Get Your Moto Running !
I find myself in a bizarre situation, walking into the Islington Council offices for a concert from an artist that has sold over 40million albums back in his native Japan, and yet I only really know one track. Not only that but the attending fans here are 80% Japanese who have either timed it right to see their legend on their holiday to the UK, or, perhaps they live and work here in the city, many businessmen are in suits with bags in hand and phones at the ready.
This is Tomoyasu Hotei and his band appearing at a smallish venue in London. Hotei has relocated to London as he believes that he must do this as his career in Japan cannot really get any bigger, and yet he remains relatively unknown in the UK, save for the one track, the one I know, the instrumental Kill Bill soundtrack ‘Battle Without Honour or Humanity’. Of course he plays this but midway through a set which shows many textures and different sides to this master guitarist.
Hotei comes on stage to low bright white lights, trenchcoat, dark shades and a mean rocker image, his sparring partners on stage look equally menacing with bassplayer Norman Fisher-Jones (aka Noko 440) in enormous shades and I’m expecting a big rock opener. Instead we get the subtle build of a much more bluesy-funk instrumental called ‘Medusa’, it’s a bit Zeppelin ‘Kashmir’ like, and this is also the opening track on his new album ‘Strangers’ released today, and really the reason for the promotion at this venue.
Its then apparent that underneath his guitar icon status is a very warm, friendly and personable individual, his explanation of how people approach him after shows to say how much they enjoyed his Kill Bill ‘cover’ is both charming and humble. The performance of the track live is a joy to watch and hear. The demure build up followed by the delivery of those key 3 riffs combined with synchronised keyboard and drums put a hundred iphones into the air and heads bobbing and nodding upstairs in the gallery. Its a classic tune, fully extended for all its worth tonight.
Hotei has a few more suprises up his sleeves, he first introduces Gary Stringer from Reef who proceeds to attempt to cover the guest vocalist slots on the album. Its not an easy task considering he has Iggy Pop, Matt Tuck from Bullet for my Valentine and Richard Zven Kruspe from Rammstein to cover. He tries his best, and has to have most of the lyrics taped to the monitors and what he misses in vocal range he makes up with personality and presence.
There is a need at a Hotei show for a vocal persona, otherwise it does descend into instrumental soundtrack after soundtrack which risks become tedious. Tonights show wasn’t that in the slightest because we also get the spikey punky soulful vocals of Shea Segar to brighten up the stage for ‘Texas Groove’ and ‘Kill or Kiss’, both tracks that feature on the new album. Segar struts and owns the stage and Hotei when she is there, playfully teasing the legend away from his normal guitarist poses. Hotei quite rightly saves Segar for the end of the set as the atmosphere is significantly heightened by her presence
And its then over very quickly and the congregation of the Japan faithful shout for more and he returns bringing back Gary Stringer and James Toseland (Toseland supported earlier in the evening) for a rousing version of the Reeftastic ‘Place Your Hands’ and then, quite unexpectedly plays a cover that has been played by every pub rock band in the UK - Steppenwolf’s ‘Born to be Wild’ complete with some slightly inaccurate lyrics, but it sent the audience home with a smile on their faces which I believe was Hotei’s intent all along.
This Japanese legend has played massive stages with Bowie and The Rolling Stones to name two, and with the right additional guests he can put on a truly great entertaining show even for those attendees that came in unsure of what to expect.
