Rock'n'Roll, Do Your Best: Shonen Knife And Positive Punk

Despite having grown up loving power chord-centric, East Bay California punk music, I have to admit I had never heard of Japanese punk pioneers Shonen Knife prior to their Black Box performance at this year's Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival in Belfast.

But I guess one of the joys of gig reviewing is the chance you might stumble upon a band you had never heard of, even if everyone else seems to have been in on the secret for the past 20 or so years.

For although lead singer/guitarist Naoko Yamano is the only remaining original member, a bit of hasty pre-gig research revealed the band to be utter punk legends, having formed in 1981 just as the US scene was beginning to show signs that it would outlive and outdo its British counterpart.

My initial reasons for attending were threefold: curiosity, a love of the Ramones and the over-proliferation of a Kurt Cobain quote that seemed to be on every bit of promotional material I could find.

Apparently Cobain was a huge fan, although this is not necessarily representative of Shonen Knife's music. The Ramones are perhaps the most obvious comparison, as a result of the Japanese trio's homophonic, pop-punk musical arrangements and a reliance on chunky power chords, but the Beach Boys and Beatles circa 1965 also spring to mind.

What is immediately striking about Shonen Knife's on-stage presence is that they genuinely seem to be having a good time. Decked out in matching dresses and continuously reminding the audience how grateful they are to be there, they exude energy and positivity; illustrated not least by constant 'sign of the horns' hand gestures and regular exclamatory outbursts like 'yay!' shouted cheerfully into their mics.

The most appealing aspect of Shonen Knife's music is its DIY approach. Virtuoso instrumentalists they are not, yet this befits the happy-go-lucky, party atmosphere the band carves into the set, which in turn infects the audience and causes all manner of cheesy dancing and synchronised hand clapping to break out in sporadic pockets around the Black Box.

Lyrically, the group's message varies from an all-out 'let's rock' sentiment, to expressions of how much individual members love Ramen noodles and/or green tea.

Shonen Knife are clearly at the other end of the spectrum from groups like the Dead Kennedys or Minor Threat, despite essentially being of that era. The sense of despair and anarchy evident in punk bands of that ilk appears, on the surface at least, to be missing from Shonen Knife's ideology, as well as from the band's music. But, in a world in which mainstream punk rock is slowly ditching its anti-establishment origins and focussing its energies on highschool breakups, perhaps positivity, happiness and humility are the next best thing.

If they're playing your town, go see 'em.

Iain Todd

shonenknife.net | Facebook | Twitter