Rage Against the Machine

This bunch of left-wing rockers have been phenomenally popular in Japan since the early-1990s, and have spawned a host of local imitation bands entranced by their mixture of heavy-duty rapping over a hard rock beat. It's taken the band a while to get here since the release of their last album, 'The Battle of Los Angeles', but now they are obviously out to make an impression by playing one of the biggest venues in the Tokyo area, a 20-minute ride out of the city centre by express train.