Alexandros (band)
![]() | This article needs to be updated. The reason given is: New material is missing.(December 2021) |
Alexandros アレキサンドロス | |
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![]() [Alexandros] at Tokyo Music Odyssey 2016. Left to right: Satoyasu, Hiroyuki, Yoohei, and Masaki. | |
Background information | |
Also known as |
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Origin | Tokyo, Japan |
Genres | |
Years active | 2007–present |
Labels |
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Members |
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Past members |
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Website | alexandros |
Alexandros (アレキサンドロス, Arekisandorosu), stylized as [Alexandros], is a Japanese rock band, managed by UK Project. They are signed to RX-Records and Polydor Records, both under Universal Music Japan. On March 28, 2014, the band renamed from [Champagne] to [Alexandros] from on request from Bureau du Champagne, Japan.[5]
Overview
[edit]In 2001, Yoohei Kawakami formed the band [Champagne], with Hiroyuki Isobe joining from the initial lineup. After several changes in members, in 2010 Kawakami, Shirai, Isobe, and then-drummer Ishikawa debuted under RX-RECORDS. In 2014, they changed their name to [Alexandros].
On November 28, 2014, it was announced that the band would be signed to Universal Music Japan, starting from their single "Wataridori / Dracula la" (ワタリドリ, Dracula la) that was released in 2015.[6] Subsequent album and singles since 2015 have been released by Universal Music Japan.[7]
In 2016, the band performed at the SXSW Music Festival as part of the Japan Nite showcase.[8]
The Japanese version of The Legend of Tarzan (film) uses their song "Nawe, Nawe" as its theme song.[9] In 2018, their song "Mosquito Bite" was used as the theme for the live-action film adaptation of Bleach.[10] That same year, the band also contributed the theme song ("Arpeggio") and ending theme ("Your Song") to the Sega video game Judgment.[11] A year later in 2019, their song "PRAY" was used as the theme for the Japanese dub of the MonsterVerse film Godzilla: King of the Monsters.[12]
From 2020 to 2021, the band's lead vocalist Yoohei Kawakami was a guest vocalist of two songs by Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra for the Japanese Tokusatsu drama Kamen Rider Saber.
The original name [Champagne] carried the meaning: “We want the musical intoxication to spread to all — the audience, the staff, ourselves — and let everyone get drunk on the sound.” However, this was a later interpretation; the name was actually borrowed from Oasis’s song “Champagne Supernova.”[13] Kawakami also mentioned in his blog that he picked the name in elementary school simply because he thought it “sounded cool.”[14]
When Kawakami lived in Syria, he had already named a band [Champagne].[15]
Nicknames for the band include “Dros” and “Areki”.[16]
History
[edit]- 2001: Yoohei Kawakami formed a band at Aoyama Gakuin University, continuing musical activities with Hiroyuki Isobe.
- January 20, 2010: Released their 1st album “Where’s My Potato?” from RX-RECORDS and made their official debut.[17]
- March 25, 2014: At the “Premium V.I.P. Party” at EX THEATER ROPPONGI, they announced their name change from [Champagne] to [Alexandros]. The change was due to a request from the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (C.I.V.C.)’s Japan branch.[18]
- March 28, 2014: Officially unveiled the new name at their first Nippon Budokan performance. All past works under [Champagne] were re-released under [Alexandros].
- November 28, 2014: Signed a global partnership deal with Universal Music.
- March 17, 2015: Released the single “Wataridori / Dracula La” from Universal Music Japan, marking their major debut. The music video for “Wataridori” surpassed 100 million views on YouTube by August 7, 2019.[19]
- November 9, 2016: Achieved their first Oricon Chart No.1 with their 6th original album “EXIST!”[20]
- March 14, 2018: Announced the release of their 16th single “KABUTO” (title still unannounced at the time) and that they would change their band name stylization to all uppercase [ALEXANDROS]. Kawakami stated this change was “just on a whim” during his regular radio show.[21]
- August 16, 2018: Held their first outdoor one-man live concert “V.I.P. PARTY 2018” at ZOZO Marine Stadium.
- June 19, 2019: Drummer Satoyasu Shomura suspended live activities due to focal dystonia, with Ib Riad from BIGMAMA stepping in as support drummer.[22]
- January 1, 2020: Announced a new band logo and reverted their stylization from [ALEXANDROS] back to [Alexandros] with a lowercase format.
