Japanese Voyeurs: Nottingham Bodega, 31st Jan 2010

Romily Alice – Vocals / Guitars
Rich Waldren – Keys
Tom Lamb – Bass
Johnny Seymour - Guitars
Tom Russell – Drums

London based 5-piece Japanese Voyeurs hit Nottingham’s Bodega with a sledge hammer with their “you either love them or hate them” grunge revival revolution. The comparisons to Daisy Chainsaw, Kyuss, Nirvana, Swervedriver, Babes in Toyland and countless other “Generation X” bands, with vocals that occasionally reminded me of Wendy James from Transvision Vamp.

A Sunday night is never a good one to play, and with the support bands leaving and taking the local support with them, a select group were left in the intimate venue. The Bodega venue has a pretty good set up in terms of sound, which is just as well, because the sonic blast that the Japanese Voyeurs throw out is enough to make any sound tech guy cry. Even the most hardened of shoe gazer was forced to shuffle along. It’s loud, it’s raucous.

Romily’s vocals have had numerous attributes accoladed to them but I think the best I’ve seen so far is, “unhinged”, and the most “lol”worthy quote as “FOR THE LOVE OF CHRIST WILL SOMEBODY OIL THAT COFFIN HINGE delivery”. I played their video off of Youtube to one of the young lads in the office working with us, and he replied quite simply that his “head had just exploded”. If the Stig of Top Gear played their CD whilst testing the latest speed machine on offer, the car would simply melt.

The highpoint? “Dumb”. A seriously awesome track that delivers a swift well aimed kick at the manufactured pop that is delivered through our TV screens by people wearing trousers at unfeasibly high waist lines. Verdict? They show promise, worth going to see, but want to hear more before I make that final jump either side of the fence.

By Hunter