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love numbers .. well for one thing i've never paid for a whiskey there ... ... one of two clubs in houston i feel at home . and i have huge volumes of boobie pix from there.. haha. why no pix from the show ?
pyrotarkus - 6.15.07
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5.29.07
[ 62 views ] |
Melt Banana 5/27/2007
So we roll out to see the mighty Melt Banana but before the show we need to hit Osaka for some delish sushi before the gig. So we roll in and our friends are already there including the mighty ZLOZ. As we are walking in I was like "man that looks like Melt Banana sitting in the smoking section"! Since we are only a few blocks from the venue its a pretty good bet that its them. Upon some further discussion and a few cold Sapporo's I get the gumption to waltz over there and ask for an autograph - They were totally cool and signed the back of our sushi menu and even drew cool little japanese pics on it.
SO we enjoy our meal and inform Shirley the owner that a famous Japanese band was just in her restaurant. I don't think Shirley is too hip on the noisecore/punkrock/powerviolence scene so she just looked at me like I was nuts. I then told her they were gonna support Tool on the next stint of their tour. When she didn't know who Tool was that is when I dropped it. = )
So we head over to the show @ Numbers we had tix at will call (which always makes me nervous) There was a pretty good crowd at the show but most of the other cities were sold out - Houston can be kinda lame for bands that aren't on the radio every two seconds. So we missed the "Jonx" Who were the first band up...Next up was XBXRX who rolls out and does sound check on their own - then says..we will be back in a minute ..after a few they come out with these orange pants and purple shirts with day glow green duct tape on them and just start doing B-U-N - it was like a claymore went off ..the best way I could describe their sound was like the ADOLESCENTS on meth..It was very old school treble laden guitar wailing with lots of mock rock star guitar histrionics.. I thought they were badass you can check them out here.
So they finish their set and I make all my friends by their record = )
Next up the mighty Melt Banana. So they come out and they open with the song that is in the above video and the place just jumps off! They sounded amazing and totally different from when I have heard them before on their early Slap-a-Ham releases. The guitar player just rocks the craziest sounds ever out of his battered SG. He also has like 40 effects pedals all over the place and is just going off. You pretty much have to see it to get the whole pic their recorded stuff doesn't do them justice...
Melt-Banana's music falls under what many call "noise rock" . The term refers to music that blends rock, noise music, and other genres. Agata plays highly unorthodox guitar with extended techniques. For instance, he overlaps two different guitar riffs, simulates lasers and sirens, and has an impressive arsenal of effects, almost all made through his guitar and large amount of effects pedals (this link is current as of 1999; Here is a more recent picture from their 2005 "13 Hedgehogs" tour). Yasuko O. belts out high-pitched screams and raps, and her delivery has been described as a rabid poodle on speed. Rika mm's bass lines aren't subdued like in most bands, but are given as much overt influence as Agata's guitar work. The sounds from the bass provide a distinct dimension to the music not found in many other bands.
The drums are usually quite straightforward (however, in their recent albums, they have become more complex), especially on the faster songs, where they beat almost straight through with set cymbal crashes, providing an insane amount of energy to the songs. The band describes their recent music (especially Teeny Shiny and Cell-Scape) as pop, but it is far from it, except more accessible, perhaps. Essentially, it could be argued that Melt Banana's output, (with special attention brought to their more recent songs) are more reminiscent of quirkier indie pop bands, with definite melodies hiding beneath the distortion, effects and sheer speed. Yasuko even sings, as opposed to barks parts of one of the tracks called 'If it is the Deep Sea, I can See You There' on their most recent studio album 'Cell Scape'. Also of note, most of their albums (except the two just mentioned) are intentionally lo-fi, as that is Agata's feeling for the music; however, group members disliked how these recordings sounded on the radio, so they aimed to make their last two albums more hi-fi.
So after the show ZLOZ is supposed to get a pic of me and Yasuko - so I run up on the stage during the tear down and get her attention she agrees to the photo and I look back and ZLOZ is standing by the foot of the stage where the light is totally boag. So we walk to the front of the stage and Yasuko get close in and throws the horns and in what would of been a great pic..sure enough when we look at it its just totally dark and Yasuko has retreated backstage for a much needed Kirin. Curse you ZLOZ!!! = )
Anyways a great time was had by all -
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