Thwack! Fists are flying. Is Faris "Rotter" Badwan about to take another one on the chin? The Horrors' singer has been punched on a London street by a thuggish chav who took offense at his Victorian dandy look and he's also been attacked on stage at a Halloween gig in New York. And now the eminently punchable Rotter is on the receiving end of a bunch of screaming Japanese teenagers. He's penned in. There seems no escape. But there's no blood or bruises this time as Horrorsmania descends upon Harajuku.

"We had our first experience of band mobbing when we left the venue today after soundcheck. It was quite surreal," says Horrors keyboardist Spider Webb. "About 40 people were banging on the windows of the van shouting and screaming. We're always willing to chat to people outside the venue, but this was a bit like ARGH! But it was fun!"

The Horrors were in Japan last month to promote their self-titled five-track debut CD and play a show at Harajuku's Astro Hall live house, all to stoke up excitement ahead of the planned March release of their debut album and further shows in Japan in the summer, including at the Summer Sonic festival.