8otto, NOKIES! and Miila and the Geeks times at Japan Underground in London (14/5) and Birmingham (16/5)

With exactly one week today until Japan Underground’s showcase in London featuring  8otto, NOKIES! and Miila and the Geeks – and a little bit longer until it hits Birmingham – we thought it was time to introduce videos from each band along with their respective stage times.

Miila and the Geeks

‘Best of 2011′ by Japan Times and comparable to The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Le Tigre, The Slits.
London stage time: from 7:30pm … Birmingham’s stage time: from 9pm.

8otto

Toured with Oasis, played Fuji Rock and comparable to The Rapture, The Strokes and LCD Soundsystem.
London stage time: from 8:30pm … Birmingham stage time: from 8pm

NOKIES!

Just finished touring America and played SXSW, comparable to Vampire Weekend, The Drums, The Vaccines.
London stage time: from 9:30pm … Birmingham stage time: from 10pm.

London’s show on Monday 14 May at The Pipeline opens at 7pm, while Birmingham’s show on Wednesday 16 May at the Hare & Hounds starts at 7:30. The first band will hit the stage within 30 minutes of doors opening – true Japanese gig style! Between all bands will be DJ sets from Japan Underground, featuring a mixture of tracks from Japan – feel free to get your requests in too!

Tickets are £6 adv or £8 on the door. Tickets for London’s show can now only be purchased on the door. Click here for Birmingham advance tickets.
Don’t forget to click you attendance on London’s Facebook event page and Birmingham’s Facebook event page.

Transport links:

London: The Pipeline is a 2 minute walk from Liverpool Street Station and within easy walking distance from Aldgate, Aldgate East and Shoreditch High Street stations.
Birmingham: The Hare & Hounds is located in the Kings Heath area of the city.  Bus numbers 50 and 35 stop directly outside the venue from city centre while 11a, 11c, 27, 69 also stop within easy walking distance.

Three of Japan’s Hottest Indie Talents Play Exclusive Showcase in London and Birmingham this May

Japan Underground will pull off a two-day showcase featuring three of Japan’s hottest indie-rock acts this May. Collectively, the bands have toured with Oasis, rocked America – twice, dominated Japan’s Fuji Rock festival and caused a huge impact on their home country’s indie rock scene.

8otto

Now, all three, 8otto, Miila and the Geeks and NOKIES! are joining forces for a night of quiet possibly the best new music to come from Japan, and it’s taking place right here in the UK at The Pipeline in London on 14 May (FB event page) and Birmingham’s Hare & Hounds on 16 May (FB event page).

8otto (the ’8′ is silent) performed at Japan’s coveted Fuji Rock festival last year and opened for Beady Eye as well as Oasis a few years prior. Their trademarked take on garage-rock is highlighted by their afro-donning frontman Masaki Maenosono, who belts out the group’s catchy vocals from behind a drumkit.

NOKIES!

Blissfully cheerful indie-pop unit NOKIES! toured America in March and recently travelled across Japan supporting Casiokids. Now they’re heading to the UK for the first time and have already been causing a noise on Twitter about it with several musical figures tweeting about it.

Last but not least is Miila and the Geeks (video)- rated in Japan Times’ ‘Best of 2011′. This kooky female-fronted band is clearly influenced from the riot grrrl movement and Japan’s own trendy Shibuya kei style, and features a distinctively British swagger. Its vocalist Moe is also a resected figure in Tokyo unsigned scene, where she’s a member of several influential bands.

Miila and the Geeks

All three acts will perform between DJs sets of classic and new tracks from Japan’s rock, electronic and alternative genres.

Tickets are on sale now, priced at £6 in advance or £8 on the door. Door entry is half-price for anyone with an afro bigger than that of 8otto’s vocalist.

Tickets for London are now only available on the door, priced at £8.
Tickets for Birmingham are available by clicking here for £6 adv, £8 on the door.

Transport links:

London: The Pipeline is a 2 minute walk from Liverpool Street Station and within easy walking distance from Aldgate, Aldgate East and Shoreditch High Street stations.
Birmingham: The Hare & Hounds is located in the Kings Heath area of the city.  Bus numbers 50 and 35 stop directly outside the venue from city centre while 11a, 11c, 27, 69 also stop within easy walking distance.

Here’s some 8otto for ya;

Japan Underground vs. NEO Magazine – The Ultimate After Party

TWO OF THE UK’s leading East Asian entertainment sources join forces on 26 May for a party like no other.

Taking place at Bloomsbury Lanes, a 5 minute walk from London’s Euston Station, NEO Magazine (Great Britain’s anime, manga and Asian pop culture magazine) and Japan Underground (innovators in the promotion of Japanese music) will commence a 7 hour energetic DJ battle of the very best tracks from Japan and Korea until the early morning.

Japan Underground will supply a selection of party-rocking tunes from Japan’s alternative scenes, including music ranging from classic rockers X-Japan to latest screamo act Crossfaith and everything in between; Mad Capsule Markets, Maximum the Hormone, Dragon Ash, The GazettE, Gackt and many more.

