TALK ABOUT.....ETSUKO

[mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman]

May 17, 2015 13:18:49 GMT -5 Broccoli Man said:

I'm 5 months late to this thread, but that what this forum is about, right? One can join in at any time...  

The first video I ever watched of SK was "On Top Of The World", the one that has the smiling Etsuko as the picture on YouTube. My band is doing a cover of that version and this was my study material. I'm thinking, wow, this drummer is really good AND really good looking too! I could work with her any day, I wish I were in a band with with her instead of the old crusty guy we have now, but it will never happen. So here's this really cute drummer, a big ball of black hair with a huge smile attached, and what are obviously the brains of the group on lead vocals and guitar. After listening and watching a few times I made the comment to my bandmates that the bass player doesn't know what she's doing, she's not following the changes that the guitar player is doing. Then I listened to the studio version and other live versions and realized what she (who I would soon come to know as Ritsuko) was doing, and that is playing root notes while the guitar player (who I would soon come to know as Naoko) is playing chord changes on top of those root notes that are NOT the root notes (if that makes any sense if you're not a musician), thereby creating the structure for the song (and we do get good audience response when we play it). As for Etsuko, I kept trying to find more video of the group with her, but could only find Atsuko and Emi videos, and through my searches for Etsuko I fell in love with this wonderful band. And this is only since the beginning of February of this year!

I know I'm wandering a bit here, but if it weren't for the "TOTW" video with Etsuko's bright smiling sunshiny face, I may never have gotten this far into the group and this forum and the "I Love Shonen Knife" group on FB. The history and resources from everyone have been incredible; as Tan says there are 1000 years of collective information here that just can't be beat. 

Another thought about Etsuko's and Michie's departures, I know Michie left on her own (even after Naoko and Atsuko pleaded with her to stay in the band) and has disappeared, and now it appears that Etsuko has gone that way also. I sure hope Ritsuko doesn't go down that same hallway and we never hear from her again.  

Sorry for the length of the post, and if this needs to go elsewhere in this forum please move it to an appropriate thread, but that my shout-out to Etsuko!

Great post and, no, I think it is perfect, for this thread The difference between this forum and the one on FB is that we aren't necessarily SK experts, so, we are all learning together!

[Broccoli Man]

Dec 3, 2014 4:57:59 GMT -5 tangerinesun said:

Dec 1, 2014 22:59:39 GMT -5 skswede said:

To watch Etsukos drumming in Muddy Bubble Hell is pure art.

Agree agree agree agree agree! This clip is exactly that, is this what you had in mind?



Big tom-tom of doom, little tom-tom of brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrilliance. 

Etsuko is a drumming monster!  I love the little smile she gives after the lead guitar/tom-tom solo section as if to say "We made it through Muddy Bubbles again girls, we rock!"  When I introduced my eldest son to SK a few months back, one of the vid's I showed him was of the 10 minute 2006 Japan event.  He seemed to really enjoy it, and commented on what a good drummer she is.  Then I pointed out that he is now as old as she was in 2006... I got a rolling of the eyes look back at me, hehe...  That's what dad's are for!

[tangerinesun]

Yeah, the youth need a yardstick for progress. The Broccoli Sprout is a player, I take it?

I'm an Etsuko devotee. I'm sure I have a tattoo here somewhere.

She knows just what she's doing and how to do it with style.

People who think she's cold don't understand her serious demeanor.

I thought she seemed very proud of her SK work and absolutely loved fan attention. One smile from her was worth a dozen.

[tangerinesun]

Just because I have dished no love for Etsuko lately, here's a micro-album of mostly 2009 tour photos from Naoko's blog, featuring the extra reserve power copper-top.




2008 March 08, Club Namba Hatch.
Never cuter.




2009 June 17, the conquest of the
British Isles begins with a BBQ party.



2009 June 17, Brixton, the Windmill.
All hail the Roof Dog (follow the pointing finger).



2009 June 18, Leicester. This band may not
drink as much as others, but they can eat.



2009 September 26 Sydney, Australia.
About time some respect was paid.



2009 September 26, Sydney merch wall.



2009 October 20, Toronto at the Horseshoe
with Amy and Lianna of Gore Gore Girls.



2009 October 25, Vancouver.



2009 September 15, at Shibuya LUSH with Sister Jet.
Mirror on the wall, who is shortest of them all?


Days of glory, I tell you.

