Every little thing he does is magic...
There he was, an Englishman in New err, Tokyo, playing the last concert of his Symphonicity tour in the Budokan (martial arts hall), where the Beatles first played in Japan. It’s not so often that we let ourselves feel proud to be British - but I did last night, as I looked round the 10,000 + Japanese audience, and listened to such a high quality performance. Sting is also a fellow Geordie, so I felt 10 times as proud. There wasn’t much in the way of stage theatricals; he just wandered onto the stage in an understated black jacket, picked up the mike and his guitar, and showed us why he is still going strong aged 59. Backed by the whole of the Tokyo New City Orchestra (who looked like they had never had such fun in their lives), the performance was technically amazing.
Maybe, like me, the (slightly mature) audience was transported happily back to its school days, listening to a mixture of classics and some of the rhythmically complex newer stuff. ( And perhaps I wasn’t the only one to think he still looked fantastic in his skintight black jeans!) He had the audience eating out of his hand, and he clearly loved it, judging by the 45 minute encore we got – highly unusual in this time-conscious country, where there is a set phrase to tell guests it’s time to go home at the end of a party.
Maybe there’s a message (in a bottle) about doing business in Japan from last night. Excellence is demanded routinely here, but British products which meet Japanese high expectations can succeed and will have no trouble meeting quality standards elsewhere in the world. Companies which develop a close relationship with their fans or customers, often find extraordinary loyalty, and reliable long-term profit in Japan. And the UKTI Japan team is available to help with every step you take...
Rachael Bayfield
Rachael.bayfield@fco.gov.uk
Head of Trade, UKTI Japan
4 comments
Comment by Jeremy HIll posted on
The Budokan certainly attracts an eclectic best of British mix which in recent years has included Eric Clapton,Ozzie Osbourne and Susan Boyle which proves that whatever your product it is certainly worth working on that customer/fan base. I also hope that UKTI Japan team is available to help with "every breath you take". Keep on rocking!
Comment by Jeremy HIll posted on
The Budokan certainly attracts an eclectic best of British mix which in recent years has included Eric Clapton,Ozzie Osbourne and Susan Boyle which proves that whatever your product it is certainly worth working on that customer/fan base. I also hope that UKTI Japan team is available to help with "every breath you take". Keep on rocking!
Comment by Darral Johnson posted on
A tantric performance no doubt!
Comment by Darral Johnson posted on
A tantric performance no doubt!