So, next Monday's gig not so much crept up as sprang onto our shoulders wielding a katana sword and gave us an Osaka smile. What was originally going to be a relaxing little show for Yank avant-rock champions Hella has somehow grown into a five band bill, owing chiefly to our inability to say no to people filling the criteria of being a) Japanese and b) possibly slightly crazy. This explains the return to these streets of legendary gabba-noise fiend (and national anthem enthusiast)
DJ Scotch Egg. And also, his Japanese friends
Zuinosin (pictured, as if you hadn't guessed)
Zuinosin are a "new-wave anarchy" trio from Osaka in Japan. Formed at a seeing-in-the-Millennium show on December 31st 2000 in a performance that that saw them hurling fresh faeces at onlookers and police, they've since mutated into a bizarre, extreme rock band in the unhinged spirit of The Boredoms, Afrirampo, and Fantomas. Zuinosin date their spirit of dissent back to the events of the year 1995, when as schoolboys, they watched Japan's post-war industrial dream crumble in the wake of the
Sarin gas attacks on the Tokyo subway, the devestating Hanshin earthquake, and "the Sakakibara incident", where a 14-year old schoolboy beheaded his classmate. Led by skilled drummist Satojima Nana - aka Drum Jockey Nani Nani Nani! - their game is channeling feelings of alienation, confusion and the fear of imminent social collapse into a rampaging punk-rock Godzilla. Just what you need on a Monday in December. Leech an MP3, courtesy of the good folk at 20 Jazz Funk Greats, over
here.
It would also be remiss of us not to mention
The Psychic Paramount. None other than Philip Best of Whitehouse gave us the thumbs up about them - they recently supported Whitehouse on a handful of US dates, and from what we can glean, they're going to be every bit as extreme as that recommendation implies. Think My Bloody Valentine, Swans, Sunn0))), Skullflower, brain haemorrages... and then watch this
video. Fuck yeah.
That's Hella, taking a nap. Anyway, it's all downstairs this coming Monday. If you were locked out of Melt Banana, consider this your chance to get revenge. It's £5 on the door, or you can pick up tickets in Spillers, or on the
Clwb website.
Oh, and if you see one of Lesson No.1 at ATP, buy them a drink. They're skint...
