Veteran guitarist Masayoshi Takanaka has confirmed he will perform another UK show in 2027.
The Seychelles hitmaker performed a sold-out show at Crystal Palace Bowl today (August 7), where he told the crowd he would be playing Wembley in 2027. It is not clear at this time if Takanaka means the Stadium, which has previously hosted Blur, Harry Styles, and My Chemical Romance, or the arena nearby.
Takanaka told the Crystal Palace Bowl crowd: “See you at Wembley next year.”
Today’s City Pop Waves show was announced earlier this year. An announcement of the show reads: “Takanaka will return to the UK following two O2 Academy Brixton shows – sold out in minutes – and will perform an extended 2-hour show.
“Support will come from legendary jazz keyboardist Himiko Kikuchi, performing her 1987 jazz fusion masterpiece Flying Beagle in full, and Ginger Root (DJ set). City Pop Waves will be a first-of-its-kind outdoor festival celebrating Japanese music in the UK.”
In a five-star review of the show from Cult Following, Takanaka was praised for his infectious energy and incredible playing abilities. Our review reads: “Takanaka is a rare beast. He is an instrumentally gifted guitarist who still enjoys the craft and where it can take his music. Witnessing that is an experience which, should the opportunity arise, should be taken. He is one of the all-time greats and that comes not just from an impressive instrumental range but from being one of the coolest, considerate musicians around. Every moment of the show feels like the peak of what Takanaka can do.
“One way or another, he finds a fresh way to push himself and his talented backing band to a new level. It’s an insatiable high that Takanaka and the gang pursue, and in setting this impossible bar, they aim for as close to perfect as possible. They get there with this miracle of a performance. ‘My brain is too old,’ he says at one point. It may be so, but his hands are the gift that keeps on giving, and Takanaka just gets better as a performer with age.”
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