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Issue 9 Articles
Interview with Blane Nishizawa, Building a Scene Around His Band
Release the Bats: From Deathrock to Goth
You'll Love K*Luvs*M
Interview with Blane Nishizawa, Building a Scene Around His Band
Interview by Katie Whitman
Do you want to continue setting up shows?
Blane Nishizawa:I do. I like offering bands shows because, being in a band myself – and I know this is probably exactly why Josh started Unity [Crayons] is because in a scene where there is no scene, you have to make it. You need promoters or people who are driven enough to go to the venues and make relationships with the managers and owners and stuff like that to offer bands shows, because bands in Hawaii are lazy. True. Bands in Hawaii are lazy. That’s why you don’t see bands in Hawaii getting out there on their own.
Missing Dave has established themselves, The Crud, you know, Unity – not all of Unity, I mean Josh’s bands.
Also the Hell Caminos. But they are really good. That’s worth a lot.
BN: A lot of it, too, is even though bands are good. They don’t get shows on their own, they get asked to play shows, so they’re kind of lucky in that respect.
Outside of our scene, the only people who are really pushing are Speed Limit.
What do you mean by outside? You mean outside of Honolulu?
BR: Yeah. Cheerleaders. They [Speed Limit] have like a regular gig over there.
…
So what I notice, trying to get shows as a small band, is - having no real friends in town – is you have to take a real shitty night or try to get in with larger bands. And Missing Dave was very nice. They practice at the same places we do. We kinda bumped into them there. They started around the same time as the Supersonic Space Monkeys.
Really? I didn’t know you were around that long. You mean you guys in various different formations?
BN: Yeah. Revolving lineup. With Cisco and Kellen it’s a little over a year. We found it really hard to get shows because, well, at first we really weren’t just very motivated, and everyone said “You need a demo.” Everyone wanted a demo. But we don’t have $500 to record a demo to play a show for $20! It just didn’t make sense because people don’t come out to see live music. People come out to support their friends. And if they drag somebody with them, then maybe they’ll be like “Oh. I really like… [pause] This new band Grind Method. They’re pretty rockin’. So let’s go check them out again.” That’s how it happens here. There is no built-in scene. You have to make friends with people. Kinda shitty.
So anyway, we didn’t have the money to record the demo at first, so the band (Supersonic Space Monkeys) kinda did stuff for a couple years. Then we lost our first singer. The second singer, where we actually got a show outside of UH. It was really hard to promote it. Nobody came out because we weren’t from town and we weren’t really as plugged into the scene as we are now. So that band kinda faded out. I decided this time that we should create the scene around ourselves. At first we thought, okay well we’re gonna try and see how we can pull people with out newfound friends. Kellen’s friends, Cisco’s friends. And it worked really well for the first few shows. We had 100 people at Bliss just to see us.
But that new band thing dried out quickly. So we played a lot of real flopper shows, [like] at Anna Bannana’s. Rick over there was really nice. He was very supportive. Missing Dave let us play with them at a few shows.
But all these venues were gone, like the Wave. Then we kinda thought, or I thought, of quitting the band. We didn’t think there was any reason to play, because when you play in a rock band you want to play for people. But then we got offered this opportunity at Detox.
How did that happen? How did you get to know Titan?
BN: We played there with Hometown Heroes in February or January. Titan asked Cisco if we wanted to organize shows for them.
Why did he ask Cisco?
BN: Because Cisco is the front man.
I mean, did Titan just have this idea that Cisco would be good at that?
BN: It was because we pulled a good crowd, so he was asking [Hometown Heroes] the same thing. He wasn’t thinking of Thursdays Rocks @ Detox, he was just thinking “I need another band to come and play and pull a crowd.” I think he was thinking more of a house band situation. It turned out he needed a promoter on Thursdays so we said yes.
That’s when I said I wanted to do this thing. What we had started earlier was inviting other bands to play with us even though we weren’t promoters. We realized, the more friends we have with us, the more people we can get out, because it’s all about friends here.
Let’s invite out Zoundbox. Let’s invite out Pacifica. We didn’t know Pacifica.
And now they’re your good friends.
BN: Yeah. That’s because musicians support musicians here. We know that we have to support each other, otherwise the scene will die. If none of the other bands come and see us at a show, that’s like half the crowd. If Pacifica doesn’t come see us at a show, that’s 10 people. Just them alone.
So I figured, let’s be friends with everybody. Let’s keep the scene alive by having every band that wants to play a show, even if they don’t realize it, have them all come together.
