Robbie Fowler autobiography review in The Daily Yomiuri on 7th May 2006

Robbie Fowler's well Red
By Stephen Taylor / Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer

Fowler: My Autobiography

By Robbie Fowler with David Maddock
Pan paperback, 392 pp, 6.99 pounds

When Liverpool and West Ham United walk out at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium for the English F.A. Cup soccer final on May 13, at least one member of the Reds' squad will be itching to get a chance to add to his medal tally: Liverpool native son Robbie Fowler, alias "God."

His nickname may be a little over the top (not to mention blasphemous) but the Liverpool star is certainly a popular player among many in his hometown, despite having originally been a fan of crosstown rival Everton.

His memoir Fowler, written with journalist David Maddock, begins with his roots in Toxteth, an area of the city associated with a series of riots in 1981. It moves on to his English Premier League debut at age 18 for Liverpool against Chelsea in 1993--just a year after the league was established--and takes the reader through the important chapters in his life almost up to this week's game.

Along the way, he takes potshots at a number of names in the game who weren't quite godlike in his eyes, none more so than Gerard Houllier, Liverpool manager from 1998 to 2004.

In the most revealingly candid section of the book, Houllier is portrayed as a spineless, inflexible, authoritarian figure who was instrumental in Fowler's transfer to Leeds United.

In spite of the side's success in 2001, when they won the UEFA Cup, F.A. Cup and League Cup, the French manager struggled to endear himself to the Anfield faithful. Fowler's thoughts on the manager will be shared by many disgruntled supporters.

It has to be said that few Liverpool fans mourned the Frenchman's departure from the club, yet Olympique Lyon's French Ligue 1 title success this season under Houllier's leadership suggests that his methods do get results.

Elsewhere, there are jibes at Manchester United's Gary Neville, though this doesn't come as a surprise from a player whose clubs include Liverpool, Leeds United and Manchester City, while his description of ex-England manager Glenn Hoddle as a "control freak" might explain why he only got to represent his country 26 times, a low figure for a player of Fowler's stature.

On a positive note, his description of the team spirit that ran through England's 1996 European Championship squad under Terry Venables shows how popular a manager can be with players.

However, the accounts of the author's behavior with a certain Paul Gascoigne during the team's pre-tournament trip to Hong Kong suggests that claims about his raucous private life had some substance.

Even though there are plenty of drink-related tales here, he plays down the "Spice Boys" tag given to Liverpool players such as Steve MacManaman, John Scales, Jason McAteer, Jamie Redknapp and himself, who were allegedly targeted by Houllier for their champagne lifestyle and celebrity girlfriends.

Fowler vehemently refutes the rumors of drug abuse that have dogged most of his career, particularly on Merseyside, following a notorious goal celebration against Everton in 1994, when he got on his hands and knees and "snorted" the white goal line as a retort to the taunts of rival fans.

Fowler devotes a chapter to the subject and denies any drug-taking, citing two drug-related deaths in his family as reasons.

The book's tabloid style works well, and Maddock succeeds in conveying Fowler's vernacular.

Thankfully, he doesn't attempt to transcribe Fowler's Liverpool accent, but does insist on using the word "me" instead of "my" which, as accurate as it may be, gets a little irritating after a while.

Fowler says that his is a story about "a kid from Toxteth who wanted to play football, and got a whole lot more than he ever, ever imagined could be possible when his dream came true."

The final chapter sees Fowler back with Liverpool, hoping for an extension to his contract. (In fact, the club announced Friday that he is to begin a new one-year contract this week.) Perhaps next Saturday will be the beginning of a new chapter for the "God" of Anfield.

Grotesque book review in The Daily Yomiuri on 28th April 2007

Crime novel has gender issues
By Stephen Taylor / Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer

Grotesque by Natsuo Kirino
Translated by Rebecca Copeland
Random House, 467 pp
11.99 pounds 

Natsuo Kirino burst onto the English-language literary scene in 2003 with the publication of Out, a story of the murder of an abusive husband by his wife and the subsequent dismemberment of the body.

Late last year, there was a gruesome killing in an apartment in the Tokyo neighborhood where I live, in which a wife allegedly murdered and dismembered her husband in a scenario that was eerily similar to the plot of Out.

