tour of the great country "down under", and it was very exciting for them and for fans in Australia who've long lamented that they've not had the chance to see Shonen Knife perform there!
This section is devoted to coverage of the recent Australian Tour. All reports from fans in Australia and New Zealand who attended the Shonen Knife Performances on the tour, as well as information regarding Press Coverage and Magazine articles about the shows - will be welcomed here, and posted. There are some GREAT reports from fans in this section already! Read On! This Australian Tour section was activated on January 19, 1997, and was finally updated on March 16, 1997!
Here are the Tour Dates and other appearances by Shonen Knife on this tour, as they were originally released through the "Small Circle of Friends", by Michie, in December 1996:
"Hello! Shonen Knife Freaks! Here is our latest live tour schedule outside of Japan:"
13 Dec '96 - Spark - (Singapore)
AUSTRALIAN TOUR:
17 Jan '97 - Big Day Out Festival - Ericsson Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand!
18 Jan '97 - Playroom -Gold Coast
19 Jan '97 - Big Day Out Festival - Parklands Stage 3, 6:30-7:15 p.m. - Gold Coast, Queensland
22 Jan '97 - Great Northern Hotel - Byron Bay New South Wales. Also, check out the very cool Planet Byron Website while you're here!
23 Jan '97 - Roxy - Brisbane - Here's more of Brisbane.
24 Jan '97 - Prince of Wales - St. Kilda, Melbourne
25 Jan '97 - Big Day Out Festival - RAS Showground, Melbourne. Stage 4, at 5:15-6:00 p.m. - w/Sepultra, Offspring, Soundgarden, The Prodigy.
26 Jan '97 - Annandale Hotel (corner of Nelson & Parramatta Road), Annandale (519-7215) - Sydney.
27 Jan '97 - Big Day Out Festival - RAS Showground, Sydney - Check the Sydney Morning Herald in the Metro Section - for possible advertisements, and reviews of the show! They did some coverage of the 1996 shows.
30 Jan '97 - Synagogue - Adelaide
31 Jan '97 - Big Day Out Festival - Adelaide
02 Feb '97 - Big Day Out Festival - On Stage 3, 6:30-7:15 p.m. - The East Perth Oval, Perth. Here's a review of the previous "Big Day Out" Festival at the Perth Oval on 2/4/96!
Shonen Knife can't wait to see Singapore and Australia!! We'll have lots of fun out there! See ya! michie".
Following the conclusion of the Australian Tour - Shonen Knife returned to Japan on February 3, and then "rocketed" on to Los Angeles on February 5th for a show on February 8th, at the Los Angeles "Poptopia" Festival. (Hey, "Poptopia" kind of rhymes with "Frogphobia"! 
) This was a series of shows at Venues throughout the L.A. area - with many bands performing. Shonen Knife was the headlining band at this Festival, performing at the historic "Troubadour" club in West Hollywood. This is the famous club where John Lennon and Harry Nilsson were "booted out" together one night in March 1978 for heckling the Smothers Brothers onstage (having had a few drinks too many on their "Big Night Out", it should be noted...)! Of course, there are OTHER reasons why this is a "famous Hollywood Club"... but, that's the "legendary" one! *smile* Following their L.A. visit, Shonen Knife went on to New York City for a Promotional visit, and have now returned to Japan - where they are scheduled for more LIVE Performances. You can follow their continuing globe-trotting adventures across our "Little Star" Planet here on www.shonenknife.com - by checking in to the "World Wide Knife News" section for regular updates!
Reviews of the shows by Fans who were there!
REVIEWS OF THE SHOWS IN AUSTRALIA ARE EXCELLENT! HERE ARE THOSE RECEIVED TO DATE -
Review: February 5, 1997!
Here is a review in Issue #45 of the On-line 'Zine, "Real Groove" - with an Interview conducted with Naoko Yamano by Duane Zarakov in Auckland, New Zealand! It features Real Audio clips from "Brand New Knife"! Thanks to Kappa-chan Mamiko for sending me this!
