Video of Steve performing with Yuki at recent Sonar Festival

[arieleleven]

This was just posted 2 days ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nJbVBSG3ic

I am confused, though -- I just watched this video and while it is a beautiful song, I don't seem to see Steve onstage here...? I thought he was the fellow in black closest to Yukihiro but it looks as if this guy is wearing glasses and he looks Japanese...of course, it is a bit difficult to tell for sure since all we can really see is the backs and sides of their heads.

I don't mean to complain, though; like I said, this is a beautiful song and I'm happy to see any footage at all from these recent performances. I am just wondering if anyone else can spot Steve here?

[krausy]

I know what you mean by that one.

My guess would be: eliminate the middle guy as Steve because that guy is moving around too much to be Steve, in my opinion.

I see that the one in the foreground has glasses---never seen Steve with glasses but not out of the question.....

My strongest feeling is he is the guy all the way at the end that you can hardly see.

[arieleleven]

I know what you mean by that one.

My guess would be: eliminate the middle guy as Steve because that guy is moving around too much to be Steve, in my opinion.

I see that the one in the foreground has glasses---never seen Steve with glasses but not out of the question.....

My strongest feeling is he is the guy all the way at the end that you can hardly see.

Except for those specs he sported as the dorky-but-cute typist in the Bamboo Music vid (and in a photo someone sent me from around this same time, I think I posted it here awhile ago?), I have never seen Steve in glasses either. I must have missed the guy way at the other end...I counted only 3 people behind Yukihiro, is there more? That must be Steve just via the process of elimination here, right?

I'll have to watch this again later. Thanks for your feedback here, Krausy!

[heartofdavid]

Except for those specs he sported as the dorky-but-cute typist in the Bamboo Music vid (and in a photo someone sent me from around this same time, I think I posted it here awhile ago?), I have never seen Steve in glasses either.

I haven't watched the video yet but I think Steve wears glasses sometimes (probably for reading I'd guess); he has them in one of the pics on the SBP blog (they're sitting atop his head).

[arieleleven]

Except for those specs he sported as the dorky-but-cute typist in the Bamboo Music vid (and in a photo someone sent me from around this same time, I think I posted it here awhile ago?), I have never seen Steve in glasses either.

I haven't watched the video yet but I think Steve wears glasses sometimes (probably for reading I'd guess); he has them in one of the pics on the SBP blog (they're sitting atop his head).

I noticed this too but thought they were sunglasses? I guess I need to take another look.

If the guy in black at the Sonar Festival is indeed Steve, then he is wearing some pretty festive trousers (kind of reminiscent of those he wore on the final Japan tour) and also seems to be seriously getting into the music at times.

[arieleleven]

Except for those specs he sported as the dorky-but-cute typist in the Bamboo Music vid (and in a photo someone sent me from around this same time, I think I posted it here awhile ago?), I have never seen Steve in glasses either.

I haven't watched the video yet but I think Steve wears glasses sometimes (probably for reading I'd guess); he has them in one of the pics on the SBP blog (they're sitting atop his head).

You're right, those are regular glasses atop his head in that photo. I guess perhaps that must be Steve, then, at the end nearest Yukihiro? (I still thought this person looked Japanese, but again, it is hard to get a very good look in the video.)

[lisa]

my sources in Japan (usually very reliable) inform me that Steve was on the far side of the stage and cannot be seen on this video. The chap we can see is playing a lapsteel guitar!

L.

[lisa]

and I'm quite sure those are sunglasses.... if they weren't he'd probably need to be wearing them to see the computer screen!

[arieleleven]

my sources in Japan (usually very reliable) inform me that Steve was on the far side of the stage and cannot be seen on this video. The chap we can see is playing a lapsteel guitar!

L.

Is that what that is?! It looks like a keyboard to me!

Thanks so much, Lisa, for solving this mystery here!

[arieleleven]

and I'm quite sure those are sunglasses.... if they weren't he'd probably need to be wearing them to see the computer screen!

That's what I thought too, but when I looked at the blog photo in question again, the lenses look clear to me...? Whatever, maybe he just took them off briefly for some reason -- maybe he didn't want to be photographed wearing them?

[lisa]

In a recent Japanese interview that was translated by my 'reliable' friend, the interviewer commented that steve doesn't need to wear glasses. I wouldn't say that's conclusive but it goes some way towards the debate...
L.

[heartofdavid]

Why would he need sunglasses on a bullet train at night? The windows show that it is totally dark outside. The lenses on the glasses look clear.

[arieleleven]

In a recent Japanese interview that was translated by my 'reliable' friend, the interviewer commented that steve doesn't need to wear glasses. I wouldn't say that's conclusive but it goes some way towards the debate...
L.

That's a funny thing to comment on, isn't it, that someone doesn't need to wear glasses? Maybe he was just sporting the ones on the bullet train purely for fashion. Some people do, apparently!

I know! Let's ask Tim Elsenburg if Steve wears glasses. (I would do it if I didn't think I would sound like a complete imbecile, ha.)

[arieleleven]

Why would he need sunglasses on a bullet train at night? The windows show that it is totally dark outside. The lenses on the glasses look clear.

Maybe he didn't want to be recognized?! No, those lenses definitely look clear to me too. Either Steve just wears specs on occasion because he likes the way they look or else he needs them sometimes but doesn't like to be photographed while wearing them....just my humble opinion here anyway.

[Bern]

Sylvian wore glasses just as a fashion accessory in the early 80's but Jansen was in fact the first in Japan to do so I remember photo's from the Obscure Alternatives period were he was wearing a very 60's style white framed pair