How many bands have come and gone in Hawaii? It’s a lot. And there’s a lot of people that record a demo here, or have a song on a compilation. Their name gets thrown around and then they’re gone.
…
So what has been the hardest part of building up becoming a promoter?
BN: The hardest part of being a promoter is not the actual promoting of the event because there’s not very much promoting we can do. Without radio support, there’s like nothing. You can put out a million flyers, only your friends will show. Only people who are already in the scene and know about.
That’s the thing that I’ve been trying to figure out. How do you get people to come out? How do you get 10,000 people to show up to Story of the Year and no one for local shows?
It’s hard to get bands to do the show.
Really? It’s hard to get bands to agree to play? But yet you have bands that ask you all the time.
BN: There are bands that ask, but those are the bands that are really new. But those aren’t necessarily the bands that you want. If Joe Schmoe wants to play and is really shitty, but calls every day, yeah, you’re gonna let him play. Would you want that guy to play who is really positive but doesn’t have the talent or the crowd draw or whatever? Or would you rather have a [more established band] play who blow you off a lot? I’d rather have the [more established band] play!
Bands like A Sedated Nation – they want to play every show. But no one comes to see them. They are very good, but they don’t have friends! … Because they live in Kapolei, they could never be as good as bands that live in town.
You have to be from town! The only bands that survive outside of town are bands that appeal to a much wider audience. Like Go Jimmy Go – they’re ska. That’s why. It’s got a little skank to it. Like Upstanding Youth survives today. They are on the North Shore. If they were a different band, they could be the same players, they could play rock music, they’d be dead now.
I really have to not invite people from Kailua. I can only afford to have one of them out at a time because it’s an automatic loss of crowd.
It’s hard to get that bands that you want to play compared to the bands that you need to play. I need a draw as a promoter. As a person that just wants to go out to shows, I will let anybody play. That’s the whole idea behind Thursday Rocks @ Detox. Any band that wants to play a show can play a show.
So Thursdays Rocks. What is the idea behind Thursdays Rocks? You have an idea for something that would be nice for the scene. What are you trying to do with those shows?
BN: Trying to draw people. Giving bands shows where they would have none. Not being – I mean I have to be selective – but at the same time I’m trying not to be selective. Like, I don’t want to not include the Smitz because they’re punk… I just want to give bands a chance to play because I know what it’s like to not to have a show and I know what it’s like to play for nobody. Give bands a show, give them an opportunity to meet other bands. It’s very important! Making friends in the scene and they’ll come to your shows and you’ll go to their shows. Trying to keep the rock scene alive in my own little way.
So how has your experience been? Obviously you have very good intentions. How are bands responding?
BN: Bands are responding very well. Without me telling them, I think they have an idea of what I’m trying to do. People are very supportive. Particularly the band leaders.
The band leader in Linus is Nik. Everytime I see them, they have something positive to say. Tell me to keep going. They’re playing the punk show even though they’re playing Anna Bannana’s that night. Linus said “We’re gonna come to Thursdays Rocks, even though we have another show to play later on in the night.”
Everybody has been really supportive. If the bands didn’t appreciate it, there would be no point.
Release the Bats: From Deathrock to Goth
By Nocturna
What is goth? When we hear the word, goth, some of us automatically think of the subculture group that dresses in black and walks on the darkside. But the origin of Gothic stems back to the European architecture which uses pointed arches and vaults, flying buttresses and pinnacles, great windows set into walls, admitting light through vast expanses of stained glass, very detailed and intricate traceries, while safely guarded by gargoyles sitting patiently for centuries, watching the changes of time. Gothic architecture is a style that flourished from the twelfth through the sixteenth centuries. The word goth is also derived from the Germanic tribes: the Goths and Visigoths that invaded parts of Europe in the third, fourth and fifth centuries.
The word itself has evolved in more ways as the elements of the Gothic have also made their way into literature and art. The early Gothic novels were romances of the Romantic period, which were horrific. They were called Gothic because Gothic is a synonym for medieval. They haunt back to the medieval period and were often set on ghastly castles with dungeons, secret vaults, secret corridors, bats and haunted by the supernatural. Some of the most important early works in the gothic novel tradition are The Monk by Matthew G. Lewis, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights and The Castle of Otranto, which is considered the first gothic novel in the English language, written by Horace Walpole.
