Rock N Roll Music and the Proof of the Existence of God!

I'm making a rock n roll movie. It's called, "Ghostroads - A Rock N Roll Ghost Story" Here's the trailer: https://vimeo.com/210533272 

The movie stars my favorite Japanese rock band of all time, "The Neatbeats." Rodney Bingenheimer (AKA "Rodney on the Roq" KROQ Los Angeles) is also in the movie. Rodney is one of, if not thee most famous DJ in the world. He's made many great stars famous. As some regular readers might know, I used to be Rodney's assistant (Read: His lowly "Go-fer.")

Rodney Bingenheimer

In Japan, it isn't too cool to "toot one's horn" so to speak, so I tell few people about my past....

One day, during the shooting of the movie, I was at the Neatbeats' studio. There I saw they had a book about Phil Spector (a very famous music producer who did the Beatles, etc.) 

I saw the book and then I opened the book to a random page and, I'll be damned if there wasn't a photo of Rodney and Phil Spector right there. "What a coincidence!" I thought to myself.

I walked back into the studio where we were shooting and said to the Neatbeats members, "Hey! You guys like Phil Spector?" 

They all said, "YES! HE IS GOD!" 

Phil Spector

I answered, "Oh? I've met him two or three times. I even "had lunch" (or was it dinner?) with him and Rodney when he showed up to that restaurant that Rodney 'lives' at in Hollywood named 'Canters.'"

Oh. That was a mistake. I opened my big mouth. Should have shut up and said nothing.

Why?

I could tell by the expressions on their face that they didn't believe me at all. Their jaws dropped open in disappointed disbelief... They looked stupefied.... 

Here, all this time, I was their friend. They thought they could believe me and trust me.... But here I was telling them something that, to them, couldn't possibly be true in a million years...

I said, "No! Really! I have! I have met Phil Spector a few times.....I'm serious." They still looked like they thought I was full of shit....

Flustered and insistent to prove I wasn't lying, I figured I'd offer proof... I added, "Do you guys know who Rodney Bingenheimer is?" 

They all lit up again and said, "Of course! Rodney on the Roq is legendary! He is a DJ god!" 

I paused... hesitated a bit, and then I said, "I was Rodney's assistant from 1980 ~81. He introduced me to many famous people...."

It seemed then like the roof caved in. I was ready for the insane asylum by the expressions on their faces.

I could tell by the way they looked at me that they had lost all respect for me at that very moment. They thought that I was a total useless bullshitter. 

They didn't believe me at all. 

...Not anymore.... 

.....Not about.... 

..........Anything....

I protested, "No! Really! I was! Rodney introduced me to lots of famous people. The Ramones, Phil Spector, etc. etc." 

They still didn't believe me... So, in frustration, I threw my hands in the air, gave up and said, "OK. Fuck it! Whatever!...." 

That was Jan. of 2016. 

A few short months later...

In May 2016, by sheer coincidence, Rodney came to Japan and I was able to be a tour guide for several days for my old friend, Rodney on the Roq! I hadn't seen him in over 25 years.... 

We went to many good restaurants and fun places in Tokyo while he was here with his girlfriend (and fab movie director), Kansas Bowling who made the horror film, "B.C. Butcher." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxsSH4NhXMc)

And, Rodney and Kansas both appeared in my movie too! What timing!!!! 

So, don't tell me, "There's no God!" 

There is. 

I have met him. 

His name is Phil Spector....

...and another legend, a god named Rodney Bingenheimer.

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(I took lots of photos and wrote about sightseeing with Rodney here: http://modernmarketingjapan.blogspot.jp/2016/06/rodney-bingenheimer-in-japan.html) 

With my old friend and legendary radio DJ, Rodney Bingenheimer 

at the Poor Cow in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo, Japan May 27, 2016.

残すところあと２４時間（9月29日2015年に終了！）A Japanese Rock N Roll Ghost Story Crowdfunding Final 24 Hours!

LAST 24 HOURS! A Japanese Rock 'n' Roll Ghost Story Movie!　(Ends Sept. 29, 2015)

いよいよクラウドファンディングも残すところあと24時間！(9月29日2015年に終了！）

皆様のご協力のお陰で早い段階で目標額は達成しましたが、目標額はあくまでもクラウドファンディングで皆様に送るリターン・アイテムの制作費・郵送費をカバーして赤字にならないという文字どおり最低限の数字。映画製作の為にはまだまだ資金は必要です！

This is our crowdfunding last 24 hours. Thanks to all who have supported. To any others, this is our last chance!

