We also started playing in "Club Fujiyama's", a wild rockin' club that hosted some great metal bands and every Wednesday night one wild and crazy Acoustic show performed by the one and only Stevie Bradford. On occasion they would host a Sunday night Fuji-Fest, about eight bands in about eight hours, what a great time.
Somewhere around May of 2000 or so, the bass player, Gachapin quit. He said he had too many committments and needed some time off. That is when I picked up Sam Lynch. Sam is a smooth cat that can really get down. He brought in a jazz influence and really put on a show with some of his funky bass solos. On occasion, he would bring out the ol' stand up bass and we would have a hell of time. With Sam, we could really get a nice groove going and get the people up and moving.
At one gig at Al's Place in May of 2000, The promoter for the biggest music festival on Okinawa was there, checking us out. After a few songs, he was convinced we needed to be part of his event, "The Peaceful, Love Rock Festival." When I was introduced to him and he told me he wanted us to play at the event, I was so happy, cause not many American Bands get the opportunity to play this event. This festival is huge, thousands of people, enough sound system even for the Rolling Stones, mega, huge.
We were number eight of fourteen bands present that day at the 18th Annual Peaceful Love Rock Fest on July 2, 2000. We had a great time. Later on after our set, Jim Kirk, the keyboard player told us he was quitting, moving on into a different direction.
After Jim left, we had picked up another keyboard player, but it just wasn't the same. So I decided it was time to go three piece and let the fur fly. With Tim on drums and Sam on Bass nailing down the rhythm, I was able to really dig deep inside myself and play the guitar and sing like I never had before, it was a great learning experience for me. The three of us picked up some gigs at "The Wizard's Lounge" (an Air Force Sqadron's hang out), a really small club called "Gecko's" and several Marine Base Gigs.
Things were going good for us, then I had to pack up and ship out for about six weeks. That can be hard on a band that gets use to gigging quite frequently. For me though, the trip was great, I finally got to see Australia. Hell I was even lucky enough to play in "Johno's Blues Bar" in Cairns, Au. I wound up playing there a total of six nights with the house band. Australians are a great people, they are all so much into the blues it is incredible. If they called, I would go back.
When I made it back to Okinawa, some things had changed. Sam picked up a new job that was keeping him pretty busy, so he decided it was time to lay off playing for a while and quit. It was heart breaking for Tim and I cause we felt like Sam was the only Bass Player for us. Things always find a way of working out, and they sure did. I called around to a few players I knew and they were all committed to there current projects. We had a gig coming up at Al's Place, and I was bound and determined to find a bass player, no way in hell was I going to cancel a gig. I called my good friend up and ask him "Hajime, you are a great guitar player, can you play bass too?" Hajime said "When and where? I will be there buddy." From that moment on and up to the last minute I was on Okinawa, Hajime was there for me and I for him...