I don't know if the woman in question had ever read the novel, but the adage that life imitates art has rarely been so uncannily apt. After my initial, slightly ghoulish interest in the premise of Out was satisfied, the rest of the story offered a fascinating insight into contemporary Japanese life.

In Out, Kirino employs a linear narrative with the plot thickening at a rapid pace to maintain the reader's attention throughout the book's 520 pages. 

Grotesque has the same epic proportions as Out, though this time the plot unfolds through successive accounts by the book's main characters, with an unnamed female narrator linking them all together.

This technique is reminiscent of The Jewel in the Crown, the first volume of Paul Scott's Raj Quartet, in which the events surrounding the alleged rape of Daphne Manners in British India are told hrough the eyes of various key characters. 

And as in Scott's novel, though the details of the murders in Grotesque are described, there is no dramatic revelation to round things off at the end, as one might find in conventional Agatha Christie-style crime thrillers. 

But that does not detract from the tension or the enjoyment of the book. The reader is given a thorough outline of the circumstances and offered the chance to draw one's own conclusions. 

The narrator is the older sister of Yuriko Hirata, a full-time prostitute, and was a friend of Kazue Sato, a part-time streetwalker, both of whom are murdered in Tokyo, possibly by the same man.

She sets the scene by announcing that she and her sister have a Japanese mother and a Swiss father, and her description of her mother as "a born loser" and her father as "miserly" in the first six pages indicates that this woman doesn't pull any punches.

She goes on to describe her sister as a "monster," before telling the reader that she was murdered two years ago. Clearly, there's not much sisterly love in this family, and she's definitely not out to win any popularity contests. 

The narrator, Yuriko, Kazue and another friend of the narrator, Mitsuru, all attended the same school. Kirino develops their personalities very effectively, going some way toward explaining the isolation that all of them suffer in their lives. 

And isolation is a thread of the novel. There are many cases where characters are seen as outsiders, whether it's reactions to the sisters' half-Japanese, half-Swiss features; Kazue's unpopularity at her company; or, as Yuriko writes in her journals, her realization that her beauty is not the key to happiness, but merely a route into the world's oldest profession. 

Not that she's a reluctant participant. When she writes, "For a nymphomaniac like myself, I suppose there could be no job more suitable than prostitution; it is my God-given destiny," she admits that her fate is out of her hands. Her statement could be read as a death wish or a prophecy. 

Kirino goes into great detail to weave a web of characters that crop up throughout the novel, sometimes in remarkably coincidental situations, such as when the narrator encounters Mitsuru, among other people, at the accused murderer's trial. 

There are few redeeming traits in almost any of the main characters--not that this is a negative aspect of the book. The narrator's cold manner in describing events allows the letters, journals and statements to develop a rounded plotline that, ultimately, gives the reader an understanding of the selfish modern Japanese society that may have contributed to the events she describes.

Kazue's journals reveal her meticulous eye for detail, such as details of her nocturnal financial transactions, as well as her bitterness at her situation. 

And like the narrator and Yuriko, she has a low opinion of men. This aspect of Kirino's prose permeates the pages, leading this male reader to ask whether Grotesque is a vehicle for radical feminism or an indictment of men who use prostitutes. 

The narrator describes men as "sneaky" and "boorish" while Yuriko says, "I hate men, but I love sex," and Kazuo talks of her conflicting emotions that accompanied her thoughts of men, "desire and disgust." 

The accused's statement goes into great detail and paints a picture of a man who overcomes hardship and tragedy to achieve his goal. Unfortunately, at a time when foreigners are often reflexively blamed for Japan's crime problems, it doesn't help when this stereotype is compounded in Grotesque. 

Aside from this, Grotesque is an impressive follow-up to Out. Readers who enjoyed that novel will find this one a challenging read that is compelling, if a little elongated. 

Ultimately, Kirino's textured plot, which extends far beyond the the scope of a crime thriller, and her distinctive narrative tone succeed in digging deep into the psyche of the book's main characters while also raising questions about the role of women in modern Japanese society.

