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"Live House," an upcoming feature-length music documentary on punk rock clubs in Japan directed by Kevin Mcgue, has been awarded a grant by the Japan Foundation, a non-profit organization that carries out arts and cultural exchange programs to enhance mutual understanding among countries throughout the world.
The title of the documentary, "Live House," is a term used in Japan to describe small live music venues featuring underground rock and punk acts. "They are different than bars in other countries that feature music," says director Mcgue, an American-born journalist based in Tokyo for eight years. "In other countries, most people will be drinking at the bar while a band plays in the corner. In Japan, the focus is firmly on the music, and the fans really get into it. It is a unique kind of venue, and a unique way to enjoy music. It is a culture that has developed in Japan."
The documentary focuses on the fans and music who fill the nearly 1,000 live houses across Japan every night, as well as delving into the lives of the musicians behind the music. As the underground music scene is not lucrative, many musicians must struggle to balance their music activities with their lives in the Japanese workforce, where conformity is valued.
Some of the bands featured in the documentary have achieved international success during the one year of filming. Experimental duo Moja joined major festivals in Canada and the U.S., and the girls rock trio Bo-Peep toured successfully in the UK and the U.S., winning accolades in the New York Times and The Guardian UK newspapers.
"Underground Japanese rock music will be the next wave of Japanese culture to hit it big abroad," say Ryohei Tsutsui, the film's producer. "Manga and anime have enjoyed great popularity outside of Japan, and the music culture centering around live houses will be next."
Tsutsui has produced a number of films in Japan, including the recent "Kokoro" staring Koji Yakusho. Serving as associate producers is Sabina Friedland, who worked in the production crew of films in the U.S. and Germany, including the Oscar-nominated "The Baader Meinhof Complex." Mcgue previously directed "The Blue Dream," a short film shot in Berlin and Tokyo.
The Japan Foundation, founded in 1972, carries out a variety of programs to promote art and cultural exchange, Japanese language education, and Japanese studies. In 2006, the Foundation began awarding grants to films and television programs that can spread Japanese culture overseas. "Live House" is one of the productions selected for support in the 2009-2010 fiscal year.
"Live House" will be released in autumn.
For additional information on the documentary "Live House," contact Kevin Mcgue or visit http://www.live-house-movie.com.
© Japan Today
14 Comments
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PaulieWalnuts
I've played with Moja. the drummer is insane and a hottie to boot
Honen
Live Houses would actually be much better if they served alcohol. The venue could make its money selling beer (and not fleece the bands), and as-yet-unknown bands wouldn't have to force their friends to attend their every show.
timorborder
When I was a young chap in Australia many years ago, I remember going to a pub concert where the support act was a Japanese punk band. They were rather good is somewhat crazy in the extreme (the complete opposite of Japanese society). The lead singer was particularly amuzing, flipping off the crowd left, right and center. I remember one dude in the audience took offense to this behavior and got up on the stage. The little Japanese chap decked him with a kick before secuirty could act. The only job left for event security was to throw the unconscious body back into the mosh pit. Those were the days...
notimpressed
heh, nice story timor. I agree the live houses could do well by themselves, the customers, and teh bands by having more of a bar/ club setup, rather than aiming at underagers. Its a but sad that bands actually have to pay the house to play. In fact one I went to recently, my frineds bands were paying to play, patrons paid 2sen5hyaku at the door, which included one drink in a plastic cup which after that would cost 500 yen. Not cheap, but there were plenty of people in the audience, and the bands were all paying to play still!!!
ALot of them are gigging alot, but its costs them more than they ever make. COnsidering how many great and aspiring bands there are in Japan, why are they so poor? Because they are original, creative and well, not normal. They get ripped off by the industry untill they are too popuar to ignore, while the real money is poured into the factory produced, unoriginal untalented pop robots.
PaulieWalnuts
the pay to play system is crap, agreed. bands have to play average 30-40,000yen to play in a shinjuku livehouse. certainly not in it for the money
notimpressed
that and the table charge at bars, butI digress. The venues focus on making money more than making a great venue, which in the long run would make everyone more money and happy.
Dennis Bauer
Honen , i never had problem getting beer in a live house, although always in a plastic cup.
I disagree with the producer a lot of undergrond bands are allready know in the west
Honen
Sorry, I should have been clearer. Yes, beer is available (either in plastic cups or in cans from vending machines), but the place really isn't promoted as a drinking/socializing establishment. They're just there as spaces for bands to rent so that they can play to the friends they have strongarmed into coming. If these places were more like the US bar/club format, it would do more to help create a scene. Of course, the lack of a real scene is also the fault of the patrons, most of whom don't seem to have caught on to the idea of going to see a band you've never heard but that you've heard some buzz about.
BurakuminDes
Live-Houses in Japan are effectively karaoke on a stage. If you ever have a spare 30,000 odd yen, you too can be a rock star!
nath
Punk is not dead...
GaijinPunker
Punks been dead before it lived in Japan. The whole movement here has been nothing more than substance abuse and cosplay. These twits who wear Crass and Dead Kennedys patchs need to actually understand the music not replicate the sound it. 99.9% of the bands miss the importance of being angery, and wanting chance, they fail to hold a mirror to society, they never quenstion the machine, A shame the youth here hasn't been willing to stand and fight for a damn thing. This docu-dram is nothing more than more self-gratification, hence it's allowance of public funds to show the "culture" here in a trendy light.
PaulieWalnuts
classwarUK is back
Honen
GaijinPunker,
Absolutely correct. And I think "The Importance of Being Angry" would be a great book title.
JayJayE
I used to play at a lot of these places in my former band. The scene is pretty "alive" but a lot of bands are s*7t and some are great. I think the thing is, anyone can play, the owners aren't that picky. But some bands have been around the block a few times, have a decent fanbase and put on a good show.
The thing the irks me is all bands can only play for 20 minutes, not enough and they try and cram in 5 or 6 bands on the night. Bands don't get paid usually and sometimes they have to pay to play.
But the thing I've noticed is that they all know J-pop rules Japan. Noone has any hope of making it big so they just do what the F*&k they want. Some of the weirdest and most original music you've ever heard can be found in these places......on a good night