Last Month's HOUSE of MYSTERY was full up with skins, birds and mod chicks galore! I had been planning a kinda Spirit of '69 meets Tokyo mods chic since I saw THE SHOCK TROOPS from Nagoya at a punk show last summer and got it all sorted with the help of some of the best two-tone ska and edgy mods groups in Tokyo.
THE PHANTASMS, stylish sixties girls with a penchant for 70's power pop, started the night out in the right groove. Guitarist and vocalist Aya had to run off later to spin records all night at her Ooh-Pah-Doo-Pah groovy party. Then THE DROPS, a nearly all-girl ska entourage with horns, sax and playfully insane vocals, gave the Hard Mod Night a head-butt and a kick in the pants to boot!
Vivid, tantalizing and furious, the trio known as SIX pack my favorite pieces of the 60's together, you know, surf, spy themes, pseudo-oriental rock, girl group sounds and then rip it up in a whirlwind of Twiggy-esque hair-styling and Brigitte Bardot-black leather embodied in front-woman Chelio.
By this time, Club Heavy Sick was really looking like borstal dance party with tons of skins milling about watching DOWNBEAT SELECTORS throw down reggae classics while doing their comedy routine before 69YOBSTERS hit the stage. Then the YOBSTERS got down to business and broke out into a set of fun skinhead-themed ska tunes led by burly beer-swigging crooners who got the audience skanking around and chanting to their anthems.
At this point, THE SHOCK TROOPS were ready to blast the hangers-on to pieces. Lead vocalist Bemu blaring harmonica out from under aviators only stopping to shout something profound and commanding to fit in with the chugging rhythm of the rest of the band. Taking their ques from British street punk which traces itself back to the blues of pub rock and the attitude of the original skinhead movement, THE SHOCK TROOPS are continuing this tradition a world away. And I was truly grateful for their presence at my attempt at a mods party at the HOUSE of MYSTERY.
Special thanks to the DJs who came out despite the time crunch. OKUDA from Original John deserves special praise for promoting the party on his blog. Thanks as well to HARRY the HEMPSTEAD HEATH who is always ready to hop on his Mod Star and head to the club with a case of 45s whenever I call.
What's to come is a Mystery!
PS. Thanks to Never Trust blog for reporting in Japanese and posting pics which I have used here.
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