[tangerinesun]

I'm sure you remember Ritsuko's occasional all-acoustic concert buddy Kinako, also a Knife supporter and particular fan of the short, intense one.



On the occasion of Etsuko's next-to-last show before her hiatus to hell, Kinako wrote a mushy entry in her Excite blog.


Excite blog entry for KINAKO music

少年ナイフ・ドラマー　エッチャン
Shonen Knife Drummer Ettchan
by kinako6969 | 2010-03-16 03:37




I had to rush to go straight to Shindaita FEVER in Tokyo.

Shonen Knife is playing live.

It's drummer Ettchan's last Tokyo live before her hiatus.

I love Ettchan.
I promised to come without fail and see her with my own eyes.

Surely people's feelings are the same from one mind to the next
Although they are but faintly seen.

You can depend on me to see with my own eyes
The overwhelming strength and radiance emanating
From that tiny body.

The day when you stand onstage together
At another Shonen Knife live
I believe will come without fail.

I'm looking forward to it!

I love you Etsuko!! (>_<)

Rest your wings for now
In order to soar another day.

☆ Kinako ☆



The photos are just a couple of many taken backstage at FEVER that day. The mood seems to have been very festive. Ettsuko's own blog post was happy enough to make anyone feel a little ill.

[mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman]

I was sure she was going to be named the new drummer last fall... or would that be the new old drummer? Old new drummer???

[tangerinesun]

Jan 5, 2016 7:57:43 GMT -5 mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman said:

I was sure she was going to be named the new drummer last fall... or would that be the new old drummer? Old new drummer???

I had the same hope, but I was wishing for a fairy-tale happy ending.

We only know about it what we see, but anyone can see:

• Loose cannon Ettchan messed up the business plan and created a sensitive PR problem

• Furthermore, she took her case directly to the fanbase, end-running Tomato Head's attempt to manage its own affairs

• Hence, was not communicating to Naoko very well, or minding instructions, and that might have been typical

• Might not have been in the absolute best frame of mind, speculating

• Might not have looked like a good bet to return in timely fashion and working condition, which was the offer

• Might have forgotten that it's Naoko's band and anybody else is replaceable


Only… no one is replaceable, so the surgical solution left a stump, for me at least. But circumstances rule, and besides, somewhat of poison had gotten into the well.

[mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman]

I agree with some of your points, to me, you can see it in the publicity shots; for the first few years, it was Et-chan and the band all happy smiles, then, near the end, Et-chan looks miserable on every pic! It makes me think there was indeed more to it than just Et-chan getting pregnant!

[tangerinesun]

Jan 9, 2016 9:07:54 GMT -5 mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman said:

I agree with some of your points, to me, you can see it in the publicity shots; for the first few years, it was Et-chan and the band all happy smiles, then, near the end, Et-chan looks miserable on every pic! It makes me think there was indeed more to it than just Et-chan getting pregnant!

You can read mood from a photo, but you can't always know what it's about in the larger scheme. Sometimes Naoko looks tired and out of sorts, but doesn't mean she's quitting.

Calling maternity leave on the eve of an overseas tour will put a strain on the best relations.

Meanwhile, here's our girl in February 2010, in Manilla.


Sticks like hummingbird wings. Haw Santiago photo from his Twitter feed

[mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman]

Has anyone heard whether she's drumming again?

[tangerinesun]

Jan 12, 2016 19:53:56 GMT -5 mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman said:

Has anyone heard whether she's drumming again?

You'd know. So far Etsuko's invisible to me on the Japanese web, and I do send out pings every once in a while. If you're doing anything at all in entertainment, public mentions are hard to avoid. Even if she does not want publicity for herself (huh?), whomever else she would work for is surely dying to leverage her dusty star to get some re-tweets.

Start putting in her name at google.co.jp, it auto-completes the most popular search, which is 中西悦子 サックス, "Nakanishi Etsuko sax".

There's an Afro-everything, Latin, and Jazz Lite tenor player who goes by the nickname "Ecco" Nakanishi, @saxecco on Twitter. Based on history, Google thinks you probably want that one. The person of interest does not make the popup list for me.


Ecco works for lots of people. She's a little honky on love songs, she seems to be set up to wail.


Conclusion: if Ettchan is drumming under her own name, she might be teaching or doing session work, but not records or any other kind of band dates.


Here she is again for balance, though.



Early 2010, likely in the Philippines. Photo by "Jason Caballa's brother" from Tumblr.

