01Profile
A Kick a Show Photo
Kick a Show
Singer — Sado City
03Interview
Name, where are you from?
Kick a Show, Sado City in Niigata, Japan.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
Temples at the Red Marquee stage at Fuji Rock Festival in 2017. I was able to watch them fully right before I performed with MONDO GROSSO as their vocalist on the same stage. I didn't have any prior knowledge of the band, but after returning home from Fuji Rock, I listened to 'Certainty' a few times to remember the grandeur of the show and realized that their genre was psychedelic rock. It is still etched in the corner of my mind as one of my best memories.
Which subcultures have influenced you?
I love British fashion, music and lifestyle but football was my main influence from an early age. It was the only sport that I took seriously from early primary school to the third year of secondary school, and all the players at that time in England, where it originated, were stars to me. I could go on and on, but I do remember how exciting it was to watch the Denmark v England World Cup in my home town of Niigata’s Big Swan when I was in the fourth grade. There were so many stars in the England team, but (David) Beckham was one of a kind.
Of all the venues you’ve played, which is your favourite?
The Red Marquee stage is the biggest venue I have ever performed at. It was one of the most nerve-wracking days of my life and I will never forget the experience of singing two songs on stage in the pouring rain with a packed audience all the way to the back of the room. It was crazy to see the whole stage go wild with my first words. Also, I must mention two of the one-man shows at WWW. Me and Rambling RECORDS that I belong organized these together from production to direction, which ended up being so much fun that I cannot even begin to compare each one...
If you could be on the line up with any bands in history?
If I were in history, I would like to have a session with the members of Queen without hesitation. The fascination of Queen's music has been with me since I was a student, but in the film 'Bohemian Rhapsody' that many people were passionate about, I was moved by the difficulties of working as a band and the human side of the story. The scene that gave me the most goosebumps was the moment when the classic song 'Another One Bites The Dust' was born. If my wish were to come true, I would like to sing the chorus next to Freddie Mercury just for a moment, discreetly.
If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
I would like to talk to Amy Winehouse. She is one of the R&B singers that I have always respected very much that I have always been playing her tracks at every DJ gig since I was in high school. I have the movie 'AMY' on DVD and I cannot tell you how many times I have watched the special features, where Mark Ronson tells the story of the making of the famous 'Back To Black’, so I was happy as a fan to know that I could see how they communicated before she passed away. I would be happy enough to discuss what is on the film and ask her some of the questions that I have from it.
Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
Joesef, an artist from Scotland. I have been listening to his music for about a year now. His vocal struck me when I was digging through various playlists and subscription services. You can find me on 'A COLORS SHOW' too. I especially like the song 'Loverboy'. It is neo-vintage soul with a silky vocal.
02Playlist
04Playlist Notes
The first track you played on repeat?
'Born Slippy (Nuxx)' by Underworld. I have been listening to the track ever since watching 'Trainspotting' at high school. I remember it being played in the morning at UC (Ucess the lounge) in Harajuku with a scene from 'Trainspotting' in my mind. UC was the spot I visited frequently, plus it became the venue of my debut concert.
A song that defines the teenage you?
'Mardy Bum' by Arctic Monkeys. It's a nostalgic feeling for me to bring this track up because I have not listened to any of their music since I started singing R&B or soul music myself. My girlfriend taught me about the band when I was a freshman in high school, and I remember looking up the lyrics carefully and feeling kind of strange about it. Now that I am an adult, I feel like I know what I am listening to.
One record you would keep forever?
Wham's debut album 'Fantastic', which includes the track called 'Bad Boys', a memorial track to me. My dad had Wham! records and CDs. He still recommends them to me but actually, I recently bought a 7inch of the track from a record store. The lyrics are just like a rebellious son. The music video is dated and exquisitely tacky, and I just love the melody so I am keeping it safe.
A song lyric that has inspired you?
'Blue Monday' by New Order. When I and Shinichi Osawa of MONDO GROSSO made a track called 'See You Again', I brought this track as a reference for the track. It was arranged multiple times so of course, the finished song is completely different from 'Blue Monday', but what I wanted to mention is that I always loved New Order. The lyrics for 'See You Again' were inspired by the novel 'Seiten No Mayoi Kujira' by Misumi Kubo, which Shinichi Osawa gave me as a present for me to read and get on with lyrics.
Best song to turn up loud?
'Don't Look Back in Anger' by Oasis. I think everyone in the world would sing along to this. Oasis have a lot of tracks that I remember from my youth. A lot of my friends and I would play and sing it, or if someone put it on at karaoke, we would all sing along. I saw the news that people in the UK were singing this song to mourn the victims of the suicide bombing in Manchester, and I thought, Oasis is great.
A song people wouldn’t expect you to like?
'She Loves You' by The Beatles. Objectively speaking, I think there is no influence from the Beatles in my music, but I must say I love the Beatles very much. I have their CDs but if you go to Freshness Burger chains, you would hear them being played endlessly. Himesh Patel's vocal in the movie 'Yesterday' was also great and different from the original, so I chose 'She Loves You' out of all the great ones.
New bands you are listening to now?
New Hope Club. They have their first album released in 2020. Every time they release a new song, it always is a good betrayal which leads me to check them out frequently. 'Worse' is my recommendation which is somewhat Ed Sheeran or Charlie Puth-like, or something close to them two. It is not a good comparison, but New Hope Club is a stylish and interesting band that plays with a variety of sounds.
03Interview
Name, where are you from?