Nice pictures, and a Poster of the Shonen Knife Tour in Australia, are found here in the February 1997 edition of the online music 'zine, "A Slice Of Stale Pizza" - read all about how Atsuko sang the sensible new song by Michie, "Vitamins and Vegetables" during the tour!
From: The Octopus Tribe (Peter) - Sun, 19Jan97: "I saw The Knife on Friday at the Big Day Out and they were wonderful!! Undoubtedly the most polite, unpretentious, and 'nicest' band I've ever seen. I don't know their material well enough to give you a full set-list, but they played ESP, Twist Barbie, Explosion, Wonder Wine, Fruits And Vegetables, the oh-so-Black-Sabbath-like Buddha's Face (complete with "satanic" salutes from Naoko) and something from "712" which I can't remember the title of. Michie was absent as she was having her appendix out, so a member of their road crew played bass. An unforgettable show - everyone was totally into it, none of that inhibited posing and reluctance to show enthusiasm you get with audiences watching "cool" bands. If there are any Australians reading this, go see The Knife at your local BDO!!" - Peter. ( SKLA Editors Note: the "satanic" salute, gentle readers... is achieved by closing your fist, then raising the forefinger and pinkie! In relation to Black Sabbath... it is the old "horned" salute - but it is also the symbol for "Love" when "signing", if I'm not mistaken!) In use by Shonen Knife - it's straight-edged "Love"! Interestingly, in the lyrics to "Buddha's Face" - Naoko sings, "Going, going, going to hell...." - and a friend of mine from Japan used that phrase recently to describe the process of "going to the hot spring" in Oita to relax, as well! The water is very hot there! Is there a relationship here? Only a "Merman" would know for sure! haha! Shonen Knife music is very deep, and mysterious, and works on many levels. Thanks to Peter for a great report from the 1/17/97 Big Day Out performance by Shonen Knife!
From: Burnett (Sheridan) - Tue, 21Jan97: "I just saw Shonen Knife live at the Big Day Out in Australia, they were great.! If any fans of Shonen Knife want to write, feel free. I would love to talk to any fellow Shonen Knife fans." - Sheridan - (Note: Domo Arigato, Sheridan, for BDO SK Report!)
From: Prudence - Mon, 27Jan97: "I saw Shonen Knife last night and it was absolutely BRILLIANT. I am so envious of everyone who is yet to see them because they were just so great. They wore their coordinating Black and White Rock-Chick stage gear, and they looked VERY stylish. Michie seemed to have recovered from appendicitis and took over on vocals for "Devil House". I can't remember the exact order of the set list, but they played "Flying Jelly Attack", (no one threw Jelly Beans!), "E.S.P., Loop de Loop, Twist Barbie, Riding on the Rocket", and lots more that I can't remember right now because I only got up 5 minutes ago!! Oh, they finished with a HUGE version of "Antonio Baka Guy! I personally was lamenting the absence of "Redd Kross", "Making Plans For Bison" and "Kappa Ex". Well, I'm going to the Big Day Out today, which for all you non-Australians, is a too-big music fesitval ala Lollapalooza or Reading, with a bunch of bands from here and overseas, including The Knife, Supergrass (whom I also saw last night in a mad rush from seeing Knife)! They were also very good, but they cannot be compared!) Jon Spencer Blues Exp, Soundgarden, etc. etc., and I HOPE the girls get a nice crowd who appreciates them: Last night (Note: at the Annandale Hotel, Sydney) some idiot crowd surfed right onto the 2 ft. high stage, knocking Naoko's mike stand into Atsuko, and stuffing up all her FX pedals. HE also hit me in the head with his size 12 steel capped combat boot! I was not impressed. Mind you, there was not all that much of a crowd to surf. The show was sold out, but the venue is VERY tiny and holds about 200-250 people. Well, tomorrow I will write a full report of tonights performance, and anything I remember about last night. THEY WERE SO UNBELIEVEABLY GOOD!!!!!! If Shonen Knife are coming to your city, you MUST go and see them... and tell your friends, and get them to tell their friends! Knife is the Life, indeed!!!.... from Prudence xoxox :):):):):) - (Note: An outstanding report, Prudence - I hope that everyone who is "thinking about" buying a ticket to see The Knife reads THIS!! Domo arigato! Thank you!)