〜〜〜

This is a slideshow on top of "Super Group" and there are worse things than that. Even if you've seen every single image before now.


Etsuko track(shonen knife)-super group
2013 Septermber 18 by xochilth ferrandez (04:12)
este vídeo lo hice por un amigo al que quiero mucho....
apoyemos a esta gran banda y gran baterista:
etsuko nakan ishi rock track (shonen knife) super group
su pagina de face es:
www-dot-facebook-dot-com/pages/Etsuko-Nakanishi/108570829166983

Yeah; no. That page at Facebook does not belong to any Etsuko.
It's an empty bucket generated by Facebook itself to try to entice a celebrity
to make a home on Facebook and boost the annual revenue. Like nailing up
a birdhouse in hope that a goose will come and lay golden eggs.

Points off because clueless-girl Xochilth included shots of Emi and
Angie as the drummers.

This one is Xochilth, too, though.


Shonen knife - top of the world etsuko drummer princess.
2013 September 25 by xochilth ferrandez (04:12)

It posted later, maybe she was saving her best effort.

[tangerinesun]

Ritsuko says Etchan is playing live right now, although the stream hasn't started.

[tangerinesun]

That was no lie. It was the usual shambles — starting late and ending before the show finished,
20% of the time streaming nothing but a restless waiting audience.
But Etchan sounded fine and at times simply fabulous.

There was this one pass over the rack toms that gave me the chills. Her sound completely —
fast, hard, even, perfectly distinct, like shot on steel. Also, nothing lacking in that right foot,
there was a regular bass cannonade.

Her swinging ponytail, her widest smile, her stiff arm poking up one stick in the air,
singing along to every song with no mic whatever... I'm telling you, it was great to see.

Ecchan kawaranai yo ! PINKUPANDĀ sai kessei raibu sutekideshita. She' s still brilliant.

Etchan hasn't changed! The Pink Pander reunion show was lovely. She's still brilliant.

[tangerinesun]

The event was announced in the first week of June.
The date had already sold out by June 25.

Of course, you and I knew nothing about that, because we don't
follow the venue or Hatsue or even Jojiman closely enough.

Hatsue (Hachi) at Facebook
facebook.com/utautai.hachi

And on Twitter
twitter.com/utautai_hachi



Studio 246, what is it?

The Ustream from Studio 246 JUSO from Osaka Thirteen
ustream.tv/channel/studioLIVE-246-JOSO

They don't archive these performances with Ustream, but some of them
make it to YouTube. A lot worse ones than this, so there's some hope.


Studio 246 JUSO on Twitter
twitter.com/Studio246JUSO

Studio 246 movie channel at YouTube
youtube.com/channel/UChBYZb1gMzJ6ucuWBgM8TjA

Studio 246 JUSO HP at WideWindows.com
widewindows.com/246juso/



The cute little JUSO performance space and floor plan


The deal with Studio 246 is, it's a chain of rehearsal and performance spaces like several others, with
three locations in Osaka as well as Kobe, Kyoto and Nagoya.
It's apparently well-funded by a parent corporation.

It's pretty new, it's pretty cheap to use, and slickly designed to let bands practice, record, and perform
all at the same convenient address. You won't get a soulful stack of 40 year old studio gear and an engineer
who still talks about working with Cheap Trick, but everything looks clean, convenient and not broken at all.  

Instructional video
Getting to the studio from Juso Station in the Jusohon block of the Yodogawa section of Osaka City. 
For musicians and fans who can't read or find their own way.

This undercuts the live bar scene somewhat. But if you're a smalltime local band, you really are your own promoter,
your own financier, your own ticket-taker, your own logistics. The clubs make no investment in you beyond letting
you onto their stage. For Pink Pander, who already have a diehard audience, no money, and no future plans, this is perfect.

One other thing: live-streaming your concert is a built-in service you can add at reasonable rates.
Pics below are cropped screen captures from the Ustream feed. One fixed camera, nothing fancy. 

That little chipmunk head all the way upstage in the middle under the logotype is someone you know. 











The show was another of Pink Pander's one-offs, not a blazing return to active status. Pink Pander pulled the plug in March 2004.
They were last seen in March 2009, their 5th death-o-versary. Members are all busy with their stuff. Hatsue's got a kid as well as
a show to do with her most active band abedoris on the 30th. Occasionally her social media postings plead simple exhaustion.
PP rehearsed together over a period of about a month to pull this off. They did pull it off, too. Etsuko's bass head was painted 
with band insignia — pros think of everything. 