Kick a Show, Sado City in Niigata, Japan.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
Temples at the Red Marquee stage at Fuji Rock Festival in 2017. I was able to watch them fully right before I performed with MONDO GROSSO as their vocalist on the same stage. I didn't have any prior knowledge of the band, but after returning home from Fuji Rock, I listened to 'Certainty' a few times to remember the grandeur of the show and realized that their genre was psychedelic rock. It is still etched in the corner of my mind as one of my best memories.
Which subcultures have influenced you?
I love British fashion, music and lifestyle but football was my main influence from an early age. It was the only sport that I took seriously from early primary school to the third year of secondary school, and all the players at that time in England, where it originated, were stars to me. I could go on and on, but I do remember how exciting it was to watch the Denmark v England World Cup in my home town of Niigata’s Big Swan when I was in the fourth grade. There were so many stars in the England team, but (David) Beckham was one of a kind.
Of all the venues you’ve played, which is your favourite?
The Red Marquee stage is the biggest venue I have ever performed at. It was one of the most nerve-wracking days of my life and I will never forget the experience of singing two songs on stage in the pouring rain with a packed audience all the way to the back of the room. It was crazy to see the whole stage go wild with my first words. Also, I must mention two of the one-man shows at WWW. Me and Rambling RECORDS that I belong organized these together from production to direction, which ended up being so much fun that I cannot even begin to compare each one...
If you could be on the line up with any bands in history?
If I were in history, I would like to have a session with the members of Queen without hesitation. The fascination of Queen's music has been with me since I was a student, but in the film 'Bohemian Rhapsody' that many people were passionate about, I was moved by the difficulties of working as a band and the human side of the story. The scene that gave me the most goosebumps was the moment when the classic song 'Another One Bites The Dust' was born. If my wish were to come true, I would like to sing the chorus next to Freddie Mercury just for a moment, discreetly.
If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
I would like to talk to Amy Winehouse. She is one of the R&B singers that I have always respected very much that I have always been playing her tracks at every DJ gig since I was in high school. I have the movie 'AMY' on DVD and I cannot tell you how many times I have watched the special features, where Mark Ronson tells the story of the making of the famous 'Back To Black’, so I was happy as a fan to know that I could see how they communicated before she passed away. I would be happy enough to discuss what is on the film and ask her some of the questions that I have from it.
Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
Joesef, an artist from Scotland. I have been listening to his music for about a year now. His vocal struck me when I was digging through various playlists and subscription services. You can find me on 'A COLORS SHOW' too. I especially like the song 'Loverboy'. It is neo-vintage soul with a silky vocal.
04Playlist Notes
The first track you played on repeat?
'Born Slippy (Nuxx)' by Underworld. I have been listening to the track ever since watching 'Trainspotting' at high school. I remember it being played in the morning at UC (Ucess the lounge) in Harajuku with a scene from 'Trainspotting' in my mind. UC was the spot I visited frequently, plus it became the venue of my debut concert.
A song that defines the teenage you?
'Mardy Bum' by Arctic Monkeys. It's a nostalgic feeling for me to bring this track up because I have not listened to any of their music since I started singing R&B or soul music myself. My girlfriend taught me about the band when I was a freshman in high school, and I remember looking up the lyrics carefully and feeling kind of strange about it. Now that I am an adult, I feel like I know what I am listening to.
One record you would keep forever?
Wham's debut album 'Fantastic', which includes the track called 'Bad Boys', a memorial track to me. My dad had Wham! records and CDs. He still recommends them to me but actually, I recently bought a 7inch of the track from a record store. The lyrics are just like a rebellious son. The music video is dated and exquisitely tacky, and I just love the melody so I am keeping it safe.
A song lyric that has inspired you?
'Blue Monday' by New Order. When I and Shinichi Osawa of MONDO GROSSO made a track called 'See You Again', I brought this track as a reference for the track. It was arranged multiple times so of course, the finished song is completely different from 'Blue Monday', but what I wanted to mention is that I always loved New Order. The lyrics for 'See You Again' were inspired by the novel 'Seiten No Mayoi Kujira' by Misumi Kubo, which Shinichi Osawa gave me as a present for me to read and get on with lyrics.
Best song to turn up loud?
'Don't Look Back in Anger' by Oasis. I think everyone in the world would sing along to this. Oasis have a lot of tracks that I remember from my youth. A lot of my friends and I would play and sing it, or if someone put it on at karaoke, we would all sing along. I saw the news that people in the UK were singing this song to mourn the victims of the suicide bombing in Manchester, and I thought, Oasis is great.
A song people wouldn’t expect you to like?
'She Loves You' by The Beatles. Objectively speaking, I think there is no influence from the Beatles in my music, but I must say I love the Beatles very much. I have their CDs but if you go to Freshness Burger chains, you would hear them being played endlessly. Himesh Patel's vocal in the movie 'Yesterday' was also great and different from the original, so I chose 'She Loves You' out of all the great ones.
New bands you are listening to now?
New Hope Club. They have their first album released in 2020. Every time they release a new song, it always is a good betrayal which leads me to check them out frequently. 'Worse' is my recommendation which is somewhat Ed Sheeran or Charlie Puth-like, or something close to them two. It is not a good comparison, but New Hope Club is a stylish and interesting band that plays with a variety of sounds.
Kick a Show - 接吻
Kick a Show - Super Hero (Feat. eill)
MONDO GROSSO / SEE YOU AGAIN [Vocal: Kick a Show]
Kick a Show - So Special (Feat. Buddy)
Kick a Show - Natsuka Shit Feat. Caryn10 & reverv kueen (Dir. Ken Haraki)
Kick a Show - ０時ちょうど (Prod. Okadada)