Melt-Banana

[chiefwigum]

There was a whole, 1-page interview with them in yesterday's Japan Times. Didn't really tell me anything I hadn't read before, but looks like MxBx are going more mainstream.
Anyway, after seeing this I thought I had better go down to Lawson and get my ticket for the show on saturday, and it had already sold-out . Should have realised as its some other bands release party. Oh well!
So Steve, I won't be seeing you at Shelter on saturday . I've decided to fork-out a small fortune and go and see Whitehouse instead !

MxBx are playing again in March though, this time with Bonnnie Prince Billy at the Nest on the 19th!

[Akai]

I read that. They are going to tour the states with fantomas, that would be a cool show. Thats strange that they are playing with BPB.

Anyone know who has been drumming for them recently?

[drinkBlackCoffee]

I hope they don't water themselves down in order to try and hit it mainstream. They're too good to go commercial.

[Akai]

Yeah, I much as I like the crazy stuff they do, I still like new stuff, even the singing on that one song. If they do take their music in a more "mainstream" direction I think it will still be good and more creative then most.

[steve eldritch]

drinkBlackCoffee said:

I hope they don't water themselves down in order to try and hit it mainstream. They're too good to go commercial.

I thought that had done this with their last LP. Cell Scape was too "straight" for my taste.

After I saw that the show was 2000yen+ I decided not to go. That was several days ago. Guess I'll never see them play live again...

Here's that interview for those interested:
www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?fm20040218a1.htm

For the record, I hate Simon Bartz. I've got a few problems with this dick and his tendency to objectify the ladies involved with Japanese bands(check his JT interview with Anadorei for an example). I'm actually surprised he didn't get fucking retarded and start falling all over himself during this interview. Cock.

[ghoul]

i hate him as well,He's really irritating the way he writes his columns.grrr.
I actually had to leave a record store last week cuz they were playing melt banana.Not quite as irritating as Simon Bartz but pretty close!!

[Akai]

what wlse has this dude wrote? I need to start reading the news.

[steve eldritch]

Akai said:

what wlse has this dude wrote? I need to start reading the news.

He writes a bi-monthly article for the Japan Times about Japanese music and often he delves into the underground to interview bands that otherwise would get little mainstream recognition on their own, but these bands ALWAYS have attractive women of some sort in them. He just can't review a band based on their talent, if they have even that. Usually he just does small time J-rock bands and garage punk stuff. His interview with Anadorei a couple years back is what introduced me to him. Erieza, their guitarist/vocalist who did most of the talking to him, can't stand the fucker because of that interview. Every time I see the guy at a show I make a point to let her know that "I saw Simon." just to see her get angry.

Go here www.japantimes.co.jp/ and do a search for "Simon Bartz". It'll bring up most of his articles. See how many you can find that have "punk girls", "rock girls" or just "girl" of some sort in the title. To his credit, he does write some articles on good bands every once and a while(Zeni Geva, Mogwai, Squarepusher, etc.) but mostly it's just drivel.

Here's his Anadorei interview: www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?fm20021103sb.htm

"A few days later, I hear Erieza is angry with me because I was "rude" at the izakaya. I apologize to her via e-mail. I do have regrets (believe me, that was an edited version of the interview), but I guess that's all part of being in love."

[People Are Nuclear Poisoning]

That's fucking disgusting.

and they jump me and lick my ears. Some bands will do anything for a good review. and then I sense they are a little uncomfortable.


hmmm, I wonder why that would be.

[listentogrindcore]

After reading some of his articles, it mustn't be that hard to write for the Japan Times.

Steve, have you met him before? He seems like a poser (Slipknot, death metal?!). Have you noticed that in all his articles about bands with girls in them he writes about how cute or how sexy they are? He must get his ass kicked a lot by the women themselves or their boyfriends! hahaha

[steve eldritch]

listentogrindcore said:

After reading some of his articles, it mustn't be that hard to write for the Japan Times.

Steve, have you met him before? He seems like a poser (Slipknot, death metal?!). Have you noticed that in all his articles about bands with girls in them he writes about how cute or how sexy they are? He must get his ass kicked a lot by the women themselves or their boyfriends! hahaha

Oh, no.. He looks like a retarded version of one of those Oasis dipshits. Fucking mod or whatever you call it. I've never "met" him but I've seen him at several shows before. Last time I saw him he was outside a club that had a bunch of rockabilly bands(Halloween, I believe) and he was so fucking drunk he couldn't stand straight. He had some poor girl with him and they were groping each other in front of everyone and falling all over the place. He tripped over several people and totally blew them off like it was their fault. I think he's got this misconception that he's some sort of celebrity or something.

Funny thing about it is that when I recognized him at that club I e-mailed Erieza and she told me to kick his ass. I thought she was joking until I saw her a week later and she was expecting graphic details of the beating she assumed I gave this twat. She was dissapointed when I told her I didn't do anything but sit there and laugh at him. She really doesn't like this guy.

[Akai]

Agata: Spike
Melt Banana is one of Japan's most powerful and popular punk bands and at the center of it is the stinging guitar of Agata. Here he steps out on a rare solo outing created especially for Tzadik. Showing an amazing range of interests, a prodigious technique and a remarkable ear for new sounds, Spike is a classic of solo guitar music.


I don't know about you guys but I am looking forward to this.

[steve eldritch]

I'm curious to see how non-melt banana he can make it sound. i'm sure the other members of the band(yasuko especially) are shitting themselves over his solo project.

And another update on Simon. I saw Erieza today and she told me she recently got a call from him asking her if she wanted to go to see Wire with him or not. He got a free press pass and could get someone in and it seems he was a little forward about what he was expecting for this "favor" from her. She was NOT happy about it and couldn't believe he had the gall to actually contact her about it after the problems they've had in the past. I laughed at her about it and she totally knocked the crap out of me for it. I thought it was a joke but obviously not. This guy is a cock.

[listentogrindcore]

Here is a picture I found of him off an Anadorei fan site. He looks like some 15 year old who got stuffed in his locker every day.



www.thai.be/anadorei/pics/ananews.gif

[Sprague Dawley]

Re;Anadorei. Irrespective of gender, am always wary of gorgeous people as "punks". They spend their lives being fawned over on the basis of their looks, the genesis of their maladjustment seems an artificial construct from the fucking get-go.

Leave punk to the ugly, maladjusted, life-long sociopathic losers like me, haha.