This week was mad. Carl Barat of The Libertines came to Japan for promo and special acoustic performance for Topshop/Topman opening party in Shinjuku. These two events themselves were not something important here now. But the fact that he added a very intimate in-store live performance in Tower Shinjuku to his tight schedule WAS a big thing. It's fair to say that his forthcoming solo album won't be as popular as The Libertines' records. However, it was very after the band's reunion gigs at Reading/Leeds Festival in England. 80,000 festival goers appeared to watch the special performance but now he'd be to play in front of only 300-ish people in Shinjuku. So many of the band's devotees in Japan now paid attention to him.
What happened then? The 7th floor of Tower Shinjuku was jam-packed...looked crazy in a good way. Please watch this:
I was there and remember this young man singing along with a big smile. To me, it was great to know that there are still these crazed music fans here in the international music sciene in Japan.
Carl was great as an artist as well as as a person. As far as I saw as one of his fans, he always took care his fans and wanted to play live for them. That attitude is what all artists should have. This story clearly represents his attitude: after performing at the closed Topshop party, he brought his acoustic guitar with him, left the party and played 4 songs for his devotees who were waiting for him outside of the shop. That's was genuinely amazing. As watching him playing there, I was thinking why such an exciting thing never happens in Japan. One said to me that this sort of thing was too risky so that we should get him stop doing it. Although I get the point, I believe it was not that risky and dangerous in this one of the most safe country in the world...
Anyway, here the video of Carl playing in the street after the party is. Hope you enjoy it:.
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