Live picks: Week of Friday, October 23, 2015

Saturday, October 24 and Sunday, October 25: Back From The Grave Halloween Ball

The place to be this or any other Halloween is of course the annual Back From The Grave Halloween Ball at Shinjuku Loft!  With over 20 years of history, this is the biggest showdown of Japanese garage punk and wild rock bands you will ever see. Over 50 bands are on the bill, including Guitar Wolf, Jackie and the Cedrics, Kinoco Hotel, The Fadeaways, Stompin' Riffraffs, Tweezers, Supersnazz and so many more it will make your head spin. The bands really get into the Halloween spirit, with outrageous costumes and all-out performances. All this plus surf legends Untamed Youth all the way from Missouri, US, and a lineup of regular and guest DJs, including yours truly. If you've never been to a Japanese garage rock show this is the place to be, and if you have, well, you won't need any more persuasion! This is going to be the party of the year for sure!

Location: Shinjuku Loft. Map

Start: Saturday 16.00, Sunday 14.30

Charge: Advance both days ¥5000. Single day ¥3000 / door ¥3500, plus one drink

Day 1 Facebook event page

Day 2 Facebook event page

More Halloween shows

Friday, October 23: Bellring Girls Heart, Necronomidol

If you didn't get tickets to Baby Metal's latest concert, the school-girls-meet-HP Lovecraft trash metal disco of Necronomidol is not a bad way to kick off the Halloween weekend. Purportedly the first "occult idol group", on the surface they seem like any Japanese manufactured pop group, fronted by four cute young girls. But their imagery is full of blood and weird monsters, and the lyrics speak of the coming black magic apocalypse. Necronomidol are playing Friday at Shinjuku Loft along with similarly weird Bellring Girls Heart and several other entries in the "alternative idols" genre.

Location: Shinjuku Loft. Map
Start: 19.00
Charge: Advance ¥2900 / door ¥3500

Saturday, October 24: Fun Last Summer vol. 1

For something a little less rowdy, you can spend Saturday at Music Shed Yes, where Tokyo pop-smiths Beat Caravan put on a show together with the 60's swinging sounds of The Pebbles and more.

Location: Music Shed Yes. Map

Start: 18.30

Charge: ¥1800 plus one drink

Saturday, October 24: Punk Pandemic

But wait! There's more! Rounding out a very busy weekend is Punk Pandemic 2015 volume 1, with a host of great Tokyo punk bands including Xtits, Raydios and Car Crash! If you go more for classic punk than 60s garage, this could be a good alternative to the Halloween Ball. Some bands actually do double duty and appear at both events! And if you miss this one, there is another coming up next week!

Location: Zone-B. Map

Start: 16.00
Charge: Advance ¥2300 / door ¥2500 plus one drink

Facebook event page