- January 24, 2020: Announced that Satoyasu Shomura would retire from the band after the release of their “best of” album (originally planned for May).[23] A special YouTube livestream featuring the members discussing his retirement was held at 9 PM the same day. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the album release was postponed to January 2021, thus delaying Shomura’s retirement, which was again delayed to March 2021 after another emergency declaration.[24]
- April 10, 2021: Ib Riad, who had been supporting the band, officially joined as a full member.[25]
- October 26–27, 2024: [Alexandros] hosted their first self-produced festival “THIS FES ‘24 in Sagamihara” at Sagamihara Gion Field, commemorating the 70th anniversary of Sagamihara’s city status.
Band members
[edit](Unless otherwise noted, based on the official website’s “Biography”)[26]
Current members
- Yoohei Kawakami (川上 洋平, Kawakami Yōhei, born June 22, 1982) – vocals, guitar (2007–present)
- Graduated from the Faculty of Law of Aoyama Gakuin University.[27]
- He is responsible for writing and composing almost all of the band’s songs.[28]
- He grew up in Syria and sings in both English with a Middle Eastern accent and Japanese.[29]
- Hiroyuki Isobe (磯部 寛之, Isobe Hiroyuki, born December 29, 1982) – bass guitar, backing vocals (2007–present)
- Also graduated from the Faculty Of Law of Aoyama Gakuin University.
- He began playing the bass at age 15 after watching a friend play.[30]
- Masaki Shirai (白井 眞輝, Shirai Masaki, born December 12, 1982) – guitar (2007–present)
- Ib Riad (リアド 偉武, Riado Ibu, born October 25, 1985) — drums (2021–present)
- Joined as a support member after the previous drummer, Satoyasu Shomura, went on hiatus in 2019.
- He left Bigmama in May 2020, and joined as a full member of [Alexandros] on April 10, 2021.[34]
Former members
- Hiroki Ishikawa (石川 博基, Ishikawa Hiroki, born September 22, 1982) – drums (2007–2010)
- Left the band on March 1, 2010.
- Appeared in early music videos like “For Freedom” and is pictured on the back cover of the first album “Where’s My Potato?”.
- Satoyasu Shomura (庄村 聡泰, Shōmura Satoyasu, born March 21, 1984) – drums (2010–2021)
- Joined as an official member on April 1, 2010.
- From June 2019, he went on a hiatus from live performances due to focal dystonia.[35]
- In January 2020, he announced his retirement with the release of the band’s best-of album in May 2020.
- His last live performance was on March 20–21, 2021, at Makuhari Messe, during the band’s 10th anniversary concert.
- In 2021, he launched a fashion project, Snack NGL, alongside fashion stylists and buyers. He also became a writer for an interview series called “Kiki Mimi” on the Pia website and app.
- In 2024, he joined Dr.DOWNER as a member.
Support members
- Rose – keyboard (original group: The Led Snail)
- Mullon - guitar (original group: The Led Snail)
Timeline

Appearances
[edit]TV variety appearance
[edit]- Welcome! [Alexandros] (Formerly known as: Welcome! [Champagne]) (June 2013 – March 2017, Space Shower TV ) [36]
Radio appearance
[edit]- SBS PopAsia 「J-Rock Sessions with [Alexandros]」with Yoohei and Hiro (September 2015 – June 2016, Australia SBS)[37]
- School of Lock! (October 2015 ~ March 2021, Tokyo FM) – Yoohei as "Kawakami-sensei" on the Tuesday Regular Corner「AlexandroLocks!」[38]
Movie
[edit]- Kyou no Kira-kun (February 25, 2017) – Yoohei as an English Teacher, Cameo Appearance
Advertising
[edit]- Apparel Brand 「glamb」 (2015–2016) – Yoohei as a model for the Spring Collection [39]
CMs
[edit]- NTT DOCOMO「DOCOMO's Student Discount 『Ayanoxandros?』」(2017)
- Tokyo Metro 「Find My Tokyo. 『Asakusa – Fun continues to live』」(2018) [40]
Discography
[edit]Studio albums
[edit]Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
JPN [41] |
JPN Hot [42][43] |
TWN East Asia [44] | |||
Where's My Potato? (as [Champagne]) |
|
119 | — | — | |
I Wanna Go to Hawaii. (as [Champagne]) |
|
14 | — | — | |
Schwarzenegger (as [Champagne]) |
|
10 | — | — | |
Me No Do Karate. (as [Champagne]) |
|
13 | — | — | |
ALXD |
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3 | 2 | — |
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Exist! |
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1 | 1 | — |
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Sleepless in Brooklyn |
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3 | — | 1 |
