Thunder

Stalwart British blues-rock

Sep 15

Big Cat, Osaka

In 1990 British rock band Thunder were the darlings of the rock press, their debut album Backstreet Symphony was an instant success and the hit single from the album ‘Dirty Love’ featured a young Pamela Anderson in the promo-video. The same year they were a crowd puller at the UK Monsters of Rock Donnington Festival (which included Iron Maiden as headline act) and their next single ‘Love Walked In’ was another big hit. Could this band do no wrong?

In 1992 after the release of their second album Laughing On Judgement Day bassist Snake quit, grunge was suddenly the new in-thing, and rumours began to circulate that main songwriter and guitarist Luke Morley was being poached by David Coverdale to fill a vacant slot in Whitesnake.

It would be another three years before the band’s next album Behind Closed Doors and although it was to be their last release through label giants EMI it is probably their best album to date.

In 1999 the band decided to split after not really making the big time success that their early efforts had promised. But after an invitation to reform for the 2002 Monsters of Rock Tour the band recorded and released The Thrill of it All album in 2003 on their own label.

Quite surprisingly, Thunder seemed to have come back with a new lease of life, EMI re-released Backstreet Symphony, their single ‘I Love You More Than Rock & Roll’ was a hit in the UK charts and they are selling out concert halls to crowds as large as they did ten years ago. With their big riffs and catchy choruses, Thunder are back.

Time: 6pm
Entry: ¥6,500-¥7,000
06-6233-8888
Genre: Rock

The Jan Akermann Band

Dutch experimental guitarist

Sep 19

Big Cat, Osaka

Sixty-one year old Dutch guitarist Jan Akermann first took up the guitar aged just four and his first single was released when he was still only fourteen years old. Known for his distinctive style of experimenting with new equipment, Akermann first came to acclaim in the seventies with the progressive rock band Focus (if you’ve never heard the track ‘Hocus Pocus’ you’re missing a treat). Also known for his improvised playing, on one occasion when Focus played out the British music television show The Old Grey Whistle Test, Akermann ‘went off on one’ and quite remarkably the show just ran on and on until he’d finished. Maybe the guitarist had pre-warned the channel controller of his intentions.

In 1976 though, during rehearsals for an upcoming tour, Akermann left Focus to pursue a solo career. At one point he was also invited to join Lynyrd Skynyrd but Skynyrd retracted their offer when Akermann suggested the band change their name to Lynyrd Skynyrd featuring Jan Akermann.

Akermann’s only setback in his career seems to have been when he was involved in a serious car accident in 1992. But just a year down the road he was back on his feet and in action playing live again.

This year has been a busy one for Jan Akermann, perfor- ming at a number of festivals and undertaking an extensive European tour.

Time: 7.30pm
Entry: ¥7,500-¥8,000
Genre: Prog Rock/Jazz/Fusion

Paramore

US Power-pop/rock five piece

Sep 26

Big Cat, Osaka

Tennessee five-piece power-pop-rock band Paramore arrive in Japan for a short three-date trip after an extensive US and European tour before heading off to Australia.

The pop-rock newcomers that first came together as teenagers have come a long way in an extremely short space of time. Starting out at a school talent show it was not long before the band was playing the extended Nashville live circuit.

Catching the eye of independent label Fueled By Ramen records the band released their debt album in 2005. Their second album that was released in January of this year on the Atlantic label reached the top twenty in both the US and UK album charts.

The band describe their music as ‘confident and upbeat, exuding a rare natural chemistry that is easily addictive and impossible to ignore’ and themselves as a band that they are simply ‘friends who love playing together’.

This is a band that are going places so catch them now before the record industry bandwagon has a chance to get to much of a grip on their creative direction.

Time: 7pm
Entry: ¥5,500
06-6233-8888
Genre: Pop/Rock

Inoran

Ex-Luna Sea Guitarist

Sep 29

Namba Hatch, Osaka

Born Kiyonobu Inoue in Hadano, Kanagawa Prefecture, Inoran made his name in Japan as co-founding member and rhythm guitarist in the hard rock band Luna Sea. Luna Sea’s self-titled debut album came out in 1991 and seven more albums were to follow. By the mid-nineties the bands popularity had grown to the point where they were able to sell out Tokyo Dome. The band eventually disbanded in 2000.

