SUSO

The Kaiser Chiefs give us an insider's perspective on the British Embassy's role in importing rock bands to Japan.

It’s been 150 years since the Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Amity and Commerce was signed and sealed in 1858 by colonial administrator Lord Elgin and representatives of the Japanese Tokugawa shogunate. Securing the basis for the first diplomatic mission in Edo period Japan, it was the scroll that would usher the isolated nation into the modern era, sending a thousand ships from West to East, carrying cargo delights previously unheard of on Japanese shores. Bread! Jazz! Golf! Kaiser Chiefs! These and more were just some of the innovations that would reach them over the 150 year period.

To mark the grand century and a half of diplomatic ties, The British Embassy in Tokyo has hosted a year of special events and activities. There have been academic talks, art exhibitions and theatre performances. But it hasn’t just been old school high-brow entertainments: 2008’s also made ambassadors of UK rock and indie bands, who’ve toured Japan in their droves. As part of the Embassy’s initiative, it has even gone so far as to fund and organise entire tours, as they did for rock four-piece Brigade in late November.

Despite having released two albums in the UK, Brigade are currently unsigned in Japan. “Normally when you go abroad your label will look after you,” explains front man Will Simpson, “but we don’t have a label so the embassy has basically filled in that role. They take it upon themselves to organise everything - They’ve paid for pretty much everything except our accommodation. Dealing with our excess luggage alone is usually a financial struggle so really this was the only way we were ever going to make it to Japan as an unsigned band and we’re incredibly grateful for it. Then for the tour itself they’ve sorted us this slot at British Anthems and a short Japan tour supporting the Troubadors.”

British Anthems is the twice-yearly one day festival in Tokyo that brings together a host of new and established UK bands as well as a handful of Japanese acts who keep the Union Jack hung prominently in their mind’s eye (I’m inferring the symbolism associated with classic British rock and punk…. not skinheads or any of that nonsense FYI). A great chance for British acts to secure their foundations in Japan, for Brigade in particular it is their chance to meet people from the Japanese record industry and hopefully get a deal.

“At the gig we were introduced by the embassy to loads of different record labels – they did all the research for us and set it all up. We’re playing again in Tokyo on Wednesday so a few of the labels will comeback to see us again and hopefully we’ll sort something.”

While no news has surfaced as to whether or not a deal has been signed (an announcement will be made early 2009, I’m told), that there is such interest in British bands in the first place is significant. Japan is the second largest music market in the world after America, and much of that market is dominated by domestic talent. At any one time you’ll be lucky to find more than one international artist in Top 10. This means that bands who take their fame and success for granted in Europe and America have to start afresh when they fly in to Tokyo Narita airport.

If you don’t believe me just look at the aforementioned Kaiser Chiefs. They’re used to playing arenas in the UK and gracing the front pages of many a music magazine. Here in Japan they’re demoted to playing as an opening acting in the 2000 capacity Tokyo Zepp, playing beneath gruellingly bad rock/boyband hybrid (think Nickleback merged with Westlife - *vomit*) Remioromen.

The band doesn’t seem to mind, as the scaled down venues is made up by the erratic fan behaviour elsewhere. “The thing that’s good about touring outside the UK is that you feel more like The Beatles,” admits bassist Simon Rix with a grin, “when we were in Chile there were fans camped outside our show for the duration of our stay just waiting for photographs and autographs. In England there are so many bands around that it’s almost a disappointment if you don’t see a band member on the street when you’re out shopping.”

Judging by the mad throng of Japanese girls that mob the band as they leave the venue after the show, they’ve generated quite a following here too. One ‘superfan’ from Osaka has even followed them round the world going to every date of their tour.

Japan is a notoriously hard market to crack, but for those that do the rewards are hefty. With the British Embassy in Tokyo having made its mission to support British bands with an eye on the East, achieving that dream of becoming Big in Japan has become just that little bit easier.

http://www.myspace.com/britishmusicjp

http://www.ukjapan2008.jp/