HOTEI Tomoyasu

As a seasoned festival goer with a collection of heavily worn out wristbands gathered from trips to some of the UK’s biggest festivals – T In The Park, Leeds and Download alongside the godfather of all music festivals, – a visit to an altogether more humble venue in Derbyshire’s Y Not Festival resulted in a glorious reconnection with the grassroots of alternative music.
Y Not’s history is a brief yet wonderfully encouraging DIY story of how a small gathering of music aficionados from a school in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, gathered at a house party with only a couple of DJs for company, organically adapting through word of mouth during subsequent years until the first official Y Not Festival in 2006 heralded the beginning of a three day event now held at the start of August each year in Pikehall.
The carefree passion and jovial atmosphere of the festival’s origins was retained amongst a sell-out bill this year, showcasing a mixture of established artists and fresh faced acts from a range of alternative genres, seeing White Lies, Dizzee Rascal and Frank Turner as headliners above a packed daily line-up spanning four main stages.
These rustically isolated hills of the Peak District have become a leading destination for music fans to discover future gems or even reacquaint with past nostalgia. A continued fancy dress theme ensured a lively atmosphere throughout, with Mr Blobby playfully being taken down by a group of WWE fans in the beer tent one of many memories which went towards an enjoyable weekend of music and much more.
On Friday, the intermittent rain failed to dampen early enthusiasm for a run of highly regarded acts on the main stage. Crowds flocked towards Yuck’s early evening Sonic Youth-aping set complete with murky shoegazing fuzz, peaking with hit ‘Get Away’, before Spector produced a boundlessly energetic half hour stint in delivering the edited highlights of 2012’s gloriously chugging and lyrically biting ‘Enjoy It While It Lasts‘ album, including a rousing and ironically appropriate ‘Friday Night, Don’t Ever Let It End’ alongside an outing for new track ‘Bad Boyfriend’.
This enjoyable entrée was in preparation for one of the much discussed main courses of the evening in a fantastically tight set from indie rock heavyweights of old, Razorlight.
The gratifyingly reminiscent tribute to the decade old classic ‘Up All Night‘ was a treat for all twenty-somethings in the audience who hung on lead singer Johnny Borrell’s every word as he sauntered through indie anthems such as ‘Golden Touch’ and ‘Stumble and Fall’, acting as a timely reminder that although their star has faded in recent times, the group still remain a formidable live spectacle.


Doom laden London goth rockers White Lies closed the main stage with a set derived from all three of their records, power chord-laden anthems such as ‘Farewell To The Fairground’ and more recent single ‘Big TV’ were warmly received by the now swelling late night crowd, reaffirming their position as the nation’s answer to fellow melancholy bass driven post-punkers Interpol across the pond.
A persistent downpour during much of Saturday saw a few less hardened punters leave the site early, while the rest did their best to secure tents in ensuring there was going to be a place to lay their heads after a late night in the on-site Western themed Saloon Bar, where a talented house band would provide covers of anything from The Kinks through to Blur until the early hours before an excitable crowd.
The Allotment tent provided early respite from the deluge of rain, as early Foals inspired newcomers White Giant and a fresh faced four-piece guitar outfit from nearby Sheffield in Knaves played Maccabees mirroring guitar tracks to a larger crowd than they might otherwise have expected.
Japanese guitarist and Kill Bill soundtrack featuring Tomoyasu Hotei was undoubtedly the coolest man on site during his afternoon set on the main stage, performing instrumental sections fit for several people in his ability to flick between technically staggering solos and crunching guitar chords whilst jumping around the stage like an excitable Duracell rabbit.
Llandudno’s finest quartet Catfish and the Bottlemen were a popular choice for band of the weekend. Their ever rising profile grew yet larger as they endeared themselves to the crowd through not only promising early singles such as the lyrically gripping ‘Pacifier’ alongside the melodic introspection of hazy slow burner ‘Cocoon’, but also the charming interaction with the crowd courtesy of frontman Van McCann, who encouraged fans to get up onto the shoulders of friends and loved ones to the amusing disgruntlement of security behind the main stage barriers.
The irrepressible dream pop of Swim Deep, with each member donning blue face paint a la R.E.M’s Michael Stipe, provided a welcome sleepy late afternoon interlude before the entire campsite descended onto the main stage for a glimpse of Scottish rockers The Fratellis, who offered a beer can throwing set complete with iconic Saturday night party track ‘Chelsea Dagger’ which saw arguably the biggest sing-along of the entire weekend.
Welcome blue skies and shimmering sunshine bolstered the mood yet further on the final day of festivities, beginning with the innovative Turn It Up Project; providing a platform for young artists to showcase their raw talents to a festival crowd as a unique and fulfilling experience for performer and fans alike.
A mid-afternoon slot by Nottingham band Amber Run highlighted a dedication by organisers to seek out high quality local talent, rewarding a discerning audience at The Quarry tent with a set brimming with enviable song craftsmanship as part of a fully formed sound with echoes of Mumford & Sons in vocal style underpinned by Coldplay’s penchant for stadium filling refrains.

