At Day 2 of HOSTESS CLUB WEEKENDER in Tokyo on Sunday, the headliner is Scottish alt-rock legends TRAVIS, a band which seemingly vanished in recent years. The group has certainly been quiet since their last album release in 2008, “Ode to J. Smith,” perhaps due to leading man Fran Healy’s work on his solo project, releasing an album on his own in 2010 entitled “Wreckorder.” The band is indeed back however, and in April this year released a teaser track “Where You Stand” from their new album of the same name, set to be released on 19 August.
Travis opens with “Mother,” which is evidently approved of by the audience, however this response is nothing compared to that of the second track, the crowd totally losing it for “Selfish Jean.” Healy wins the hearts of his audience immediately, quietly counting in the track in Japanese. The group proceed to play a stunning set rich with classics, including “Writing to Reach You,” “Sing,” and “Driftwood,” and unsurprisingly saving their biggest hit “Why Does It Always Rain On Me?” for the close.
Vocalist Fran Healy’s quips and stories dotted throughout the set merely add to the endearing nature of the show – the man is humble and lighthearted in his remarks: “You know it’s funny, guitars are really interesting, because here’s a chord, right, but if I move it up here, it sounds horrible. Don’t do that,” and “You guys are being so lovely and warm – this is such a nice night!” Between tracks, Healy asks the audience to act as a visual metronome for the band, having them raise their arms and move them side to side in time to the music. About halfway through the track, he grows worried that their arms are tired, and tells everyone to sway instead, making himself “seasick” while showing the crowd how to do so.
The remarkable thing about Travis’ performance is the nostalgia factor; it seems they’ve been haunting the pseudo-mainstream vicinity for long enough to have earned themselves a place in the hearts and memories of many, whether you’re aware of it or not. Healy announces the name of a track they’re about to play and there is some light applause, but it’s only when the band breaks into the first few bars of each song that a wave of recognition washes over the audience, and at that point the cheers are cacophonous.
There are moments of absolute awe during their set, a standout being their performance of “Closer,” during which the sheer number of audience members singing along to the chorus produce a powerful and haunting backing choir; it’s downright moving, a display of musical passion shared by the adoring crowd and band itself. The highlight of the performance, however, is the encore, where the five members return, unplug their instruments, turn off their mics and huddle together in an embrace at the front of the stage. With only a guitar and the acoustics of the hall to amplify them, the band then play an unplugged rendition of “Flowers in the Window” over a backing of their audience humming along; it’s a truly special experience, as though the group is playing a personal show to each individual fan.
Travis are currently touring to promote their upcoming album, with dates in the UK, Denmark and Spain in the next few months, and say they hope to return to Japan for a headline tour soon.