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But Wait. Cats? |
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4 | 4 | — | |
Provoke |
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11 | — | — | |
"—" denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart. |
Singles
[edit]Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
JPN [45] |
JPN Hot [46] | ||||
"City" | 2010 | 57 | — | I Wanna Go to Hawaii. | |
"You're So Sweet & I Love You" | 76 | — | |||
"Ie (言え, Say It)" | 2011 | 35 | — | Schwarzenegger | |
"Spy" | 50 | 76 | |||
"Kill Me If You Can" | 2012 | 24 | 77 | ||
"starrrrrr" | 2013 | 13 | 17 | Me No Do Karate. | |
"Namida ga Koboresou (涙がこぼれそう, Tears' Dropping)" | — | ||||
"Forever Young" | 11 | 19 | |||
"Run Away" | 9 | 19 | ALXD | ||
"Oblivion" | — | ||||
"Adventure" | 2014 | 10 | 18 | ||
"Droshky!" | — | ||||
"Wataridori (ワタリドリ, Migratory)" | 2015 | 5 | 3 |
| |
"Dracula La" | 75 | ||||
"Girl A" | 3 | 7 |
|
Exist! | |
"New Wall" | 2016 | 7 | 12 | ||
"I Want U to Love Me" | — | ||||
"Swan" | 5 | 4 | |||
"Snow Sound" | 2017 | 8 | 4 | Sleepless in Brooklyn | |
"Ima made Kimi ga Naita Bun Torimodoso (今まで君が泣いた分取り戻そう, Take Back What You've Shed Tears For)" |
— | Exist! | |||
"Ashita, Mata (明日、また, See You Tomorrow)" | 4 | — | Sleepless In Brooklyn | ||
"—" denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart. |
DVD releases
[edit]Number | Title |
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1st | It's Me and Me Against the World
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2nd | I Thought It Was Only One Day
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3rd | Live at Budokan 2014
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4th | Space Shower TV presents Welcome! [Alexandros]
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5th | [Alexandros] Live at Makuhari Messe "Taihen Oishu Gozaimasita"
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6th | We Come in Peace Tour & Documentary
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7th | Clips
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8th | Sleepless in Japan Tour -Final-
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9th | “Where's My Yoyogi?" at Makuhari & Documentary
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10th | But wait. Arena? 2022 Tour -Final-
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Music videos
[edit]Except for a few, each music video includes about 30 seconds of bonus footage at the end.
Director | Song Title(s) |
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Misato Kato | "Feel like", "Kaiju", "SNOW SOUND"
(Creative Director for "SNOW SOUND": Atsunori Tōichi) |
Kouhei Igarashi | "Swan" |
Hiroyoshi Itagaki | "Stimulator" |
Masaki Okita | "NEW WALL" |
Takuro Okubo | "Girl A", "Pray" |
Hisashi Kikuchi | "Wataridori", "Dracula La" |
Kenta Kimoto | "Forever Young" |
Takahito Seike | "Cat 2", "Waitress, Waitress! from 'I thought it was only one day'" |
Yoshiharu Seri | "Kids", "Kick & Spin", "Run Away", "Droshky!", "Famous Day", "Dog 3” |
Kazuki Chida | "For Freedom", "city", "Ie (Say It)", "spy", "You're So Sweet & I Love You", "Rocknrolla!", "Rocknrolla! (Thermography Ver.)", "Kids", "Waitress, Waitress!", "Namida ga Koboresou", "Senkou", "Rock The World" |
Kazuki Chida feat. Y.A | "Kill Me If You Can" |
Hidenobu Tanabe | "Adventure", "Philosophy" |
Hiroto Fujiyasu | "Oblivion (feat. LITHIUM HOMME)" |
Tatsuya Murakami | "starrrrrrr feat. GEROCK" |
tatsuaki | "Moon Song" |
Kazuyoshi Iijima | "Boo! from 'live at Makuhari Messe 2015.12.19'", "Wataridori (Premium V.I.P. Party 2017)" |
Toru Nomura | "NEW WALL from 'live at Makuhari Messe 2017'" |
bait | "Ashita, Mata" |
Toru Nomura | "I Don’t Believe In You (Lyric Video)" |
Masakazu Fukatsu | "KABUTO" |
Ryan Valdez | "Mosquito Bite" |
Takehiro Shiraishi | "Arpeggio" |
Takuto Shinbo | "Tsukiiro Horizon", "Amari ni mo Suteki na Yoru Dakara" |
Nasty Men$ah | "Beast" |
Futoshi Nakazawa | "Kaze ni Natte" |
Denki Imahara | "Hibi, Oriori", "Baby's Alright", "Crash (Visualizer)", "we are still kids & stray cats (Visualizer)" |
Asuya Hamada | "Dōdemo Ii Kara" |
WurtS | "VANILLA SKY (feat. WurtS)" |
Kensaku Kakimoto | "todayyyyy" |
Yasuyuki Yamaguchi | "Samechau" (basic structure handled by him; script and emotional expression completed by Yoohei Kawakami) |
Ao Inoue | "Backseat" |