Eternally underrated Leeds based, indie disco outfit The Sunshine Underground provided their usually strong live showing, complete with a raft of guitar effects and a range of instruments for a cacophony of sound to match the soaring vocals, while recollections of their first outing at the festival, where they arrived by tractor, offered an insight into just how far the festival has come in such a short period of time.
A short dash over to The Quarry paid off in droves by the stand out performance of the weekend by the supremely talented Bipolar Sunshine. Throughout the half hour, singer Adio Marchant managed to turn nodding heads of approval into synchronised swaying arms by the time Radio 1 playlist track ‘Where Did The Love Go?’ came around, leaving many observers in no doubt that they were witnessing a band on the cusp of something very special indeed.
Finally, it was left to Frank Turner to close out the festival in style with a raft of crowd pleasing songs such as ‘Recovery’ and ‘I Still Believe’, acting as the perfect send off with his amiable crowd interaction and audience participation tactics.
Y Not provides music fans of all ages with a well organised, immaculately sized festival that ensures an absorbing weekend, leaving this punter driving back through the windy country roads to a temporarily forgotten reality with a reinvigorated love of everything wonderful about the musical world. - Live4Ever

On Saturday, Nov. 9, the lights outside Shepherd’s Bush Empire, a refurbished theater in west London, offer a hint — “Electric Samurai” — of the evening’s featured performer. Inside, the crowd of 1,600 largely Japanese fans murmur quietly in heady anticipation. When the first electronic synths ripple across the room and a tall, lean figure strides onto the stage, they begin screaming his name: “Hotei!…Hotei!…Hotei!”

If you haven’t heard of Tomoyasu Hotei, you’re not alone: The 51-year-old musician-composer has spent the much of the last three decades building a megastar career for himself in Japan. Though Western audiences have likely heard his music — most notably the hypnotically propulsive guitar-driven instrumental “Battle Without Honor or Humanity” that Quentin Tarantino used to great effect in 2003’s Kill Bill — Hotei has yet to become a household name.

But Hotei is trying to change that. Saturday’s show is the kick-off for his first international tour, an opener before he plays in New York City’s Highline Ballroom on Nov. 14. “This is the very beginning,” he tells me, in his rehearsal studio a few days before the London show. Though he’s spent much of his life onstage, he is both surprisingly soft-spoken and charmingly humble. “This is like, hello, here’s Hotei. Because everybody knows that Kill Bill song, but not everybody knows me. So I have to say, Hi.”

To better introduce himself, Hotei has created an ultra-personal show. He assembled a band of seasoned musicians who has he worked with in the past, including drummer Zack Alford, who played on David Bowie’s most recent album, percussionist Steve Eto, and British-born bassist Tony Grey. He arranged guests appearances with artists he long admired , like Andy Mackay of Roxy Music. And he meticulously arranged a set list that showcased his guitar and producing skills. “In Japan, I’m a singer as well,” says Hotei. “I had many hits, but for the worldwide [shows] I want the focus to be more on my guitar, or me as a sound-maker.”

