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• Shonen Knife The All Girl...

Shonen Knife: The All-Girl Punk Band That Inspired Nirvana

When it comes to Japanese musical exports, most people immediately think of monolithic J-Pop bands like AKB48 and weirdo viral stars like Pikotaro. Japan however is one of the biggest music-loving nations in the world, and, as a result, the country is overflowing with groundbreaking iconic artists that for one reason or another never get the international accolades they deserve. Garage bubblegum pop trio Shonen Knife, aka one of Kurt Cobain ’s favourite groups, is one such band.

Shonen Knife formed in Osaka in 1981. Its original lineup featured sisters Naoko Yamano (guitarist-vocalist) and Atsuko Yamano (drummer) alongside their friend bassist Michie Nakatani. Heavily influenced by garage punk bands like The Ramones and classic Western pop icons like The Beach Boys and 1960s American girl groups, the band completely rejected the rising wave of J-Pop in their home country in search for something more international. During their early days, the band was considered a little bit of a novelty given the fact that in Japanese all-girl bands (not J-Pop groups, but actual bands) were rather scarce. A few years following the formation other groups, like Quentin Tarantino favourites The 5.6.7.8’s, would begin to come out of the woodwork, but really Shonen Knife was the ground breaker. The band played its first-ever live show in 1982 at Studio One, a bar/club in Osaka. It’s said that the show had total of 36 audience members who paid 100 yen each for a ticket. A year later in 1983 the band released their debut, a straight up fast and fuzzy punk pop gem, ‘Burning Farm’, on Zero Records.

After releasing two more records, the band captured the attention of the Sub Pop Records, the label home of Nirvana and an iconic name on U.S. alt-rock scene at the time. The label added their track ‘One Day of the Factory’ to a Sub Pop 100 compilation and floods of offers from U.S. labels began to roll in.

Kurt Cobain’s discovery

In 1991, the band played a show in LA, which was attended by the mega-star to be Kurt Cobain. In an interview with music magazine ‘Melody Maker’ in September of that year, Cobain was quoted as saying “I turned into a 9-year-old girl at a Beatles concert. I was crying and jumping up and down and tearing my hair out — it was amazing. I’ve never been so thrilled in my whole life. They play pop music — pop, pop, pop music.” Not long after the show, Cobain personally invited the band to join them on their upcoming U.K. tour, on the eve of the band’s massive breakthrough release ‘Nevermind’.

Touring with Nirvana

What’s so amazing is that being stuck in a world of ’60s pop and ’70s punk, Shonen Knife had absolutely no idea who Nirvana were. Naoko Yamano told Rolling Stone magazine, ‘I went to a record store, and I bought their CD. And when I saw their photograph, I thought they might be scary persons, because their hairstyles and their clothes were very grunge. But once the tour had started, I noticed that all the members were nice, good persons. And because this was our first experience of a long tour, the drummer, Dave [ Grohl ] helped us with setting up the drum kit.” Together the bands played nine shows across the U.K. and throughout November and December of that year. On the tour, Shonen Knife taught Cobain how to play their infectious bubblegum punk track, ‘Twist Barbie’, which Nirvana covered during one of their elusive secret shows. The track was taken from the band’s second release, ‘Burning Farm’, which Cobain also named one of his most favourite albums of all time. Once the tour was over, the bands continued to cross paths. In February 1992, Shonen Knife performed at a Valentine’s Day concert; Nirvana was in Japan at the time and attended as well. Later in the year, both bands shared the bill for the 20th Reading Festival back in the U.K.

The ’90s up to today

Even following a number of lineup changes, a Ramones covers album , a Ramen-themed U.S. tour, pregnancies and countless world tours, the band has never once slowed down, taken a hiatus or called it quits. Since the ’90s, the band has continued to tour and release albums, the latest being 2016’s ‘Adventure’. If you are in Japan, be sure to keep an eye on the band’s Facebook page for more info on upcoming local shows.

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Shonen Knife Remembers Kurt Cobain 22 Years Later: ‘His Eyes Were Very Beautiful Clear Dark Blue’

The late/great Kurt Cobain was very vocal about his admiration of the Japanese rock group, Shonen Knife – including name-checking them in the liner notes to Incesticide (“It was as rewarding as touring with Shonen Knife and watching people practically cry with joy at their honesty. It made people happy and it made me happy knowing that I had helped bring them to the UK.”) and also touring together (including dates on what became Nirvana’s last-ever U.S. tour).

The group (which is comprised of Naoko on vocals and guitar, Atsuko on bass and vocals, and Risa on drums and vocals) are celebrating their 35th anniversary this year with the just-released album, Adventure (via Good Charamel Records). Naoko was kind enough to answer a few questions about the album, tour plans, and Mr. Cobain for Alternative Nation.

Alternative Nation: How is Adventure similar or different to previous Shonen Knife albums?

Naoko: Adventure is developed from the last album, Overdrive. The theme is 70’s American rock and British hard rock, and a bit of 60’s.

