YOKO KANNO & THE SEATBELTS (Barcelona Fira Gran Via, 05/12/25)

The anime Cowboy Bebop has my favourite soundtrack of all time, and I have fantasised since the age of 14 about seeing it performed live. So when I discovered by complete accident that literal living god Yoko Kanno had announced her first ever European show along with many of the accomplished jazz musicians that made that show so legendary, I found myself with plane tickets for Barcelona less than 20 minutes later. Obviously, you expect that these things will never live up to your expectations, and they had already been lowered when vocalist Mai Yamane had to cancel last minute, but I can honestly say it was everything I'd ever dreamed of. Watching Masato Honda's saxo-mo-phone his way through "Tank!" was a genuine dream come true, hearing "Space Lion" and "Blue" back to back was equally so, and being surrounded by so many other people who shared this deep and enthusiastic love for this soundtrack elevated this to one of my favourite musical experiences of my life.