The question isn’t if Hotei can build an international career. Though it’s rare, Psy proved that Asian artists could cross into the American charts — while singing in Korean, no less — with last year’s “Gangnam Style.” Instead, the question is if Hotei can do it without alienating the core audience that has already given him much success. It’s no small question, particularly when Japan is such a profitable market. (Japan is second only to the U.S. in terms of the size of its music market, with recorded-music sales totaling $4.42 billion in 2012.)

In Tokyo, Hotei’s superstar status had become overwhelming, with crowds of people spotting him wherever he went. “I’m maybe too tall living in Tokyo,” says Hotei. “I’m 6-1, so people recognize me. I could never take the [train] or bus in Japan.” He finally moved, along with his wife, Japanese actress-singer Miki Imai, and their 11-year-old daughter, to northwest London in 2012, wanting to escape the bubble of fame and find a more “normal life.” It’s been a nice change. In London, he says, “the first thing I did was buy a [public transport] card!”

Even in London, though, Hotei’s adoring Japanese fans still find him. A member of his management team told me that Hotei and his family had recently gone to London’s Victoria & Albert Museum to see an exhibit on a Japanese designer. Hotei drew so much attention from the other attendees, he and his family were forced to leave through the back door to avoid the photo-seeking crowds.

But a global career could shift Japan’s idea of Hotei. After the show outside the Empire, everyone I speak to says they loved the show. Yet Noriko Seike, a Japanese woman living in London who had come to see Hotei with friends, said she was surprised that he hadn’t sung the hits she was more familiar with. “I’ve seen him before, but this show was more for Western people,” she says, adding that she’s been a fan for 25 years. “He didn’t do many Japanese songs, which we expected.” She was quick to add, “but I thought it was great.”

Zack Alford, Hotei’s drummer for the tour, says that although the show is designed for a global audience, he believes there aren’t many changes from Hotei’s Tokyo shows. “I’ve played with him in Japan and was expecting bigger changes for London, but the whole set was only subtly different,” says Alford, at the show’s after-party, explaining that the only major difference was that Hotei sang less Japanese. But the performance was just as spirited as anything Tokyo audiences have seen over the years. “It was great, there was so much energy.”

After Hotei plays New York, he plans to head back to Tokyo for a few shows. But he’s already got an eye on more European touring and playing smaller gigs than the stadium shows he’s used to in Japan. “Next year, I’ll start playing at more small venues and clubs, and with different people,” he says, saying he’d especially like to play a show in Paris. For now, it seems Hotei isn’t worried about his Japanese fans or the music market — he’s concentrating on the work. I asked him before the show which direction he thought an international career would take his music. “I don’t know, I just want to keep changing. That makes another step and another dream,” he answered. “That’s the only way, isn’t it?” - TIME Magazine

Last Saturday there was something of an international spectacle. The man behind the music for films such as Kill Bill, Transformers and Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas performed a stunning, visually imposing and one of a kind gig with members of Roxy Music and Jesus Jones. David Bowie’s drummer’s also flew over from New York to join the band. It was utter, utter geek-dom. The man in question is Japanese-born guitar slayer Hotei, who has now moved over to London to repeat the success he’s had in the East, which will take some doing as over there he’s one of the biggest selling artists in history with dozens of number one albums.

Playing to a packed house his set was an instrumental journey comprising recognisably Western elements in melody and impact, delivered with a very Japanese twist. I’ve been to many gigs at Shepherd’s Bush Empire before but have never seen the stage show that Hotei offered as huge screens hung down at intervals creating a 3D step effect of incredible visuals, all made bespoke for the night.

It takes a non-British person to come over here once in a while and show us what being a front man is, or should be, all about. British bands have some sense of reservation, y’know, something “British” about them. Then you have your Nick Caves and your Bruce Springsteens - artists who work a crowd, who work for your attention and create an aura on stage that’s undeniably alluring. Hotei does this, and he does it well, and that’s without actually singing a note. His guitar is his voice, and while special guest performers did inject the odd vocal, this was about him, his guitar and fuck to the rest. One of the world’s greatest guitarists, and certainly the best I’ve ever seen live, one can’t help but assume his move to the West will be a welcome, collaborations packed, one.

Before the show we caught up with him for some words:

Q- The show was amazing. What inspired so much work to be put into one London performance?