During his time with Luna Sea, Inoran had already ventured out with solo releases and many fans would have expected him to have gone full-throttle down the solo road from that point after Luna Sea’s break-up.

But, for whatever reason he instead formed the band Fake? with British/Japanese musician Ken Lloyd. In 2005 Inoran rejoined former Luna Sea member Ryuichi Kawa- mura to form the band Tourbillion, which seems to be an on-off project around his on-off solo work. Last summer Inoran released the solo album Photograph followed by the album Nirai Kinai earlier this year. His latest album release was in July and is a harmonious mix of rock and ambience mixed with rhythms that hint at Middle-Eastern influences.

influences. For a Japanese musician that stands out from the crowd of company manufactured artists see Inoran live this month at Namba Hatch, Osaka.

Time: 6.30pm
Entry: ¥5,500
06-6344-3326
Genre: Rock

Live Listings September

Likkle Mai

9/1 @ Club Drop, Osaka
7pm • ¥3,500 06-6535-5569
Dub/Reggae/Ska

Flower Power Festival ‘07 (Southern Comfort/Yusu Hendrix Extemporize/ Grateful Ted)

9/2 @ Taku Taku, Kyoto
5pm • ¥1,500/¥2,500
075-351-1321 • Rock

Funeral For A Friend

9/3 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥6,000 06-6213-5079 • Rock

W-inds

9/8 @ Osaka Jo Hall, Osaka
5pm • ¥5,800 06-6357-4400 • J-Pop

Ganga Zumba

9/8 @ Namba Hatch, Osaka
6pm • ¥5,250 06-6233-8888 • J-Pop Group

Dreams Come True

9/8-9 @ Kyocera Dome, Osaka
5pm/4pm • ¥7,800 06-6341-3525 • J-Pop

Toshiko Tahara

9/9 @ Namba Hatch, Osaka
6pm • ¥6,500 06-6357-4400 • J-Pop Male Vocal

Space Cowboy/Teenage Bad Girl

9/14 @ Big Cat, Osaka
7pm • ¥5,250 06-6535-5569O Dance

Cubismo Grafico Five

9/14 @ Club Metro, Kyoto
8pm • ¥2,500 06-6535-5569 • J-Group

Thunder

9/15 @ Big Cat, Osaka
6pm • ¥6,500/¥7,000
06-6233-8888 • Rock

Soil & Pimp Sessions

9/17 @ Namba Hatch, Osaka
3pm • ¥4,000/¥4,500
06-6882-1724 • Jazz/Funk

Jan Akerman Band

9/19 @ Big Cat, Osaka
7.30pm • ¥7,500/¥8,000
06-6233-8888 • Jazz Rock Guitar

Comeback My Daughters

9/22 @ ShangriLa, Osaka
7pm • ¥2,500 06-6535-5569 • Punk

Extreme The Dojo (Feat. Zyklon/Dying Fetus/Daath)

9/25 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
6.45pm • ¥7,000 06-6535-5569 • Metal

Paramore

9/26 @ Big Cat, Osaka
7pm • ¥5,500 06-6233-8888 • Rock

Diren Grey

9/26-27 @ Namba Hatch, Osaka
7pm • ¥5,500 06-6357-4400O Metal

Less Than Jake

9/26 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥5,250 06-6535-5569 • Ska-Pop-Punk

The Birthday

9/28 @ Taku Taku, Kyoto
7pm • ¥4,500/¥5,000 075-351-1321 • Rock

Inoran

9/29 @ Namba Hatch, Osaka
6.30pm • ¥5,000/¥5,500
06-6344-3326 • J-Rock

Overground Acoustic Underground

9/29 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
6.30pm • ¥3,750 06-6535-5569 • J-Rock

Battles

9/30 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥5,800 06-6535-5569 • Rock

Punkfoolic Tour 2007 (feat. Mad Caddies/Better Luck Next Time/Olivia The Band/ Good 4 Nothing)

10/1 @ Big Cat, Osaka
7pm • ¥4,000 06-6535-5569 • Punk

Caravan

10/31 @ Taku Taku, Kyoto
7pm • ¥3,500/¥4,000
075-351-1321 • Prog Rock

Compiled by Phillip Jackson