From: "crust": Mon. 27 Jan, '97: "Shonen Knife at the Prince of Wales (Melbourne) Friday, 24 Jan 1997: The newly renovated PoW is a black marble and chrome yuppy bar. With support from retro pop outfits "Tomorrow People" and "Snout", Shonen Knife came on in white Pop-Art outfits designed by drummer Atsuko. Played songs from "Brand New Knife". The crowd really liked "Sitting On Top of the World", and "E.S.P.". Guitarist Naoko got in lots of rock star poses and during their heavy metal song, based on a slow Sabbath type riff, she and the bass player did "Status Quo"-type head-banging". (NOTE: this report was not signed, except for the "crust" in the EMail address... it was posted as written on the SK Newsgroup!) Thanks for the review, certainly!
- From: David McKendry: Wed. 5 Feb, '97: "In late January, Shonen Knife played the Annandale Hotel in Sydney, Australia. And as luck would have it, I had the pleasure of being there. Before Sydney, I had seen them twice the week before in Brisbane - lucky me, hey! This tour was the first time I had seen Shonen Knife live. My largest impression from all three gigs was the amount of fun the band was having, not just during the gig but after. In Sydney they spent a long time after the gig on the side of the stage with fans signing CD's, T-shirts and having their photo taken. And, the best thing was that it wasn't a hassle for them - they seemed to be genuinely enjoying it. I don't know what it's like in the U.S., but this visit was a nice change for a band playing in Australia.
As far as the music went, the live sound was just as tight as the recorded, but just a bit harder. This harder edge went down well with the crowds, who enjoyed seeing three Japanese girls pumpin' out good ol' rock n roll. I think the crowd also appreciated the nationality of the band, in respect of the fact that, to my knowledge, no other Japanese rock band has ever toured Australia! Lastly, I urge anyone within a thousand miles of a Shonen Knifegig to go! That may sound like a long way to travel, but I actually did when I saw them in Brisbane! Trust me, you will enjoy the experience!" - (Note: Very special thanks to Dave McKendry, of Canberra, Australia - for contributing his "on the spot" review of the Shonen Knife shows there! You might be interested to know, Dave, that people in the U.S. also traveled here to L.A. "long distance" from other cities... including New York NY, Redmond WA, San Jose CA - just to be at the one Shonen Knife performance at the Troubadour in L.A. on February 8th! Thanks again for your review!!
More Fun Stuff About The Big Day Out Festival Tour In Australia!
Here's a review by Martin Bate of the Big Day Out Festival, '95!
Check out this early report from the Red Dog Production Site during the 1996 Big Day Out Festival!
Next time Shonen Knife tour in Australia - you might want to hop a jet, and catch the shows "Down Under"! Here's a lot of Travel Info about the Continent... from the Orbit, Australia Web Pages! Many Resources and maps!
Say, mate - didjer do the "Big Day Off" festival in '96? This bloke did, and 'ears 'is groovy report!
Special thanks to MediaNet Productions of Melbourne, Australia and Starbait Electric (electric experience!) for information, special links to the Shonen Knife NeXuS Information Site in Los Angeles, and courteous assistance in getting this information online for World-Wide Shonen Knife Fans. You can go directly to the Official "Big Day Out" site by clicking HERE! Congratulations to New Zealand and Australia on your first Shonen Knife LIVE Performance Experience!
www.shonenknife.com - Back to the Main Page!
