One of the best things about music festivals is the opportunity to discover your potential new favourite band, quite often lurking with intent on some smaller side stage with a rapidly growing crowd of inquisitive onlookers being the only indication from afar that they might indeed be worth a listen.
Many people still point their ears straight in the direction of the main stage(s) and are more than content to get their fill of major international bands strutting their stuff, and more power to them.
But don’t ever forget the words international touring band don’t solely lay at the feet of those from Europe and the States.
There is a little country above Australia called Japan who are just quietly in the midst of a musical revolution that could soon see us here in the land Down Under swamped by a tsunami of Asian rock.
One of those rapidly emerging bands is Hanabie, who, I have to admit, I had not even heard of before sitting down for a chat with the four girls and their translator.
Hanabie make their way to Australia via New Zealand in the next couple of days, making time for two support shows with Limp Bizkit before hitting the stage at Good Things 2023 and finishing off with a couple of headlining shows of their own.
As expected from any musician from anywhere in the Japan region, the entire squad from Hanabie are musically adept at whatever they throw their weight behind, and look set to deliver a destructive breath of fresh air here over the coming weeks.
I have to admit doing this interview via a translator had its challenges, but that is why we have decided to publish the entire video interview to give HEAVY readers the chance to experience those tender moments of musical magic that come around only sporadically.
Join us on an enriching journey through music and culture with Yukina (vocals), Matsuri (guitar/vocals), Hettsu (bass) and Chika (drums). Because the interview was run through an interpreter HEAVY had to send the questions in beforehand, so our host could ask them in Japanese, so for the benefit of those who do not read or speak Japanese the questions, in order, were:
1) HANABIE are coming to Australia for Good Things Festival shows in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane over December 1, 2 and 3. It’s not long now, have you packed and are you ready to go?
2) Good Things features Fall Out Boy, Limp Bizkit, Devo, Bullet For My Valentine, Sepultura, Enter Shikari and heaps more. Which bands are you most looking forward to playing with?
3) You have already played festivals in Japan such as Ro Jack For Rock and Satanic Carnival, but this will be your first Australian festival. How different do you think festivals here will be compared to ones in Japan?
4) HANABIE fly over a bit earlier for two sideshows with Limp Bizkit in Auckland on November 26 and Sydney on November 29. How excited are you for those shows?
5) Then you have two of your own shows on November 28 in Melbourne and December 4 in Brisbane. How different are those sideshows going to be compared to the sets at Good Things?
6) This is your first tour to Australia, so what are you expecting?
7) Fans here won’t know what to expect either so describe a typical HANABIE live show.
8) Your music is a mixture of hip hop, hardcore punk, nu-metal and electronics which is an eclectic mix. Where did the sound come from?
9) How difficult is it to find the right balance of genres when you are writing music? Is it trial and error or do you have set directions in mind when you start?
10) Earlier this year the band signed with Epic Records in Japan. What sorts of things did that open up for you?
11) The band’s image focuses heavily on Harajuku Street Fashion. Can you please explain what that is and why it is important for the band?
Plus we also wandered off on several tangents, talking about Japanese idol Lady Beard, festivals in Japan and more.
