Thanks to the Internet and the international connections that it allows, being a Japanese metal addict in the US is not as bad as it used to be. Even so, I tend to hold out little hope that I'll ever get to see most of my beloved Japanese acts play live unless I catch a flight to Tokyo. I mean, even Loudness hardly bothers with the US market anymore (finally coming back in 2006 after 15 years - read the live review). So imagine my sheer delight when I learned that my favorite Japanese metal band Sex Machineguns was recording a new album in Nashville, Tennessee. Even better, SMG had lined up a live gig at a small Nashville club, just a one-time sort of thing that was to be recorded for use in the band's next promotional video. I am certainly not the type to jump on an airplane to go to a concert, but there was no way in the world that I was going to miss a chance to catch my favorite Japanese band as they rocked a tiny venue within shouting distance of my house...

I arrived in Nashville around lunchtime on the Friday of the gig and got the grand tour of "Music City" from a good friend from college (thanks a lot, Christy — you rule). We saw a few show flyers posted around town, but overall there seemed to be little promotion for the gig (I'd learned about it from an online friend). 12th and Porter turned out to be a relatively small but seemingly well-respected club in Nashville, and Sex Machineguns was slated to go on as the second of three bands for the evening. The headliner was a local favorite that had sold out the club in the past, so even though we already had our tickets, we made sure that we hooked up with some friends from New Jersey and arrived at the club pretty early.

In many ways, this gig was the culmination of SMG's slow exploration of western markets. Despite language differences and hefty import prices for Japan-only releases, the band has gained plenty of fans worldwide, and though the guys have taken their "heavy metal thunder" on a few brief concert jaunts to nearby Asian countries, the Japanese audience has generally been the main focus of the band's efforts. Then, back in 2002, the band let go of longtime engineer Kazz Miyazaki and enlisted internationally respected American sound engineer Allen Isaacs to handle the mixing duties for their fourth and fifth albums. A limited English web site soon appeared, and when considering locations for recording the sixth album, SMG decided to try something different...instead of heading to the studio in Tokyo, the band looked westward and chose Nashville over Los Angeles as the perfect spot to record their next album. So it's probably not a shock that the new record and accompanying DVD single are called Made in USA; the follow-up DVD called Living in America chronicles the recording process and the band's time in Nashville, and also includes footage of several songs from this live gig (and how very cool that my gaijin pals and I are quite visible at the front of the crowd—our Japanese video debut).

Once inside the stage area, we saw that the club was indeed pretty small, with a maximum capacity of maybe 200 people (or possibly 225 people if the fire marshal was not around). It would be quite a different show for SMG—the band is an arena draw for big money over in Japan, and their first US show is on this tiny stage for only $5. No complaints from me, though...a chance to catch the band in such a small and intimate setting is like a dream come true for this metal gaijin. As more people started to line up for the show, we met SMG fans from Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, and Texas, and we had flown from New Jersey and North Carolina. Not too bad for a gig that was more or less under the radar, and a testimony to the kind of loyalty that SMG inspires amongst their gaijin fans (the car ride from Texas is probably more than 12 hours).

The first band was an indie rock outfit, competent but dull, who killed an hour of stage time so that the club could get a bit more crowded before the real metal started. We did get a glimpse of SMG as they walked from the back of the club to the dressing room off to the right side of the stage, and there were SMG cameramen all over the place, getting some crowd footage and setting up for the live set (fixed cameras toward the crowd on either side of the stage amps, plus two wandering guys with handheld cameras, and a guy right at the front of the stage as well as at least one camera in the balcony above us). By the time SMG was ready to hit the stage, a decent crowd had gathered, although I think that many of them were there for the headliner. Actually, I wonder if any Nashville locals (except my pal Christy) even knew who SMG were. The equipment change was handled quickly, and we got to give a shoutout to Speed Star Sypan Joe as he came out to check his drum kit. Soon after, the lights dimmed and it was time to rock out...

