but discovering Disk Union was just the beginning. I only went there to buy tickets for the Chazawa Dori Burning! Festival which was on later that day, and by 10 that evening, I'd seen 10 very different unsigned bands play at three different venues which I also never knew existed (and were also on my doorstep) for about £20 including drinks.
I was in for a varietous afternoon.
An afternoon which got off to a slightly shaky start with Keen Monkey Work playing some Japanese hip-hop (well, I think that's what it was). Then, at a venue so small even the shop next door didn't know it was there, we got Diego - quite cute, teenager-y summer holiday music which would have been pretty good if the guitarist had been in tune. Back down the road again, and moving quickly on from RoboAfrica and Rockbottom, we were back where we started watching 3Q3Sin w/Senna do some more Japanese hip-hop behind and very stangely positioned glass wall.
So far, so, erm...well, there were free drinks.
Then the evening started to warm up. Manchester School's shark fin was their energy - they jumped around like they were in a packed Glastonbury despite the audience being a very polite about 20 people. The guitarist stage-dived into open air and played the rest of the sone lying on his back on the floor. And then, the lead singer took all his clothes off. I took a picture, but I'm not posting it.
Madly tight, intensely energetic, with riffs insired by Super NES soundtracks, Hosome from Osaka were the highlight...
...even though their very cool t-shirts had sold out. Taihen!
This clip doesn't really do them justice
How to Count One to Ten were the perfect way to end the evening - instrumental big fat whimsical pop rock which distinguished itself by the fact that all the musicians were brilliant (despite their stage presence being held hostage in Timbuktu, or perhaps on Mars):
I didn't want to like them - the boys all stood together in a huddle and the girl bassist holding the whole thing together was little more than an unseen rhythm sections in the corner, and there weren't nearly enough vocals for me - but I did.
Exhausted (and not a little tipsy), ears ringing, I went home. It took 5 minutes on foot. I love living in Shimokitazawa.
More video clips here
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