WACK in the UK | S.L.R. Magazine

Japan’s notorious WACK agency returns to the UK for another dose of unadulterated alternative pop music for Japan featuring three of its acts! WACK In The UK Vol.2 will feature GANG PARADE, ASP and KiSS KiSS at The Underworld in Camden, London on 27 March 2024, and be warned, it’s a full on day if you want to get the most out of it! Even including lunch with the idols! The full schedule of events are below, along with all the details. Tickets go on sale from Saturday 17 February from 12-noon UK time via this link.

GANG PARADE

This chart-topping fun group from Japan consists of 13 members and has the concept みんなの遊び場, “playground for all”. Latest album OUR PARADE was released from Warner Music’s FUELED BY MENTAIKO and shot to #1 in the Oricon album chart. It includes anime theme ‘lol’ from ME & ROBOCO, as well as the energetic ‘SIGNAL’ and joyous ‘SUPER PARTY PEOPLE’ amongst others.

ASP

These anti-idol idol punks are exploding right now. Since making their overseas debut at WACK In The UK Vol. 1 in London last year, ASP have gone on to sell out their first outdoor headline show, produced a number one single with the help of Sam Matlock (WARGASM), and have booked their own show at the mighty Nippon Budokan arena later this year. Check out tracks TOXiC iNVASiON and I HATE U.

KiSS KiSS

This recently formed electronic group mark their first anniversary by performing in London for WACK In The UK Vol. 2! Expect high energy, bright colours and thumping basslines if their music video KiSS KiSS KiSS is anything to go by.

Info:

General Tickets: £30

VIP Tickets: £150 – strictly limited. It includes:

Light lunch with the members
Cheki photo with group of choice
Cheki photo with member of choice (plus autograph)
Exclusive T-shirt (Japanese XL size)
Early entry to the show.
VIP ticket holders do not need to purchase a general entry ticket.

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Timetable:
12:30 – VIP light lunch and cheki event
14:00 – Cheki ticket sale begins for general ticket holders.
14:30 – General cheki event
18:30 – VIP early entry
19:00 – General entry
19:30 – KiSS KiSS
20:15 – ASP
21:15 – GANG PARADE
22:00 – End

About Cheki event:
Cheki are a type of polaroid style photo that is popular in Japan. The VIP ticket already includes 2 cheki opportunities. Further opportunities, as well as opportunities for general ticket holders, will be available by purchasing cheki tickets from the mech stand. Each cheki ticket purchased will allow for one cheki to be taken with a member of the ticket holder’s choice.

WACK, a notorious music agency from Japan responsible for shaking up the Japanese music industry, has announced its first ever show overseas, entitled “WACK in the UK”. It will take place at The Underworld in London on Thursday 16 November 2023 with three of its acts.

The agency rose to notoriety with BiS, dubbed “the most hated girl group in Japan” by VICE, who disbanded in 2014 (at a show with unlimited McDonald’s buffet), not before causing all kinds of havoc in the media with its extreme music videos and outrageous magazine photoshoots. Since then, WACK continues to produce nonconventional stars who dominate pop and rock spaces, including BiSH (Brand-new idol SHIT) who called themselves in an interview with Billboard a “punk band with no instruments” and who have a song written by Taka (ONE OK ROCK), MEG (MEGMETAL) and KENTA (WANIMA), their first to be produced by third parties.

AiNA THE END, one of BiSH’s most popular members, will be appearing at “WACK in the UK” as part of a very special unit for this show, called AiNATOAOI featuring dancer AOI YAMADA, who closed the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. They’ll be joined by groups ASP and ExWHYZ for this very special overseas show.

WACK in the UK

Line-up: ExWHYZ, ASP, AiNATOAOI
Date: Thursday 16 November 2023
Location: The Underworld, Camden, London. [map]
Tickets: General and VIP available [link]
https://www.wack.jp/

VIP Tickets include:
+ Early entry to the show (entry to show included)
+ First chance to buy merchandise
+ Photo session (cheki) with member of choice

ASP

This seven-strong group of troublemakers exploded on the Tokyo scene with their debut album ANAL SEX PENiS in 2021. At first the members refused to show their faces and hid behind masks until each one passed 20,000 followers on Twitter. Since then their videos have received over three million views on YouTube, including tracks such as “BOLLOCKS”, “A Song of Punk” and latest single “I HATE U”. The group’s initials officially stand for “ANTi SOCiETY PUNKS” but many fans believe the group is really named after the title of their first album.

ExWHYZ

2023 saw the group headline the legendary Nippon Budokan with their show “ExWHYZ LIVE at BUDOKAN the FIRST STEP”, shortly followed by a 20-date domestic headline tour. ExWHYZ features members formerly of the WACK group EMPiRE and the group’s current YouTube channel has more than 38 million views. New EPHOW HIGH?Is due for release in October from Japanese major labelavex. Latest music video “NOT SORRY” has had close to quarter-of-a-million views in two week and sees the group summon a UFO to help them fix an accidental death-ray incident. ExWHYZ’s sound is created by such talented domestic creators as Shinichi Osawa (MONDO GROSSO) and Seiho, as well as overseas creators such as Denny White, the singer and melody composer of Fedde Le Grand’s hit song “Cinematic“, are in charge of sound design.

AiNATOAOI

AiNATOAOI is a special unit you will make their first appearance in London especially for WACK in the UK. It features the phenomenally successful AiNA THE END and AOI YAMADA, both dominating their creative spheres. AiNA THE END started as a member of BiSH in 2015, followed by launching her solo career in 2021 which has seen her feature on tracks with the likes of guitar legend HOTEI (best known internationally for his music featured in Kill Bill), MONDO GROSSO (the music video for their song ‘False Sympathy’ has 6.8 million views on YouTube) and TeddyLoid. She has also starred in the main role in “Broadway Musical Janis: A Night with Janis Joplin” when Randy Johnson’s production hit Japan for the first time this summer. AiNA THE END also plays the lead role in upcoming movie Kyrie no Uta, out in October in Japan from director Shunji Iwai.

The other half of the unit is AOI YAMADA, who has been described by Vogue as “the avant-garde dancer the world can’t get enough of”. She has worked with Stella McCartney and modelled for the likes of Gucci and Fred Perry, while her performances have seen her dance solo at the closing ceremony of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, and feature in Wim Wenders’ film PERFECT DAYS.