今日9月28日（月）は最後の24時間。参加してくれました方、ありがとうございました。。。まだ参加していない人はLAST CHANCE! よろしくおねがいします！Let's Rock N Roll!

ココです (check the page here): https://www.makuake.com/project/rock

トレイラー(See the Trailer here): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q89eCEd6T14

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At Robot55 we make video productions for businesses and services and products, but we also pride ourselves on making videos for art and music. Our starting price is ¥70,000 and we are sure we can work out something that fits your budget. Oh, and we love making band videos too! Contact us! contact@robot55.jp

ROBOT55 はビジネス、商業、製品紹介動画の制作のみならず、アートや音楽の映像も創っております。ビジネス動画においてはウェブ動画時代の到来に合わせ、お求めや すい¥70,000という格安価格より承ります。ご予算に応じて皆様にご満足のいく高品質動画を制作致します。勿論インディー・バンド向けPV制作も行っ ております。よ！
コチラよりお気軽にお問い合わせ下さいませ♬

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The New Year's Party and the Japanese Rock & Roll Ghost Story

"If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it." - William Arthur Ward 

The "Shinenkai" (New Year's Party) for "What the Funday" on InterFM, was held on Monday was a smash success. I thank everyone involved so very much from the bottom of my heart. The event and everything else involved with the event came out better than I ever dreamed of.

The bands were great. The crowd was fantastic. In fact, the manager of the venue told me afterward that it was the record for attendance at his club since it was established 5 years ago.  

Poster for Shinnenkai. I designed this poster modeled after the old 

Motown posters I so loved.

Not only was the New Year's Party a party, but it was also a movie shoot: we used the party to shoot parts of the trailer for a movie we are making. The movie is called, "A Japanese Rock & Roll Ghost Story." (ロックンロール亡霊?) Well, I think that's what we are going to call it. Fact of the matter is that this is the working title and we've been trying for over three months to find a better title but haven't been able too.I think a movie title should be a good description of the movie (well, duh!) and, while it is a little long as titles go, "A Japanese Rock & Roll Ghost Story" is exactly what this movie is about.

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It is a story about a struggling Japanese "Sixties Retro-Music" musician who finds the spirit of a long dead Blues musician living in his studio and he and that spirit make fantastic music together, unlike the rock musicians band in real life. The problem is that no one else can hear that music nor can they see the spirit. Only our protagonist can see and talk with the ghost.

Over time, our hero becomes only happy when he plays music with the spirit. He stops working, stops practicing with his band and spends all his time locked up in the studio with a ghost no one else can see or hear. 

His band members and his family begin to think he is having a nervous breakdown or is going insane.

Finally, the musician gives up everything to go and be with the ghost all the time and making heavenly music.

Has he completely gone insane? Or has he really died and gone to heaven?

(Left) Loren Fykes (ghost) & Mr. Pan (rocker)

--------------

I have assembled an excellent team to tackle this film project. For the director of the movie, I asked Enrico Ciccu who has written and directed for some very fine cult movie productions in Italy. Enrico can be a difficult person to work with; but that’s the way I like it. Great artists are never easy people to deal with. Enrico wrote the screenplay and had a large hand in the making for this short film which was accepted at the Sapporo Film Festival: “Julie – Johnny Guitar.” Enrico also recently directed this: The Erotik Monkey.

Scene from "Erotik Monkey"

Proper and mood lighting is so critically important to the look and feel of any movie. For Lighting Director, I asked my old friend Yuji Wada. Yuji is a famous Hollywood lighting director. And, amongst other works, Yuji does the lighting for all of Sofia Cappola's movies including the smash hit "Lost in Translation." 

Scene from "Lost in Translation"

For camera, I recruited Ken Nishikawa. Ken Nishikawa is a former BBC (speaks beautiful Queen's English) director as well as having donw films and TV productions for every major TV broadcasting company in Tokyo. Ken and I have made MANY TV productions and music videos (Shonen Knife, Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols original bassist) and many other famous Japanese bands). Here the trailer for one of our next productions that I expect to start in spring 2015: Matsuchiyo - Life of a Geisha

Of course, all good films need good acting. I also need people who can act AND play some mean music. I found them. The actors in our film are from several famous Japanese bands and they are all eager to perform. 

The main actor will be Mr. Pan (Lead vocalist of Neatbeats - sitting on the right on the sofa in the photo below). Mr. Pan will be main actor in movie. He can act and has been on TV and radio many times and has also acted in one small part in a movie before. Plus he is the epitome of a cool Japanese Rock and Roll band. The Neatbeats, by the way, just returned from a tour of Europe!

