Velvet Revolver

Ex-Guns n Roses (almost) classic rock

Nov 26

Zepp, Osaka

Velvet Revolver, 'the best rock and roll band left on the planet' according to Sammy Hagar. Ex-Guns n Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum got back together after playing a benefit gig in 2002 for fellow musician and ex-Ozzy Osbourne drummer Randy Castillo who sadly died from cancer later the same year.

It was almost a reformation of Gun n Roses when they invited Izzy Stradlin to join on rhythm guitar but due to his aversion to life on the road he declined the offer and the slot was filled by the experienced Dave Kushner (Wasted Youth, Suicidal Tendencies, Dave Navarro Band). The last place, vocals, was taken by friend of Mckagan, Scott Weilland.

2003 to 2005 was a busy time for the band with two movie soundtrack singles, 'Set Me Free' for the movie Hulk and a cover of Pink Floyd's 'Money' for The Italian Job. They played their first live gigs and released an album Contraband, which went to number one on the billboard charts.

The bands second album Libertad was released earlier this year and reached number five on billboard charts.

Live, the band are known for adding a fair number of covers in to their set list, so be prepared for a bit of Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, The Doors and, of course, Guns n Roses.

Time: 7pm • ¥8,500
Tel: 06-6233-8888 • Heavy Rock

Sean Lennon

Vocalist, musician son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono

Oct 23

Nov 26, 27

Judging the music of Sean Lennon without falling in to the pitfall of automatically comparing it against the work of his father is a difficult one. In a recent newspaper review it read 'two albums in to his career and it's still impossible to listen to Sean without hearing his father, especially as they seem to share the same slightly discordant singing voice' But the question is, is it impossible? The answer is are you a fan of music or are you a fan of John Lennon looking for the next best thing being that your hero is unfortunately no longer around?

Listening to Sean Lennon with an open and objective mind, you come away thinking what an exceptionally good musician and songwriter he is. He himself places his influences as Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys over his father. The fact that Sean Lennon has done a tremendous amount of work with other musicians can only mean he has picked up bits and pieces from a variety of styles and beats.

So, make the decision yourself, pop along to the former Blue Note, now Billboard Live and just try to imagine that the artist you're going to listen to isn't the son of probably the greatest musical icon of the twentieth century.

Time: 6:30pm/9:30pm • ¥5,500/¥7,500
Tel: 06-6342-7722 • Singer-songwriter

Oz Noy

Israeli guitarist fronted fusion trio

Nov 27

Big Cat, Osaka

A first listen to the Oz Noy track 'Fuzzy' and I was immediately drawn to comparisons with the late, great Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble. But to label Oz Noy as simply sounding like a past great would be a total injustice to Noy.

Mike Stern of Oz said "… one of the best I've ever seen … he's just too good" and bassist Will Lee added "Oz is to guitar what Jaco (Pastorius) was to bass".

Starting out on guitar at age thirteen with influences from jazz, blues, pop and rock Oz Noy was already doing the circuit live houses of his native Israel three years later. By twenty-four he was an established and saught-after studio guitarist.

In 1996 Oz Noy packed up and left his homeland and headed for New York. Once there he made an immediate impact on the local scene with his unique sound and mix of styles in a wonderful and enthralling groove.

Time: 7:30pm • ¥5,500/¥6,000
Tel: 06-6258-5008
Jazz/Blues Guitar

The Derek Trucks Band

US slide guitar maestro

Nov 29

Club Quattro, Osaka

Guitarist Derek Trucks has an interesting sound. That might not sound much of a compliment for someone hailed as a musical prodigy as a child but listening to the deluge of guitarists out there, how many would you say has an interesting sound? Very few. In Rolling Stone magazine Trucks was named earlier this year as one of the "new guitar gods" as well as being heralded as one of the greatest slide guitarists since Duane Allman.

Derek Trucks, born in Jacksonville, Florida in 1979 took his first paying gig aged eleven after taking up the guitar only two years prior. The Derek Trucks band, blending a wonderful mix of jazz, blues, Latin and various elements of world music first came about in 1994 when Derek Trucks was just fifteen years old. The band's current members are Kofi Burbridge (keyboard and flute), Todd Smallie (bass), Yonrico Scott (drums and percussion), Mike Mattison (lead vocal) and Count B'utu (percussion).

