Big names are coming to Japan one after another over the next few months with something for everyone. Look at this lineup – Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Deep Purple, Il Divo, John Mayer and the Rolling Stones.
Bob Dylan will make his 7th tour of Japan, playing 14 concerts in five cities in March and April. Dylan, 72, last toured Japan in 2010. This time, he will perform in Zepp live houses in Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka and Sapporo. The schedule is March 21, April 1, 3, 4, 7, 8 at Zepp DiverCity in Tokyo; April 13, 14 at Zepp Sapporo; April 17, 18 at Zepp Nagoya; April 19 at Zepp Fukuoka; and April 21, 22, 23 at Zepp Namba in Osaka. Tickets are 13,000 yen for the first floor and 22,000 yen for the second floor.
Eric Clapton, who will be making his 20th tour of Japan, will play in Tokyo at the Budokan on Feb 18, 20, 21 and 28; Yokahama Arena on Feb 23; at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium on Feb 25; and Osaka-jo Hall on Feb 26. Tickets cost 12,000 yen and 11,000 yen.
Clapton, who is believed to have a special fondness for Japan, has played in front of 1.7 million Japanese fans since his first visit in October 1974. In a recent British magazine interview, 68-year-old Clapton, who is celebrating the 50th anniversary of his musical debut, said, “I’ll quit when I reach 70,” leading some pundits to conclude that February’s shows will be his last live performances in Japan.
Six-time Grammy-winning instrumental guitarist Jeff Beck will perform at Tokyo Dome City Hall on April 7, 8, 9; at Nitori Culture Hall in Sapporo on April 11; at Iwate Prefectural Hall on April 13; at Pacifico Yokohama on April 14; at Nagoya Civic Assembly Hall on April 15; and at Festival Hall in Osaka on April 16. Tickets cost 10,500 yen and 9,500 yen.
Four-man operatic pop vocal group Il Divo (French, Spanish, Swiss and American) have legions of women fans in Japan. They’ll sing for them in Tokyo at the Budokan on Feb 26, 27 and March 10; at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium on Feb 28; at Osaka-jo Hall on March 3 and Osaka’s Festival Hall on March 4 and 5; at Hiroshima Sun Plaza Hall on March 6; and at Ishikawa Sports Center on March 8. Tickets cost 11,000 yen and 10,000 yen.
American guitarist, singer-songwriter John Mayer will be back in Japan after four years. He’ll perform at Osaka-jo Hall on April 30; and at the Budokan in Tokyo on May 2. Tickets cost 9,000 yen and 8,000 yen.
American rock band Toto, still going strong after 37 years, play at Nagoya Civic Assembly Hall on April 23; Festival Hall in Osaka on April 24; the Budokan in Tokyo on April 28; and Tokyo Electron Hall Miyagi in Sendai on April 30. Tickets cost 10,500 yen and 9,500 yen.
English heavy metal band Deep Purple, celebrate their 46th year with performances at the Aichi Arts Center on April 9; Osaka’s Orix Theater on April 10; and the Budokan in Tokyo on April 12. Tickets cost 10,000 yen and 9,000 yen.
And last but not least, the Rolling Stones will play three concerts at Tokyo Dome on Feb 26, March 4 and March 6. They were last here eight years ago. Former Stones guitarist Mick Taylor (1969-1974) will be a special guest player with the band. Tickets cost 18,000 yen, 16,000 yen and 14,000 yen.
© Japan Today
38 Comments
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combinibento
My take: Seen Dylan twice at large venues and it wasn't great. Could be worth the money if these Zepp venues are small, which I'm guessing they are. Clapton has released nothing worthwhile in the past 20 years, and from what I've read of his recent shows, he is getting lazy in concert and even has a sideman play most of the guitar solos. The Stones will be good. Can't see why anyone would pay those prices to see Toto and John Mayer, even in a small venue (which the ones listed above are most certainly not). No comment on Deep Purple, was never really into them.
Geoff Gillespie
Wouldn't cross the street to see any of them..and that's after working for 28 years in the music biz!!
Serrano
I can't believe Bob Dylan was ever a big act.
scoobydoo
Good music never dies (assuming you like their music) but shouldn't the head line be Old Bands Tour Japan. BYO Doctor. These guys were the generation before me. Not complaining though, it could be Justin Beaver instead.
bass4funk
As a semi-professional musician who also worked in the business, I would have to agree with you.
Moby Grape
I can see why some might dismiss Deep Purple, the Stones or Clapton as tired oldies acts, but not Jeff Beck. His playing is still fresh and brilliant, and he always has an ace band
gogogo
Because Japan is the biggest music market in the world now.
Maria
Thanks for the info - i just went and got me a ticket for deep Purple. Is Jeff Beck worth seeing?
DudeDeuce
What happened to big hip hop acts like they used to get in Japan? Europe gets everyone. Artists act like Japan is on the other side of the milky way.
commanteer
Jeff Beck is the best on the list. Toto is made up of really solid studio musicians (most played with Steely Dan at one time or another), but their songs are hopelessly schmaltzy. Never seen Bob Dylan, but it might be worthwhile is these small venues.
rickyvee
the title is totally wrong. how about, "old and tired music acts coming to japan...
Daniel Neagari
I see.. a lot of people who comment in here are more in the line of Lady Gaga, Justin Biever and stuff alike.
Seemingly they wouldn't know what is good music even if their life depend on it.
