LIVE: Shonen Knife and Slowcoaches

Slowcoaches live at The Bodega - Photo by Wizzolas

Opening the show are Slowcoaches, who are making the trip down from Leeds, and they’re worth getting to the gig early for. They also seem to have a slightly re-jigged line-up from when I last saw them play - at a gig at this very same venue that was also put together by tonight’s promoters, Default This.

Whatever the reasons for the changes, it’s definitely for the best, as the three piece of bass, drums and guitar with twin boy/girl vocals fizzles with aplomb. Bristling with a rather chaotic energy, Slowcoaches plough the same sort of early 90s furrow that a band such as say Yuck have been doing recently, but they do it much much much better.

All of the totemic fuzzy, slacker type plaid-clad bands are referenced; there’s bits of Dinosaur Jr in their volume, the accessibility and dreamy melodies of Bakesale-era Sebadoh, and the loose-fitting energy of prime Pavement. Yet Slowcoaches aren’t mere copyists and never come across like a tribute band, they just use these reference points as a basis for their own perfectly formed songs. Despite their slacker tendencies, there’s certainly nothing loose about this band.

Shonen Knife live at The Bodega - Photo by Wizzolas

And now on to a band who were actually around in the early 90s, Shonen Knife. They enjoyed a commercial high-point around that time that also saw them tour with Nirvana. Jumping to 2011 and the band are celebrating 30 years and it’s not hard to see why. Although admittedly only front-woman Naoko Yamano is the only original member left, they play with such enthusiasm that you feel yourself immediately getting swept away by their charm.

There is much headbanging and fist pumping from the band throughout their set, which ranges from head down punky thrash-outs through to playful 60s girl group inspired guitar-pop. There’s a bit of a dip in energy mid set, but they bring it back to the boil when they come of for their encores in their Osaka Ramones guise and blast their way through a clutch of the punk legends finest.

Shonen Knife and Slowcoaches played at The Bodega on Saturday 10 September 2011.

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