Good Charlotte

Four-piece punk rockers from Maryland, US

May 8

Zepp, Osaka

Formed just over ten years ago in Maryland, USA and fronted by identical twin brothers Benji and Joel Madden the band took their monika from a children's book of the same name.

From 1996 to 1999 the pop-punk-rock band trawled the club circuit before catching the attention of postgrungers Lit (who at the time were enjoying a lot of success) and this lead to Good Charlotte filling the support slot on Lit's east coast US tour of 1999.

From there things really started to take off and they have since released four albums. To date, the band's most successful album has been their 2002 release The Young and The Helpless, which went platinum. The latest album Good Morning Revival was released in March of this year and according to the band the album has revolutionized their sound. 'It's a vibrant, adventurous and unexpected rock album that has redefined the group'.

Time: 7pm • Entry: ¥6,300
06-6233-8888 • Genre: Pop-Punk-Rock

Amos Garrett

Jazz, folk guitar icon for four decades

May 15

Taku Taku, Kyoto

Guitar Player maga- zine has called him 'one of the most lyrical and original guitarists playing today … his single note solos and melodic figures are so distinctive that it is virtually impossible to mistake them for anyone else'; he's been hailed by Stevie Wonder and Chet Atkins as one of the most accomplished guitar players working today. Surprisingly though, with all of this acclaim Amos Garrett is not a guitarist to be under the public gaze and to many fans of the instrument he's a total unknown.

Guitarist, vocalist and trombonist Garrett, born in the US and moved to Canada aged four, is probably best known for his solo on the classic track of Maria Mulduar 'Midnight at the Oasis' in 1974. He continued to work with Mulduar for four years after which he released five albums under his own name between 1978 and 1988.

For a musician whose first professional gig was on the same billing as a JFK impersonator he thankfully improved his standings. Garrett's new album of acoustic tracks is his first acoustic collection of songs in twenty years. About going acoustic, Garrett himself says "The acoustic guitar is a very different instrument from the electric, it makes you 'think' songs in a different way".

Outside music, Garrett's favorite pass time is fishing, he apparently can be often seen wearing a cap with a clock on the front that has the slogan "what time is it' and on the back it reads 'it's fishing time".

Amos Garrett embarks on an eighteen date of Japan starting 12th May and will be playing Taku Taku, Kyoto 15th May.

Time: 7pm • ¥6,000/¥7,000
075-351-1321

Stone Sour

Melodic post-grunge hard rock (featuring Corey Taylor of Slipknot)

May 21

Club Quattro, Osaka

Grammy nominated American melodic post-grunge hard rock band Stone Sour was originally formed in 1992 by vocalist Corey Taylor (more known as front-man to Slipknot) and drummer Joel Ekman.

The band were later to disband in 1997 when Taylor joined Slipknot before coming back together in 2000 when guitarist Josh Rand approached him with some songs. Drummer Elkman though was to leave the band in 2006 when his son was taken ill and tragically died from a brain tumour.

Signed to the Roadrunner label the band's debut album came out in 2000 and one track earned its way on to the Spider-Man movie soundtrack. The album went gold and the band toured for six months before Taylor and lead guitarist James Root returned to record and play live with Slipknot. The two bands, Stone Sour and Slipknot seem to juggle their shared band member's commitments quite well, though there will probably come a point in the future when they find that a choice has to be made. Only recently in an interview Taylor mentioned that Stone Sour may record another album before he and Root return to Slipknot, which may dismay many Slipknot fans.

The band, who take their name from a drink consisting of one part whisky, one part orange juice with a splash of sour mix and will be playing Club Quattro on May 21st.

Time: 7pm • ¥6,000/¥6,500
06-6281-8181 • Genre: Heavy Rock

Eddi Reader

Scottish folk-pop female vocalist

May 23

Club Quattro, Osaka

Born Sadenia Reader 28th August 1959 in Glasgow, Scotland Eddi Reader first really came to prominence fronting the band Fairground Attraction. Before that though Reader had already amassed plenty of experience as a professional artist touring the US as a backing singer with punk band Gang of Four and doing sessions with Eurythmics and Alison Moyet.

