The day I've been looking forward to for weeeeeks and weeks...the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble finally touched down in Tokyo. I mentioned them in an earlier post, with the clip of them featured on Mr. Jools Holland show on the BBC, something I've also wanted to see since the day I met them. This time it's their first pit stop ever in Asia. After having performed at the Asagiri Music Festival, a small music fest within the views of the iconic Mount Fuji, the brothers were invited to perform an impromptu secret gig for North Face at their boutique in the trendy Harajuku in celebration of a month-long exhibition of photos by female street photographers Miyuki Pai Hirai and Yuri Shibuya (more info here).
The boutique actually wasn't so big, the staff had cleared all their merchandise to make room for the throng of crowd that would later have the place filled to the brim. Knowing that in advance, having witnessed many of their packed performances in London, I made the most of the opportunity to have a sneak peek of the photos on display.
Black and white pictures are always effective in freezing its subjects in time, but I think in particular the monochrome quality seem to emphasize the isolation from the reality that is encompassed within urban American street life...never changing, always the same. Which I think why they are so befitting for a photo exhibition filled with urban imagery, as the G-Star clad Hypnotic brothers resembled physical embodiment of the exhibition theme with their South Side Chicago charm.
I'm almost always pleasantly surprised at how much interest that the Brothers attract. A crowd was slowly developing as they did the sound check, impatiently waiting like a child on Christmas Day after staring at the same present for the past month.
Although the event was kinda promoted as a 'secret gig', it was no secret amongst the loyal fans who already knew of the Hypnotic brothers ever since they released their first ever vinyl in Japan a few years back, hence the huge line outside the boutique.
So as always, the gig goes down a storm. It's a joy being in the know of much the new crowd will repsond every single time, because even if you've heard them on wax, it's never the same as seeing them live. And boy, do they deliver when they go live: the energy, the adrenaline, the Chit-town swagger...I don't do any drugs, but I'm never bored from getting a kick out of seeing them live on stage.
Roco having a Pop-Idol moment there with the Hypnotic geeks, who were going around with their vinyls to have them signed by each member of the band.
And as usual, the crowd was totally blown away, paying the Hypnotic Bros more attention than the photo exhibits themselves. Then again, can you blame them?
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