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What can I say? On July 18th 2007. Went to see GUNS N’ ROSES again for the 2nd time. The campaign was giving away free tickets online and we were lucky to get them. Yeah. This time they were seating on the 2F but hey, for free you can’t complain. The warm up band was there again called ‘Mucc’ had to roll my eyes and sit down patiently. After, the crew was setting up GNR’s equipment the house lights went off everyone stood up and then ‘raaaaaaaaaa’ crowd went wild 9,000 fans packed into the world famous Budokan Hall in Tokyo. I have to admit the stadium is much better than Messe Hall in Chiba. Jungle intro started off when Axl walked on stage the crowd just screamed more louder he then walked to the front to the stage and shouted DO YOU WHERE THE FUCK YOU ARE TOKYO?!!!!!!!!!!! The atmosphere was just fantastic I could not help myself to sing along the lyrics to Welcome to the Jungle and doing a few Axl swings and dance along the way copying what he was doing J J. Again my eyes were just set on him through out the gig. The performance was much about the same as the one in Chiba but I felt Axl was more hyper and doing more 360 turns with the microphone stand and the sound was much better output. Axl’s singing voice was spot on. The playlist was much about the same. Half way through the gig I was dripping of sweat dancing too much and also head banging giving the other fans around me a free shower of the spray from my hair. J J. Axl and a guitarist performed "Don't Cry" YEAH!!! Then later Axl made an announcement on a special guest Bob Wilts who performed "Liquor and Whores."

I have never heard of Bob Wilts before but he sure was a funny guy. I liked him. Axl sang along and of course my attention was on Axl most of the time. Then the song "Used To Love Her," came on and the crowd sang and clapped their hands in support. By the end of the show they signaled the end of the final song, "Paradise City," Whoa, that was great Axl was spot on with the song and at the end he stood on top of the speaker and shouted to the Thank you, Tokyo, Good fucking night, Yeah. He chucked his microphone out to the crowd. The microphone went so far it reached B Block area of fans. Overall the show was absolutely excellent but again the Japanese fans were clueless on the new songs IRS, Better, Madagascar, The Blues, etc. Guns N Roses have certainly been part of my life for a nearly 20 years there are so many memories I could write about but it would take about 120 pages. So here is a few memories.

1988 – In the timewhen Kylie was getting popular and Jason Donovan was coming into the scene. I wanted a change and wanted to get into Rock music. David Hamilton my best friend introduced me to the band by playing Welcome to the jungle. I loved it!!

1991 – Use Your Illusion albums came out I still did not really know them that well because I was always out going adventure climbing with my pals around Arbroath.

1992 – Bad year for me because I was leaving Arbroath leaving a lot of friends behind and finding it difficult to settle in Bournemouth so I listened to Guns N’ Roses a lot and got to know them better by reading articles in Kerrang, Metal Hammer and so on to escape the loneliness and the world.

1993 – Another bad year finding it hard living in Bournemouth. Bought The Spaghetti Incident album and loved playing the song ‘Ain’t it Fun’ on my walkman and doing petty crime.

1994 – Things started to look brighter. Started College I finally met friends Stuart, Paul, Philip, Oli, Andrew and Peter we played and asked for Guns N’ Roses when we went out a lot.

1995 – Still at College passed my driving test I used the song “Double Talkin’ Jive” to get me through it. I went to the Seagull bar numerous of time only one GN’R song on the Juke box Live and Let Die we went to Lisa’s party and trashed the place singing and dancing to Live and Let Die. Xmas eve 1995 at The Seagull DJ was playing he put on Paradise City I got started to head bang and some old guy wearing leather trousers was dancing along us.

1996 – Downtown on Friday and Saturday night everybody would be playing their BOOM BOOM BOOM dance/rave music thing. I hated the music. Then I started to put on ‘You Could Be Mine’ full volume. It turned a few heads.

1997 – Went to Spain with the Karate Club I found a rock bar and constantly asked for Guns N’ Roses songs. While the others were back at camp in the local bar listening to dance music.