In 1988 Fairground Attraction's hit single 'Perfect' propelled her in to the public spotlight. However, the band was to be a short-lived experience. In 1990, after giving birth to her first child, Reader did a stint of acting before embarking on a successful solo career.

Her second solo album in 1994 won Best Female Singer award at the UK Brit awards and more recently in 2003 digging in to her Scottish roots she recorded an album of material by Robert Burns with the Royal Scottish national Orchestra.

With her eighth solo album released in January of this year Eddi Reader is as popular now as she was almost two decades ago. She'll be playing four dates in Japan, including Club Quattro on the 23rd, before heading back to the UK and then on to US for a string of summer festival dates.

Time: 8pm • ¥6,500
06-6535-5569 • Genre: Folk-pop

Live Listings May

Demon Kogure

5/4-5 @ Big Cat, Osaka
6pm • ¥4,800 06-6535-5569 • J-Metal

Stevie Salas Colorcode

5/7 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥6,000 06-6535-5569 • Rock

Saosin

5/7 @ Big Cat, Osaka
7pm • ¥4,800 06-6535-5569 • Rock

Good Charlotte

5/8 @ Zepp, Osaka
7pm • ¥6,300 06-6233-8888 • Pop-Punk

Soulhead

5/11 @ Namba Hatch, Osaka
7pm • ¥4,500 06-6341-3525 • J-pop female duo

Juliette & The Licks

5/12 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥5,500 06-6281-8181 • Rock

Soil & Pimp Sessions

5/13 @ Big Cat, Osaka
7pm • ¥3,500/¥4,000 06-6353-6601 • Funk

David T: Walker

5/14 @ Blue Note, Osaka
6:30pm/9:30pm • ¥6,400/¥8,400
06-6342-7722 • Guitar

Amos Garrett

5/15 @ Taku Taku, Kyoto
7pm • ¥6,000/¥7,000
075-351-1321 • Jazz/Folk/Acoustic Guitar

Vanessa Williams

5/15-17 @ Blue Note, Osaka
6:30pm/9:30pm • ¥11,000/¥13,000
06-6342-7722 • RnB

Nate James

5/18 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥6,500/¥7,000 06-6281-8181• Soul

The Dirty Dozen Brass Band

5/18 @ Blue Note, Osaka
6:30pm/9:30pm • ¥5,400/¥7,400
06-6342-7722 • Brass

Stone Sour

5/21 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥6,000/¥6,500 06-6281-8181 • Metal

Sonic Youth

4/17 @ Namba Hatch, Osaka
7pm • ¥6,800 06-6535-5569
• Alternative rock

European Jazz Trio

5/21-22 @ Blue Note, Osaka
6:30pm/9:30pm • ¥5,000/¥7,000
06-6342-7722 • Jazz

Eddi Reader

5/23 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
8pm • ¥6,500 06-6535-5569 • Female vocal

Stratovarious

5/22 @ Big Cat, Osaka
7pm • ¥6,500 06- 6233-8888 • Metal

Steps Ahead (Mike Mainieri/ Bill Evans/Bryan Baker/Anthony Jackson/Steve Smith)

5/24 @ Blue Note, Osaka
6:30pm/9:30pm • ¥6,400-¥8,400
06-6342-7722 • Jazz Fusion

Nine Inch Nails

5/23-24 @ Zepp, Osaka
7pm • ¥8,000 06-6233-8888 • Industrial Rock

Digitalism

5/25 @ Club Karma, Osaka
11pm • ¥4,000 06-6535-5569 • Electric Pop

Triceratops

5/25 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥4,500 06-6341-3525 • J-Rock/Pop

Carlos Kanno

5/30-31 @ Blue Note, Osaka
6:30pm/9:30pm • ¥5,000/¥7,000
06-6342-7722 • Latin Jazz

Bennie K

6/1 @ Namba Hatch, Osaka
7pm • ¥4,800/¥5,300 06-634-3525 • J-Urban Female Duo

Aqualung

6/6 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥5,800 06-6535-5569 • Piano Rock Pop

Red Hot Chilli Peppers

6/8 @ Osaka Kyocera Dome
7pm • ¥8,000/¥9,000
0180-993-996 • Rock-Funk

Compiled by Phillip Jackson