Tales from Tokyo part 4: Pop on with the Wimpy's!

My last night in Tokyo I went to a pop concert at Shelter in Shimokitazawa. Shimokitazawa is one of the nicest parts of Tokyo, with a lot of record shops and low-key bars, but is currently under threat since there are plans to build a motorway that would destroy the whole area! If you have a chance, you should go there and remember to take the South exit from the train - that is where the action is!

Due to a series of strange coincidences, I was introduced to Takeuchi "Hirocky" Hirokai of Oasaka indie pop combo The Wimpy's through Ola Hermansson, neuroscientist and singer in classic Swedish surf band Sonic Surf City. As luck would have it, The Wimpy's were supporting Australian garage rockers The Stems together with Japanese acts Faceful and Supersnazz! Being a long-term Stems fan and curios about the Japanese pop scene, I simply had to go...! I arrived early and had time to hang out with Hirocky (center), his wife Beccee and friend Lee (as in Marvin, not Bruce!)


First band on stage was Faceul, with an energetic female singer

Then came veterans Supersnazz, who started out as an all-girl rock band but now is gender neutral

Hirocky's band The Wimpy's were next, and I could see the connection with Sonic Surf City right away - both have a hard, poppy sound that really gets the crowd going!

Finally, The Stems - I thought they went away in the 80's but apparently they reformed 10 years ago and have a new album out!

It was a lot of fun meeting some musicians and fans and seeing some cool live music! And just to prove what a small town Tokyo sometimes can be, Ox from Rockin' Jelly Bean's shop Erostika showed up, and of course it turns out he knows Hirocky! Next time in Japan I really hope I can catch Rockin' Jelly Bean's surf band Jackie and the Cedrics who played Shelter just a few weeks ago!

Thanks to Hirocky and all the bands and the great people at Shelter! I won't be blogging for a while but stay tuned - next time I'll post some great poster from Japan and elsewhere...