Alternative Nation: Which songs are your favorite tracks off the album and why?

Naoko: Of course, I like everything. It’s difficult to choose one but if I choose one, I like hard rock style songs like “Tasmanian Devil.” It was inspired by KISS. Our bassist Atsuko and I share lead vocals. It’s fun. Started from a calm part, then get high. It’s a dramatic song.

Alternative Nation: Touring plans?

Naoko: We’ll tour in North America in this autumn. I can’t wait to go!

Alternative Nation: When did you first find out Kurt Cobain was an admirer of Shonen Knife’s music?

Naoko: Our manager in the early 90’s told me about it. But I didn’t know Nirvana at that time. After that, I read an article of Kurt’s interview in a magazine and I got to know. He said at the interview article, “Be careful about Shonen Knife or you’ll be cut into pieces.”

Alternative Nation: What are some memories of playing shows with Nirvana and the Breeders in 1993?

Naoko: The first time we toured with them was 1991 in the UK. At that time, the capacity of the venues was between 1,000 and 2,500, but in 1993, it was a stadium tour. They were touring with a catering trailer and tour crew that was more than 30 people. There were many people around the members of Nirvana’s dressing room. We didn’t have much time to talk with the members. We were welcomed to the audience of Nirvana. Playing shows was fun.

Alternative Nation: Did you get the chance to meet Kurt? If so, any standout memories?

Naoko: At the first tour with them in 1991, we talked with him every day. The first day, I met him at the parking lot of a hotel. The other members had already gone to the venue for soundcheck, but Kurt delayed. It might be that he had some interviews. We went to the venue together with Kurt in a motor-lorry’s compartment. It was totally dark. Sitting on the floor of the compartment and grasping knees next to each other, we talked a bit. But I couldn’t speak English very well at that time and he was a rather calm person. His eyes were very beautiful clear dark blue.

Alternative Nation: What do you recall about filming the video for “Tomato Head”?

Naoko: We rented a bowling alley and a flour factory in Los Angeles and filmed. Looking back now, the budget was huge and we wore costumes of bowling shirts, white overalls. When filming at the factory, we hired a catering service. A popsicle selling car came and we bought some. Marty Friedman – who was a guitarist from Megadeth – visited us, because our A&R person at Virgin Records was a friend of his.

Alternative Nation: Do you think we will ever experience an alt rock musical uprising like the one we experienced in the early ‘90s?

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Live Review: Shonen Knife celebrate 40 years of Punk Pop eccentricity

Japanese Punk Pop pioneers Shonen Knife rocked the Boileroom in Guildford on the first of their UK tour dates, with excellent support from The Kut

Guildford’s bijou venue certainly lived up to its name on a rainy Wednesday in April – a wonderfully diverse range of fans squeezed into the compact space which got hotter and hotter – and both main and support bands were also very much on fire!

Shonen Knife , fronted by founding members and sisters Naoko and Atsuko Yamano , celebrated their 40th Anniversary in 2021 with plans for an extensive world tour. Events conspired against them, yet undeterred, they embarked upon their delayed series of European shows in spring 2023.

Naoko wrote in 2021 “ We started Shonen Knife on 29th December 1981 when we did the first rehearsal in Osaka. This year is the 40th anniversary of the band. Thanks to our fans, all members of the band and staff, I could continue the band. But actually I can’t believe that so many year have passed. My motto of the band is “Let’s have fun” and I’ve never look back and never having long time future plan. I just move forward. I would like to continue to make people and ourselves happy through our music. See you at our 40th Anniversary UK tour! “

Guests for the evening were The Kut , formed by Maha (lead vocals, guitar) and featuring a variety of touring members – tonight we had Daisy on bass and  Violet on drums. These ladies certainly know how to get the room jumping – their music is Grunge Rock / Punk, think L7 meets Lunachicks !

Dedicated to all of the women present (including the sound engineer), ANIMO is a song about courage – and this is something that female bands, musicians, technicians and audience members all must have in a secene which isn’t as accepting as it should be. Recent discussions with several of my male friends highlighted that they often aren’t aware of the difficulties we have, as they don’t apply to men!

Shonen Knife ( Naoko なおこ ; vocals, guitar, Atsuko あつこ ; bass, vocals, and Risa りさ ; drums, vocals) received a warm welcome as they took to the stage. Atsuko designed their colourful costumes, and the T-shirts available on merch, which perfectly suit their bright and bold sound.

40 years of playing and recording has not dulled these ladies shine in the least – they play and sing with sheer joy and energy. The crowd loved every song in their set, covering their entire career, and were soon jumping along with the band!

All three musicians sing as well as play, taking turns on lead vocals and harmonising consummantely. A lot of their songs seem to be about food – and yes, I like green tea ice-cream too! – yet their musicianship is so good that each was wonderful to hear. Their influences ( Ramones , 70s Rock) were apparent, and I was very much reminded of The Who with their diversity of sounds and song titles.

