Festivals, Photos and Goodbyes

I never know which is worse – leaving something great behind, or knowing you’re going to have to leave it whilst you’re still there. Either way you have to go out with a bang, and damn that’s exactly what we did.

Summersonic festival is one of the biggest festivals in Japan, this year headlined by Jay-Z and Stevie Wonder and to be part of it was a privilege. It kicks off in two places – Osaka and Tokyo, both carrying their own unique stance on how to get a festival to rock… and both succeeding. As I started my last song on Tokyo’s Beach Stage, that’s when it hit me that I won’t be standing somewhere that cool again for a while, so I did what any man would do and jump into the audience for a little hug. Not realising it was a lot easier to jump off the 10ft stage than to get back on it, I caught the eye of a slightly panicked security guard who had only one choice but to allow me to launch myself on to his shoulders for a strange but wonderful entrance back on stage. Summersonic – a big success.

Here are the links to some videos that got taken from stage:

Rule The World

Come Over Here

Hound Dog

After singing along to the relentless classics of Stevie Wonder later that evening we left to spend our last night in Tokyo. Sharing laughs and telling stories, sipping champagne and consequently admitting to a few mistakes we all made on stage made for a world-class night in the Far East.

‘Kampai’ to everyone who came to the shows, yet again you’ve made it difficult to leave not only the stage but the country too, and for that I thank you! But here I type in Singapore and a whole new sense of excitement comes over me, the last week of my trip begins and on Saturday I perform at the opening ceremony of the first ever Youth Olympic Games. Good times ahead! All the photos from Japan will be on Facebook very soon.

Big love x