![]() More than that, it would be the catalyst for a series of events that, without any exaggeration, changed the course of the singer’s life. The evening was a touching episode in the history of a special musical partnership. The crowd erupted into applause as ‘Forbidden Colours’ came to an end, Ryuichi and David embracing during the ovation.īefore the night was over Sylvian would return to the stage with white acoustic guitar, familiar from the …Shamans tour, this time for a rendition of ‘Orpheus’ to be accompanied by the full band including a rhythm section of Pino Palladino on bass and Manu Katché on drums. To experience that song live and in full was quite wonderful, especially after the teasing excerpt incorporated into the 1988 In Praise of Shamans show that I had witnessed at the same venue, when after the first line the musicians plunged immediately into the doubt of Backwaters. Little did I know that Time Out magazine had hinted that Sylvian would appear in their feature leading up to the concert. ![]() Travelling up to London that day I had dared to hope for such a guest appearance but I could scarcely believe it was happening in front of me. ![]() What follows is one of my all-time favourite gig moments: David Sylvian’s vocals accompanied by Ryuichi Sakamoto’s piano, together performing the timeless ‘Forbidden Colours’. The stage falls to darkness between songs and then, as the familiar notes of the introduction to ‘Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence’ are played on the grand piano, a long-haired figure wanders on to stage. His set-list included tracks from his previous solo offerings B-2 Unit, Neo-Geo and Beauty, YMO’s ‘Tong Poo’, as well as exquisite themes from the soundtracks for The Sheltering Sky, The Last Emperor (for which Sakamoto had been awarded an Oscar) and his latest film-music, High Heels. The show began with a recording of a stirring traditional chant which reverberated around the auditorium, a piece we would later come to know as ‘Nuages’ when Ryuichi’s album Heartbeat was released in the UK the following year. On Sunday 13 October, Ryuichi Sakamoto played a one-off gig at the Hammersmith Odeon. Celebratory events included Sumo wrestling at the Royal Albert Hall, Grand Kabuki at the National Theatre and an exhibition of Buddhist sculpture at the British Museum. In 1991, commemorations planned to mark the 100th anniversary of The Japan Society in London grew into a festival promoting the art and culture of Japan. ![]()
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