YDC | "Boy Fearless" |
Awards and nominations
[edit]Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2016 | [Alexandros] | New Artist of the Year[47] | Won |
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2016 | "Swan" | Best Rock Video | Won |
- Space Shower Music Awards
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2016 | [Alexandros] | Best Rock Artist[48] | Won |
2017 | [Alexandros] | People's choice | Won |
2019 | [Alexandros] | Best Group Artist | Won |
Tours and concerts
[edit]Japan
[edit]- Rock in Japan Festival with Various Artists (2010)[49]
- Summer Sonic Festival with Various Artists (2010)[50]
- Rock in Japan Festival with Various Artists (2011)[51]
- Summer Sonic Festival with Various Artists (2011)
- Kasabian Japan Tour with [Champagne] as supporting act (2012)[52]
- Rock in Japan Festival with Various Artists (2012)[53]
- Rising Sun Rock Festival with Various Artists (2012)[54]
- Muse Japan Tour with [Champagne] as supporting act (2013)[55][56]
- Primal Scream Japan Tour with [Champagne] as supporting act (2013)[57][58]
- Summer Sonic Festival with Various Artists (2013)
- Fuji Rock Festival with Various Artists (2015)
- Summer Sonic Festival with Various Artists (2016)
Overseas
[edit]- The Great Escape Festival in UK with Various Artists (2013)[59]
- SXSW Music Festival in US with Various Artists (2014)[60]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "[Alexandros] reviews, music, news". Sputnikmusic.com. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
- ^ a b "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 24, 2017. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ a b Robb, John (October 29, 2014). "[Alexandros] : live review from JAPAN NIGHT in TIMM : Tokyo Oct 2014". Louder Than War. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
- ^ "[Alexandros] (ex-[Champagne]) interview (2013.05)". Japan Vibe. October 29, 2014. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
- ^ "[Alexandros] Biography". [Alexandros] Official Site (in Japanese).
- ^ "[Alexandros] Discography". Universal-music.co.jp. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
- ^ "[Alexandros]、ユニバーサル ミュージックとパートナーシップを結び、新作をリリースへ". Universal-music.co.jp. November 28, 2014. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
- ^ "[Alexandros] | SXSW 2016 Event Schedule". SXSW Schedule 2016. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- ^ "[Alexandros]の新曲「Nawe, Nawe」が映画『ターザン:Reborn』の日本版主題歌に | Spice - エンタメ特化型情報メディア スパイス". Spice(スパイス)|エンタメ特化型情報メディア スパイス (in Japanese). Retrieved April 21, 2025.
- ^ Minikhiem, Michelle (December 4, 2018). "Alexandros – Interview (2018)". J-Generation. Archived from the original on December 2, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
- ^ "Judgment". Yakuza.sega.com. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
- ^ "Alexandros Perform Godzilla: King of the Monsters Film's Theme Song for Japanese Screenings". Anime News Network.
- ^ 「Rockin' on Japan」2015年10月号[page needed]
- ^ "第85話:[Alexandros]". 川上洋平オフィシャルブログ「あれきさんどろす日記」. April 9, 2014. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
- ^ 「Rockin' on Japan」2015年10月号[page needed]
- ^ 安藤康之 (July 5, 2018). "[Alexandros]のスタジアムライブにかける意気込みに注目!". Hominis. スカパーJSATホールディングス. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
- ^ "Biography". [Alexandros] Official Site. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
- ^ "[Champagne]が改名、武道館公演で新バンド名発表へ". 音楽ナタリー. March 25, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
- ^ "[Alexandros]の「ワタリドリ」、YouTube再生数1億回突破". Barks. August 8, 2019. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
- ^ "【オリコン】[Alexandros]デビュー7年目で初首位". Oricon News. oricon ME. November 15, 2016. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ "New Single!". アレキサンドLocks!. Tokyo FM. April 17, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
- ^ " [Alexandros]庄村聡泰、局所性ジストニアにより当面活動休止". 音楽ナタリー. ナターシャ. June 19, 2019. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- ^ " [Alexandros] 庄村聡泰が5月で勇退、今夜生配信でメンバーから報告". 音楽ナタリー. ナターシャ. January 24, 2020. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
- ^ "[Alexandros]の10年間を凝縮した幕張の夜、庄村聡泰の門出に4人で鳴らした曲は". 音楽ナタリー. ナターシャ. March 22, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- ^ "[Alexandros]にドラマー・リアド偉武が加入、新アー写も公開". 音楽ナタリー. ナターシャ. April 10, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ "Biography". [Alexandros]Official Site. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ alumni.agkoyuの投稿(1085483308460989) - Facebook