Outside his own band, Trucks is a member of the Allman Brothers band, working live and in the studio as well as being a member of the 2006/2007 Eric Clapton touring band. And for all you guitarists in the audience Trucks tends to tune his guitar E,B,E,G#,B,E.

Time: 7pm • ¥7,000 Tel: 06-6281-8181
Blues/Jazz/World Beats

Live Listings November

Acid Black Cherry (Janne Da Arc Vocalist Solo Project)

11/3 @ Zepp, Osaka
5:30pm • ¥5,500 Tel: 06-6233-8888
J-rock

Ratt/Winger

11/5 @ Namba Hatch, Osaka
7pm ¥7,800/¥9,000
Tel: 06-6233-8888 • Heavy rock

Carole King/Mary J Blige

11/5-6 @ Osaka Jo Hall, Osaka
7pm • ¥8,000/¥15,000
Tel: 06-6362-7301 • Female vocal

Super Furry Animals

11/7 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥6,250/¥6,750
Tel: 06-6535-569 • Indie rock

Thrash em all ft Razors Edge

11/10 @ Fandango, Osaka
7pm • ¥2,000 Tel: 06-6535-5569
J-rock

Naoyuki Fujii

11/10 @ Big Cat, Osaka
5:30pm • ¥5,775 Tel: 06-6233-8888
J-vocal

Miyuki Hatakeyama

11/14 @ Taku Taku, Kyoto
6:30pm • ¥4,500 Tel: 075-351-1321
Female vocal

The Shins

11/15 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥5,800 Tel: 06-6535-5569
Pop-rock

Toko Furuuchi

11/16-17 @ Billboard Live Osaka
6:30pm • 9:30pm ¥5,000/¥7,000
Tel: 06-642-7722 • J-pop female vocal

The Higher

11/19 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7:30pm • ¥4,500 Tel: 06-6535-5569
Pop-rock

Ah Wootrap

11/21 @ Fandango, Osaka
7pm • ¥2,500 Tel: 06-6535-5569
J-punk

Underworld

11/21-22 @ Zepp, Osaka
6pm • ¥7,000 Tel: 06-6535-5569
UK Electric

Nicola Conte

11/21 @ Billboard Live Osaka
6:30pm/9:30pm • ¥4,500-¥6,500
Tel: 06-6342-7722 • Jazz/Club

Soil & Pimp Sessions

11/22 @ Big Cat, Osaka
7:30pm • ¥3,500/¥4,000
Tel: 06-6341-3525 • Funk

Christopher Cross

11/23 @ Billboard Live Osaka
6:30pm/9:30pm • ¥6,400/¥8,400
Tel: 06-6342-7722 • Rock

Kuricorder Quartet

11/25 @ Taku Taku, Kyoto
7pm • ¥3,000/¥3,500 Tel: 075-351-
1321 • Multi-instrumentalist quartet

Velvet Revolver

11/26 @ Zepp, Osaka
7pm • ¥8,500
Tel: 06-6233-8888 • Heavy rock

Life Time

11/27 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥5,250 Tel: 06-6535-5569 • Punk

Oz Noy

11/27 @ Big Cat, Osaka
7:30pm • ¥5,500/¥6,000
06-6233-8888 • Blues-funk guitar

Frontier Backyard

11/28 @ Shangri-La, Osaka
7pm • ¥3,000 Tel: 06-6535-5569
J-band

Chrisete Michele

11/29 @ Billboard Live Osaka
6:30pm/9:30pm • ¥6,400/¥8,400
Tel: 06-6342-7722 • R&B

The Derek Trucks Band

11/29 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥7,000 Tel: 06-6281-8181
Jazz/Rock/Blues

David Pastorius

11/30 @ Billboard Live Osaka
6:30pm/9:30pm • ¥4,300/¥6,300
Tel: 06-6342-7722 • Jazz-funk

Compiled by Phillip Jackson