on Oahu and will be passing through Okinawa at the same time that we will be there! This crazy guy Abe sat in on the vocals for "Sweet Child of Mine" and got the crowd into a major frenzy. Our hotel off base was exceptional.

An easy two hour drive and we came to the Yokosuka Naval Base. The Seaside All Hands Club is a funky little spot overlooking the ocean with huge tropical fish painted on the wall over the stage. A fairly long load, and no posters. The crowd was small but very appreciative: "I can't believe I just walked in here and you guys are so awesome! No one knows about this." The club managers Greg and Frank were hep cats and dug our vibes.

The next morning Spike-san took us to the airport and we were off to the Misawa Air Base. Our POC Richard (who's middle name is "we'll make it happen" and who mostly hits home runs) picked us up and was consistently classy and conscientious an individual as a person could hope to be. Richard we wish you well in all of your endeavors!

Just outside the gates is Club Forever which I would recommend highly to future travelers and entertainers. However be advised that the 1:45 am bell does not ring and the lights do not come on at 2 am advising all patrons to go home. I looked at my watch at 4 and realized that I would have to walk back to billeting. After much stumbling and several humorous encounters I was given a lift to building 669 by a very kind medic.

Our first show at the Officers Club banquet hall had an awesome stage. Only 30-40 people showed up (all pilots) and we were told that was a very good turnout. The next morning we did in fact make in to the hot springs located a short drive from the base. We then proceeded to the shopping mall where we had lunch (watch out for the orange colored pickled radish stuff EGAD!)

Our second show was at the Enlisted Club. This was another country western bar, which has us a bit nervous at first, remembering Harvey's, but when the crowd showed up our fears dispelled quickly. A good turnout, about 100 people and lots of attractive women. Between sets the deejay was cool but didn't have much rock to play. A local guitar named John joined us for one song.

Future Travelers be advised that there is an awesome breakfast place on base. We did not find it until our last morning. The breakfast burrito is where it's at! Richard took us to the airport and we were off to Okinawa.

Okinawa

We were met at the Naha airport by POCs Tim and Don, who are most excellent individuals. A short drive to Camp Foster and we checked in to the Westpac Inn. It was awesome to have our own rooms for most of the tour, and nice to stay in one place for several days. We played six show in seven days, none of which were more than a 45 minute drive away.

Show 1: Camp Schwab - The ½ hour drive was totally casual in our swanky tour bus. A beautiful sunset over the beach before the show set us all in high spirits. The club got smoky pretty fast. Our POC Tim sat in on the drums with us for a couple songs. It was surprising when a table of marines started yelling "Cheesecutter! Cheesecutter!" We knew them from Camp Fuji, and they had apparently been listening to our CD! One table of locals that were really excited about us, especially when I went over to talk to them after the show.

Show 2: Kadena Air Base - This was one of our best shows of the tour, as far as a good club, enthusiastic crowd response and great performance. Sascha, John and I played as a three-piece because Merika was sick with some kind of eastasian influenza. We were put out of our comfort zone so we had to rise to the occasion. It definitely helped that entertainment reps Tim and Aaron had a cool PA for us to play through, as well as an experienced sound guy. After the show Tim offered to hire us back for a New Years Eve gig. Once again POC Tim joined us on the stage and we hit the local scene afterwards.

Show 3: Kadena Rockers Club - The 15-30 minute drives to and from these Okinawa gigs make south Korea seem like it was all just a bad dream. Merika was still sick and stayed home. There was nearly zero turnout for this gig so we were mercifully permitted to end the show after only one set and go home to a welcome rest.

Show 4: Navy Camp Shield - Entertainment Rep Vicki was a great host, and our meal was most excellent. The Seabees were very responsive and interactive, and intelligent as well. Anyway they taught us one important lesson: As with many of our previous gigs on this tour, there were banquet style tables spread out in the large room. People tend to sit where chairs are placed and from the perspective of the stage, they appear to be lurking in the shadows. Not much energy is returned by the performer from the audience in this kind of configuration, and that can have a dulling effect on any performance. But on this night, immediately after we started playing, some Seabees pulled their chairs to form a semicircle right in front of the stage. This small action had the effect of transforming the room from one which strongly resembles a high-school gymnasium to an intimate and energized performance hall.

Show 5: Hansen Friendship Festival (day 1) - A superb meal, perhaps the best of the trip, with ostrich, etc. Whole Lotta Rosies was a tough act to follow but the crowd was enthusiastic and raged for us during our enture set. The MPs had to put a barricade and about 8 guys in front of the stage to prevent drinks and marines from getting up on the stage. Despite the early morning (Merika vomits on the bus) sound check where the techs were writing down all of the settings on the amps, etc. the stage sound was horrible for the first few songs until we ironed it out. Lots of marines from the 3rd and 3rd that were in Fuji showed up here as well. Those guys seem to be everywhere!

Show 6: Hansen Friendship Festival (day 2) - Our show was earlier in the evening and the sun was still setting when we took the stage. Japanese band "8-Ball" put on a rockin' show! The bass player from Filipino band "Solid" broke a string and I loaned him my bass for the rest of their show. The Rosies finished the night with an awesome set. We ended up at Yoshi Hachi's Sushi bar with the Rosies until 2 am drinking Habusake and Orion. What an awesome evening to wrap up our tour!!

Homeward Bound

The next morning came around earlier than any of us expected. We flew ANA from Okinawa to Nagoya, where we had to lug our gear over to JAS. Then we flew to Honolulu where we again had to lug our gear through US customs. The only consolation to all of the schlepping was that Stinger Ray's was in fact open for breakfast. One inter-island flight and the Pacific Rim Tour 2002 is now a historical event.

Thank you to everyone who was involved and made the Soulflower A.F.E. Pacific Rim Tour 2002 a smashing success!

Awards

The "Soulflower AFE Pacific Rim Tour 2002 Award of Excellence" for this tour goes out to Richard Caines. Honorable mention to Spike Uchino and Leila. It was very difficult for us to decide between these three individuals who all went above and beyond the call of duty and made sure that we had a incredibly cool experience under their care. However, Richard took the cake, showing up with sea-glass balls for Johnny, a spa for Merika, defending our borrowed monitor amp and EQ unit, even checking us in to our hotel before we got off the plane. Thanks Richard Spike-san and Leila!!!

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