Shonen Knife are credited for being a big influence on later band Nirvana , with fan Kurt Cobain inviting them to open for their 1991 European tour. Their influence and popularity amongst a huge range of fans and bands testifies to Shonen Knife’s abilities and appeal.

Releasing their 23rd studio album Our Best Place in February this year, the band have no intention to slow down, and judging by the queue at merch after the show, their popularity remains strong. Album information HERE

Catch this Ultra Eccentric Super Cult Punk Pop Band (as it says on the T-shirt!) at one of their remaining dates – they truly are punktastic! fun!

Main Photo Credit / All Photos: RUTH RAE

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‘Usually found jumping around down the front at gigs, I also relish taking photos and videos, singing, speaking with fellow music fans, and asking musicians the questions nobody else does. Writing about my favourite bands and connecting with people who love music too keeps me more-or-less sane! I’ve worked for over 25 years at a video production company, mainly filming live music events, therefore I have an additional backstage perspective on the scene.’

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Shonen Knife – Burning Farm (1985)

The cobain 50.

Martin Douglas and Janice Headley dive into Shonen Knife ’s 1983 album Burning Farm , which was released in America by Olympia, WA’s own K Records.

Kicking off KEXP's month-long Pushing Boundaries celebration, Martin Douglas and Janice Headley dive into Shonen Knife’s Burning Farm , which was released in America by Olympia, Washington’s own K Records. Founding members Naoko and Atsuko Yamano share stories of touring with Nirvana in 1991. Plus, we celebrate this Osaka-based trio’s 40-year history of songs about food, animals, and toys. 

Special thank you to Yuko Headley for translation assistance

Hosts: Dusty Henry & Martin Douglas Written + Produced: Martin Douglas & Janice Headley Mixed + Mastered: Roddy Nikpour Podcast Manager: Isabel Khalili Editorial Director: Larry Mizell Jr. 

Support the podcast: kexp.org/cobain

JANICE: In 1991, Kurt Cobain told Melody Maker magazine that when he saw first saw Shonen Knife in concert, he "turned into a nine-year old girl at a Beatles concert. I was crying and jumping up and down and tearing my hair out — it was amazing. I’ve never been so thrilled in my whole life."

JANICE: It’s no surprise that Kurt had Shonen Knife-mania. Quite simply, this trio from Japan create songs to make people happy.

JANICE: Shonen Knife was formed in 1981 in Osaka by Naoko Yamano, a recent college graduate who was working a boring office job. In Japanese culture, it’s a common tradition for a woman to take an office job while she waits for a marriage proposal. It’s no wonder why Naoko chose to rock out instead. 

JANICE: Naoko and her college friend Michie Nakatani decided to form a band, inspired by their love of American and British bands like The Beatles and The Ramones. Naoko recruited her younger sister, Atsuko, to play drums. Atsuko was only 17-years-old at the time. 

JANICE: Shonen Knife brought this youthful exuberance to their music. Naoko sings about candy, cute animals, and toys, in both Japanese and English.

JANICE: They released their first album – Minna Tanoshiku – in 1982. In total DIY fashion that Kurt would surely appreciate, it was recorded at home, as Naoko told KEXP over Zoom:

NAOKO: It was very, very casual recording. We recorded in 1982. But it was very casual. Our friend, he was a high school student, a very young guy, helped us to record it.

JANICE: Only 89 total copies of the album were ever made – 50 of those by the band themselves, with lip prints on the sleeves, although Michie once said that the lip print was by her grandmother. At the time, the album was released on cassette only. 

JANICE: While 1982’s Minna Tanoshiku is technically their first album, 1983’s Burning Farm is their first studio album. It’s also the album that landed on Kurt Cobain’s 50 Favorite Albums list.

NAOKO: When we played in Kyoto in, I think 1982 – sometime around there – a guy from a tiny record label in Kyoto asked to release our album from his label. The label is called Zero Records. And, he booked studios in Kobe. So, close to Osaka, or Kansai area, where we live. And, we went to the studio, but the recording was the first time for us, so, we didn't know everything. But, the engineer was very kind to us, and we could record safely.

JANICE: Atsuko remembered the days not recording with a click track: 

ATSUKO: First one, Burning Farm, we went to studio without click. Just listening, no click, just play together, the three of us. So very special group and very punk album, I think. 

JANICE: Minna Tanoshiku , Burning Farm , and the two following albums were all remastered and reissued in 2016. I asked Naoko what she thought of the albums, relistening to them thirty years later in preparation for the re-release.

NAOKO: Our album was re-mastered with very high technology, and it was released from Oglio Records in America. Listening to them, I feel it’s very creative and energetic and very, very unique. 