Music and Lyrics film review in The Daily Yomiuri on 21st April 2007

Hugh Grant still top of the fops in Hollywood
By Stephen Taylor / Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer

Music and Lyrics
2 stars out of five
Dir: Marc Lawrence
Cast: Hugh Grant, Drew Barrymore, Haley Bennett
Brad Garrett, Kristen Johnston

Music and Lyrics star Hugh Grant told movie magazine Empire five years ago that he, "never had a burning desire to get ahead in Hollywood."

Some filmgoers would point out that his track record since he got widespread recognition for Four Weddings and a Funeral will ensure that this has never been a problem for him, and this latest vehicle for his bumbling oh-so-English diffidence is unlikely to trouble the Academy Awards nominating committee.

Yet he is undoubtedly a star in Tinseltown these days, and Music and Lyrics is likely to take him one step closer to the Walk of Fame.

Like so many of Grant's movies, the film is a romantic comedy. Alex (Grant), an aging pop star, is asked to write a song for Cora Corman (Haley Bennett), a Britney Spears-like teenage pop idol with so little talent that even her pretentious adoption of the Buddhist faith fails to help her cause.

The only trouble is that Alex hasn't composed a tune for at least a decade and has never written lyrics, having left that to his former songwriting partner Colin (Scott Porter) during his moment in the 1980s spotlight in the group PoP! But Cora wants the song ready in three days.

In a scenario that brings to mind another English duo from the '80s whose name ended with an exclamation mark, Colin moves on to fame and fortune in the '90s after the duo's demise, leaving Alex to make a living playing nostalgia showcases and county fairs.

In one of those coincidences that could only happen in a Hugh Grant movie, he finds the answer to his songwriting dilemma in the unlikely form of Sophie (Drew Barrymore), who is employed to feed and water the plants in his apartment and interrupts his attempts to collaborate with the lyricist provided by his manager. She sprays lines about the room as if they were drizzlings of water flowing from her watering can.

Grant's character in Music and Lyrics has echoes of his portrayal of Will in About a Boy. Both are self-centered islands of mediocrity who gain enlightenment through the intervention of someone who is initially unwelcome.

Both characters also perform on stage, though in Music and Lyrics we get to hear Grant's singing voice in all its karaokelike glory, which, though unlikely to top the charts at any point in the future, is surprisingly adequate.

Barrymore's character comes across as clumsy and nervous as she clicks her ball-point pen on and off whenever she's on edge, a trait that becomes increasingly irritating as the film develops.

The music, whether it's the fluffy tunes of PoP! or the contrived manufactured pop of Corman, fits the film like the Katherine Hamnett T-shirts that Wham! used to wear more than 20 years ago. The video for PoP!'s debut hit in 1984 re-creates the tackiness and innocence of pop videos in their infancy.

However, the plot of Music and Lyrics is so predictable that once it has been established that the main characters are male and female and that there is a race against time to hit a deadline...well, this is a Hugh Grant movie, so need I say any more?

Like the '80s pop group depicted in the movie, Music and Lyrics is lightweight fun. While not quite throwaway bubblegum, it is likely to have about as much staying power as Frankie Goes to Hollywood or Adam and the Ants.

If you're looking for a movie without too many complicated characters, a plot that won't tax your brain too much and a smattering of witty dialogue, Music and Lyrics will hit the right notes and keep Hugh Grant top of the fops for the foreseeable future.

The movie opens today.

The Darkness preview in The Daily Yomiuri on 20th April 2006

Darkness come to lighten up Japan
By Stephen Taylor / Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer

The last time the Darkness visited Japan, the four-piece were at the height of their spandex-bedecked pomp, inflated by the extraordinary success of the singles "Growing On Me" and "I Believe In A Thing Called Love."

Having canceled a planned Summer Sonic appearance in 2004 at short notice, they return to these shores for the first time in 2-1/2years following the release of their second album, One Way Ticket to Hell...And Back in November.

The latest LP again explores the band's preoccupation with '70s and '80s rock music and not only does One Way Ticket take them further in this direction, but it even employs studio knob-twiddler Roy Thomas Baker, producer of that anthem of bombast, "Bohemian Rhapsody."

The combination seems to work, prompting vocalist Justin Hawkins to describe working with the studio legend on the Atlantic Records Web site as "a privilege...his ear is perfect, his instinct fabulous."

One Way Ticket has been well received, particularly for the band's emerging lyrical dexterity. The track "Knockers and Dinner Lady Arms," for example, contains the ribald comment: "I know I'll never be your Mr. Right/ But I'm happy to be your Mr. That'll Do for Tonight."

