Pictured: Shonen Knife | Photo Credit: Akira Shibata
As punk as pink can be. Naoko, Atsuko and Risa make the sugar rush for the stage as these gigantors of Japanese astro-pop -punk fire up their quatro decade-plus power packs and rocket to their best place… Australia 2024, when they will rocket around the country for a 9-date tour, marking the band’s sixth tour of the country since their first in 1997. Hey ho day glo!
Shonen Knife (meaning “Boy Knife” in Japanese) are a Japanese pop-punk band formed in Osaka, in 1981. Heavily influenced by 1960s girl groups, pop bands, The Beatles, and early punk rock bands, such as the Ramones, the trio crafts stripped-down songs with simplistic lyrics sung both in Japanese and English. They continue to be the most internationally recognized name in Japanese Rock, the indie darlings of hipsters and rock stars alike, which over the course of their four-decade-long career has earned them a worldwide cult following and made avid fans out of seminal ’90s alternative rock bands such as Sonic Youth, Nirvana, and Redd Kross.
Naoko Yamano and her schoolfriend Michie Nakatani cemented their love for the Beatles, the Jam, and Ramones and turned it into something of their own in a tiny room at the Rock Inn rehearsal studio in Osaka for the first time on 29 December 1981. With Naoko on guitar and Nakatani on bass, they enlisted Naoko’s younger sister, Atsuko, on drums. Through varied line-up changes over the years, which now features current drummer Risa Kawano, Shonen Knife have maintained their rightful place in the ever-changing indie rock scene as the trio continues into its 43rd year of international touring and recording with their 20th release, Our Best Place released in February of this year.
The band has been credited with making “the international pop underground more international” by “opening it up to bands from Japan”. They have also performed as a Ramones tribute band under the name The Osaka Ramones and have recorded music for numerous films including the theme song to the popular “PowerPuff Girls” cartoon series. Shonen Knife has toured worldwide playing their unique brand of sugar-pop-rock touring in the US, Canada, UK, Europe, Japan, China, Australia, and Thailand, thickening their rich syrup as a band with each and every release.
40 years of Japanese rockers Shonen Knife: ‘Nirvana looked wild – I was so scared!’ – The Guardian
“This is amongst my all-time favourite live shows. I can’t remember the last time a live band made me quite this fucking happy. Whatever happened tonight needs to be bottled as it would solve all the world’s problems, five stars is not enough to say just how much I enjoyed this show. Please come back soon.” – Thepunksite.com
TOURism and Consume presents SHONEN KNIFE in Australia
Our Best Place 2024
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
WED 21 FEB – Gold Coast/Kombumerri VINNIE’S DIVE BAR|
plus special guests
Doors 7.30pm. Tickets HERE
THUR 22 FEB – Brisbane/Meanjin FELON’S BARREL HALL
plus special guests
Doors 7.30pm. Tickets HERE
FRI 23 FEB – Canberra Ngunnawal Ngambri THE BASEMENT
plus special guests
Doors 7.00pm. Tickets HERE
SAT 24 FEB – Sydney/Gadigal CROWBAR
plus special guests
Doors 7.30pm. Tickets at HERE
SUN 25 FEB – Hobart/Nipaluna MONA FOMA
plus MICHAEL ROTHER & FRIENDS PLAY NEU, WEDNESDAY & LITTLE UGLY GIRLS
Doors 2.30pm. Tickets HERE
WED 28 FEB – Melbourne/Naarm THE CORNER
plus special guests
Doors 7.30pm. Tickets at HERE
THUR 29 FEB – Adelaide/Kaurna THE GOV
plus special guests
Doors 7.30pm. Tickets HERE
FRI 1 MAR – Margaret River/Wadandi THE RIVER
plus special guests
Doors 9.00pm. Tickets at HERE
SAT 2 MAR – Perth/Boorloo MILK BAR
plus special guests
Doors 7.00pm. Tickets at HERE
SHONEN KNIFE OUR BEST PLACE OUT NOW AVAILABLE ON VALVE/MGM HERE
