iMMa had a gig at Café Oto last night (9th October) which is just basically a Japanese Café and it was pretty much filled to the brim with Japanese people (can't say I complained, seeing as I'm a fan of most things Japanese...!) This gig had 3 bands playing and it was being recorded for Japanese TV, which would be shown in the New Year.
As soon as we entered we clocked the band straight away and Joe Yoshida - who plays drums for iMMa and was there at the video shoot - saw me and greeted me with a hug and introduced me to the other band members Will and Giacomo, who are both equally as nice. iMMa also saw us and greeted us, and we spoke a bit before a Japanese band played.
My friends and I stayed at the back while we waited for iMMa to go on, but the Japanese band that were playing were loud. I mean, LOUD. They might have been entertaining to watch, but considering I was at the back and could not see a thing, waiting for them to finish felt like a long time.
Eventually as their set came to an end the crowd dispersed, so my friends and I waded our way down to the front to get a good view. iMMa had changed clothes and I'm pretty sure she was wearing the shoes I wore at the video shoot...! The cameras soon started to roll and iMMa's set had begun. As always, she was charismatic, energetic and really in the mood to party - how she manages to move so much and not have a single note sound out of place is beyond me! A true rock Goddess; her songs have edge, they're catchy, but not so hardcore that it gives you a headache. She gets the crowd involved with the fist pumping and it was obvious she gained new fans that night, as a (drunken) lady ran over to iMMa at one point and decided to give her a hug! And two men were looking at iMMa's merchandise and CD's, too. I really wanted to record the gig but the sound was so loud that it probably wouldn't have sounded good on my camera, so I tried to take pictures instead.
To get a taste of iMMa's music, you can go to her MySpace HERE
Alternatively, go to her Facebook Fan Page HERE
And you can check out her Official Website HERE
And you can watch two of her music videos here:
iMMa - Chasing Heroes
iMMa - I'm Just A Nobody (Trying To Be A Somebody)
After her set had sadly come to an end, the organisers rallied the crowd together so that we could do the countdown for the New Years. Have to say - a fake New Years is actually quite fun? A bit weird, but fun all the same! iMMa started off the countdown and the entire room began to chant and cheer, and then all 3 band members came to the stage and sung Bob Marley's "One Love", with iMMa as the leading vocal and the crowd swayed and sung a long! As that song came to an end the crazy Japanese band - with their super long hair and baggy clothes that hung off their slim body frames - just went absolutely nuts, I can honestly say that I have never seen anything like it, so much happened all at once it made me head spin. You had one Japanese dude run into the crowd with his drum and started banging it (the crowd started to bang it too), there were guitars flying up in the air and one dude doing several handstands. The crowd went nuts but I just kind of stood there with my mouth open, not being able to believe that I was witnessing such a weird sight. It was very entertaining, but nothing like I had ever experienced before. Lord knows what their house parties are like...
Anyway, we went to say goodbye to the band as it was getting very late and I received a hug from both Joe and Giacomo, and as we said goodnight to iMMa she also gave each of us a hug then went back to the new fans she gained that night! I was really pleased for her, especially seeing as she's half Japanese herself and managed to do a gig that was recorded for Japanese TV!
As we made our way to the car we spotted the band again, gave them a final wave and then Joe comes rushing down to give me one last hug. Just then, this elderly Japanese man appeared with a Japanese woman. He was at the venue listening to all the songs and the organiser told the crowd that he was a Japanese legend. Do I have any idea who this guy is? Not a scooby, but my friend Sara and I decided to catch up with him and get a picture!
We followed the two of them down this alley way and managed to ask for a picture. He was very nice and polite, and as Sara and I went to have our picture taken together so that we didn't take up too much of his time, he asked us if we wanted one individually. So kind! We said okay then, he told me which side I should go to and I had mine done with him. Just as Sara was about to do her picture, a group of rude people came along and barged right in before Sara got her chance, and demanded that we should "do it altogether so that we don't waste his time." Erm, excuse me? We were here first, he was happy to spend time with us and then they just barge their way through, telling us what to do? Sara chose not to have her picture taken with a bunch of rude people but I did it anyway so that when they wake up sober and look at the picture, they can wonder who the hell I am and what was I doing crashing their picture? Hah! After they left, Sara finally got hers done and I said thank you and goodnight. In Japanese. Booyah.
Anyone have any idea who he is? I'd like to Google him!
Anyway, it was a great night with great entertainment! Please click the links above and give her a listen. You can also follow her on twitter at www.twitter.com/iMMamusic
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