From the suburbs of Tokyo to downtown Toronto is hardly the most direct route to pop stardom -- or one assured of success. But it was the path that blues-rock outfit Stone Deaf chose earlier this month in what was a bold move for a group whose sole claim to fame is having been Marky Ramone's backing band during the former Ramone's tour of Japan in January.
Options for unsigned bands like Stone Deaf are limited without a record label or management to fund a foreign tour or secure a slot at summer rock festivals overseas. So the three-piece, all in their 30s, were counting on an 11 p.m. gig at a small Toronto blues bar on the final night of the 12th annual North By Northeast Music and Film Festival and Conference (NXNE) to convince some A&R man to part with enough cash to fast-track them to rock 'n' roll infamy.
"We're an unsigned band looking for an indie [independent] label," said Stone Deaf singer/guitarist Yukio Yamamura matter-of-factly, his chiseled good looks and flowing hair suggesting he also should have scheduled a performance on TV show "Canadian Idol."