- What have I learned? – That Kauai-Metal is a thing.
- Listening to – Japanese band Lovebites live album: Heavy Metal never Dies
- Reading – Can I have my ball back by Richard Herring
Last month went to see Japanese all-girl heavy metal group Band Maid, and quite frankly they were fantastic. Show was a sell out, and they were good and it was a really fun concert. They have a unique aesthetic and showed they are immensely talented musicians.
A couple of them met while working in a maid café in Tokyo, places I was aware of, but like a lot of Japanese culture not really on the radar of visitors and expats there. While I love Japan and have spent a lot of time there, I know I will never get to even scratch the surface of Japanese society, it is a very closed culture in that way. It’s one of my favorite places to visit, very alien, but not difficult to get around.
Back to Band Maid, they were right out of the Maiden, Saxon and Motorhead mold and seemed to be influenced by new wave of British heavy metal (NWoBHM) from the 80’s. In other words music that is at the heart of my teenage years. They ticked all the boxes: Big technical guitars, solid bass and talented drummer holding it together. Add a really diverse crowd that was really into the music. I figured we’d be on the older end of the crowd, and we were right in the demographic.
Great concert, and now I’m onto a journey into Japanese rock. I knew a little, saw Loudness once at Hammersmith, that was really about it.
As for my read this week, no one is going to accuse Richard Herrings humour of being deep, but comedy does not need to be deep to make it’s point. One of RHs strength is making light of the dark and this is right there. Looking at mortality is well trodden ground, both in his books and live shows. I enjoyed it, funny in places, thoughtful in others and just the right amount of fecal based humour you’d expect.
Have a wonderful week.