RICK WHEELER
Land of the Rising Stereotype
As I sit in my comfortable hotel room in Japan is also known for collecting vin-the heart of Shinjuku, one of the major tage guitars. Famous collectors like Kunio
metropolitan areas of Tokyo, I am struck by Kishida from the vintage guitar stores
the evolution of my own generalizations Nancy in Tokyo and Nagoya can also be
and stereotypes about Japan. I feel so found repeatedly attending Larry and Keb’s
fortunate to have experienced this culture shows. “The guitar is more than an icon
firsthand in my previous ten visits here, and for rock music here in Japan,” Kunio says.
this time find myself going to the brand “It represents a new generation, individu-new Billboard Live club in the Roppongi ality, and freedom. All that adds up to a
area to record 12 shows with Larry Carlton profound effect on the culture here and the
and Keb Mo for release as a live CD early society as a whole.”
in 2008. Before I came here, however, my
image of Japan came from movies – a
sentiment I almost certainly share with
most Americans.
from fans. Musicians and crew are honored
here. But the capper for me is the ubiquitous sense of honor that will simply blow
your mind.
I can honestly say I love Japan. Touring
here is quite amazing, as anyone who tours
the world on the pro music circuit will
attest. Guitars and guitar players are incredibly popular here and you are so hip if you
even own one. Just imagine being here
with Larry Carlton and Keb Mo together!
As an example, Larry’s shows here
are frequented by the Japanese superstar guitarist Tak Matsumoto, who has
managed to join the ranks of Gibson
Signature Artists like Larry, B.B. King, Joe
Perry, Jimmy Page and Ace Frehley. As
leader of the Japanese rock band, B’z,
Tak Matsumoto has taken his trademark
Gibson Les Paul to the top of the charts
with album sales nearing 60 million.
For most of us, we think of Tom Cruise
thundering across the battlefields of Meiji
Restoration Japan in The Last Samurai,
in pursuit of the doomed Bushido honor
code and the enlightened spirituality of
Zen Buddhism or Bill Murray in Lost in
Translation, Sofia Coppola’s indie portrait of
alienated Americans in Tokyo. Nearly half
the action in the first volume of Kill Bill,
with its rapturous, over-the-top homage to
yakuza, manga and other Japanese genre
films, takes place in a surreal movie-land
Japan, subtitles and addled accents flying.
The Australian movie, Japanese Story,
which won the Australian Film Institute’s
Best Picture Award – that country’s
equivalent to the Academy Award – is
about a geologist who falls into an unlikely
romance with a Japanese businessman
who travels to Australia to escape the obligations of work and family.
Consider the following the next time
you experience Japan represented in the
media. In the Japanese language, it is considered rude to say the word “no” directly.
There is no tipping here – not for bellmen,
waitresses, skycaps, etc. There is almost no
vandalism in Japan. The doors to Japanese
houses open outward instead of inward
so they don’t hit the shoes left in the
front entrance. Japan is about the size of
California and has roughly half the population of the entire United States. The sun is
red in Japan, hence the flag, and the country itself is referred to by Japanese people
as “the land of the rising sun.”
In the future, guitars and guitar players may
somehow vicariously become the ambassadors of cultural diversity and the avengers of “the land of the rising stereotypes.”
Arigato gozaimasu!
Sold-out stadium tours and the constant
media clamor surrounding Tak Matsumoto
caught the attention of Gibson, who quickly
made him their first Asian signature artist. “There is a lot of great music coming
out of Japan right now and Tak is the
number one guitar player in Asia and in
Japan, no doubt,” said Gibson CEO Henry
Juszkiewicz. “He’s a loyal Gibson player, a
major influence on young guitarists and a
superstar. We couldn’t be more proud to
work with Tak to produce a Signature Les
Paul.” To fans in Japan, Tak Matsumoto
is fast approaching legendary status as a
rock guitar icon.
64 PREMIERGUITAR NOVEMBER 2007
The settings that unite these movies
may seem racist, naive, well-intentioned,
accurate, or all of the above. Yet I see the
intensity of these representations evident
in every show we do here. The equipment
is handled gingerly and copious amounts
of friendly and helpful technicians are
ready to lend a hand at every turn. Photos
and measurements are taken regularly
and emailed to the next venue to expedite
a precise setup. Standing ovations from
audiences are rare, but enthusiastic, unison clapping commonly inspires encores.
Passion, humor, love, and kindness are easily recognized in the faces of the audiences
as well. We are often showered with gifts
Rick Wheeler
Rick Wheeler currently works as Larry Carlton’s guitar tech and front of
house engineer. He is also an accomplished jazz guitarist, vocalist, and
educator. You can contact Rick at rickwheeler@hughes.net
www.premierguitar.com
