Holly Humberstone in Tokyo, Japan - 2022.07.21

Miyuki Wang
Sep 8, 2022
2 min read

Updated: Sep 11, 2022

Holly Humberstone took the stage at Shibuya Club Quattro in Tokyo, Japan

After live music was put on hold for what felt like a lifetime due to the covid outbreak, Holly Humberstone was one of the first acts from overseas that Japan had. For many music fans in Japan, Holly's show was the first gig back after covid and the venue was getting filled with anticipation as more fans stepped into Club Quattro Shibuya on Thursday evening.

After Hitsuji-Bungaku, a three-piece Japanese alternative rock band played a few songs as an opener, Holly opened her set with 'Vanilla' from her debut EP, Falling Asleep at the Wheel.

It was the first time for Holly to play in Japan - she was supposed to be at the summer festival SUPERSONIC last year but she could not make it. Hence, she decided to make a stop in Tokyo for a headliner show before going on an Australia tour this summer.

It was fortunate for Japanese Holly fans that they could see the British rising star in a cosy 500-capacity venue, considering the fact that she's set to play bigger shows such as one in O2 Academy Brixton in London on her upcoming UK tour this winter.

Unlike her usual set with the drummer, Lauren O'Donnell Anderson, it was truly a solo set in Tokyo as she did the keys, synthesizer and guitar all by herself.

While the usuals - sing-alongs and mosh pits - were strictly prohibited for safety reasons, Holly had no trouble connecting with the audience with her delicate but fierce vocals and occasional greetings ("Arigatou-gozaimasu (Thank you)" and "Nihon Daisuki (I love Japan)" ) in Japanese she's learned from her elder sister who's currently living and studying in Tokyo.

The highlight of the night might have been 'London Is Lonely,' a single in which she sings about the difficulty of adjusting to the big city life in London after having grown up in a small town. As Tokyo is a city as big and busy as London is, sometimes life feels "upside-down" and it can get lonely.

Holly's set lasted for about 50 minutes. She took a group selfie from the stage and left - with a loud cheer that the crowd couldn't help but let out despite the ban.