About four years ago I attended a show at the Casbah in San Diego to see the Japanese punk band, Guitar Wolf. In case you don't know, these guys are the Asian version of the Ramones, with full-blown bowl haircuts and sleeve tattoos; something quite unusual for anybody Japanese. At least the tattoos are.
There's a tremendous amount of irony here as Guitar Wolf is dead serious about its music. In their mind they blare Rock 'n' Roll anthems that could only be dreamed up by Americans who cruise around in gas-guzzling cars and play rebellious music in sold out dive bars. To Americans, the kitsch factor is the hook, as if these guys came straight from an episode of The Simpsons; theyre the Japanese Ramones, for Chrissakes!
Dont let their looks fool you, though. These guys rock HARD. They are damn good. And they sing their songs in clear English! Theres no doubt theyre the baddest motherfuckers in their neighborhood back home. Before the bridge of the first song Guitar Wolf had the crowd whipped into a chaotic frenzy with their onstage antics and guitar crunching fury. Maybe its because you just cant find this kind of punk rock in Japan, a country where rebellion still means something, but they were more unabashedly raw and genuine than nearly every band Id ever seen play this side of the Pacific.
After the show, I just had to talk to Guitar Wolf and congratulate the guys on their great performance. Id also just come back from three weeks in Japan so I could speak in their language on a simple level.
As I pulled out my conversational cigarette and extended a congratulatory handshake, these guys all started bowing. All of them. Sank you, bery much. It is such honor to pray in San Dago.
Even being half Japanese myself, with a mother who speaks in the exact same manner, it took every fiber of self-control to keep from laughing in hysterics. Tattooed up and down their arms, legs, neck and hands, they were clearly of the same despicable ilk that the Yakuza originates. But to any blind person, the trio was nothing short of Sanrio punk rock characters.
Theyd only just finished cursing their American road manager in Japanese before the next band was headed to the stage; Deadbolt, the self-proclaimed scariest band in the world. Think of a sufer-billy version of the Cramps with smoke machines and Betty Paige go-go dancers.
And they werent about to miss these guys for all the punk rock in Japan. So with more bowing and rounds of sank you, Guitar Wolf piled back into the club to witness what they really came for: good ol American rock n roll music.
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P.S. - It's been 4 days now since my last cigarette and I'm ready to gnaw my arms off. I've been an addict for 10 years now and lemme tell ya kids, don't start smoking! This sucks!
There's a tremendous amount of irony here as Guitar Wolf is dead serious about its music. In their mind they blare Rock 'n' Roll anthems that could only be dreamed up by Americans who cruise around in gas-guzzling cars and play rebellious music in sold out dive bars. To Americans, the kitsch factor is the hook, as if these guys came straight from an episode of The Simpsons; theyre the Japanese Ramones, for Chrissakes!
Dont let their looks fool you, though. These guys rock HARD. They are damn good. And they sing their songs in clear English! Theres no doubt theyre the baddest motherfuckers in their neighborhood back home. Before the bridge of the first song Guitar Wolf had the crowd whipped into a chaotic frenzy with their onstage antics and guitar crunching fury. Maybe its because you just cant find this kind of punk rock in Japan, a country where rebellion still means something, but they were more unabashedly raw and genuine than nearly every band Id ever seen play this side of the Pacific.
After the show, I just had to talk to Guitar Wolf and congratulate the guys on their great performance. Id also just come back from three weeks in Japan so I could speak in their language on a simple level.
As I pulled out my conversational cigarette and extended a congratulatory handshake, these guys all started bowing. All of them. Sank you, bery much. It is such honor to pray in San Dago.
Even being half Japanese myself, with a mother who speaks in the exact same manner, it took every fiber of self-control to keep from laughing in hysterics. Tattooed up and down their arms, legs, neck and hands, they were clearly of the same despicable ilk that the Yakuza originates. But to any blind person, the trio was nothing short of Sanrio punk rock characters.
Theyd only just finished cursing their American road manager in Japanese before the next band was headed to the stage; Deadbolt, the self-proclaimed scariest band in the world. Think of a sufer-billy version of the Cramps with smoke machines and Betty Paige go-go dancers.
And they werent about to miss these guys for all the punk rock in Japan. So with more bowing and rounds of sank you, Guitar Wolf piled back into the club to witness what they really came for: good ol American rock n roll music.
==========
P.S. - It's been 4 days now since my last cigarette and I'm ready to gnaw my arms off. I've been an addict for 10 years now and lemme tell ya kids, don't start smoking! This sucks!
VIEW 13 of 13 COMMENTS
-poo
Dave
I remember Acid Mothers Temple came to town and there show was fucking amazing with their leader Kawabata Makoto looking like some Aum Shinrikyo cult member. Afterwards they stood over by their table with cds and tshirts to sell. this kid comes up and buys a cd and tells them how great they were. they bow and thank him a whole bunch. he points out how one tshirt design looked cool. they start offering to give it to him and the guy is like oh no, i couldn't, no, at least let me pay for it. it was a struggle but he finally managed to give them the cash for it and they couldn't have thanked him enough.
I love japanese rock bands.