A: I played at the Roundhouse last year, but it’s been a while since then and I’ve been really looking forward to this show. London is my home now, and I really wanted to create something special for the audience here.

Q- You've contributed to the soundtracks of Kill Bill and Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas. That's awesome. How did those projects happen?

A: The song “Battle Without Honor or Humanity” is an original song that I composed years ago for a Japanese gangster movie. Tarantino saw that movie and later phoned my office asking to use the song for his film Kill Bill. I’ve always liked Tarantino’s work and his rock ‘n’ roll style, so I was definitely happy to have this proposal from him. It’s amazing to me now how people all over the world seem to know and love this song.

And yes, I was also really fortunate to work on the soundtrack for Terry Gilliam’s film “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.” For this project I worked together with Ray Cooper and we made 3 original songs for the soundtrack.

Q- Explain how BATTLE WITHOUT HONOUR (Kill Bill) works in your live set.

A: Some of my music has been composed specifically for films, but not exclusively and songs like “Battle” really transcend the context and are great played live. Although this song is so recognizable and well liked, I’m sure most people don’t know my name or that it’s my original song. I’m still glad that my music is appreciated and this gives me more motivation for challenges in the future.

Q- Are there any artists you've worked with in the past you'd love to see be involved with future shows.

A: I’ve been really fortunate to work with so many great artists in the past, but if I have to name one who I’d most love to work with again - of course, David Bowie!

Q- Is there anybody you've not had the chance to work with yet, who you'd like to?

A: Actually, I’m really hoping to work with some new up-and-coming musicians, DJs, and young artists who have unique style and are doing different things. I want to jam with other artists, learn, grow, and find new sources of inspiration.

Q- Is there any plans for a UK release of any music, maybe a new album?

A: Nothing quite ready to announce yet, but yes, I’m definitely planning to work on a new album. It’s great to be in London, surrounded by so many excellent musicians and different sources of inspiration. I’m really looking forward to learning, collaborating, and working on new music.

Q- How much of Hotei is in the live experience?

A: As an artist, the stage is such an important place to be. I love playing in front of an audience, giving them everything that I can, and seeing how they react to my music. I know that outside of Japan a lot of people don’t know my name. And as an artist I’ve done many things in my career, and it’s a bit difficult to explain my music to people. I really want people to see my show, to hear me play, to feel something from my music, and to come to understand me and what I’m doing, and to connect with me. That’s really what it’s all about.

Q- What most excites you about playing the London show?

A: For the London show, [I was] really excited about the different artistic elements we brought together. I wanted to create something special, more than just a rock concert, with a really comprehensive artistic approach. I worked with some of Japan’s top young creators, and we used a special technique to project images onto a series of screens, producing a very cool and avant-garde expression of classical Japanese art and beauty. also collaborated with Yohji Yamamoto, one of Japan's top fashion designers, who specially designed my stage attire for the show. - Music News

If music is meant to move people, Tomoyasu Hotei shifted everyone 6000 miles into orbit. The six-string samurai – the man we all know but don’t know – opened with the classic Mission Impossible theme, ringing out across the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire.

There is something strikingly cinematic about Tomoyasu’s music, though this is not surprising given the long list of film soundtracks he’s associated with. Kill Bill track Battle without Honour or Humanity, which was performed towards the end of the night, was both anticipatory and climactic.

Tomoyasu played to the fiddle of the Shepherd’s Bush crowd, and he did so in style. The crescendo of classics roused all present, the involvement of the singer’s best friend of 20 years adding to the chemistry and magic of the occasion. The abundance of musical talent on show overshadowed the lack of vocal quality in this specific performance, as Tomoyasu’s guitar solos demonstrated just why he is so famous in Japan.

Trying to make a name for himself in the UK may be a different game, but Tomoyasu nonetheless displays a knowledgeable consideration for Western guitar music, especially in his collaborations with Andy Mackay from Roxy Music who joined a couple of tracks with his clarinet and sax. The audiovisuals were also something to behold, with bizarre images of a monkey on top of an owl along with a spinning world – a world where Tomoyasu brings together East and West through the power of his music. - The Upcoming