So what is goth? Goth, according to artist and singer, Voltaire in his book, What is goth, is defined as a fan of gothic music, a subgenre of rock and roll that came out of the punk scene in the late 1970’s.
Mick Mercer, the goth movement’s leading historian, author and critic claims "Goth is about those moments of reflection we all have - that nostalgia borne of emotion… Goth remains the only form of music at present to put the mind under the microscope.”
The Batcave, the famous nightclub in London is perhaps known as the birthplace of the goth or better known at the time, the deathrock subculture. When the Batcave opened in 1982, it was not intended to be a “deathclub club”, but rather a Bowie-style glam. However, when members of deathrock bands frequented the club, such Alien Sex Fiend, Bauhaus, Sisters of Mercy, Nick Cave, The Specimen, the Virgin Prunes, the Damned, Siouxsie and the Banshees, just to name a few, the Batcave became the famous meeting points for early deathrockers. In fact, the club gave the term Batcaver, used to describe fans of the original gothic rock and deathrock music.
The goth movement has come in many waves and its soul and spirit has mutated, dividing to more meanings and translation. I came to appreciate goth music from the early days when it was called deathrock and can reflect back at those moments of nostalgia, remembering back in the heyday of the legendary clubs and the Hawaii music scene: Limelight, the Wave, Sub Club, Phaze, Masquerade and the Pink Cadillac. These clubs are no longer in existence and with the recent departure of “the Pink Cadillac,” switching to new management, we have yet to know what will become of this traditional landmark that had been patronized by the goth and punk scenes for over two decades. Goth enthusiasts can still appreciate the music and dance at the existing venues and the new.
Camera Obscura, the gothic, ethereal and darkwave event, which was previously held at the Pink Cadillac has resurrected and this time to a new location. Making its debut at Thirty Nine Hotel on Thursday, November 16th beginning at 9:00 p.m., the event will feature Gothic, Ethereal, Darkwave and Dark 80’s music with
KTUH’s, DJ Nocturna and Guests: DJs Datmot and Modboy.
For more information, log on to
www.myspace.com/808cameraobscura
or email: feast@hawaii.rr.com
Be sure to stay tuned for more to come on other gothic events and venues.
GOTH CLUBS/MUSIC RELATED EVENTS:
Thursday night, November 16 beginning at 9:00 pm-Camera Obscura at Thirty Nine Hotel, Downtown Honolulu with DJ Nocturna and Guests: Dat- Mot and ModBoy.
Every Friday night- Flesh at the Galaxy Night Club (1739 Kalakaua Avenue) with Djs SailorGloom, ModBoy and I/O Control.
Monthly Dungeon event at the Galaxy Night Club (1739 Kalakaua Avenue) on Fridays.
Every Saturday night- Ultra at the Galaxy Night Club (1739 Kalakaua Avenue) with DJ Chris.
A Feast of Friends with DJ Nocturna at KTUH 80.3 FM
Every Saturday night 6-9 pm
KTUH 90.3 FM Honolulu
KTUH 91.3 FM North Shore
KTUH 89.9 FM Windward
On the web www.ktuh.org
(808) 956-7261
http://www.myspace.com/djnocturna
feast@hawaii.rr.com
You'll *Luv* K *Luvs* M
review by Shawn Davenport
Maybe I am just a sucker for female vocalists, or maybe I appreciate great guitar riffs and melodic synths to back them up. Perhaps there is just something about a solid, interesting drum and bass unison that makes music appealing to me. I am willing to bet however, that you are a lot like me when it comes to enjoying all of these things, and that K*luvs*M's 6 song EP will leave you wanting more.
Right from the first song it is easy to tell that the band is not what we are used to hearing. Lead singer Mia-Amor's emtional vocals quickly draw the listener in and wonderful ambient guitar licks are a delightful contrast to the more distorted, harder sections of the the CD. Tieing it all together is tasteful synth done in the form of lush pads and occasionally catchy leads. Some upbeat songs, namely "All That I Wanted," can sound similar to The Cardigans while the beautifully sung verses of "Kiss it Away," actually remind me of a slow dance at a prom! They wrap it all up with "Lullabye," a relaxing song that slows the tempo down and is a great showcase for Mia's vocals to really stand out.
All in all, the EP is something different, something captivating, and really something special. The quality of the recordings is certainly professional grade, and is very well mixed and ballanced. At the same time, it still sounds very raw and does not have any obvious "studio polish" to consider. Its all here for listeners to throw onto their IPods...be sure to check them out at www.myspace.com/kluvsm.
