SHONEN KNIFE + CHOPCHOP – CONCORDE 2, BRIGHTON 1.6.25
After a weekend in the sunshine, I headed to the Concorde 2 on Brighton’s seafront on a Sunday evening to see Shonen Knife, presented by Love Thy Neighbour.
Sisters Naoko (guitar, vocals) and Atsuko (bass, vocals) Yamano took to the stage alongside Risa Kawano (drums, vocals), forming the powerful Shonen Knife trio. All three were dressed in matching mod style A line dresses featuring a pattern inspired by Piet Mondrian’s Composition with Red, Blue and Yellow.
The energy was high from the outset with ‘Buttercup (I’m A Super Girl)’ before they launched into ‘Twist Barbie’, one of their most popular songs. During the latter, Naoko and Atsuko performed a synchronised dance that culminated in jumps and theatrical guitar playing. The performance was polished, unsurprising given the pair have been playing together over forty years.
Almost every song began and ended with a perfectly timed hand-in-the-air defined pose from all three members. With only minor variations, their synchronised and repetitive movements reflected a deep love and care for their craft, keen to deliver a powerful and memorable experience for their fans. This tight style of performance, a hallmark of J-pop, was consistent throughout the set and shone particularly during ‘Jump Into The New World’, ‘Bad Luck Song’ and ‘Banana Chips’.
During ‘Banana Chips’ we saw the Yamano sisters go back-to-back, then swapping sides of the stage before returning to their positions, each moment perfectly timed to the beat, leaving no room for error.
Their playing was equally flawless, their musical performance free of any awkward mistakes or misjudgements that one might experience at a live music gig. Shonen Knife are no armatures. Since releasing their first full length album ‘Burning Farm’ in 1983, they’ve gone on to release more than twenty albums. Although members have varied, these three are clearly masters of their craft, and seeing them live felt more like listening to studio recording or watching a MTV performance than attending a typical stop on a EU/UK tour.
Risa Kawano delivered a standout performance, not only through her complex and rapid drumming, but also thanks to her infectious smile and enthusiasm. While Naoko and Yamano too beamed with smiles, no one seemed to be having more fun on stage than Risa.
With most songs being tributes to sweet treats, their lyricism admittedly lacked depth. But this didn’t pose much of an issue. Catchy pop style choruses, sandwiched between heavy guitar riffs, bass and drums, akin to sounds on a Sonic Youth track, made songs like ‘Ice Cream City’ and ‘Cookie Day’ playful nods to 90’s style pop-punk. Despite their sweetness, the band maintained a distinct and authentic DIY sound, further differentiated by their all-female lineup.
On ‘MUJINTO Rock’ Naoko nervously introduced the track as their “punk song”. Characterised in its high energy, the song featured all members singing and a guitar riff that mimicked the vocal melody. Her description made me smile, there was something endearingly ironic about calling it a punk track while performing synchronised movements with beaming faces, a charming antithesis to the stereotypical punk aesthetic.
Seeing how much fun the band seemed to be having, it was impossible not to absorb this joy. The night felt like a lightheaded, welcoming space, full of shared enjoyment between performers and fans. ‘Riding On The Rocket’ saw Risa stood up for the entirety of the song, unwavering in her musical performance, all while thrashing her hair. All members played animatedly, with Naoko delivering an outstanding moment on guitar, rapidly tapping on the fretboard. It was clear the crowd wanted more. Following demanding stomping and cheers, Shonen Knife returned for an encore, ending their set with their cover of The Carpenters ‘Top Of The World’, the song that first introduced me to the band, and likely many others in the audience too.
