Even among pros, embarking on a major North American tour can be nervous-making. Musicians will fret about all sorts of things, from how well the new songs will go over to whether the video screens ...

Toshimitsu "Toshi" Deyama, right, lead singer of Japanese heavy metal band, X Japan, performs at Shepherds Bush Empire in London on Tuesday night.

The setting is an upscale hotel ballroom. On a stage in the center of the room sit two crystal-clear transparent pianos, facing each other, and a mic stand. In a circle around the stage, facing inward ...