JANICE: While Burning Farm is indeed more polished than its home-recorded predecessor, it definitely retains the same child-like charm. Songs include "Elephant Pao Pao" – about an elephant eating a banana…

JANICE: “Animal Song” – which is exactly what it says it is… 

JANICE: And the song “Twist Barbie” – which was celebrating the iconic blonde fashion doll, way before the Oscar-nominated Greta Gerwig movie that came out last year.  JANICE: Here’s Naoko: 

NAOKO: I like Barbie dolls a lot, and I played with Barbie dolls a lot when I was a child at home. and I wrote this song, and Kurt Cobain covered that song at their secret gig, I know that.

JANICE: A year after Burning Farm came out, a young Calvin Johnson arranged to take a trip to Japan as part of an individual study program at The Evergreen State College. The trip would not only send him on a bright path, but also chart the course for an entire musical subculture.

JANICE: Here’s Kurt talking to Shonen Knife about how he discovered them: 

KURT: When you guys put out that Burning Farm cassette, well, Calvin, my friend Calvin from Olympia, he sold me that tape. I bought that tape from him because he works at K Records. And I heard it, and I fell in love with it.

MARTIN: Before Calvin Johnson became a somewhat accidental pioneer of the American indie rock scene, he was a young punk rocker with a dream of playing music in Japan. Luckily, he went to the perfect school to turn his overseas visit into course credit. 

MARTIN: The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington — where Calvin attended school — offered what is called an Individual Learning Contract. The long and short of these Individual Learning Contracts is that students are given the ability to create a long-term project of their choice, and their advisors would offer either a complete or incomplete; no grades, just learning by doing. The basis of Calvin’s Individual Learning Contract was to explore the Japanese underground music scene and publish his findings in Op Magazine . The publication was run by John Foster, who at the time also headed up KAOS FM, Evergreen’s radio station. 

MARTIN: Of course, there was an important side mission on this student journey to Japan: To play shows with his still-fairly-new band, Beat Happening. 

MARTIN: In fact, in the 33 ⅓ book series entry on Beat Happening’s self-titled debut, Calvin said the whole idea of Beat Happening was to go to Japan. With the help of a pal who happened to be an Evergreen exchange student from Japan, Calvin — along with his bandmates Heather Lewis and Bret Lunsford — stayed in a building in the Nakameguro neighborhood of Tokyo, slated to be torn down. They were more or less squatting with permission while recording in the apartment, which didn’t have central heating nor hot water. 

MARTIN: The band did record and did play shows, but we’ll get into all that in our episode on Beat Happening’s Jamboree in just a few weeks. 

MARTIN: As Beat Happening fulfilled their goal of getting their proverbial feet wet in Tokyo, Calvin was making headway with his research project. He networked while browsing record stores and obtained numbers from various record labels. Eventually, he met with the head of Japan’s biggest distribution company, who gave him the name of an all-woman punk trio, called Shonen Knife. 

MARTIN: Calvin was unable to contact the band while he was in Tokyo, but ended up finding a copy of Burning Farm and taking it home with him to Olympia. He wrote Naoko at her home address, asking for permission to release an expanded version of Burning Farm. Naoko was very surprised that someone was interested in putting out Shonen Knife’s music in the United States.

NAOKO: He made a contact to me and he sent postal mail — not email at the time, but postal mail to me. And, after that, we exchanged postal mail, and he wanted to release our album Burning Farm as a cassette, and it was released in 1985. And so we shipped master tape to him, and he made a cassette tape, and he sent to me a sample cassette, and I was so surprised. Everything was going without my notice. So it was very, very far away for me. Seattle/Olympia is very, very far for me. So, it was incredible.

MARTIN: The release of Burning Farm — a cassette with handmade covers, as was the standard for K Records at the time — led to the widespread appreciation of a burgeoning style of music, called “twee punk,” which consisted of punk rock songs with sugary melodies and cute song topics.  MARTIN: The rise of the indie-pop underground in the mid-80s led to artists like Sonic Youth inviting Shonen Knife to open for them in their hometown of Osaka, and even a 1989 tribute album — titled Every Band Has a Shonen Knife Who Loves Them  — which included bands like the aforementioned Sonic Youth, as well as L7 and Redd Kross. 

MARTIN:  Burning Farm ’s American release on K attracted the attention of another pop-obsessed punk living in Olympia, who was not far away from becoming the biggest rock star on Earth. Kurt Cobain repeatedly designated himself as Shonen Knife’s biggest fan.

JANICE: In fact, Kurt was such a big fan, he asked Shonen Knife to open for Nirvana on their 1991 European tour.  JANICE:  Nevermind had just been released in the US in September, and it hadn’t even been released yet in Japan. Nirvana hadn’t blown up yet, the way they would in January 1992 when “Smells Like Teen Spirit” will become a #1 hit in America. Naoko told us about getting the invitation to open for them, even though they hadn’t heard of Nirvana yet:

NAOKO: We didn't meet them before the tour. We knew them only by photograph. I think management of maybe Nirvana made a phone call to our management in Tokyo at that time. Our manager was an American guy. And, he showed us the photograph of Nirvana, and they looked very wild. And I was a bit scared to tour with them at the time.