- ^ 水田静子 (November 22, 2020). "川上洋平の音楽魂──ロックしているから"ブレまくる"". GQ Japan. コンデナスト・ジャパン. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ "シリア育ちのバイリンガルVo擁する4人組[Champagne]、3rdアルバムをリリース". CINRA. February 9, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ "Bassist File―磯部寛之(イソベ・ヒロユキ)". Bass Magazine. リットーミュージック. August 11, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ "【卒業生の活躍】プロミュージシャン学科卒業生の白井眞輝さんが所属する[Alexandros]が初のコンセプトアルバム『Bedroom Joule』をリリースしました!". shobi.ac.jp. 尚美ミュージックカレッジ. July 7, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ "[Alexandros]白井眞輝のYouTubeチャンネル開設に喜びの声 機材紹介や演奏も". Spice. イープラス. April 22, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ "[Alexandros]白井眞輝、一般女性との結婚&第1子誕生を報告「ギタリストとして日々精進」". Oricon News. oricon ME. December 30, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
- ^ "[Alexandros]にドラマー・リアド偉武が加入、新アー写も公開". 音楽ナタリー. ナターシャ. April 10, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ "ドラムス庄村聡泰についてのご報告". [Alexandros]Official Site. January 24, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ "Welcome! [Alexandros] | Space Shower TV". Welcome! [Alexandros] | Space Shower TV (in Japanese). Retrieved April 8, 2018.
- ^ "The J-Rock Sessions with [Alexandros]". SBS PopAsia. August 31, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
- ^ "未来の鍵を握る学校 School of Lock! アレキサンド Locks!". 未来の鍵を握る学校 School of Lock! (in Japanese). Retrieved April 8, 2018.
- ^ "川上洋平&金子ノブアキ、glamb春コレクションのモデルに – 音楽ナタリー". Natalie.mu (in Japanese). Retrieved April 8, 2018.
- ^ "[ALEXANDROS]新曲で最果タヒとコラボ、東京メトロCMで石原さとみに瓦割り勧める(動画あり / コメントあり) – 音楽ナタリー". Natalie.mu (in Japanese). Retrieved April 8, 2018.
- ^ "[Alexandros]のアルバム売上ランキング". Oricon.co.jp. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
- ^ "Hot Albums". Billboard-japan.com. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
- ^ "But Wait. Cats?". Billboard-japan.com. July 20, 2022. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
- ^ "風雲榜:玫瑰大眾購物網". December 5, 2018. Archived from the original on December 5, 2018. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
- ^ "[Alexandros]のシングル売上TOP18作品". Oricon.co.jp. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
- ^ "Hot 100". Billboard-japan.com. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
- ^ "Japan Gold Disc Award 2016". Japan Gold Disc Award (in Japanese). Retrieved October 13, 2017.
- ^ "スペシャ「Music Awards」でドリカム2冠、Bump は投票1位に". Natalie (in Japanese). February 29, 2016. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
- ^ "Rock in Japan Festival 2010 Timetable". Rock in Japan Festival. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
- ^ "Summer Sonic 2010 Lineup". Summer Sonic Festival. Archived from the original on September 22, 2018. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
- ^ "Rock in Japan Festival 2011 Timetable". Rock in Japan Festival. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
- ^ "カサビアン来日公演に[Champagne]がサポート・アクトとして出演". Rockin'On Japan (in Japanese). November 14, 2011. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
- ^ "Rock in Japan Festival 2012 Timetable". Rock in Japan Festival. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
- ^ "Rising Sun Rock Festival 2012 Lineup". Rising Sun Rock Festival. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
- ^ "Muse Japan Tour 2013". Creativeman.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved October 13, 2017.
- ^ "[Alexandros]". Sync Music Japan. January 1, 2011. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
- ^ "Primal Scream Japan Tour 2013". UK Project (in Japanese). July 30, 2013. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
- ^ "[Champagne]、Primal Scream東京公演をサポート". Natalie. October 17, 2013. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
- ^ "More Aussies To Make The Great Escape To UK, As Festival Adds 100 Acts To Lineup". Tonedeaf.co.au. March 6, 2013. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
- ^ Petrillo, Nick (October 16, 2013). "SXSW Announces Initial 2014 Music Lineup". Paste. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
External links
[edit]- Official website
- [Alexandros] (@alexandroscrew) - X (formerly Twitter)
- [Alexandros] (@alexandros_official_insta) - Instagram