1998 – I played the song “Get In The Ring” when I went for my Black Belt in Karate. Drove up to Scotland (with parents) in my dad’s Jaguar Sovereign and was allowed to play Guns N’ Roses song in the car but only soft songs. Don’t Cry, Estranged, Knocking on Heavens Door, etc.

1999 – Met new friends who were really into Rock music Omar, Nathan, Funboy, Ed, Kerri, David, Simon and so on. Went to The Gander rock bar every Friday and Saturday night and sometimes went to Club X or the Hot House to head bang and just have a good time really. We all went to BIG DAY OUT in Milton Keynes to see Metallica. November I started to sing at Karaoke for the first time along with Omar, Funboy we were called ‘The Rock Slot’ We would sing GNR, Metallica songs. This came to an end in 2005. Xmas Eve 1999 at The Gander the bar was heaving and we just had a great time constant GNR and Metallica playing.

2000 – Went to see the Gunz N’ Rozes tribute band many times in Bath, Weymouth and around Bournemouth pubs. I got a new job reading Gas Meters around the Dorset area. Had my own car and yes constantly played GNR on the stereo. :)

2001 – Continued to go and watch the Gunz N’ Rozes tribute band either in The Gander pub or Mister Smith’s. I bought myself a car and the first song I played on it was GNR “You Could Mine”.

2002 – September I left Bournemouth to go to University in Bolton Greater Manchester Area. A little hard to settle in but got by made some news friends went to Hawthorns a few time.

2003 – During the holiday seasons I drove up and down the country back down to Bournemouth and Scotland constantly playing Guns N’ Roses on the stereo.

2004 – I was adding Guns N’ Roses songs to my assignments I had to do for University. August 2004, I met Adam mega Guns N’ Roses fan he introduced to some rare GNR songs. My favorite one was Crash Diet I constantly played it when I went to China September for a month.

2005 – A hard working year at Uni I never went out I just stayed in and did my work playing GNR on the stereo and focused on getting back to China. Last Monday of August I sang Bad Obession my last time performing in the Malt N’ Hops. September I went back to China started to teach English and they always wanted me to sing a song so I sang Welcome to the Jungle for them, suprsingly most them don’t know who they are. But now they know I did a lesson about the band in all my classes. J J. In Nanguao School I let them watch the video Don’t Cry and they loved it and asked for a copy woohoo.

2006 – Feb I went to Japan and met Reiko in Tokyo we went to Okinawa and did a round trip around the Island playing GNR and Metallica songs J. March I went back to China and started in a band singing GNR songs.

In the summer in Tokyo I did a round trip Sapporo, Nigata, Hakata, Hiroshima, Osaka and so on playing GNR on my stereo. I found a few rock bars in Tokyo; Rock Current, GODZ, Blacks and Rock Mother and constantly going back there most weekends

2007 - Saw AXL ROSE live in Chiba Messe Hall and at Budokan Hall in Tokyo. Where and what will i be doing in the next 20 years? Only time will tell.

GUNS N' ROSES Gig Chiba Japan

gig

Finally after many many years. I finally got to see Axl Rose live on stage. I was right at the front on the right wing. At first there was a warm up band but they did not amuse the crowd somebody shouted "GET OFF". After they finished the house lights came back on and setting up the equipment for GNR. Later the house lights went off and the crowd went wild and the crowd moved more forward against the barrier. Then 10 seconds later the guitarist came on stage then the man AXL ROSE the crowd went even more wilder screaming his name out (it just goes to show you we have mainly just to come and see him). Welcome to the jungle intro started, Axl walked to the front of the stage and screamed "DO YOU KNOW WHERE THE FUCK YOU ARE????!!!!!" Myself and everyone else just screamed everyone was singing along to the song Axl was doing his usual running from one side to another. After Jungle went straight onto It's So Easy, then Mr Brownstone. I have never had an experience being so lifted giving heart, soil, jumping singing and dancing throughout the show. It came to a surprise the Japanese fans were clueless about the new songs Better, Madagascar, The Blues, etc. They just stood and watched I felt i was the only one singing to the new songs but the old songs everyone went wild. The last song when Paradise City came on everyone just went totally crazy singing along. After everyone left the stage we all thought the show ended. It didn't. Axl came back on with one of his guitarists and did DON'T CRY. Oh my god so many memories of this song in my life; break ups, driving in the car up and down the UK, singing the song on stage countless of times, parties, university days, etc.