JANICE: When Nirvana arrived in Japan for their tour, Shonen Knife quickly realized they had nothing to fear. Here’s Naoko talking about the first time she met Kurt:

NAOKO: When I first met Kurt was in a very dark truck. Many music equipments in back cargo of truck. And members of Shonen Knife and Kurt Cobain took a ride in the same cargo. And I talked with Kurt in very, very dark, tiny boxes.

JANICE: Atsuko added:

ATSUKO: At the time, we talked to Kurt, and Kurt [was] missing his dog. And then we saw his suitcase in there, and he painted the picture of dog on his public suitcase. So cute. NAOKO: In Scotland or somewhere, it was very cold at the dressing room. So Kurt invited us to his dressing room because his dressing room was warm. And he let me eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. He gave it to me. So I was surprised because I usually don't eat peanut butter and strawberry jam together in Japan. I got to know American people's favorite. 

JANICE: Shonen Knife opened again for Nirvana during their 1993 US tour, alongside The Breeders. The band talked about the audience response on MTV News:

GROHL: They went into their first song, and everyone seemed baffled. Next couple of songs, they won over the audience by the end of the night… KURT: I was an emotional sap the whole time. I cried every night. KRIST: You couldn’t help it! 

JANICE: Here’s Kurt one more time, talking to the band backstage during their 1991 European tour:

KURT: We're glad that we finally got to go on tour with you. Now a lot of people love you guys.

MARTIN: In the years since their Nirvana tour and major label debut, Shonen Knife has kept up a mark of delightful artistic consistency and has grown and shifted, a natural byproduct of anything continuing to exist. They have welcomed and endured lineup changes, pregnancies, terrible car accidents, and the longstanding love and gratitude of their fans. They’ve recorded a cover album with songs belonging to their beloved formative inspiration the Ramones. 

MARTIN: They’ve contributed songs to the soundtracks of Powerpuff Girl s (a spiritual connection if there ever was one) and that one Fast and the Furious movie set in Tokyo, they’ve delivered outstanding covers of My Bloody Valentine’s “When You Sleep” and the Carpenters’ “Top of the World” to tribute albums. They’ve been panned by Beavis and Butthea d, known to some — and by some, I mean me — as the last of the real music critics. In the MTV era, bands getting made fun of by Beavis and Butthead was considered a gold ribbon of success.

JANICE: Shonen Knife are celebrating over 40 years as a band now. They released their 20th album last year titled Our Best Place . Always staying true to their love of food, it contains the singles “Spicy Veggie Curry” 

JANICE: and “Vamos Taquitos”, inspired by Atsuko’s new home in Los Angeles… 

JANICE: When we spoke to the band, they were in the middle of a Japanese tour. I asked if we might get to see them in America. While no official tour dates have been announced yet, when they are, Naoko suggested you won’t want to miss it. 

NAOKO: Yeah, I think we continue touring in Japan and overseas, but, I am getting old. I don’t know how long I can continue or not. So, I hope people come to our show. It might be the last chance.  [ laughs ] 

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• Concert Chronology
• December 05, 1991 - Kilburn National Ballroom, London, UK

LIVE NIRVANA Concert Chronology December 05, 1991 - Kilburn National Ballroom, London, UK

• Kurt Cobain (vocals, guitar)
• Krist Novoselic (bass)
• Dave Grohl (drums, backing vocals)
• Eugene Kelly (backing vocals)
• Andy Bollen (drums)
• Alex MacLeod (tour manager)
• Craig Montgomery (sound engineer)
• Ian Beveridge (monitor engineer)
• Nic Close (guitar technician)
• Dave Mclean
• Alex Weston

Soundcheck incomplete

• Floyd The Barber
• Smells Like Teen Spirit
• About A Girl
• L'Amour Est Un Oiseau Rebelle jam
• unknown song jam
• Negative Creep
• Molly's Lips Kelly on backing vocals, Bollen on drums
• Territorial Pissings

Circulating Recordings

Uncirculated recordings.

A recording of Shonen Knife set is circulating, so it's possible that Nirvana's set was recorded as well.

• Before "Breed," there was a quick jam on the unknown song from 11/30/91.
• Former Vaselines and Captain America lead singer Eugene Kelly sang with Kurt on "Molly's Lips," Captain America's Andy Bollen played drums.

Press Reviews

• Review from a UK newspaper called "Melody Maker", published on December 14th, 1991.

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Who doesn't love bizarre punk pop? No one, that's who. So go see Japanese pop trio Shonen Knife as soon as you possibly can for a night of laughs, power pop and some talented musicians. Inspired by the 60's pop acts such as The Beach Boys, and taking inspiration from a favourite act of theirs The Ramones, the girls sculpted a unique alt rock/pop sound which earned them a cult following worldwide in the 80's.

