Orange Range‘s popular drummer Katchan (22) has quit the group. He dropped out of a tour in June, citing an injury to his hand, but the reason given for quitting was the old cliche, “artistic differences.” He said that the time off had given him time to think about his career, and the decision was said to be agreed with the other members. The band will continue with its remaining five members, using a session drummer. They plan to go ahead with their scheduled appearance at the Summer Sonic festival on August 13. One of the biggest names in the young rock/hip hop scene and yet another to hail from Okinawa, Orange Range were the biggest selling artists of 2004. Katchan was perhaps the most popular member, and was chosen in a recent music show poll of young women as the artist they would most like to go to the seaside with.
• The Beach Boys played in Japan for the first time in 14 years yesterday. They were one of the biggest names on the bill for the third and final day of the Fuji Rock Festival in Naeba, Niigata Prefecture. The event was an even bigger success than ever, drawing over 125,000 fans to the idyllic mountainside venue, despite the growing popularity and number of other summer festivals.
• Talentos Fujii Takashi (33) and Otoha (24) cancelled a planned press conference to announce their wedding plans, due to the recent death of comedian Oka Hachiro. Oka was Fujii’s “sempai” (senior) at the Yoshimoto talent agency.