Japan vs. Gary Numan

[Ice Fiend]

I read on a web site that there was some sort of bad blood between the two. Any
insight, anyone?

[Paul]

OK,

Gary and Japan hung out together for a while in 1980, backstage at YMO in
London etc etc, Gary invited Mick & Rob to play on his next album (Dance).
He also wanted to do a song with Sylvian but it didn't happen. Japan gave
Gary a vague invite for a get-together while they were both in Japan early
on the next year. Months went by... Japanese tour happens. Gary turns up at
Japan's hotel before a gig, assuming that he would still be onstage. He
thinks it's strange when they go to the gig without him (he took this
personally, at the time they were escaping from Japanese fans by creeping
out the back door of the hotel or something)
At the venue Gary watches the soundcheck and then the gig from the side of
the stage but isn't invited on as he was expecting. Japan didn't invite him
onstage because they hadn't rehearsed anything togetther. But Gary had taken
it personally and there was a *minor* falkling out, although Gary, Mick and
Rob later made it up (not that they had really fallen out). At the time,
Sylvian was a little distant from everyone apparently, so Gary shouldn't
have taken that the wrong way! Anyway, there was another falling out
between Mick & Gary later on when Mick gave an average/poor review of
"Dance" in a Uk pop magazine when it came out. After some angry responses
from Gary's fans Mick had a letter published explaining his reasons for
writing the negative review. Mick never worked with Gary again, but there
isn't a hatred. After he left Japan, Rob Dean was a member of Gary Numan's
band (through the I Assasin/Warriors period). That's it. You can read Gary's
side in his book "Praying For The Aliens", which is very entertaining (and a
bit different from the version above)