OMG! You know Tettsui, Miburo etc. One of my friends up north is a skin, he got me into Miburo, Gruesome, Sideburns, Raiya first, then later on Tettsui, Raise A Flag, Oi! Valcans etc.
I had a chance to see Miburo in Sendai, but I didn't go: I was warned away by one of my crusty friends. He suggested there was a small chance that someone in the audience might have taken offense to my being white. Seeing as how Miburo recently did a tour of Germany, I guess the colour of my skin wouldn't have mattered much!
I did get to see a few N.American bands when they toured here. I saw Assuck (great guys, not so great band) and Aus Rotten (great guys, phenomenal band). Both of these bands stayed at my friend's house for the night, so I got to hang out with them for a day or so before and after the show.
I don't know much about noise bands outside of the Boredoms, Merzbow, and Melt Banana (noise? band? I don't know what these guys are classified as!), but a few of my friends are into them.
Yes, that is the 'Laughing Nose', however, it's just the singer and the bassist these days. The guitarist and the drummer are these 20-something year olds. One band that is still going after all these years is Gauze. They never broke up, they just keep playing shows and putting out the very occasional record. Cobra are also still together I do believe.
GISM did a one off tour last year, three shows in three days or so to commemorate the recent death of Randy Uchida. Don't know if you heard about that. The shows were like a who's who of Japanese punk: GISM, Tetsu Are, Rocky and the Sweden, Assfort, Baki and Tatsu from Gastunk, Final Bombs plus about ten other bands.
Where can I get that Final Warning? Is it still in print?
And finally, not Jet, but Geos. Uggh, six years of eikaiwa has left me a bitter and angry punk!
How much longer til you graduate?