I'd hoped that SMG would open with their classic twin guitar melody intro, but instead the house speakers started playing a prerecorded fanfare while the band filed onstage as the lights went up. Did I mention that I am a huuuge fan of this band and that I can hardly believe that I am about to rock out 5 feet from Anchang and the boys? And all of a sudden there they were, with none of the fancy outfits or crazy hairstyles that are standard for their Japanese concerts. No, this was all about an informal, back-to-basics heavy metal show, and the band looked relaxed in faded jeans and personalized SMG baseball jerseys (the guys are avid sports fans). A few adjustments to the stage gear and here comes the band's signature concert-opening drum roll and guitar riff, followed immediately by "Tabetai Nametai Kikenchitai". No surprise there, as this is the same tune that the band opened with on their last major tour of Japan. The sound in the club was quite good, and the band was energetic and tight as it headed right into "Heavy Metal Thunder", the title track from their 2005 album. The small group of us SMG fans sang along with the songs, and I hope that we were loud enough for the band to hear us shouting with them..."are you ready to rock - heavy metal thunder!"

After the show, we learned that the band was extremely nervous about their American concert debut, and I'm guessing that a major reason was language, since nearly all of the band's songs are sung completely in Japanese. But band leader Anchang didn't miss a beat here as he chatted with the crowd, apologizing for his lack of fluency and assuring us that the band was learning English, studying and listening and working hard. In a way, this made the whole experience even more surreal, since I never dreamed I'd be at an SMG live gig hearing Anchang say "Hello Nashville! Hello Music City!" That's just totally cool. At the band's shows in Japan, each member of the band gets a chance to talk to the audience, and this show was no exception, as bassist Kenjilaw took the microphone while Anchang changed out his guitars. Kenji pumped up the crowd, and even though it took quite a few minutes to get the guitars ready, how could we not cheer like crazy as Kenji promised to show us "samurai spirit" and proclaimed that SMG was "the number one heavy metal band in Japan!" (I agree with him, by the way.)

Finally, the guitars were tuned up and ready to go, and Kenji led us into "Bousou Rock", an American rock 'n roll style song that was quite popular in Japan. It's not one of my favorite tunes, but it worked really well live and got a good reaction from the crowd, plus it was great fun to watch Anchang and Panther trade off guitar solos in the lead section. Another guitar swap, and this time Circuit V Panther got to do some talking, introducing himself as "Japanese sexy guy - sexy Panther". Panther's English was fine, although he limited his chatter to discussing our love of heavy metal. It would have been easy for the guys to lay back and skip the individual speeches, so I was impressed that each band member took a shot at talking to us. The only disappointment was that SSS Joe did not have a vocal microphone, so when he chatted with us a bit later in the show, he had to shout into the overhead drum microphones. But even though it was hard to hear what he was saying, we screamed back at him like lunatics anyway. (Luckily, his drum kit sounded great, and his China cymbals were just plain awesome, cutting through the wall of guitars like chainsaws.)

Panther's talktime was brief, and as soon as Anchang was back in the saddle with his signature Anchang Star guitar, the band went right into "Midori no Obachan", a great tune from the band's third album. I love this song, and the live version was excellent, with perfectly executed twin guitar harmonies and melodic passages. Anchang's vocals were right on the mark here (and throughout the entire show), hitting every note and high-pitched scream with apparent ease. Awesome tune, but I'm feeling the need for something faster now...hey guys, hit me with some speed, eh...

Several months before this gig, SMG had released Aijin 28, the band's 14th single overall and the first bit of teaser material from their upcoming 2006 album. I expected to hear maybe one of the newer tracks in the set list, or possibly even something unreleased. But instead the band charged ahead into "Demaedo Icchokusen", one of the singles from Heavy Metal Thunder. A fine choice indeed, with a cool twin guitar riff and a speedy pace that was just right for the midway point in the set. Panther whipped out a killer lead for this one, and the crowd response for this song was great.