But like the once and future king, Pink Pander is only sleeping. The 15th anniversary of their first concert was the right time
to awaken and tread the boards again. PP played all their hits, their catalog is not that big. I think I remember they started off
with "Step" but it was 4 in the morning and my recall's not completely complete. The audience was mostly the same age as the
band, and the front rows were pretty into it. This band has a permanent place in people's lives. 











If we take Ritsuko's and Jojiman's word for it, it was the first public appearance for Etsuko since her ignominious departure
from Shonen Knife over 6 years ago. Till now, she's been a perfect ghost. I've looked, believe me. No blog, no Facebook, no 
Mixi, no Twitter, no Instagram... nothing in a name you can recognize or search. Her birth name is shared with people in local 
government, teachers, researchers and engineers, a 20-something acting hopeful, a saxophonist known as Ecco... 











This date demonstrated E-chan has been keeping up the skills, however. It was no test of endurance — only a half-hour set
and they talked as much as they played. Ettchan did a lot of nervous quaffing from the water bottle, hauling up of her saggy,
sticky undershirt, and mopping off of her face, but she sat in that saddle like she's never been out of it.

For some reason, I'm pretty moved to see this. If only Hatsue had moved a little differently, I would have seen more of it! 

[tangerinesun]

This is a selection from the two biggest online boosters.

Before the July 14 Studio 246 live, all the noise was coming from Hatsue
(Facebook and Twitter) and from Takatoshi, aka A-OK ROCK on Twitter.


Takatoshi is a support bass player for recording artists Traffic line and
(in Kobe across the bay) Gran9. Since Hatsue chose to develop her singer-self,
every blue moon he's played for Pink Pander reunions.


Hatsue on Twitter
@utautai_hachi

Hatsue at Facebook
facebook.com/utautai.hachi


Takatoshi as A-OK ROCK on Twitter
@aokrock

Takatoshi at Facebook
facebook.com/aokrock


The first notice is just, hey, come to my cool gig. The video clip is a piece of
"Beware the Pink Bearcat" from the last reunion, March 2009 in Kobe at Pi:z.

New Red Hot Chili Peppers album also — feels good.
I remember screaming for Shonen Knife on their first appearance at Fuji Rock.
Etchan, formerly of that same Shonen Knife, is drumming for the first time in 6 years.
Pink Pander is doing a live on 14 July.
Let's blow it out on that day.


〜〜〜〜〜

There's an argument for recording band comments when you are skunked
on beer. No matter what else, you get more spontaneity. That's also the 
argument against. 

Band members only own one t-shirt each. Or maybe, these clips were all
recorded at rehearsal on the 2nd of July, along with the promo photo.

Yeah, that'd be more professional, if professional is the right word.


Member Comments Part One - July 02

Member Comments Part Two - July 08

Member Comments Part Three - July 11

Two things: Pink Pander is as much fun as a box of puppies, and Etchan is
the same shy girl she ever was. But it's the same smile, too.



Final Pre-Game Words for Day of Show:

〜〜〜〜〜


Photos from combined Facebook timelines, and Twitters, because these guys share assets.



Pink Pander plays a low-volume set with Takatoshi at Osaka Placebo live cafe & bar.
Teppei's absent on the excuse that he lives in California now. Pretty sure that if the
cajon player looked up, she'd have Etsuko's face. 



They did "Taiyo" (The Sun) and "Chiheisen" (Horizon) with cajon, bass and vocal.



That's a hard-looking expression on Etsuko. She's known for those, but after 6 years in exile,
a return to form reactivates a lot of challenges. One being that the form itself is changed.
Buried alive in a short-sleeved tent, looks-conscious Etchan seems less than excited to be
photographed for all eternity.



2016 July 02 at Studio 246. L/R: Takatoshi, Etsuko, Hatsue, Teppei.



July 2nd full band rehearsals in the live hall. 













Everyone poses with (Hatsue) or hides behind (Etsuko) Our Founder. C'mon Etchan, make a picture with me!!




Stop shrinking Etsuko, dear, you're quite short enough already.


Get the feeling that emerging from hausfrau is hard on Etsuko's self-confidence? I do.
Except when she's inside her drum fort. When she's in there, nothing and no one can touch her.