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You may have noticed a lack of postings on this blog over the past few weeks. One of my excuses is that I was in Tokyo. Despite being in one of the most technologically advanced cities in the world, I was without a computer and couldn't find an internet cafe. I did find some very enthusiastic followers of Derry punk rock circa 1979, who just happened to have some Undertones records with them. I can't pass up an opportunity to make my mark on such discs, which is why I carry a felt pen with me at all times.
I had hoped to have some record shopping experiences to relate to you but I don't have any. On the third floor of one big record store it occurred to me that technology has now made buying records a homogenic process if you're as narrow minded as I am when it comes to music. I looked through the racks but couldn't see anything that I couldn't get online. The only thing different was that there was Japanese writing on the sleeves. Other than that, they were the usual titles we see in shops here. Except about 50 per cent more expensive. There was one LP by the Liverpool band The Yachts , released in 1979, which can only be got in Japan. Of course, I only remembered that fact when the plane landed in George Best airport. Too late to turn back now, I suppose.