Other bands who have agreed to appear: The Privates and The 50 Kaitenz. 

Here are some videos from these great bands:

50 Kaitenz: Killer (This is hilarious. You don't need to understand Japanese to get this!)

The Neatbeats (Campy sixties style Rock and Roll with a hot sexy girl, of course!) 

The Privates (Excellent Rock and Roll!)   

So far we have had two shooting sessions for the film. The first was on Jan. 23, 2015. It went fantastic and everything was perfect. Here is a still from that shoot:

(Left to Right): Me, Mike Rogers - Producer (bottom left), Enrico Ciccu - Director (standing left), Ken Nishikawa - Cinematographer (Kneeling middle), Mr. Pan - Protagonist (sitting on sofa). 

I hope you can see merely by the lighting of this photo that we are going for a style and quality that is a compliment to my inspiration for this particular film, Quentin Tarantino.

Finally, we come full circle. The second shooting session for the film was at our New Year's party. I needed to shoot scenes at a nightclub of our hero's band doing well and doing terribly. We got both. Here is a still from that photo shoot:

On stage are the killer Japanese rock band, "The Privates." Sitting in front with red cap is famous Japanese radio dee-jay and comedian, Furukawa Taro. The beautiful woman at the same table is Tomomi Hiraiwa. Behind them both, the guy sleeping (or acting dead?) is me, Mike Rogers (I must say, I do a mighty fabulous job of acting dead). On camera is director Enrico Ciccu.


Everything, as I wrote, was just perfect for both shoots. The editing starts next week and we expect the trailer to be ready by end of Feb. 

Shooting this film is one of my dreams come true and I have decided that if we are going to do this, then we are going to do it right and we are going to make something that is world-class quality.

I think that is a good goal for everyone, all of us, even dear reader, for our lives and our goals for 2015: "If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it." 

I am going to make my dreams come true this year. I am cheering for you all to do the same. 

Let's make all our dreams come true, together in 2015!

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Read more about the Japanese Rock & Roll Ghost Story here: http://robot55.jp/rock-roll-ghost-story/

WTF? "What the Funday" Shinenkai - Free New Year's Party!

Hey! WTF? (What the Funday?) is having another concert! But this one is so special, and it is at the beginning of the year, that we're not calling it a concert. We're calling it a "Shinenkai" (New Year's Party!) And it is free (of course) but you need to have an invitation to get in!

Definition of Shinenkai on Wikipedia:

"A shinnenkai (Japanese 新年会, literally "new year gathering") is the Japanese tradition of welcoming the arrival of the New Year, usually by the drinking of alcohol. A shinnenkai is generally held among co-workers or friends in January. Like the many festivals (matsuri) and celebrations that the Japanese are known for, a shinnenkai is their way of getting together to celebrate a new year and to make promises to each other to do their best for this year while wishing each other good luck and fortune..."

WTF? Party of the Year!

This is the first Premium Event of 2015 

and only 250 people will be invited! 

This year's WTF? "What the Funday" on InterFM Shinenkai party features and awesome lineup of Japan's best Punk and Retro bands:

The Neatbeats! The 50 Kaitenz! The Privates!

You definitely want to be at this show. This lineup is awesome and we could have made this a regular concert, selling tickets for $50 each and filled a 1000 capacity venue! But no! This is a Premium Event and only 250 people will be invited! 

Imagine that, some of Japan's best bands and you can basically be standing on their toes as they perform! 

The WTF? Shinenkai party and it's free (if you have aforementioned invitation!) How do you get an invitation? Send and email to: "WTF? Shinenkai! New Year's Party!" wtf@interfm.jp and you might win! 

(Oh, and come "Like" our Facebook page too! https://www.facebook.com/WhattheFunday76.1?)

Just to let you check out how awesome this line up is, here's some videos:

The Privates - Drive All Night (Come "Like" their FB account!)

The 50 Kaitenz - Hey! They Were on TV! (Come "Like" their FB account!)

                The Neatbeats - Snakey Baby  (Come "Like" their FB account!)

Besides these great bands, the drinks will be a dirt cheap ¥500 each (about $5) not to mention the house special which is about $3 cocktails (it is, after all, a New Year's party, Japan style!) And with free entrance with an invitation, it will be the party of the year! Also, Furukawa Taro and me, Mike Rogers, will be hosting the ceremonies.... Who knows? Perhaps rock star and famous person extraordinaire George Williams just might show up!

