Check Chk chk chk

by liza

!!! (usually pronounced "chk chk chk") is one of those bands I always wanted to see but seemed doomed not to -- work, school and even a car crash always got in the way!

But finally, I got to see them in October in Tokyo! Apparently they were darlings at Fuji Rock this year, and I'm sure that's why they came back so soon after.

And the hype certainly was warranted, in my opinion! O-East in Shibuya was a good spot for their incredibly high-energy show. The dance-punk group -- the genre they're usually associated with -- played mostly stuff off their most recent "Strange Weather, Isn't It?" and "Myth Takes," their previous album. (Personally, I would've been happy with their self-titled one played straight through.)

Soul singer Shannon Funchess is an amazing addition to the lineup - she has a fierce voice and stage presence. She's a good foil to singer Nic Offer. They did two encores and ended with "All My Heroes Are Weirdos," which I thought was a strange choice, but whatever.

I think O-East is a good place to see larger international bands. There doesn't seem to be a bad spot to stand, and while it's corporate it doesn't feel overly so, like some of the larger venues in Tokyo.

Was anyone else at the show? If you weren't - definitely catch these guys the next time around, which hopefully will be sooner rather than later as they seem pretty big in Japan!

In the meantime, please enjoy blurry iPhone pictures of the show!

Battles, !!!, Chris Cunningham, Clark, Flying Lotus to play WARP20

The influentual electronic record label WARP are celebrating their 20th anniversary with a series of events across the world, including one in Tokyo (well, Chiba) at Makuhari Messe.
WARP 20 presented by Electroglide on Saturday November 21st.

It's still early days, so the full lineup hasn't been announced yet, but by the look of the first confirmed artists, it's going to be a great show.

The first lineup:


The incredibly tight post/math-rock group Battles

Music video director and audio/video artist Chris Cunningham.

The dance-punk unit !!! (Chk Chk Chk)

IDM musician CLARK.

and downtempo hip-hop artist Flying Lotus.

It will start at 9pm, go all night, and cost you 8500yen.
From 9/5, you can get tickets from Pia (code: 332-966), Lawson (code: 72728), eplus, CN Playguide, Beatink, Ganban and Tower Records (Shinjuku, Akihabara, Ikebukuro, Kichijoji, Yokohama Mores stores). Check the website for pre-reservation info.

WARP20 on Tokyo Gig Guide.