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Kansai Live Guide - March 2010

By J.P. DuQuette

monday 1st

DJ Goth-Trad @ Kyoto Metro (22:00 | ¥3,000)

Sinister, off-kilter dubstep-like substance. This guy's been around forever, but fails to sound irrelevant.

tuesday 2nd

Trashcan Sinatras @ Shinsaibashi Club Quattro (19:00 | ¥6,000)

They may be March's little joke, but these Scot-rockers from the 90s are here to make you feel old and young again in all the right ways.

wednesday 3rd

Isis @ Shinsaibashi Club Quattro (19:00 | ¥6,500)

Weird death metal for intellectual sadists. Thumbs up from my inner Pitchfork critic.

thursday 4th

Enter Shikari @ Namba Hatch (19:00 | ¥6,500)

Emo-screamo new ravers seem to take themselves a tad too seriously, but maybe I'm just getting cantankerous...

friday 5th

Simian Mobile Disco w/ Gold Panda and Dex Pistols @ Onzieme (22:00 | ¥4,000)

If poppy yet minimal electro is your bag, this mix of Brits and local heroes will have you bopping about cutely. [See this month's Kansai Eclectro for more info. - Ed]

saturday 6th

DJ Calm @ Triangle (22:00 | ¥3,000)

Artie house event striving to bring some high seriousness to this much-maligned genre.

sunday 7th

"Lady Killer" @ Noon (TBA:00 | ¥2,500)

Yet another girls-only event I would secretly LOVE to be a wall-fly for. Pole dancers and dancehall tunes.

monday 8th

Placebo @ Shinsaibashi Club Quattro (19:00 | ¥6,500)

OMG, it's freakin' Placebo. Just go already.

tuesday 9th

Cobra Starship @ Shinsaibashi Club Quattro (19:00 | ¥6,300)

Lord help us, it's the "snakes on a motherfuckin' plane" band. Pop-punk you'll probably be afraid to admit you liked when you're my age.

wednesday 10th

Mothercoat @ Rockets (18:30 | ¥2,300)

Ballsy, quirky rockers here to prove that they sound a lot less like Radiohead live.

thursday 11th

Backyard Babies @ Shinsaibashi Club Quattro (19:00 | ¥6,500)

Swedish cockrockers here to invite you to "Fuck Off and Die". Wow, it's like the last 20 years never happened...

friday 12th

DJ Sharpnel, DJ MasterKOHTA, KA4U @ Kyoto Metro (21:00 | ¥2,000)

Canadian breakcore meets the local chiptune and lolicore nonsense. Approved, and with tasty treats from Kyoto's Café La Siesta to boot.

saturday 13th

Ultra Bide / Nasca Car @ UrBANGUILD (19:30 | ¥1,800)

This is how the middle-aged Kyoto underground rolls. Quality trance-punk/digital geek rock pair-up.

sunday 14th

Oh My Cow! @ Kyoto Yaso (19:00 | ¥1,500)

Nerd rock meets Suicide worship equals mega-fun. Never a disappointing show with these guys (and girl).

monday 15th

Bob Dylan @ Zepp Osaka (19:00 | ¥12,000-20,000)

Hmm, get that new computer, or see Bob Dylan before he dies? Decisions, decisions... (Shows also on the 11th, 12th, 13th and 16th.)

tuesday 16th

Vola & the Oriental Machine @ Umeda Shangri-la (19:00 | ¥2,800)

Unusually high pedigree new rave/digi-rock hybrid would be even better with a new vocalist...

thursday 18th

Machine Head, Hatebreed, Bleeding Through, Crossfaith @ Shinsaibashi Club Quattro (18:00 | ¥7,800)

Metalcore extravaganza! After Isis, the headbangers' event of choice this month.

friday 19th

It Bites @ Shinsaibashi Club Quattro (19:00 | ¥7,500)

British melodic prog-pop from the 80s, back in business and ready to suck Japan dry.

saturday 20th

Shonen Knife @ Juso Fandango (19:00 | ¥7,500)

Come see the Grateful Dead of girlie pop-punk in their natural environs. With luck, I'll see you there.

sunday 21st

Garlic Boys @ Himeji Mushroom (18:00 | ¥2,500)

For all you guys and gals west of Kobe, here's your chance to see these venerable punk-metallers outside of Osaka.

monday 22nd

"Ika Night" @ Kyoto World (22:00 | ¥2,000)

I don't know what these house, electro and techno DJs are up to, but with an "original underwear collaboration with Nigel Fever" and dance from the IKA☆NIGHT GIRLs...

tuesday 23rd

Ino Hidefumi @ Kyoto Takutaku (19:00 | ¥4,500)

Groovy organist may lack balls, but makes up for it with syrup. Date-friendly, for sure.

wednesday 24th

"Niagara" @ Noon (22:00 | ¥1,000)

Cheap deep house (not to be confused with "Sheep Dip House"). A mellow night of repetitive grooves.

thursday 25th

65 Days of Static @ Shinsaibashi Club Quattro (19:00 | ¥6,000)

As poppy as Sheffield math-rock is likely to get (though I'd take local boys Lite over them anyday).

friday 26th

Galactic @ Shinsaibashi Club Quattro (19:30 | ¥6,000)

Whoah, funky fusion. Not everyone's bag, but for jazz-lovers, the best show of the month.