Stringmansassy

Australian Jazz & Folk

Oct 3- 8

Osaka, Kobe, Rokko Island

Brisbane based duo of guitarist Aaron Hopper and vocalist Kacey Patrick started out back in 1996 playing local café venues. Their style of jazz and folk with a touch of atmosphere blends perfectly into a mood that will make anyone within ear- shot just want to sit back, relax and listen.

It only takes a matter of seconds to realize that Aaron Hopper is a guitarist of the highest caliber and Kacey Patrick's smooth vocal style does much, much more than compliment his talent. They are a duo of equal standing that work together almost symbiotically. Their debut album Persuasion was released in 2000 and since have put out two more, Beautiful Day in 2002 and Dragonfly in 2004.

This is the duo's first return to Japan since appearing at the Aichi Expo but it definitely won't be their last.

Note, the band will be interviewed on Cocolo Radio Station on 2nd October at 7pm.

Oct 3 • Grove Café, Osaka
Time: 7:30pm/9pm • ¥1,500 • 06-6765-7000
Oct 7 • Motomachi Music Week, Yamaha Store, Kobe
06-6941-9373
Oct 8 • Great Blue Live Jazz House, Kobe
Time: 7:30pm/9:15pm • ¥2,500 078-231-0071
Oct 5-6 Sheraton, Rokko Island
Time: 12:45pm/7pm/9:15pm
No Charge; with Dinner • ¥800 in Lounge Area
078-857-7000
Australian Jazz/Folk Duo

Hanoi Rocks

Finnish Glam Rock Punk

Oct 23

Club Quattro, Osaka

Hanoi Rocks are back. In fact they've been back for five years. So what did the Glam Rock Punk stars get up to during their extended sabbatical? The answer is pretty much nothing. The only member of the original line-up that has had much credible work in the music industry between 1985 and 2002 has been vocalist Michael Monroe.

Hanoi Rocks, originally from Finland and formed in 1979 had a substantial and deserved amount of success in the early eighties, one notable hit being the single ‘Tragedy'. Ironically it was a tragic accident that pretty much caused the band to break up when drummer Razzle was killed in a car accident. Any music fan over a certain age will undoubtedly know that the car was being driven by Motley Crue vocalist Vince Neil.

When a band reunite after so long the obvious cause behind it is cash but no matter how much money is splashed about you still have to cut it live to last more that five minutes before you are thrown on to the record industry corporate trash heap. So, can Hanoi Rocks still cut it? The answer is, yes, they can. The only obstacle that may stand in their path is whether they'll just end up flouting themselves to nostalgic fans looking for the good old days (even though Moore and guitarist Andy McCoy are the only original members) or whether they can build a new fan base. Only time will tell.

Time: 7pm • ¥6,300 • 06-6281-8181 • Rock

Mummra

Brit Indie Newcomers

Oct 29

Club Quattro, Osaka

It's been a busy year for Mummra, touted as a band to watch in 2007 by UK music magazine NME they released their debut album These Things Move In Threes and are currently gaining a lot of airplay on UK radio. So on their first outing to Japan, what can we expect from this five-piece band formed by a bunch of school mates from Bexhill On Sea, England?

They fall quite nicely in to that indie genre that seems to have become a label for any group that doesn't seem to fit anywhere else. The only difference is that Mummra do sound like indie when indie was indie. The funky and light single ‘You got it bad' could well have been heard in college clubs fifteen years ago (and that's not a criticism).

In the press, their debut long play has been described as ‘The sort of record you'll want to listen to alone, on the train'. So the question is, would you want to listen to Mummra with lots of people in a live house? The answer is yes, and you'd have a damn good time.

You may even see a little toy duck on stage with the band - this is Matthew the band's mascot.

Time: 7pm • ¥5,500 • 06-6535-5569 • Indie Rock

David Sylvian

British Experimentalist Musician

Oct 29

Geijutsu Hall, Osaka

English musician, producer and vocalist David Sylvian first came to prominence with the band Japan. Probably associated with being at the forefront of the New Romantic wave of the early eighties Japan actually formed in 1974. Between 1978 and 1981 the band released five studio albums before going their separate ways due to ‘internal personal tensions'. Though their music lent itself conveniently to the New Romantic genre Japan always had some- thing extra to offer with a stronger rock sound than many of their fellow artists.

After the demise of Japan, Sylvian was introduced to jazz by Japanese photographer, designer and artist Yuka Fujio adding yet another influence to Sylvian's musical war chest. Strengthening oriental ties yet more in 1982, he collaborated with world renowned Ryuichi Sakamoto on a number of tracks.

