Preparation for FREAK KITCHEN & Rikuogo 2025/9/16

 

It has been 6+ months since this concert was announced and I actually booked a Hotel Room and bought the ticket.  That seemed like so far away at the time, but it is now tomorrow night.

When I heard that Rikugo were the opening act, I bought two of their CDs and listened to what they had put on streaming. Described as DARK METAL, the directions north, south, east, west, down and up, and emotionally that too is how they describe themselves. I would add eyeliner too, and maybe not un-influenced by Visual-Kei.  Not old style riff based is how they strike me. Lyrics seem also so earnest.

I booked a hotel room so I didn't have to panic with catching one of the last trains home and not be able to (possibly) chat with people after the gig.

So I have a small backpack to leave in my hotel room, with a check in time of 3PM before getting to CLUB QUATTRO Umeda, some 4 minutes away.

I have gotten to Umeda Osaka quite a few times in the last 7 years, so know the area in and close around the station, but the concert club and my hotel are a bit further out. 11minutes walk.  Looked up where they are, all good, and it looks like it will mostly not be raining tomorrow.

The merchandise for Freak Kitchen and Rikugo has also been announced, and will go on sale at 3PM tomorrow, and I expect to get a t-shirt for each band.

Luckily, Rikugo also has their design on a white shirt. That is the one for me, as in Kyoto (and Rikugo are from Kyoto), it is far too hot to year a black shirt outside in summer. A black shirt burns my skin, and summer is the only time to wear a t-shirt.  

I will be there early and hope to get close to the action to do a detailed coverage in what I now know is a HAND MADE tour, put together by Japanese fans. The same ones that brought Mattias to the Osaka Guitar Festival the last 2 years. Not by a record label or such organization. 

And early afternoon Sept/15, Mattias, Bjorn and Chris arrive at KIX in Osaka.  They pretty much caught a flight after a gig in France yesterday!  

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