The next single from the album, "Girlfriend," comes out in May, complete with a Flashdance-inspired video that perfectly demonstrates their humorous take on rock 'n' roll.

This fun aspect of the band is evident in their live shows. Coming across as part Spinal Tap, part Aerosmith, a band that takes the stage to Abba's "Arrival" has got to have its tongue firmly in its cheek.

Brothers Justin and Dan Hawkins (guitarist) formed the Darkness about six years ago, after moving from the coastal town of Lowestoft, Britain's most easterly town, to London and hooking up with drummer Ed Graham and bassist Francis Poullain, later replaced by Richie Edwards.

After two years of slogging around Britain, the band started getting support slots for rock icons Metallica, Alice Cooper, Deep Purple and Def Leppard before hitting the big time in summer 2003.

Their debut album, Permission To Land, prompted Kerrang! magazine to dub them "the greatest rock 'n' roll band of the last 20 years," and the release clearly hit a chord with the public, topping the British album chart for four weeks and running up sales of more than 3.5 million.

Three sold-out nights at Wembley Arena and a headline spot at the Reading Festival provided evidence that the group's brand of '80s-influenced pomp rock had taken the country by storm.

Establishment recognition wasn't far behind, as they received three Brit Awards--Best Act, Best Rock Act and Best Album--and the BASCA Ivor Novello Award for Songwriters of the Year in 2004

The prizewinning hasn't just been for their music. Like many rock stars these days, the Darkness aren't ashamed to admit to an interest in soccer, a passion that resulted in the group's Soccer Six (futsal) team winning a celebrity tournament at Everton's Goodison Park two years ago.

But with the the Darkness brothers joined by ex-Liverpool and Republic of Ireland international John Aldridge in attack and Anfield heroes Robbie Fowler and Steve MacManaman coaching, the lineup sparkled almost as much as their stage gear.

And the glittering continues. Three years since the glory of the Brits, Justin is still picking up awards. Readers of Britain's New Musical Express voted him 2005's Worst Dressed musician in the ShockWaves NME Awards, for his gaudy latex catsuits, thinning hair and growing beer belly.

Mind you, if more people had seen his attempt to imitate Bobby Ball (of "famous" British comedy duo Cannon and Ball) in the artwork of the latest release, he might have pulled in considerably more votes.

The Darkness will play April 20, 7 p.m. at IMP Hall in Osaka, (06) 6233-8888; April 21, 7 p.m. at Diamond Hall in Nagoya, (052) 265-2666; April 22, 6 p.m. at Studio Coast in Shin Kiba, Tokyo, (03) 5466-0777.

Opal Mehta book review in The Daily Yomiuri on 9th April 2006

Opal doffs her glasses
By Stephen Taylor / Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer

How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild and Got a Life
by Kaavya Viswanathan

Entering university is an important step for young people, not only in Japan but all over the world. For Opal Mehta, however, it is a lifelong dream that she has pursued throughout her preteen and teenage years.

How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild and Got a Life is an entertaining debut novel from Kaavya Viswanathan, a 19-year-old sophomore at Harvard University. She was born in Chennai (Madras) and grew up in Scotland before moving to the United States at the age of 12.

The title of this book gives the reader a fair bit of information about the plotline, but the journey Opal undertakes is filled with anecdotes and incidents that will appeal to teenagers--especially any with experience of the American high school system--and adults alike. Younger readers will be able to relate to the characters and oldies will find echoes of their own school lives, albeit in an updated version.

Opal (who, like her creator, is the daughter of an Indian family living in the United States) is a brilliant high school student in New Jersey, preparing for graduation and her dream of attending Harvard. Her precociousness would appear to equip her perfectly for acceptance into such a prestigious institution, only to be told that she needs to complement her intellectual skills with lessons in life.

What follows is a refreshing insight into the life of an upper-middle-class teenager who methodically attempts to become cool and fashionable by hanging out with a bunch of vain and self-centered female classmates to make up for her years of academic single-mindedness.

Opal rejects her longtime science class partner Natalie for her trendy new friends Priscilla, Stacie and Jennifer, collectively known as the Hautes Bitchez, or HBz for short.

