Ive often pondered this question, regarding which member woulda been the `hardest` amongst them, when it came to fighting ?
I know this kinda seems like a silly question, but the pecking order must`ve had an effect on the dynamic of the band.
I say this, as JAPAN were slightly different to most bands, insomuch as they were genuine school friends, whereas the vast majority of (successful) bands were formed much later than school days.
Added to which, the environment they were brought up in. I can imagine a secondary school in Catford, in the early 70s was as tough as any school is likely to be, so a `fighting` culture woulda been the norm for boys from there.
First impressions, would suggest that Sylvian was the `hardest` of the original four, as from whatever ive read on the band, everything he says, goes !!
Although, being the main song writer would help, it did appear that he pretty much called the shots on everything.
Having said that, Mick LOOKED physically, much stronger than Sylvian. And of course, in the latter stages of the band, it was Mick`s personality that rubbed Sylvian up the wrong way mostly.
And does anyone REALLY know what happened between the two of em, when YUKA swapped over ?
Again, perhaps that suggested Sylvian was confident enough, to handle Mick should things have turned nasty.
And mention should go to Richard, the dark horse of the group. The athletic one. The only one of them to have gone into the real world, and work for a living. He`s the one that always had a comment or two, to reign in some of Sylvians more pretentious pronouncements.
The most vociferous in his contempt for Sylvian during the RAIN TREE CROW fiasco.
Steve is soft as shite, i reckon.
So, any ideas, as to who, out of the four originals, was the HARDEST memeber of JAPAN ??????