Let me tell you a story, about a place called UrBANGUILD… It’s a kind of fairytale, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t true. And it all began in another place. A place that I like to call cafe underpants.
Once upon a time there was an honest carpenter named Jiro. One day, Jiro was hired by a man of property to design and build a cafe. Jiro was a very fine carpenter and designer, and a very hard worker too, and so in no time at all he created a very fine cafe indeed. The owner of the cafe was very pleased with the work that Jiro had done and asked him to manage his new establishment. They called it independants.
Under Jiro’s stewardship this cafe independants became a very special place: a place where musicians and artists could meet and freely experiment, and it became a true center of the Kyoto avant garde! Unfortunately, it didn’t make any money … and naturally the owner of the cafe began to worry. Jiro’s passion was for art, not money – but a cafe can’t continue if it doesn’t make a profit! Sadly the owner told Jiro that he had to go. In the real world, that’s just the way things are. Sadly, we just don’t live in fairytales…
But then something magical happened. Every single member of staff at cafe independants told Jiro that they wanted to continue working with him. They wanted to recreate the same kind of special artistic centre with him in another place. They pooled all their funds together and they found and built another cafe/bar/performance center on Kiyamachi. They called it UrBANGUILD (!) and having put all their money into it – well they endured some difficult times! But today, that place, that center devoted to performance and art and music and the free pursuit of self expression is THRIVING!
Well, to be honest, it still doesn’t make much money. Jiro, talented and hardworking carpenter that he is, supports it with his own income. And the staff still work there because they value what they do, not for any misguided notions of profit.
But UrBANGUILD is thriving, because it is ALIVE! Over the last twelve months or so, I have visited and revisited this place and I am ADDICTED. For one thing, I love UrBANGUILD for it’s acceptance.
You get some acts here that are mediocre, others that could be interesting but are a little self-involved, and you get some TERRIBLE acts here too! But they are all accepted – and applauded. And then, pretty much every time, you get something very, very special indeed. Something you simply wouldn’t see anywhere else. Because only a place like UrBANGUILD would allow it to happen.
Another reason I love UrBANGUILD, is the inclusive sense of community. It’s easy to make friends here. Come regularly and some faces will become familiar to you – and you to them. You will become drawn into discussion. You will become part of the scene.
To find UrBANGUILD, from Sanjo Dori go down Kiyamachi Dori (this is the narrow street running alongside the Takase stream) UrBANGUILD is on the east side (left hand side as you walk down from Sanjo) after approximately 150 meters. It’s on the 3rd floor of New Kyoto Building – access by elevator or stairs. Here’s a map.
Tel: 075-212-1125
Text and images by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved.
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