Personal Reasons:

My eyes were just focused on Axl through out the show and did not really pay attention to his new line up of band members. Even when he went off the stage i was trying to look at the back to see which side he will come out. The sound on stage was a bit shit and could not really hear him sing, but i did not really care because i was singing along and just him being up there overtook it.

One thing's for sure i'm gonna see him again. Who knows maybe next time will be the original line up. That will be soooo coool.Cell/Mobile phones MADE IN JAPAN good quality

When i first arrived back in Japan the first thing i needed to get was a mobile phone. All is well i got one no problem signed the contract thing. The first week i got it. It already got scratched. It fell out of my pouch pocket when i was doing the Yoko Tobi Geri (Side fly kick) scene for The Chou Line video at the cosplay event in Hanrumi a few bus stops away from Tokyo station.

Watch the video if wish It's on time 06:20 :)

Walking back July 8th 2007 Saturday night coming back from Rock Current I noticed the traffic lights were still at Green to walk across the road then it started flash so I thought "I can make it" So i ran across the road without hestitation. Half way getting to the otherside i heard a clicking, klaking noise behind me i looked back it was my phone that fell out of my phone pouch. "Sh*t* I thought and was going to run back for it. But it was too late the traffic started to come. I ran across and watched my phone being ran over by cars. "Oh christ my phone is done for" There was no way the phone is going to work afterwards. When cars passed i ran by to retrieve the phone. I checked it out and surprisingly it still works. It was only the back of the phone that came off and it still attaches fine on the back. Not even the camera lens has not been damaged. That what you get when buy stuff that's made in JAPAN. Good quality!!!

Ha ha if it was Made in China it would have smashed to smithereens.

A short video shortly after me and my friend Oli arrived in Japan March/April 2007.

My band members in China introduced me into a band called X Japan. They let me watch their performance song called "Week end " and by christ i was impressed with their performance on stage so much energy, so much feel, so much love in what they were doing. Their lyrics on their songs is just great. Now i constantly play them on my MP3 player.

In the fall of October 2004 not long i came back from China from a month's holiday, it took me a month to get back into the swing of things i was not happy being back but needed to be back to finish my final year at University. So i spent most of my time indoors doing my Uni work and that's all i cared about. One sunday afternooon i switched on Winamp and connected to a Japanese Radio Station. When it started i was working away the song Traveling (by Utada Hickaru) was playing away and when the chours of the song started that got my attention I was like "Hey, what's this?! This is quite catchy?" After the song finished i did a search for more information about her and downloaded a few songs after that i was hooked. I put the songs onto CD and went for a drive to Blackpool. i felt better afterwards and she got me through my final year at University playing her songs. Arigato gozimas Utada san ^_^.

I feel with Utada's songs they are realistic, there is alot of heart and feeling in the songs and she writes her on songs in English and in Japanese. Not a producer or somebody else and just gets a few pretty faces to sing the songs and that's it, like Hear say, Five, Backstreet Boys, (faggots) etc, etc. The list goes on and how long did they last? Not very long. I think the other attraction about her is she likes the lead guitarist Slash (ex GN'R memeber).

I am currently in Japan for a month touring the country from top to bottom shooting some pictures, seeing friends and and also to check out the film agencies along the way.

Following after the success of last performances in Summit Cambridge Derek will be involved in another performance. Not just giving another Karate performance but also as one of the hosts he's teaming with an old classmate from University Shaun Dutton a photographer who works and lives in Zhaoqing. Performances will take place on July 15th -16th.

Music Bar found in Zhaoqing. A place where people can jam and chill out and sing a few songs.

Derek is currently working in China helping the students with their oral english speaking. He has recently filmed a conference held at the Star Lake Hotel in Zhaoqing last October. On Jan 15th 2006 Summit Cambridge Training Centre will be holding a performance on english role plays and a performance on Karate by the students. Derek will be starring and directing the Karate performance. It's possbile it will be held at the Dynasty Hotel in Zhaoqing.