Blog - HASEBE Novko live!

Hasebe Novko live!

Last night I went to see a fantastic show with my friend Miwa. It was Hara Midori's monthly event 歌う女ともだち (utau onna tomodachi, "Singing girl friends"), this month featuring Hasebe Novko (former front member of Modern Choki Chokies)! The event is held at Manda-La 2 in Kichijōji, a small seated bar with a nice stage.

First was host Hara Midori's (ex-Spank Happy) band, digital LOVE tabla, also featuring Nakamura Kometarō (bass, ex-Tōkyō Shōnen), and supported by Teshirogi Katsuhito (guitar, also ex-Tōkyō Shōnen) and Whacho (drums/percussions, ex-Killing Time). Hara Midori sings and plays her tabla (an Indian percussion instrument) which she bought in Bengladesh, giving her pop songs a Mid-Orient feel. A few songs played were from the Hara Midori/*come (unit of herself with Nakamura Kometarō) 2000 album "ブルーズ彗星" (BLUES suisei, "Blues comet"), and the rest consisted of recent original songs I think. Their sound reminded me a bit of recent Necozawa Emi.

Next was Hasebe Novko, supported by Isoda Osamu (her husband, also ex-Moda-choki), and also the cool Koala-tarō and Bun-tarō (plush animals with an attitude!). I have been a big fan of Modern Choki Chokies since a year or two, but they split out around the mid-90's. This year I found out about some of its members who are still active, notably her who released a mini-album called "Pandaman" in 2000, which is so far the music most similar to Ōsaka-based Moda-choki that I've found. So, finally I got a chance to see her live!

The small place was packed, and once they got on stage, the place was warped to Ōsaka, not only the players but also some audience (including Moda-choki's Nurupyon sitting at the back) spoke pronounced Ōsaka-ben and told non-stop jokes and funny anecdotes between the songs. Most of the songs from "Pandaman" were played, also a song by Pom Pon Dahlia (Novko's mid-80's band) which should appear on a new wave tribute album out this fall, and also two songs by Modern Choki Chokies, including one of their biggest hits, "自転車に乗って、" (jitensha ni notte,)! I'm looking forward to seeing her live again!

On stage from left to right: Isoda Osamu, Koala-tarō (sitting on the amp), Hasebe Novko and Bun-tarō.
Click the thumbnails for larger [blurry] pictures

On my way out I bought Pom Pon Dahlia's 8"(!) single which I had been wanting very bad, Isoda-san's CD-R album "Avant Nurd", and Hara Midori/*come's "BLUES suisei".

Posted on May 17, 2004 at 11:59 | Tweet |

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