Elvis Costello Makes a Funky Entrance Despite Smashed Face Incident
In early April, fans holding movie pamphlets and autograph boards gathered outside the dressing room entrance of Sumida Triphony Hall (Kinshicho, Tokyo). At the center of it all was a foreign man chatting happily with fans—it was musician Elvis Costello, 69, on the opening day of his first Japan tour in eight years.
“Debuting in 1977, he initially released punk-style songs. With thick black-rimmed glasses and short hair, he sported a unique style—wearing slim jeans, slinging his guitar sideways. In his first visit to Japan in 1978, he appeared in Ginza’s pedestrian paradise dressed in a student uniform, delivering funky live performances.
Known for his strongly message-driven lyrics and eccentric persona, he was hailed by the youth of his time as the ‘representative of angry youth.’ His collaborative album ‘Veronica’ with Paul McCartney in 1989 became a worldwide hit, and he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.” (Music magazine editor)
In Japan, he’s synonymous with the song “She,” the theme song of the ’99 film “Notting Hill.” He’s known to be a Japanophile, having visited Japan over 20 times since his first visit. However, after undergoing surgery to remove a malignant tumor in 2018, he temporarily suspended his music activities. Thus, this visit marks his return after an eight-year hiatus.
Amidst the rain, Costello approached fans with a skip in his step. When a fan holding a pamphlet of “Notting Hill,” featuring his iconic song “She,” asked for his autograph, he broke into a wide grin with that slightly husky voice, saying “Wow” delightedly.
Though not as agile on stage as in his younger days, fans surely reveled in the mature charm of Costello, who turns seventy this year.
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