Her experiences with the HBz lead her to discover a side to her personality that had previously been hidden. Of course, she is playing a game and can never really be part of that gang but, ultimately, she sheds some of her more straitlaced traits in favor of tolerance and understanding by the end of the novel.

Romantic interest is supplied in the form of the president of the student council, Jeff Akel, an arrogant young man with political aspirations and ideas that would make U.S. President George W. Bush look like a woolly liberal, and Sean, a free-spirited, underachieving student with hidden qualities.

Opal's family offers a different perspective on the plot. Her parents are key figures in her scheme to take Harvard by storm, devising an acronym, HOWGAL (How Opal Will Get A Life), for their plan to help educate her in the whys and wherefores of U.S. pop culture. The immigrant parents are eager to see their daughter thrive, making sure she wears the most fashionable clothes, watches the most popular TV programs and listens to the right music.

Meanwhile, her rebellious cousin, Kali, dares to challenge her view of Harvard by describing it as "a moldy pile of old bricks."

The use of brand names in place of generic words crops up all over the pages, and you could be forgiven for thinking that this was a new form of product placement. Nevertheless, after a quick search on the Internet, I now know that a Treo 650 is a PDA-cell phone and that TiVo is a new type of TV recording system.

In spite of this minor distraction, How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild and Got a Life is good read that will amuse a wide audience, though younger readers especially will recognize the themes that are touched upon, whether they are native or nonnative speakers of English. Indeed, teenage students of English will find this an accessible novel that will challenge, inform and entertain in equal measure.

CD Column in The Daily Yomiuri on 23rd March 2006

IN YOUR EAR
By Stephen Taylor / Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer

MADONNA
The Confessions Tour
Warner Music Japan, 3,480 yen

It would seem that Madonna's live albums are like the proverbial London bus. You wait 23 years for one and a couple arrive in quick succession.

Following last year's I'm Going To Tell You a Secret collection, recorded live during her 2004 Re-Invention Tour, The Confessions Tour draws heavily from her 2005 album, Confessions on a Dance Floor.

The DVD and CD capture Madonna performing in London last August. DVD director Jonas Akerlund does a fine job of grasping the theatrical elements of Madonna's performance without succumbing to the temptation to get too pretentious.

Quite simply, Madonna is an entertainer and knows how to put on a good show, which is why the DVD is such an important part of this package.

Madonna has never been far away from controversy, though, and The Confessions Tour is no exception, with her use of a cross and crown of thorns during her performance coming in for criticism from certain religious quarters.

Yet the songs Madonna performs in this section of the show are perhaps the most powerful numbers on the DVD. At the end of Live To Tell, images of African children adorn the vast video screen behind her and a series of U2-like messages highlight the plight of AIDS orphans in Africa, while Forbidden Love focuses on the conflict in the Middle East.

Not that Madonna's turning into Bono--she doesn't wear enough leather for one thing--and most of the show is straight off the dance floor, complete with a mirror ball the size of a small planet. Yet, if you're not really interested in her dance tracks, the visuals that accompany the tunes more than make up for any shortfall in the music.

Madonna devotees will lap this up, but even nonbelievers will be surprised at her versatility and star quality.

Her husband, film director Guy Ritchie, may call her Madge but to her fans Madonna is always magic.

TAKE THAT
Beautiful World
Universal Music, 2,500 yen

Take That are back, but the question is are they back for good? On this evidence, Beautiful World should relight the fires of their fans in Japan, more than 10 years since they were topping the charts worldwide.

While Robbie Williams left to find superstar fame and fortune (in Europe, at least), the rest of the group weren't so lucky.

So when their respective albums were released within a month of each other in Britain last autumn it was interesting that Beautiful World outsold Williams' Rudebox.

Take That are all on the downhill slope to middle age, so they're definitely not a boy band anymore, and the songs on Beautiful World reflect this maturity.

For a group that made its name as a singles band, Beautiful World has its fair share of songs that are more than mere three-minute ear candy, though this collection should keep them on the radio for quite some time to come.

The vocals are shared among the band, though as usual, Gary Barlow takes the lead on most of the tracks. However, Howard Donald's rendition of their homage to their hometown, Mancunian Way, about a motorway that crosses Manchester, is an impressive showstopper that's crying out to be released as a single.

