Airs Rock Video store in Shinjuku in something of an institution. When I first visited the store in the late 90’s I could not believe how cool it was. Airs Rock, and many other stores like it were in the same vicinity and stocked live concert bootlegs. Back then it was VHS tapes and CD’s. All artists were available but the majority were rock. They used to have TV’s with VCR’s and head-phones set-up and I would spend hours happily watching rare live concerts from some of my favourite bands.
DVD’s ultimately replaced the VHS tape, but the theme of the shop and its competitors remained the same. Bootlegs baby ! Most major rock artists who toured Tokyo visited the store and happily obliged for photos and autographs. Many of them adorn the walls and it’s quite an impressive collection. Recently i went in search for the Shinjuku based store only to find it had moved, and to much smaller premises as well. They still have about four floors worth discovering. But it;s a sign of the times folks and with the rampant downloading of music showing o signs of being halted (and the popularity of youtube), I fear the Airs Rock Videos store’s days are numbered. They are still an amazing store and a place you should check out when you visit Tokyo. Take the West exit at Shunjuku station and turn right. You will come to a major intersection (shinjukuogado dori) bit keep walking straight ahead. It’s on the left hand side of the road, about seven minutes walk from that busy intersection. When you start to see other CD and Record stores you know you’re in the right area. Check some additional youtube footage here.
Many years back, it was quite difficult to locate a decent source of upcoming rock shows. Magazines and newspapers were the go. Nowadays, things are much easier via the internet. If you are living in Japan and wishing to regularly check some sites for upcoming live shows, these ones listed are quite decent. If you like Hard Rock and Metal, you should also get a copy of the magazine Burnn, which contains a thorough gig guide as well. If punk is your bag, read through Doll Magazine as they include a gig guide too.
Just got word that Beady Eye (Oasis minus Noel) will be hitting Japan in May for their first tour here. Doing the clubs too ! By my recking it’s two years since Oasis played here and we here at Japanavision and well happy !
Japanavision 