So, don't miss the coolest show of 2015!!!! The InterFM WTF? "What the Funday" Shinenkai 2015!

Be there!

The Coolest Summer Concert in Tokyo of 2014? And It's Free!

I hadn't blogged in three weeks. Didn't realize it had been so long until an anonymous writer sent this comment: "21 days with no blogging. Sure hope your life is alright."

Thanks Anonymous. I appreciate it.

My life is alright. I hope yours is too.

I've been working 14 ~ 16 hours a day, everyday for the last 5 weeks or so. Then, during that time, I had a hellacious gout attack! I don't know why, I hadn't been drinking and have been basically doing the raw food thingy. Maybe it is stress... At least, that's what the doctor said.

Then, as soon as my gout went away, I went back to my exercise routine: 90 minutes speed walking.

That was a mistake.

Because of the gout, I had been walking funny for a week and my left knee hurt from that. So, while my knee was out of whack, I went for a 90 minute walk again. On the way back, darn if my knee didn't start burning. Uh, oh... Felt like I was getting water under my left kneecap.

It was.

Within a day, my knee had swollen up and hurt like heck, but I kept working.

That was another mistake.

By the third day, I couldn't walk and was in bed with my knee under ice packs and elevated. Still was doing work from the computer.

In the meantime, I completed several important tasks and nearly completed or completed a few videos.

Video screen capture of Neatbeats, "Snakey Baby"

One of the ones that was finished was for a really awesome Japanese Beat Group called, "The Neatbeats." It stars Japan's best authentic beat music group, Mina Shirakawa, Japan's Sexy and Hot New Pinup girl and a funny sumo wrestler. I have my "Hitchcock style cameo" right at the very start (I'm the guy in the red sweater). For some reason, I can't link that video but you can view that video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1L3leqBg-8

Besides these things, I've been doing my regular jobs and trying to get stuff done.

I have also organized another free concert for people to enjoy. I think these summer festivals whereby people spend $500 to $1000 to go to a festival to see bands with crappy sound, bad food and stand in long lines to go to the toilet are way over priced.

On June 23, 2014, I have set up another killer show that is "invitation only" limited to 250 guests. 

The show features the above mentioned Neatbeats. Here's a different video of theirs

The Neatbeats can easily sell out 500 ~ 600 people venues at $60 a ticket. Think people will wanna see. 

Also Japan's power drum and bass duo, Moja will perform. 

Julie will perform...

and also Mz. Moxy from London in her Japan debut.

It's a killer show and I hope that you can attend. I think it will be one of the best and most memorable shows of summer 2014.

So, besides trying to be a father and husband, that's what I have been doing...

I hope to blog again because there's so much nonsense going on right now: Ukraine, stock market, Abenomics, Justin Beiber that the world's a ripe grape ready for the picking for some blogger...

But for now, I've got to get back to work.

See you soon.

Sex Pistols Glen Matlock, Neatbeats and More in Tokyo

Glen Matlock, the original bassist for the Sex Pistols was in Tokyo the other day. Glen was kicked out of the band for Sid Vicious back in the day. I figure that's because Glen can actually play and play well! Lots of people don't know this, but Glen wrote the Sex Pistols hit song, "Pretty Vacant." 

First I went to meet Glen at the radio station. Then I went to see him live and make a promotional video for one of his songs. Both events were pretty cool and I'm glad I went.

Glen is a nice guy

I actually did have coffee with Glen... But that's not my coffee...

The video isn't even close to being done yet. I expect to have it within a few weeks.

The Glen Matlock show was a great show. It featured a bunch of really cool Japanese bands. One that was on the bill that really surprised me was the N'Shukugawa Boys. I really like this band. Here is their hit video  "Monogatari ha Chito Fuantei" (I guess that translates into: "The story is a little bit shaky.")

But the band that really impressed me at the entire show was an Osaka band called, "The Neatbeats." Totally faithful sixties beat music and these guys were awesome musicians (as well as being funny as hell!)

Oh, well, yesterday and today it snowed in Tokyo.. The Mainichi Daily News writes: "...the heaviest snow in the Japanese capital since February 1994 and the fourth largest snowfall since World War II..."

This is the most snow I have ever seen in Tokyo in 30+ years of living here

Last year we had the coldest winter in 24 years. This year we have the most snow in 20 years... (and heading for what could be the coldest winter in more than 24 years). Question: This trend points to a what trend?

a) Warming trend
b) Cooling trend