For me.. I am going to see Clapton.. I wish I could go to Dylan but have no time... a shame
nath
You seem to be the only person to make any sense here, sir. Everyone here clearly has no taste and only likes a song or album if it has been released in the last few months or so, and not for its it seems. So what if Clapton's best stuff that made him famous was years ago - that just shows how much of a genius he is, and how dedicated he is to real music as well that he's still going with it. These aren't tired oldies, these are some people who made history. Worthless pop and hip hop hop stars won't be remembered even a few years from now because they contributed nothing to music or creativity or culture.
I for one will be seeing most of these concerts.
Jimizo
I prefer to watch musicians who've done something worthwhile in the last few years. I don't care about their age. I've seen Dylan twice and wouldn't be going this time if he hadn't released 3 albums of new material ( all of which I rated ) since the last time I saw him. I'm not sure most of the acts here have anything new to offer.
Kirinlager
To each his own in regards to music, obviously. But to say that Dylan wasn't a big act is ludicrous to me. Like a Rolling Stone, Hey Mr. Tambourine Man, Blowing in the Wind, Knocking on Heaven's Door, All Along the Watchtower, Rainy Day Women, The Times They Are A-Changing.... Yes, old songs to be sure, but classics, man, classics.
And, I would rank some of his best music coming of late-- Love Sick, Political World, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, Cold Irons Bound, Pay In Blood....
No problem some of you don't want to see him-- and trust me, I get some of his shows are better than others, I think it can be said that he has and continues to put out relevant music worth a listen.
Personally, I'm going to two of his shows in Osaka. Can't wait.
BPoint
Haha.....Deep Purple....... "heavy Metal"... not quite.
Pandabelle
Don't get the appeal of these expensive ticket for these old acts whose songs we've heard hundreds of times before. And I'm old.
I just don't want to hear all the old stuff I've been listening to for 30 or 40 years. I need fresh music. I don't get how people can listen to the same music all the time, but obviously millions do.
Nothing against these nostalgia tours, they're just nor for me.
sidesmile
"Big" in terms of the ticket prices or collective ages?
SenseNotSoCommon
The title makes Japan out to be a "can't believe our luck/we're not worthy" backwater.
Daniel Neagari
Wayne's World? Alice in Chains wasn't it?
Maria
God, you people must just hate it when classical music and opera come to town!
BertieWooster
Serrano,
I can't believe Bob Dylan was ever a big act.
You're obviously not a child of the sixties, then.
You never got to play your bongos in the dirt!
warispeace
Makes sense that a bunch of aging rockers would like to come and cash in on this aging music market.
Pandabelle
I don't go to those shows, either. But it's a totally different case - different conductors, different orchestras.
sighclops
No mention of NIN? They headlined Fuji rock last year!
Got my tix for their Tokyo concert next month - CANNOT WAIT!!!!!!!!!
Kurobune
@Maria 3:02 PM JST - Nice one ! Touche !
nath
Claptons still superb, but he kind of walks through his shows now...turns up straight off the golf course in shorts and polo shirt, etc. The backing singers singing all over his tunes is a bit old too...
Geoff Gillespie
In the early to mid nineties, NIN were a sight to behold. Now, not so much...
Serrano
Me: I can't believe Bob Dylan was ever a big act.
BertieWooster: Serrano, You're obviously not a child of the sixties, then.
I was a child in the sixties all right, and I still can't believe Bob Dylan was ever a big act.
BertieWooster
Serrano,
It depends what set you belong to.
You may have been a child of the sixties, but you certainly didn't mix in the circles that I mixed with.
For us, Dylan was a kind of God.
But I had cousins with short back and sides haircuts who wore neckties and worked 9-5 who considered the guy to be a "leftie" and this simplistic thinking gave them peace of mind and allowed them to stop thinking about it.
People like Dylan, Pete Seeger, Joan Baez and many others actually got the Vietnam War stopped!
Such a pity there don't seem to be any artists with this kind of power nowadays.
They might have stopped the Iraq war before it started.
gokai_wo_maneku
What happened to the Venturers? They used to tour Japan every year. They played Wipeout.
Moby Grape
Japan is not the biggest music market in the world, America is much bigger. Japan is #2, but is #1 in selling CD's, because Japan has tried to straight arm downloading and streaming services in favor of selling $25-30 CD's. Esp. in the case of idols, labels can make "special" versions and sell the same songs over and over. Older acts like Clapton and Dylan draw all over the world, and often command high ticket prices, because they are amongst the all-time greats, and there are many people who still love and respect them, even if they might not be at their creative peaks now.
sighclops
@Geoff Gillespie
I agree with you to some degree, as music in general pretty much died at the end of the 90s. However, they do say that NIN's on-stage dynamic is at least a decade ahead of everyone else. A-m-a-z-i-n-g what they're capable of on stage!
timbo
Blur just played Tokyo. I call them big. I only wish they would come to Nagoya. Saw Dylan last timeｰhighly recommended, but I will save for another show by someone I have never seen. Jeff Beck perhaps?
Serrano
"People like Dylan, Pete Seeger, Joan Baez and many others actually got the Vietnam War stopped!"
Any free elections in Vietnam since the communists won the war, Bertie?
"They might have stopped the Iraq war before it started."
Oh good grief, Bertie, that's all the world needs now, is a continuation of Saddam Hussein and/or his winsome sons.
Johnny Evtimovski
Who are the big acts?
Pandabelle
No, it is. Japan took over the number 1 spot last year.