Jason Orange's first lead vocal outing for the band, Wooden Boat, offers a refreshing country/folk ending to a strong comeback album by the band.

The domestic version of the CD comes with bonus tracks, Butterfly and 6 In The Morning Fool, both of which are more than mere fillers
 

World Cup article in The Daily Yomiuri on 14th January 2006

Just the ticket for Germany
By Stephen Taylor / Daily Yomiuri Sports Writer

World Cup 2006 fever will hit Japan this weekend with applications for Japan's three games in Germany accepted from Sunday.

There will be a total of 6,399 tickets available for the three group games against Australia, Croatia and Brazil on June 12, 18 and 22, respectively, priced from 5,390 yen to 6,930 yen.

Supporters can apply either through the Japan Football Association Web site (http://ticket-jfa.com/ wcd/) from 10 a.m. on Sunday until 6 p.m. on Jan. 22 or through selected travel agencies.

For inquiries, contact the World Cup Ticket Information Center at 0570-03-2006

Ramos article in The Daily Yomiuri on 26th December 2005

Ramos: I'll bring Verdy back to J1
By Stephen Taylor / Daily Yomiuri Sports Writer

Ruy Ramos urged Tokyo Verdy supporters to get behind the club in its bid to earn promotion from the J.League's second division next season.

The 48-year-old Brazilian was speaking at a press conference held at the club's headquarters on Sunday to confirm his appointment as manager.

"My objective is to bring the team back to J1," he said.

Last season, Ramos was a member of the coaching staff at Kashiwa Reysol, whose 5-1 victory on Nov. 26 consigned Verdy into J2 for the first time in its illustrious history.

"I helped to bring down the team and felt it was my mission to bring the club back to J1," added the former Verdy star.

Ramos stressed the need for a change in thinking among the players as they set about their challenge next year.

"The first thing I want to do is instil a sense of professionalism. I am looking for players that can show emotional strength and passion--more than good technique.

"If they cannot provide this, I don't want them."

When asked about life in the lower division, the former Japan international was under no illusions about the task in hand.

"J2 is a little difficult as there are so many games [44] in the season. Competition will be heated for the team and it will be a new experience for us."

Finally, his message for the Verdy supporters was simple and positive.

"Please join us in our fight. By the time the season is over, we will give you something to smile about."

Oasis preview in The Daily Yomiuri on 17th November 2005

Oasis still bigger than the rest?
By Stephen Taylor / Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer

Oasis have never been strangers to controversy, and Noel Gallagher has been back in the news with some strong comments about the current crop of British bands. In an interview with Australia's Triple J radio station, the band's leader was asked about groups such as Franz Ferdinand, the Kaiser Chiefs and Bloc Party.

"Let's call it what it is--it's indie s---, is what it is," he said. "None of them are trying to make it big. They're all trying to make it small or medium--that's it."

Not trying to make it big is an accusation that could never be aimed at the Gallagher brothers. The very first track on their debut album declared: "I'm a rock 'n' roll star."

Eleven years on, there's no doubting their star status.

This week, Japanese audiences will get a second chance to see the band this year when they visit Osaka and Tokyo as part of their 2005 World Tour.

And they'll be keen to show just how big they still are. In the Australian radio interview, 38-year-old Noel was not completely dismissive of the new wave of British music, saying he kind of liked Franz Ferdinand and Kaiser Chiefs--although he described Bloc Party as "just appalling"--but he lambasted all of them for a lack of ambition to become the best or biggest band in the world.

Whether or not Oasis can currently claim the mantle of Biggest Band in the World is open to debate, but they're definitely in the top 10, much like the Gallaghers' favorite soccer team, Manchester City, which is currently lying in a very respectable seventh in the English premier league.

The Manchester City link is not entirely spurious because it was a gig in the summer at Manchester City's home ground, the City of Manchester Stadium, that prompted New Musical Express to say Oasis were "a band ready to join the likes of U2 as rock 'n' roll's living custodians, but more importantly, a band with a creative future."

The current tour is one of most extensive Oasis have ever made, and Japanese fans have already had a chance this year to see why tickets for the European and North American concerts were so difficult to find when the group played in Japan at Summer Sonic in August.

