Big Willie's Burlesque
Right, I know Big Willie’s Burlesque are Fuji Rock legends, staples of every line-up, and everyone loves them, but I’ve got an axe to grind. A couple of years ago I played a little set in the Palace of Wonder. Nearing my finale, with five minutes to go, Big Willie decided to come out and start tuning up, bashing his drum kit as though he’s in a rehearsal. Even worse, the crowd were cheering the big baldy drummer as he prepared to take over from some lousy DJ they’d never heard of. If I’m honest, even I’d rather hear a Big Willie set than a Don Coglione set, but is there really any need to confirm that your drums work at a time like that? Isn’t that what rehearsals are for?
Anyway, Big Willie’s Burlesque were here again, played a few sets again, and I caught the last performance in the wee small hours of Monday morning. It seems the big baldy might have learned his lesson, because he waited patiently for the DJ to finish before hacking away at his drumkit. Then he played a bunch of stripper jazz tunes, some birds in bikinis came out to the sound of “Hernando’s Hideaway,” the wiggled and jiggled around. “You like that huh? Yeah, you bunch of perverts,” said Willie, who played some more stripper jazz, then “Hernando’s Hideaway” again, more wiggling, more “Hernando’s Hideaway,” a bunch more cabaret tunes and they went back to the States for another year.
Right. I feel better now.
Photos by Koichi "hanasan" Hanafusa
Reported by Don Coglione (2008.07.28 / 21:42)