Devoted fans described them as an alternative to Sonic Youth & Nirvana during the 90's. A lofty claim perhaps, but you can see where their logic lay in that the band are just so likeable and warm with their audiences and they back up this infectious personality with equally infectious pop. It's been a true adventure for the trio and they have visited places that they may not have had the opportunity to otherwise, they once stated that they felt they had made "the international pop underground more international" by "opening it up to bands from Japan". The ascetics that they've built over their long career continue to delight fans during their shows and their kooky songs such as 'Twist Barbie' and 'Badaka' keep audiences bopping along before they drop in Ramones covers that have become so original to the girls, you would pass them off as their own. A lovely trio of musicians who love what they do, go see them soon.

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When I saw Shonen Knife live I knew that I was in for a concert like never before. The all girl pop group had just released their newest album in their long career called Free Time. Many of the fans in the crowd I could tell had been listening to the band for a very long time since they played songs that were older and I did not recognize as much myself. I was able to sing along with them to the songs from Free Time and I was glad to see that even though almost every fan in the crowd was American, they still loved this Japanese group. The women in the band were very nice and they would come very close to the edge of the stage and thank us personally for coming to the show and supporting their new album. Before they started to play the concert they had a table with CD's and t shirts. I talked to the main singer and she spoke very good English. I wanted them to play an encore at the end of their set and they did that even though I did not recognize the song. The experience made me feel like even though I did not know all of the songs that they played it made me appreciate the group as a whole and made me want to go home and listen to many more of the songs other than the wonderful ones they performed. This is exactly what I ended up doing and I noticed that the band sounds as good live as they do on the albums.

This review is for the 2016 North American Shonen Knife tour in support of their album, Adventure:

It was the first time I saw Shonen Knife perform, and definitely not the last! There were eclectic mix of fans 21 and up. For example, I chatted with a senior who told me he was 74 years old! He bragged about how he has seen them many, many times. This is just one example of the power of Shonen Knife!

Glitter guitar of Naoko with cute outfits (designed by Atsuko), they are a treat on stage! But personally I was more captivated by the new drummer, Risa. Not only is Risa a good drummer, she always smiles! Her smile alone is priceless.

Another impressive thing about Shonen Knife is that all of their merchandise sold at the show is more than fair - $5 for a huge poster, $3 for signed guitar picks, and they practically had all of their albums available right there on both CD and vinyl! T-shirt price average.

At the end of the show they had a signing event. Not only did they just blow the roof off, they decided to make more time for the fans. Amazing!

Their energy is uniquely contagious to fans from all over the world. Once a Shonen Knife, always a Shonen Knife?

As usual, Shonen Knife continues to impress.Naoko continues the tradition of finding great drummers, Risa is terrific, enthusiastic, a powerhouse and spot on.

The band is extremely tight, despite their ever-changing line up and abundance of material to choose from. The songs are timeless and the set is always changing.

Atsuko is up to the challenge on bass and has a great stage presence. Michie and Ritsuko would be proud. Maybe she will sit on drums for a tune or so,one day.

With Naoko leading the trio,still writing great tunes, she keeps the band fresh and relevant.

Shonen Knife continues to leave a smile on my face every time I see or hear them.

The show at Brighton Bar was the last for the 2016 US tour, and founder Noako was re-joined by her sister and original member Atsuko on bass and new drummer Risa. They never fall short live in any show I have seen, and this was no exception as they support their new album "Adventure", including some new fun songs including some new ones about food and animals. 19 songs for the night including classics "Twist Barbie" and "Ride the Rocket" just made for a happy and exciting show. If there was a way to spread the positive energy from an SK show, world peace would have arrived.

I saw Shonan Knife at The Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco when they were touring on Live in Osaka in October 2018, and they were great! It's amazing that they are back with a new album Sweet Candy Power and playing at The Bottom of the Hill again less that a year later! Unlike many older bands who make touring look like a chore because they ran out of money, Shonan Knife make it obvious that they are in it because for them, being rock stars is just plain fun.

Great venue for a show. The ladies kicked butt.

Hi flyin'n energy and never do they disappoint.

As my friend said, never saw a show this powerful since the early shows by The Ramones.

Risa a powerhouse, always smiling and never missed a beat, Atsuko's bass playing as dynamic as usual and what can you say about Naoko, true professional. Slips from vocals to solos, flawlessly.

And the sweet vocals....

They have so much fun, it is hard not to love SK.

Once again, the ladies never disappoint.

High flying show with tons of energy and crowd support.

Naoko and Atsuko show no signs of slowing down. Add that to the Tommy Gunn drumming of Risa, and the band is once again on fire.

Great selection of songs both older and newer. They have such a large catalogue now, it must be tough choosing a set list. Going again to see them in Brooklyn, and I am sure the set list will be tweaked for some more added gems.

1st time seeing them (I know but sometimes you have to grow up to appriciate the greater things in life)

Whole evening fantastic loved the america's adored the leggy band and even got chatting to wolfmother's support band electric citizen (who were quality)

Shonen knife were outstanding amazing musicians who know there craft inside out.

