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Shelter was the place to be on Devil's Night in Tokyo. Decked out with a ton of spider webs, jack-o-lanterns, skulls, and other assorted Halloween goodies, the venue was the perfect location for an evening of frighteningly good rock n' roll. After a hugely favourable endorsement courtesy of The Woggles' Manfred Jones, the 5,6,7,8's sauntered out of the gloomy shadows and onto the stage. Dressed as zombie office ladies, the Tokyo trio received a round of applause from the near capacity crowd of locals and foreigners as they broke into "Harlem Shuffle". The cool, laid back track paved the way for the infamous "I'm Blue", which was featured in last year's hit film, Kill Bill Vol. 1. The ghosts and goblins gathered at the side of the stage danced along, while the audience swayed back and forth to the soulful song. After the two slower numbers, the group decided to pick things up with an awesome version of "The Barracuda". Drummer Sachiko and bassist Omo did an excellent job of holding down the beat while Ronnie Fujiyama's strong vocals filled the room. All hell broke loose as the girls began to play "Bomb the Twist". Unable to withstand the lure of the three zombies any longer, everyone succumbed to their infectious blend of mod, surf, and punk sounds causing a giant "monster mash" like dance party to form. Showing fantastic stage presence, Ronnie worked the audience into a frenzy as she twisted and bopped along to her band's highly entertaining music. Fittingly enough, the group ended their way-too-short 25 minute set with "Scream" from their 1994 self-titled release. Throughout the song, Omo let loose a barrage of bloodcurdling shrieks that shook the spiders out of the cobwebs hanging overhead. Realizing he had a tough act to follow, Gasoline front-man Gan delivered a full-on rock assault from the minute he set foot on stage. Dressed like Elvis' skeleton, he used a plethora of stadium antics to ensure that all eyes remained on him during his band's 30 minute show. After watching Gan spin his microphone around in the air, play guitar with his teeth, drink an audience member's can of Chu Hi while still playing, or lean into the audience numerous times to bellow "do you feel alright?" it was obvious that this man was born to be a rock star. |
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Exhausted from leading bandmates Shuhei Rock and Gonna through a tight set of classic rock, punk, and blues, Gan decided it was time for a short rest. Walking out into the middle of the floor, the guitarist instructed everyone to sit down. Surrounded by fans, he began to sing the next song while the crowd clapped. After a minute of this he told the audience to stand up and he was instantly swallowed up by a sea of bouncing bodies. The much deserved break allowed Gan to be energized for the trio's big finish. Gonna played her bass behind her back, while Rock pounded away on his drums. Completely drenched in sweat, Gan focused on using turning himself into a mummy with the help of the fake spider webs that covered the club. Wrapped in faux webs with his costumed make-up smeared all over his face, he stumbled backstage as the crowd roared its approval. Atlanta, Georgia's The Woggles had the tough task of closing the night. Although their music was bang-on, and they were as energetic as hell, they couldn't compete with the mind-blowing performances of their Japanese counterparts. However, having been creating music for 17 years the quartet wasn't going down without a fight. Vocalist Manfred Jones wowed the crowd with his singing and dancing tricks. Meanwhile Jeff "The Flesh Hammer" Wall's electrifying guitar work gave new life to the group's extensive back catalogue of garage rock treats.. Shelter's annual Halloween party provided an insanely good time for all in attendance. If you were present you can attest to this. If you missed it, you should be horrified by your lack of Halloween spirit and musical sense. However, you can make up for it by checking out The 5,6,7,8's and Gasoline as soon as possible and by making certain that you're around for next year's terrifying instalment. |
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report by shawn |
 mag files : Scare The Rock Right Outta Ya : Halloween Ball 2004 feat . The 5,6,7,8's, Gasoline, The Woggles (04/10/30 @ Shimokitazawa Shelter) : review by shawn |
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The official site of The 5,6,7,8's http://www.fujiiya.com/the5678s/ The latest album  "Bomb the Rocks" ( UK import )
previous works : "Teenage Mojo Workout" (UK import / domestic) "PIN HEEL STOMP" ( domestic) "PRETTY LITTLE LILLY CAN DANCE NO MORE [MAXI] " ( domestic) "I7m Blue" ( UK import)ほか The official site of Gasoline http://www3.to/gasoline The latest album  "Take It to the People" (US import / domestic) |
The official site of The Woggles http://www.thewoggles.com/ The latest album  "Fractured" (Domestic / US import)
previous works :
"10 years of 7 inches" ( US import ) "Wailin' with the Woggles" ( US import ) "Get Tough!" ( US import )ほか check the albums? |
shawn's works-->2005  2004CD review : "Christmas" : Old Man Gloom (28th Dec)Music Soothes the Savage Beast
: eastern youth (20th Dec @ Shibuya Club Quattro)And to all A Good Night : Shonen Knife (19th Dec @ Daikanyama Unit)Exciting Music for Exciting People : illreme (6th Dec @ Shibuya Club Quattro)It's In Their Hands Now : Franz Ferdinand (29th Nov @ Shibuya AX)Lights, Camera, Action : Brahman (15th Nov @ Ebisu Liquidroom)Mostly Business : The Stills (8th Nov @ Ebisu Liquidroom)Scare The Rock Right Outta Ya : Halloween Ball 2004 feat . The 5,6,7,8's, Gasoline, The Woggles (30th Oct @ Shiomkitazawa Shelter)Three More, Two More, and Take it to the Left : Hawaiian6/ Idol Punch (11th Oct @ Shinjuku Loft)Busting Eardrums : Mogwai (5th Oct @ Ebisu Liquidroom AX )Medical Breakthrough : The Most Notorious Vol. 18 feat. Melt Banana and K.K. Null (25th Sept @ Shimokitazawa Shelter )Grey Skies Are Going To Clear Up... : HUSKING BEE (5th Sept @ Shibuya AX )no title : V∞REDOMS (8th Aug @ Ebisu Liquidroom )CD review : Andre Ethier With Christopher Sandes : Andre Ethier2003Cause Music Must Be Magic : Mayor McCa (21st Dec @ The Casbah,Hamilton, Ontario )Make It a Double : EVANESCENCE (28th Jul @ Shinjuku AX)Getting Knifed in Tokyo : Shonen Knife / bloodthirsty butchers(12th Jul @ Shibuya Club Quattro)Hail Hail! Some of Japan's best come together to pay tribute to San Diego's finest : TRIBUTE TO ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT feat. John Speedo with Jet Boys, Retro Gretion, and KEMURI, (21st June '03 @ Shibuya Club Quattro)The Canucks are Coming! The Canucks are Coming! : Simple Plan & GOB (26th Apr @ Akasaka Blitz)no title : Banda Bassotti with Doberman, Oi Skall Mates & Rude Bones (12th May @ Kawasaki Club Citta)The Enchanting Sounds of Summer : KEMURI (31st May @ Shinjuku ACB Hall)Absolutely F**king Brilliant!! : The Coral (21st Apr @ Shinjuku Liquid Room)no title : Short Circuit w/ Asparagus (24th Mar @ Shibuya AX) |