It wasn't until 1984 that David Sylvian finally released an album under his own name as a solo artist. Brilliant Trees was a stepping stone for Sylvian fans in to his more experi- mental side. Side A of the album contained more accessible tracks whereas side B contained new ideas and concepts that would offer a glimpse of what was to follow.

David Sylvian's albums since have differed each from the last, which makes it impossible to tag a genre to his music. So much so that his latest work is a million miles from what fans of Japan would have been listening to twenty-five years ago.

Sylvian's latest release is an album consisting of one seventy-minute long piece of music called When Loud Weather Buffeted Naoshima; it's a piece commissioned by the Fukutake Art Museum Foundation and is an ‘aural sensation of walking around the island during the wintry month of February'.

For a snippet of what Sylvian is up to nowadays for those who haven't followed his twisting career I can recommend an excellent Polish fan site, which seems to have more information than the official site. David Sylvian had recently said that he would not play again live so take this opportunity; it may be the last … for a while anyway.

Time: 7pm • ¥8,500 • 06-6532-6301 • Rock/Pop/Ambient

Live Listings October

Punkfoolic

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

Pretty Rick

10/2 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥6,800/¥7,300
06-6281-8181 • R'n'B

Stringmansassy

10/3 @ Groove Café, Osaka
7:30pm/9pm • ¥1,500
06-6765-7000 • Jazz

Scalfull King

10/4 @ Big Cat, Osaka
7pm • ¥3,800 • 06-6535-5569 • J-Funk/Rock

Stringmansassy

10/5-6 @ Kobe Sheraton, Rokko Island
12:45pm/7pm/8:30pm • ¥800
07-857-7000 • Jazz

Cage9

10/6 @ Drop, Osaka
7pm • ¥4,000/¥4,500
075-351-1321 • Alternative Rock

Stringmansassy

10/8 @ Great Blue Live Jazz house, Kobe
7:30pm/9:15pm • ¥2,500
078-231-7000 • Jazz

Asa-Chang

10/9 @ Club Metro, Kyoto
7pm • ¥2,800 • 06-6535-5569
• Japanese Producer/Musician

Soulive

10/12 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥6,500 • 03-3444-7651 • Soul

Wrench

10/12 @ Drop, Osaka
6:30pm • ¥3,000 • 06-6535-5569 • J-Rock

Ken Yokoyama

10/16 @ Big Cat, Osaka
7pm • ¥2,000 • 06-6535-5569 • Rock

Rubinoos

10/17 @ Taku Taku, Kyoto
6pm • ¥3,000/¥3,500
075-351-1321 • 70s Rock

Makigami

10/18 @ Taku Taku, Kyoto
7pm • ¥4,000/¥4,500
075-351-1321 • Harp/Vocal

Keller Williams

10/18 @ Shangri-La, Osaka
7pm • ¥5,800 • 06-6535-5569 • Rock

Fountains of Wayne

10/20 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥6,000 • 06-6535-5569 • Rock

Your Song Is Good

10/21 @ Varit, Kobe
6:30pm • ¥2,800
06-6535-5569 • Rock

The Cribs

10/22 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥5,800 • 06-6535-5569 • Rock

Acoustic drop

10/22 @ Bar Varit, Kobe
6:30pm • ¥1,800/¥2,300
078-392-6655 • Blues Rock

Hanoi Rocks

10/23 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥6,300 • 06-6281-8181 • Glam Rock

Sounding Rick

10/24 @ Sun Hall, Osaka
6:30pm • ¥1,800
06-6213-2954 • Blues Rock

The Bird & The Bee

10/25 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥6,500 • 06-6281-8181 • Jazz/Pop Duo

Sounding Rick

10/26 @ Neverland, Nara
7pm • ¥1,500/¥1,800
074-236-2431 • Blues Rock

The Slits & Adrian Sherwood

10/29 @ Big Cat, Osaka
6pm • ¥5,800 • 06-6535-5569 • Post Punk/Producer

David Sylvian

10/29 @ Geijutsu Hall, Osaka
7pm • ¥8,500 • 06-6532-6301 • Experimental

Mummra

10/29 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥5,500 • 06-6535-5569 • Rock

Caravan

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

Super Furry Animals

11/7 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥6,250-¥6,750
06-6535-5569 • Indie Rock

Compiled by Phillip Jackson