All i can say my evening ended at 3.30am and I loved every minute of it!!

God save rock n roll.

Seeing Shonen Knife for the first time was pretty awesome. They were full of energy and did play a decent number of older songs considering they were on an album tour (which was nice). They also were gracious enough to sign things and take photographs after the show.

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Shonen Knife: The All-Girl Punk Band That Inspired Nirvana

Get to know shonan knife, one of japan's best and most ridiculously underrated punk rock bands..

When it comes to Japanese musical exports, most people immediately think of monolithic J-Pop bands like AKB48 and weirdo viral stars like Pikotaro. Japan however is one of the biggest music-loving nations in the world, and, as a result, the country is overflowing with groundbreaking iconic artists that for one reason or another never get the international accolades they deserve. Garage bubblegum pop trio Shonen Knife, aka one of Kurt Cobain ’s favourite groups, is one such band.

Shonen Knife formed in Osaka in 1981. Its original lineup featured sisters Naoko Yamano (guitarist-vocalist) and Atsuko Yamano (drummer) alongside their friend bassist Michie Nakatani. Heavily influenced by garage punk bands like The Ramones and classic Western pop icons like The Beach Boys and 1960s American girl groups, the band completely rejected the rising wave of J-Pop in their home country in search for something more international.

During their early days, the band was considered a little bit of a novelty given the fact that in Japanese all-girl bands (not J-Pop groups, but actual bands) were rather scarce. A few years following the formation other groups, like Quentin Tarantino favourites The 5.6.7.8’s, would begin to come out of the woodwork, but really Shonen Knife was the ground breaker.

The band played its first-ever live show in 1982 at Studio One, a bar/club in Osaka. It’s said that the show had total of 36 audience members who paid 100 yen each for a ticket. A year later in 1983 the band released their debut, a straight up fast and fuzzy punk pop gem, ‘Burning Farm’, on Zero Records.

After releasing two more records, the band captured the attention of the Sub Pop Records, the label home of Nirvana and an iconic name on U.S. alt-rock scene at the time. The label added their track ‘One Day of the Factory’ to a Sub Pop 100 compilation and floods of offers from U.S. labels began to roll in.

In 1991, the band played a show in LA, which was attended by the mega-star to be Kurt Cobain. In an interview with music magazine ‘Melody Maker’ in September of that year, Cobain was quoted as saying “I turned into a 9-year-old girl at a Beatles concert. I was crying and jumping up and down and tearing my hair out — it was amazing. I’ve never been so thrilled in my whole life. They play pop music — pop, pop, pop music.” Not long after the show, Cobain personally invited the band to join them on their upcoming U.K. tour, on the eve of the band’s massive breakthrough release ‘Nevermind’.

What’s so amazing is that being stuck in a world of ’60s pop and ’70s punk, Shonen Knife had absolutely no idea who Nirvana were. Naoko Yamano told Rolling Stone magazine, ‘I went to a record store, and I bought their CD. And when I saw their photograph, I thought they might be scary persons, because their hairstyles and their clothes were very grunge. But once the tour had started, I noticed that all the members were nice, good persons. And because this was our first experience of a long tour, the drummer, Dave [ Grohl ] helped us with setting up the drum kit.” Together the bands played nine shows across the U.K. and throughout November and December of that year.

On the tour, Shonen Knife taught Cobain how to play their infectious bubblegum punk track, ‘Twist Barbie’, which Nirvana covered during one of their elusive secret shows. The track was taken from the band’s second release, ‘Burning Farm’, which Cobain also named one of his most favourite albums of all time. Once the tour was over, the bands continued to cross paths. In February 1992, Shonen Knife performed at a Valentine’s Day concert; Nirvana was in Japan at the time and attended as well. Later in the year, both bands shared the bill for the 20th Reading Festival back in the U.K.

Even following a number of lineup changes, a Ramones covers album , a Ramen-themed U.S. tour, pregnancies and countless world tours, the band has never once slowed down, taken a hiatus or called it quits. Since the ’90s, the band has continued to tour and release albums, the latest being 2016’s ‘Adventure’. If you are in Japan, be sure to keep an eye on the band’s Facebook page for more info on upcoming local shows.

SHONEN KNIFE

Live at the garage, london.

• Sat 15th April 2023
• Date: Sat 15th April 2023
• Doors Open: 7:00 pm
• On Sale: Tickets Open
• Price: £16.00

Tickets are now available for Shonen Knife at The Garage.

During the early-’90s alternative wave, quirky Japanese indie rock trio Shonen Knife made major fans out of alt-rock’s elite ( Sonic Youth ,  Nirvana , and  Redd Kross , among others) and built a solid worldwide cult following with their  Ramones -meets- Beatles  brand of sticky-sweet punk-pop. Following their early-’80s rise as indie upstarts, they signed to the majors for the release of 1992’s breakthrough Let’s Knife. With vocalist Naoko Yamano at the core, four albums were issued with the founding trio before the first of many lineup shuffles. The group’s early-2000s output included 2003’s Candy Rock and 2005’s Genki Shock! Cementing their veteran status in the 2010s, Yamano kept the band going, their endearing charm and no-nonsense punk bursts packing efforts such as 2011’s Osaka Ramones and their 20th album, 2016’s Adventure.

