When I heard that Shonen Knife would be performing in Manchester the day after my birthday, I jumped at the chance to buy a ticket. I’d been following the Japanese pop-punk trio for ten years and brought my heavy-metal loving partner and his twin brother along for the ride. They had never heard of Shonen Knife before, but I was confident that they would enjoy their music.
A Brief History
Shonen Knife formed in Osaka, Japan in 1981 by sisters Naoko and Atsuko Yamano along with their friend, Michie Nakatani. Influenced by punk, heavy metal and good old fashioned 60’s pop, the girls adopted their own style by singing about animals and food, unusual for a time when rock music was heavily focused on rebellion. The band performed their first gig in Osaka in 1982, and released their first album, Minna Tanoshiku, that same year.
Throughout the 1980’s, the band released several albums, many of them containing re-worked songs from their early days. As the 80’s drew to a close, the band began to receive international attention from the likes of John Peel, Sonic Youth and Redd Kross. By 1991, they found their biggest fan in the form of Kurt Cobain and opened for Nirvana during their UK tour. The band found commercial success in the mid-90’s with their albums Rock Animals (which featured Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore on guitar), Brand New Knife and Happy Hour.

In 1999, Michie Nakatani left the band, which saw many line-up changes from then on. Atsuko Yamano switched from drums to bass and session drummer Mana Nishiura joined the band on tour (but was not considered an official member). Nishiura sadly died in a car accident whilst touring with hard rock group, DMBQ. The band were then joined by drummer Etsuko Nakanishi, who later left the band in 2010 and was replaced by Emi Morimoto (who left the band in 2015 after concerns about touring commitments). Atsuko later retired from the band to marry and move to Los Angeles, although she still plays bass during Shonen Knife’s North American and European tours. The band is currently headed by sole original member Naoko Yamano, bassist Ritsuko Taneda (who is currently on hiatus after giving birth to a baby girl) and drummer Risa Kawano. The band released their latest album, Adventure, in 2016.

The Show
The band played at Manchester’s Night & Day cafe, a small cafe bar and music venue. I had never been before and generally wasn’t aware of its existence (despite passing it numerous times on my visits to the Northern Quarter), but it was an interesting choice for a gig.

The band were supported by acts Uncle Jane and Proto Idiot, but we only stayed for the former as we were hungry and left to buy chips. We got back in time to see the band set up their equipment and do a quick soundcheck, which made me feel really giddy. After about 15 minutes, the girls came out, ready to rock and show us a fun time! They introduced the show with ‘Pop Tune’, a perky power-pop number with the lyrics “Since you’re already here/Put away something bad/Since you’re already here/Think just happy things!” setting the tone for the evening.
I was overjoyed to see that Atsuko was playing with the band and rocking out with her older sister. Even after being together for 37 years, you could tell that the band still have an absolute blast performing. Naoko also brought up the band’s longevity when she couldn’t remember which album the song ‘Jet Shot’ came from, joking that “this is what happens when you’re in a band for so long”. Interactions with the audience were short but very sweet, such as Atsuko asking the audience if they liked the costumes she made (a big, resounding “YES!” was the reply) and drummer Risa telling everyone how happy she was to be performing before launching into ‘Green Tangerine’. To my delight, the band also played older classics such as ‘Twist Barbie’, ‘Banana Chips’ and ‘Riding on the Rocket’.
Kurt Cobain once said that he “transformed into a hysterical nine-year-old girl at a Beatles concert” when he saw Shonen Knife perform live and I felt exactly the same way. The band’s cheery outlook on life give me the pick-me-up I need when I’m in the midst of a bad depression episode or if I’m feeling too overwhelmed with the world’s negativity. Songs about ice cream, cats and cycling may seem silly on the surface, but beneath all that is a band who want you to see and enjoy the simple things. Their enthusiasm for life is not fake, and comes from a genuinely warm place. It’s really hard to be sad when you hear a Shonen Knife song!
“I want many people to listen to our music and want them to get happy through our music. I’m motivated by this feeling.” – Naoko Yamano
The band ended their set with a punky cover of Nick Lowe’s ‘Cruel to Be Kind’, a song that Naoko introduced as one of her favourites. I was a on a high and grinning from ear to ear, a feeling that I carried home with me. I asked my partner for his verdict on the band, and was pleasantly surprised when he told me that he enjoyed them and particularly liked the four back-to-back ‘food’ songs that they played. I now plan to introduce him to some of their albums and hope he catches Shonen Knife fever too.
The band went over to their merch stall to meet the fans. I was dying to meet them too, but due to the small size of the venue and the large queue that was forming, I couldn’t make it. I did, however, knock on the front window and got a wave and a smile from both Naoko and Atsuko, which led to me cheering excitedly. Acknowledgement from one of my favourite bands closed the evening very nicely indeed!
Fantastic music and great fun, what more could you ask for from a band?
