Japanaro
Live at Joseph's Well on Friday, 9th March 2001
One of the many good things about tonight's gig was that the bands had got together to do a CD with a track from each band on it, free to the first 50 in the door. A memento of the evening, and a reminder of what you just heard for those of us with a short memory...
STARKITTEN - I know very little about these, but they opened the night and set the ball rolling for a night were all the bands seemed to compliment each other musically, each being their own brand of guitar based ROCK. I defiantly heard melodies in here and I remember being able to hear the vocals clearly - something I favour. The track they chose for tonight's CD is "Everybody Wants to Kill you now" - which is great as it is how I have felt at work all week.
HERROD - I have been meaning to see these guys for a while as they have recommended to me by a few people, but I can only be in one place at any one time and just lately I seem to be out a lot as it is. Still I made it tonight so that is a start. They thanked Japanaro for the loan of a guitar as they had a string snap. Band inter co-operation, something I always like to see! Herrod chose "Suspended Time" for the CD, good choice, as it is one of the tracks I remember from the evening.
5ft4- having been asked to bring a bike pump with me, I knew they had something weird lined up - other than sunvisors. Trying to find them to hand it over when I arrived, I was lead 'through the magic doors' to the dressing room (hmmm interesting, so that's what a certain person wanted a felt pen for a few weeks back...) We were not disappointed when Mike came out dressed as a psycho/Hannibal and Neil following behind on a yellow spacehopper (I had one when I was 7, mine didn't have eyes though...) with a kiss me quick T-shirt on. Sunvisors all round! Definitely one to remember! Love the new song - can't remember what it is called though. Loads of band interaction and on stage dancing etc, class. We got to hear my favourite from the demo - also on tonight's CD called "Everything you Read" - which has a chorus about praying to whatever god comes your way; that everyone seemed to be singing along to.
JAPANARO - I saw them at the Rocket last year, and wasn't paying too much attention as I was trying in vain to quietly strangle an ex friend without being arrested. Through all that though I did think that I had to see them again and remembered when I saw this gig advertised. I have spoken/seen comments by Matty and Adam on the board & only met properly for the first time on Friday, when I realised I keep seeing Japanaro band members all the time when I am out. Why didn't we ever say hi and introduce ourselves? I have made a mental note to start speaking to all these people I keep seeing, we can all talk to each other about gigs and get even more people down to the next one...! Matty was a little nervous about singing for the first time tonight, he needn't have been. It sounded fine from where I was. People should remember we are all different, if you have had someone else sing that song before, it doesn't matter how good or bad you are, if someone else sings it, it will sound different anyway. The Rocket was long enough ago for me not to be able to compare notes on singers, but I enjoyed the set & will definitely see them again. Their track was "Ethereal".