It took as long to read Robin (Loochie) Suchy's name card as it took him to lock up his bike outside Ben's Cafe in Tokyo's Takadanobaba. Following "Singer * Song Writer * Vocal Recordings * Narrations * Actor * Vocal Coach * Producer" were two contact addresses, in Naka Ochiai and British Columbia. Not much space left after all that, especially with Howling Loochie Bros. Band emblazoned big and bold along the top.
The "brothers" -- a 10-piece Japanese R&B band, with Robin howlin' up front and a strong brass section (very unusual, he says) -- will be performing live at the British pub What the Dickens in Ebisu on Nov. 11 as part of a benefit night for Amnesty International. "With the U.S. bombing Afghanistan and the media so propaganda-orientated, it's important to remember that basic human rights are protected by international law," he said.
Robin came to R&B via Swan Lake. "My parents often took me and my sisters to the ballet." He grew up in the 1960s in Vancouver listening to music on the radio. His first ever album was "Jesus Christ Superstar," his first idol Mick Jagger. "If I had to choose a god of music, it would be Bruce Coburn! Now I listen mainly to jazz, blues, Latin and world music, but am open to anything good. I went to some rave parties where they played techno all night, and had a great time, though they always left me thinking, 'If only they had a live band.' "