GPS DAY 4

Well, what a day this was to turn out to be. Strap yourself in, it's gonna be a very bumpy ride.

Following breakfast with the band - during which proposed changes in the set for tonight's Tokyo show were tabled, agreed and implemented - we check out of our hotel and say goodbye to Osaka and head off back to Tokyo on the Shinkansen. During this journey, Ryo begins to complain of lower back pain and, after taking some pain killers supplied by the ever reliable Dr. Schellen, falls asleep for the majority of the three plus hour journey. Upon arrival in Tokyo, Ryo is being literally carried as his back pain is so severe. This is not looking good....

We dump our stuff at the hotel and make straight for the venue, where the gear is more or less waiting to be played and sound check can begin. Shibuya On Air West holds about 500 and is a great little venue - fantastic PA and lighting, nice dressing room facilities. A class act all the way. Ryo takes some more pain killers and is propped up on a stool to begin the sound check.

Everything goes to plan and the band takes the stage more or less on time. Everything seems to be going well and Ryo appears to have made a remarkable recovery and is....well, Ryo. Then, at the beginning of ' Since You've Been Gone', John's bass amp dies and the number comes to a halt. John tries to make contact with the overwhelmingly Japanese crew, who largely seem oblivious to what's going on and eventually a new amp is in situ and the number continues.

Following John and Guthrie's acoustic set John takes his bass back from the roadie who has retuned it to find that it is wildly out of tune and John is forced to stop 'Silent Nation' to retune it. He later confides in me that, in 25 years, he has never stopped a song live and he has been forced to do it here twice in one night!

Apart from the above, the night is a complete success and the band snatch victory from the gaping jaws of defeat. Ryo and Jay deliver breathtaking solos and when Guthrie steps up prior to 'Heat Of The Moment' to play a short but mightily impressive solo spot, the sound of jaws collectively hitting the floor is almost deafening. John is in excellent voice and is obviously enjoying himself immensely, jumping around like a man at least half his age.

The sizeable crowd enjoys every second and are rewarded by another marathon post gig signing session. The evening ends with band and entourage holed up in an izakaya (basically, a pub that serves fairly substantial snacks) around the corner from the hotel for a few well earned hours of r&r.

Last full day in Japan today. A couple of interviews and a meeting or two and then home tomorrow...