Fans who attended the final night of Phil Manzanera‘s shows at Billboard Live Tokyo over the weekend were in for a big treat.
During the first show Sunday night (July 2), the legendary British guitarist surprised the audience with an appearance from Tomoyasu Hotei, the iconic former lead guitarist for the ’80s Japanese rock band Boowy.
The last time the two guitar giants played on the same stage was in 2010, when Roxy Music headlined the Fuji Rock Festival. Hotei joined Manzanera and his The Sound of Blue Band for the encore and delighted fans with amazing renditions of “High Atlas,” “Let’s Stick Together” and “Chan Chan.”
The Billboard Live shows were Manzanera’s first performances in Japan as a solo act. He had invited his friend to come join him onstage for the occasion, and as chance would have it, it was also Hotei’s first time performing at the venue. The night turned out to be extra special for those who were lucky to witness the collaboration at the 300-capacity club.
Manzanera also performed at Billboard Live Osaka on Tuesday (July 4).