The three summer gigs, in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya, relied on material from this year's Don't Believe the Truth album, a release that Noel believes is the band's best work since (What's the Story) Morning Glory--though he also said that about Heathen Chemistry three years ago.

This time, though, his opinion was backed up by critical acclaim when it was recently voted Album of the Year by readers of Britain's Q magazine.

At the summer dates, the band also offered up all the usual crowd-pleasers such as "Wonderwall" and, always a favorite in Japan, "Don't Look Back in Anger." In the past, Oasis have covered the Beatles' "I am the Walrus" and a sprawling version can be found on The Masterplan compilation album.

Recently, though, the band have been finishing with the Who's "My Generation," one song that new drummer Zak Starkey, son of Ringo Starr, should be very familiar with after touring with Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey.

This tour offers a chance to see Oasis on their own at slightly smaller venues at a time when they're back on a creative high, rather than the chemical highs that have reportedly marred previous gigs--though they're probably a long way from taking any vows of abstinence.

And if reports of their last trip are to believed, don't be surprised if you bump into Liam as you're enjoying a Friday night beer in Tokyo's Roppongi or Osaka's Shinsaibashi.

Oasis will play Nov. 17, 7 p.m. at Osakajo Hall in Osaka, (06) 6535-5569; Nov. 20, 6 p.m. and Nov. 21, 7 p.m. at Yoyogi National Stadium in Harajuku, Tokyo, (03) 3444-6751.

J-League article in The Daily Yomiuri on 21st October 2005

J.GUIDE: Squirrels set for Saitama test
By Stephen Taylor / Daily Yomiuri Sports Writer

Derby matches are always highly anticipated by players and fans alike and this weekend's J.League schedule sees three of them.

S-Pulse tackle Jubilo in Shizuoka while FC Tokyo face up to Verdy Tokyo 1969 at Ajinomoto Stadium.
North of Tokyo, Omiya Ardija host Urawa Reds at Saitama Stadium 2002.

The Saitama Derby has been somewhat of a rarity in the J.League, simply because the Squirrels from Omiya played in J2 until this season while the Reds have spent all but one season in the top flight.

The intensity at these games is fierce and when the two sides met in J2 five years ago trouble occurred.

A lone Reds fan broke into the away enclosure and threw some punches before a fellow Reds' fan pulled him out. Definitely a case of handbags at 10 paces.

Ardija started this season well but now find themselves in the bottom three facing the real threat of returning to J2.

Reds currently stand in fourth place, 10 points behind leader Gamba.

One player who will have a special interest in Saturday's game will be Ardija forward Tuto. Since coming to Japan in 1998 to join Kawasaki Frontale, the Brazilian has had spells at FC Tokyo, Reds and S-Pulse before moving to Omiya in 2004.

There must be something about the Saitama air that agrees with him as he spent two years with Reds in 2001 and 2002 and is in his second season with Ardija. In 47 Reds games, he netted 17 league goals. This year, the 27-year-old hasn't been quite so prolific, so a sixth goal of the season against his former employers would be very timely.

Reds go into Saturday's game on the back of a 7-0 demolition of Kashiwa Reysol. However, the result was overshadowed by an ugly challenge by Reysol defender Yukio Tsuchiya on Reds' forward Tatsuya Tanaka, which has sidelined him for up to six months.

The injury even shocked Reds' manager Guido Buchwald, a man who should know a thing or two about hard knocks as a World Cup-winning central defender for Germany.

"It looked very bad...It was a very, very hard tackle. Reysol were too motivated today, they had no mental control," Buchwald was quoted as saying after the game.

It was the second time this season Buchwald's side had hit seven goals and it seems that when the team clicks, they're unstoppable.

Unfortunately for their loyal supporters, the 2003 Nabisco Cup winners have failed to hit the mark enough times and look like under-achieving once again.

At Nihondaira, S-Pulse will be looking to ease their relegation fears though Shizuoka rival Jubilo will be a formidable opponent.

Kenta Hasegawa's defense will have to keep an eye out for Jubilo's Bobby Cullen.

The 20-year-old is emerging as one of the J.League's brightest prospects this season and his equalizer against Antlers on Sunday increased his league goal tally to 11 and made him Jubilo's leading goalscorer this season.