Shonen Knife:
Naoko Yamano – guitar, vocals
Atsuko Yamano – bass, vocals
Risa Kawano – drums, vocals
Shonen Knife setlist:
(Intro tape) ‘Mango Juice’ (Instrumental) (from 2002 ‘Heavy Songs’ album)
‘Buttercup (I’m A Super Girl)’ (from 2000 ‘The Powerpuff Girls’ TV show)
‘Twist Barbie’ (from 1983 ‘Burning Farm’ album + 1992 ‘Let’s Knife’ album)
‘Jump Into The New World’ (from 2016 ‘Adventure’ album)
‘MUJINTO Rock’ (from 2023 ‘Our Best Place’ album)
‘Vamos Taquitos’ (from 2023 ‘Our Best Place’ album)
‘Afternoon Tea’ (from 2023 ‘Our Best Place’ album)
‘Ice Cream City’ (from 1986 ‘Pretty Little Baka Guy’ album)
‘Ghost Train’ (from 2012 ‘Pop Tune’ album)
‘Bad Luck Song’ (from 2014 ‘Overdrive’ album)
‘I Am A Cat’ (from 1992 ‘Let’s Knife’ album)
‘Cookie Day’ (from 1998 ‘Happy Hour’ album)
‘Wasabi’ (from 2016 ‘Adventure’ album)
‘Green Tea’ (from 2014 ‘Overdrive’ album)
‘Tomato Head’ (from 1993 ‘Rock Animals’ album)
‘Party’ (from 2019 ‘Sweet Candy Power’ album)
‘Sweet Candy Power’ (from 2019 ‘Sweet Candy Power’ album)
‘Banana Chips’ (from 1998 ‘Happy Hour’ album)
‘Riding On The Rocket’ (from 1986 ‘Pretty Little Baka Guy’ album + 1992 ‘Let’s Knife’ album)
(encore)
‘Sushi Bar Song’ (from 1998 ‘Happy Hour’ album)
‘Top Of The World’ (The Carpenters cover) (from 1994 ‘If I Were A Carpenter’ tribute compilation album)
Support this evening came from local band ChopChop, who took to the stage promptly at 7:30pm. Instantly captivated by lead singer Xelís de Toro’s bizarre and eccentric performance. His movements were defined and unusual, perhaps somewhere between those of a gothic dancer and a mime artist (if you can imagine that!). His look is equally distinctive: understated jeans, a T-shirt and trainers, offset by a bold red blazer reminiscent of a circus ringmaster.
The music itself is hard to categorise, jazzy basslines, spoken word vocals, powerful electronic synths, and syncopated drums blended to create a sound that was entirely their own. On ‘Elástico’ these elements were layered with curious vocalisations, “hmm” and “ah” from Xelís, alongside offbeat clapping. The performance was nothing short of creative. I overheard someone in the crowd explain to a younger audience member that this act wouldn’t have been out of place in the 80’s: “This was how everyone used to dance”. I’m not sure I agree, but I understood the reference point for eccentric dancing. The uniqueness of the performance translated kindly to the audience, indirectly inviting expressive, uninhibited dancing in response. Xelís responded with shooting hand movements, up, down, and side to side.
The electronic breakdown on ‘The Weatherman’ was a standout moment, sonically overpowering the rest of the band. At first, the incongruence of the instruments felt jarring, but as the performance continued, I found my own rhythm amongst the chaos and became absorbed in the boldness of their sound and performance.
Before their final song ‘The Lighthouse’ the audience were invited by Xelís to “Get closer, give us energy and we’ll give you energy back”. Though the early start meant the crowd was sparse, the band delivered their all regardless. He dedicated the song to the children of Palestine, encouraging support through charities such as Medical Aid for Palestinians. The song offered a storytelling structure, charting a journey to a lighthouse, building upon expansive sounds into a quiet bridge, before a very lively crescendo featuring the repetitive chorus “We are going to the lighthouse”.
ChopChop:
Xelís de Toro – vocals
Alistair Strachan – cornet, synth, electronics
Ed Briggs – drums
Eddie Hayden – bass guitar
ChopChop setlist:
‘Lifetime’ (from 2020 ‘Everything Looks So Real’ album)
‘Elástico’ (from 2024 ‘Bell Well’ album)
‘7 In The Morning’ (unreleased)
The Weatherman (from 2024 ‘Bell Well’ album)
‘Owl In My Head’ (unreleased)
‘Shake It’ (from 2024 ‘Bell Well’ album)
‘Lighthouse’ (from 2020 ‘Everything Looks So Real’ album)