Formed by Michie Nakatani (vocals, bass), Naoko Yamano (vocals, guitar), and Atsuko Yamano (drums), Shonen Knife started in December 1981 in their hometown of Osaka, where all three members were working as office clerks. The group played their first real show in March of the following year. Soon after, they began issuing albums in Japan, including 1982’s cassette-only release Minna Tanoshiku (English translation: Everybody Happy?), 1983’s Burning Farm, 1984’s Yama No Attchan, and 1986’s Pretty Little Baka Guy (the latter of which was reissued with extra tracks four years later, under the title Pretty Little Baka Guy/Live in Japan). Although their records were only available in the U.S. via import, Shonen Knife struck a chord with the underground with a track that appeared on the Sub Pop 100 compilation in 1986. In 1989, a collection of alternative bands even recorded renditions of their favorite Shonen Knife songs for the tribute album Every Band Has a Shonen Knife Who Loves Them.

The first Shonen Knife release to be issued outside of Japan was a 1990 self-titled compilation that featured the entire Burning Farm and Yama No Attchan albums, as well as three tracks that were only previously available on the obscure Japanese comp Aura Music. Shortly thereafter, the group began touring America on a somewhat regular basis, supporting their 1991 release 712 with some dates opening for  Nirvana  just prior to the runaway success of  Cobain  and company’s now-classic Nevermind album. Now the hip band to name-drop, Shonen Knife signed their first major U.S. recording contract with  Capitol , resulting in the release of one of their finest (and best-known) albums, 1992’s Let’s Knife. A year later, the group switched to the  Virgin  label, issuing Rock Animals, which would spawn a semi-popular MTV video with “Tomato Head” (even landing a spot on the network’s popular animated series Beavis and Butthead).

In 1994, the trio performed as part of the traveling alternative rock festival Lollapalooza and contributed a cover of “Top of the World” to the  Carpenters  tribute album If I Were a Carpenter, while  Virgin  issued an 18-track collection of rare tracks, Birds & the B-Sides, in 1996. Although they were able to greatly expand their U.S. fan base, Shonen Knife never obtained the breakthrough success that was expected by many, resulting in the group returning to the independents and issuing such further releases as 1997’s Brand New Knife, 1998’s Happy Hour, and the 2000 Japan-only release Strawberry Sound (which featured the band’s revamped lineup of Atsuko Yamano on bass and Mana Nishiura, who joined Shonen Knife after Nakatani left in 1999, on drums).

Vocalist Naoko Yamano was the only original member during the mid- to late 2000s, but even after 20-plus years and difficulties maintaining a consistent lineup, the band showed no signs of slowing. In 2005,  Oglio  reissued the group’s first four albums, and the band released Genki Shock in Japan. Late that year, Nishiura was killed in a New Jersey traffic accident while touring with  DMBQ . Both Shonen Knife and  DMBQ  performed at a tribute concert for Nishiura that was held in Kyoto in spring 2006, shortly before the U.S. release of Genki Shock. The group continued on with drummer Etsuko Nakanishi and bassist Ritsuko Taneda, releasing a live album and another full-length, Super Group, in 2009. A few months after completing 2010’s Free Time, drummer Nakanishi parted ways with the band, to be replaced by Emi Morimoto. After celebrating their 30th anniversary with a concert in New York, the Yamano/Taneda/Morimoto lineup released Pop Tune in 2012 and Overdrive in 2014.

The year 2015 saw more lineup changes for Shonen Knife. In March, founding drummer Atsuko rejoined the group on bass, a reunion that was supposed to be a temporary gig while Ritsuko was away on maternity leave. However, Ritsuko did not return and Atsuko continued with the band. Months later, Morimoto announced her departure and was replaced by Risa Kawano (Brinky). In April 2016, the year of their 35th anniversary, Kawano and the Yamano sisters returned with Shonen Knife’s 20th studio album, the ’70s rock-inspired Adventure, which featured the single “Jump Into the New World.” The following year they delivered the compilation Ready! Set!! Go!!!, a special collection released in conjunction with their tour of Australia. In 2018, the band celebrated their comeback success with ALIVE! in Osaka, a live collection culled from their lengthy list of punk confections. Speaking of confections, their 21st set, Sweet Candy Power, arrived in 2019 and featured ten upbeat punk ditties such as “Party” and “Dizzy.”

See the full live listings for The Garage here .

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🎟️ ON SALE NOW 🎟️ Tickets are now available for @iamblueyesmusic in September! 📅 Wednesday 27 September 2023 🎟️ Tickets available here 👉 https://t.co/hncNbJRXtN https://t.co/MsmRADYypR

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