The 5.6.7.8's

They made their name with a high profile appearance in the first installment of Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill, and their track ‘Woo Hoo’ would go on to become a popular fixture amongst UK advertising, particularly in relation to Premier League football, but there’s plenty more to The 5,6,7,8s than just intelligent placement of their infectious - and very Japanese - brand of indie pop. The all-girl trio, who hail from Tokyo, had already been going for some time before their big break came when Tarantino came calling - they formed the group way back in 1986 - and already had a fervent cult fanbase in their native country, if not in the Western world. In the decade or so since Kill Bill was a box office hit, though, they haven’t really capitalised on that exposure - only a live record cut with Jack White at his Third Man studio represents their studio output since, although they have continued to tour sporadically, making it to China, America and Australia, amongst other nations. Like their contemporaries and compatriots, Shonen Knife, their live shows are energetic, punky affairs, just as reliant on vocal harmonisation as they are on noisy guitars; UK appearances are rare, though, so just when British fans will next get the opportunity to see them remains unclear.

This was probably one of the best shows I've seen in a few years. They're so fun, and talented, and adorable (yes, I realize "adorable" may not be appropriate to describe grown women, but they just ARE!) I'd watch them 100 times in a row!