Review and Photos by Robert Barrett

It takes around 11 hours and 50 minutes to fly from Japan to England, at a cost of around £650 per person each way. That means you’ve got to have a damn good reason to make that journey. Rising Tokyo rockers Kikagaku Moyo decided to make this journey, and that damn good reason for coming? Treating the British crowds to an electric night of psychedelic rock.

Warming up the cramped Hare and Hounds second room were local band Earthling Society, who didn’t have to travel quite as far for the gig. Whilst the smoke machine pumped out on full blast the band dragged the woodstock psychedelic vibe kicking and screaming into the modern world. Lengthy haunting guitar solos whisked the milling crowd into a far off stratosphere.

Dressed in the finest 60s flares and with an abundance of long hair to match, Kikagaku Moyo treated the crowd to a breathtaking 90 minutes through every corner of psychedelic rock.

Guitars, synthesisers and even a sitar built an unusual sonic tapestry hypnotised the crowd from start to finish. Opening with a rock heavy first half, full of long and intrinsic jams. The set metamorphosised into a calming and relaxed two song acoustic section, with the drummer swapping the kit for lead vocals and guitar. The crowd were invited to sit down for this interlude, I was very glad the Hare and Hounds floor had been cleaned recently.

The band cranked up the energy for one final hair flailing jam. Never has a sitar been rocked so hard. If the band ever decide to make the long journey to English shores again, make sure you grab a ticket.

(The original version of this article was first published on Blankexpression Zine ttps://blankexpressionzine.wordpress.com/2017/08/22/kikagaku-moyo-in-brimingham/)