Inside a dark club in Hatagaya, Tokyo, three young girls are up on stage, dressed in matching black and gold china doll dresses. One holds a bass, the other, a guitar. Behind them is the drummer. They look a bit nervous; like cute little woodland creatures caught in the headlights, maybe. But that’s understandable. Tonight is only their second time that their band, The Feminine, have ever played a show for a paying audience.
Suddenly, the guitarist, Reina, rips into her strings. Coarse, hot sound comes blasting out. The thudding caveman stomp of drummer Nao’s beat backs her up. The music is primitive, boarding on moronic. But there’s no mistaking it. This is real rock and roll. Dig the lyrics:
“My baby does the hanky panky.”
The band breaks into a full-throated scream. It’s the howl that’s been heard in a hundred frat house and juke joints. Then it’s official:
The Feminine rock.
The garage scene is small in Japan, although it’s gotten a shot in the arm from the internationally known Guitar Wolf and the appearance of girl-group The 5,6,7,8s in Kill Bill Vo. 1. But both those bands possess members in their 30s and even 40s: old enough to have been alive when rock dinosaurs ruled the earth.
The question the existence of a band like The Feminine poses is…what is it about old American music that reigns in young Japanese girls?
“I like this kind of music because it’s simple and easy,” says bassist Yoshimi, clad in after-concert vintage clothes that look like they were pilfered from Laverne and Shirley’s wardrobe. Simplicity is a crucial factor for someone who has been playing her instrument for a total of three months. Her favorite band is The Sonics, a ‘60s era R&B combo from the American Northwest. They’re the kind of band known only to nerdy record collectors in their own home country. But that’s how it works in Japan. If you want an alternative to karaoke-ready J-pop, you have to dig deep to find what you love.
Reina, coiffed with a Beatles haircut, is the best musician of the bunch. She’s been playing guitar for five years now, long enough to be able to effortlessly toss out Chuck Berry riffs and to have honed in her own sound. “I plug the guitar directly into the amp and turn the gain all the way up.”
Yoshimi and Reina, both 21 years old, have been friends since Jr. High School. Their lives were changed when after they heard a CD by maximum Japanese rock and roll combo Thee Michelle Gun Elephant when they were teens at the local library. Soon, they found themselves taking the train from the suburbs to Tokyo’s Nishi-Shinjuku, a mecca for record collectors. Forming a band was the next logical step.
The Feminine have been around all of three months, playing live about once a month, on average. Do they dream of someday becoming huge rock stars and playing arenas, even if that meant giving up the garage rock sound?
“We like this kind of music because it’s not A-class. Its B-class; a junk sound. We just want to keep playing live and having fun,” explains Reina, who also has a message for America, the land where The Feminine get their inspiration.
“Let’s twist the night away,” says Reina.
“Thanks for the music,” adds Yoshimi.
And then they’re off to catch the last train home.
I don't know much of anything about the indy scene, or rock history, or anything like that...I grew up during Beatlemainia, listened to some Stones and Tull and...you know, whatever was blaring out of the AM band...
But I'd like to say I think there's a reason 'old rock' has an appeal. there's energy there. Pure, untainted energy, same as old anime.
No self referential bullshit, no deconstruction crap, no 'Oh, aren't I clever, it's just like (x) isn't it?' nonsense (well, OK, sometimes)....
Yeah, there were 'phone it in' times, the rock version of reusing stock animation and lots of held shots to burn time(like this one Mazinger Z episode, where half the shots were close-ups of characters, no mouth just eyes and nose and LOTS of talking, were the order of the day..mannn, the budget must have been down to 200 Yen and a box of cup noodles at that point..), but when you look at the totality...BUURRNNN, baby...
Now tell me how ignorant and stupid I am :)
Posted by: Steve Harrison | January 14, 2006 at 11:57 AM
Just out of curiosity, what is the name of the club in Hatagaya?
Posted by: jj | January 15, 2006 at 04:33 AM
Heavy Sick.
Posted by: Patrick3 | January 15, 2006 at 08:53 AM
When The Feminine get a website up, could post the link? Thanks and I really enjoy reading your blog!
Posted by: b-chan | January 15, 2006 at 10:08 AM
Just added the link to the entry...
Posted by: Patrick3 | January 15, 2006 at 10:14 AM
Reading that breaks my heart. To be young again and starting out a band... *sigh*
Posted by: danno! | January 17, 2006 at 11:10 AM