NEO Magazine’s approach will focus on pop, throwing in music from some of the artists interviewed in its pages, such as Korea’s SHINee to Japan’s L’Arc~en~Ciel and An cafe, plus a whole host of J-pop and K-pop from the like of AKB48, 2NE1, MOMOIRO CLOVER Z, Super Junior, Perfume, BIG BANG and Morning Musume. Requests will be welcome throughout the night.

Entry is £5 on the door and the venue is strictly 18+ only – valid photographic ID will be required. The venue contains a fully licensed bar and boasts bowling lanes, karaoke rooms, arcade machines, pool tables as well as table top football.

Japan Underground and NEO Magazine will also be exhibiting at the MCM Expo London Comic Con during the day. However, this event is in no way connected, organised or endorsed by the MCM Expo London Comic Con.

Join the Facebook event page for further updates: https://www.facebook.com/events/359608197405821/

Japan Underground: 24 March, ft. ASIDBLOW and Jake Emlyn

When: Saturday 24 March from 7pm.
Where: The Pipeline, 94 Middlesex Street, E1 7DA.
Tickets: £5 adv. (purchase here) or £7 on the door.
Event pages:  [facebook] [last.fm]

ONE OF JAPAN’s newest guitar acts, ASIDBLOW, is pleased to announce that their first overseas show will take place in London on Saturday 24 March. With influences ranging from Mötley Crüe, Kurt Cobain and Japan’s own alternative music legend hide (X Japan, Zilch), ASIDBLOW hopes to impress a British audience with their mixture of Japanese and western rock styles.

ASIDBLOW's Yuhi

Previously the band concentrated their activities on conquering Tokyo’s indie scene and finished the year with a solo show at Shibuya’s Duo Music Exchange, the 1,350 capacity venue part-owned by Jay Kay from Jamiroqui. This year is already taking the group in exciting new directions with the members currently appearing in hit Japanese music-drama ‘Hungry!’, alongside famed Japanese actor Osamu Mukai (BECK) and SMAP’s Goro Inagaki, as well as expanding their reach outside of Japan by performing in England for the first time.

Vocalist Yuhi says;
“It’s truly meaningful for us to be able to play in the UK this time. Regardless of the difference in countries or race, we can share a common passion through music. It really transcends all boarders; we’ve been so inspired by foreign music.”

Jake Emlyn and Kenji Suzuki

ASIDBLOW will be supported by Jake Emlyn, a British singer-songwriter dubbed ‘the cockney Willy Wonka’; partly for his eccentric sense of fashion, partly for his approach to music. His band also contains a connection to Japan with its guitarist, Kenji Suzuki. After launching his solo career in 1983 and opening for the likes of Deep Purple and Stevie Ray Vaughan, Suzuki went on to work with Bono (U2), Annie Lennox, Seal and more recently Corinne Bailey Rae. He was also a member of Simply Red until it disbanded in 2010.

Both bands will perform as part of the Japan Underground club night in London, taking place at Liverpool Street’s newly establish rock venue The Pipeline (94 Middlesex Street, E1 7DA). The event, recently featured in the Evening Standard’s article ‘Tokyo Is Trending’, celebrates Japanese music, particularly of the rock, metal and punk genres while also encouraging Japanese street fashion. There will also be hot Japanese izakaya (pub) style snacks available courtesy of mobile Japanese food company Peko Peko, as well as Asahi beer available on tap.

You can see a full gallery of ASIDBLOW, along with further details of each member, by clicking here.

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Japan Underground and Peko Peko Unite! 

Japan Underground and Peko Peko Unite!

Japan Underground is very pleased to announce a new partnership with the Japanese street kitchen Peko Peko for our next two music shows!

Peko Peko will be bringing a new element to the club night by offering authentic, fresh and tasty Japanese dishes for all in attendance at Japan Underground’s show with ASIDBLOW and Jake Emlyn on Saturday 24 March at The Pipeline, and Japan Underground’s Expo Afterparty at The Bloomsbury Lanes on Saturday 26 May.

“‘Peko Peko’ is a Japanese phrase we use when we’re extremely hungry! We are a Japanese Street Kitchen that aims to provide affordable and authentic Japanese food in a setting where people only have to wait minutes to fill their ‘peko peko’ stomachs!” says owner Sandy Watt.

“We first found Peko Peko at Hyper Japan this spring, where we tried everything on the menu (numerous times) and loved it all! We’d just arrived back in London after a trip to Japan at the time, and their food transported us back to the streets of Tokyo. While Japan Underground is one of the driving forces of the Japanese music movement in the UK, I believe Peko Peko is a driving force for authentic Japanese street food within the UK” comments Japan Underground’s founder Tom Smith.

The kitchen’s special Japan Underground menu will be made available soon – this page will be updated when it is. The Pipeline venue also offer Japanese beer Asahi on tap.

Besides Japan Underground, Peko Peko can be found on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at Tachbrook Street Market near Victoria Station.

Related Stories:
Japan Underground: 24 March, ft. ASIDBLOW and Jake Emlyn

The Peko Peko team are ready to keep the Japan Underground goers fully fed on authentic Japanese food