The band seemed to sense our excitement, or maybe they just really wanted to impress their first American audience...whatever the reason, they were clearly pouring every bit of their energy into this performance. Even though they are accustomed to playing big arenas with elaborate stages and ramps, they thrashed and prowled the small stage and used every square foot of space, which often put them right up in our faces. Of course, we SMG fans were in utter ecstasy, and I think that by this time the folks in the audience who were unfamiliar with the band had realized that these four guys brought a massive dose of righteous heavy metal with them on their international flight. It was great to see the band winning over the crowd and getting people into their music! The feeling was definitely mutual, as Anchang cracked a huge grin and said something like, "Before the show, I was very nervous! But now...I enjoy!"

So far, we'd heard songs from fairly recent SMG records only. With five full-length albums to draw from, the band probably had a tough time selecting songs for the night, but my pals and I were only a few feet from the stage and had a good view of the set list, so we knew that some older stuff was coming our way. Sure enough, Kenji took the microphone again to introduce "a song about famous Japanese fruit", and then the band kicked into "Mikan No Uta" (a mikan is a Japanese orange). This is one of their oldest songs, and the tune is a staple of any SMG concert, partly because there is no proper "studio" version except on an early demo tape. This is one of those songs that I've heard 100s of times before, but I still love to listen to it every time it shows up in the set list. It's nice to have SSS Joe back on the drums (he was absent from the band for a while), as I've always preferred the way Joe plays this song (he does the bass drum part a little differently than other SMG drummers). More recent live versions of this song have included an extended lead section with a back-and-forth guitar battle between Anchang and Panther, but unfortunately they did not do that for this gig. Instead, they played the "regular" version with guitars trading off quick lead breaks and then heading right back in the bridge of the song.

"Sakurajima" was up next, a great song from the band's massive debut album (still my favorite of their releases). An excellent heavy riff and some nice high-pitched backing vocals from Kenji on this one, and the guitar trio was in perfect unison as they jumped and spun in a circle while playing the song's main riff. Actually, that is one of the coolest things about an SMG show—nearly every song has specific choreographed movements for both the band and the crowd. SMG was right on the mark with their moves, thrashing and headbanging in unison all night long and thrusting their guitars into the air in perfect timing with the rhythm of each song. The group of us SMG fans knew most of the crowd moves and responses, so we were able to shout and wave and pump our fists on the accents and beats of the songs.

Man, that was a quick set—how can it already be time for the closing song? In my head, I was hoping there would be several encores and wondered what those songs might be, and then Anchang shouted out, "Nashville! We love you!" and it was all about "German Power", a tune from the band's early days and one that often shows up at the end of their set. This is one of their most straight-ahead thrashy compositions, so it's an energetic way to wrap up a show, with lots of fistpumping and shouting along with the simple lyrics. Oddly enough, for this US show, SMG changed the title and refrain to "Tokyo Power", but in any case the last verses of the tune always include the city where the band is playing, so it was incredibly cool to sing along with SMG as they shouted out, "Tennessee Power! Heavy Metal!" As the band banged out the end of the song with lots of guitar strumming and cymbal crashing, Anchang gave a shout and made a last request..."Nashville! Please remember, we are...Sex Machineguns!" No worries there, Anchang—I think it's safe to say that no one will forget the show that night...

At SMG shows in Japan, you can pretty much expect at least a few encores; the band will leave and come back multiple times, with plenty of time for the crowd to chant the band's name repeatedly. Since we'd only had eight songs in the set, I was hopeful that we'd get a few more tunes before the band was done for the night...what about "Tekken II" or "Burn" or "Inu No Seikatsu" or "Fire" or...well, the list of killer tunes could get pretty long, but I was especially surprised that they left out their namesake song "Sex Machinegun"—what better way to imprint the band into the crowd's memory than to thrash through an awesome tune that includes the band's name as part of the refrain?! We got a pretty good crowd chant going, screaming the band's name over and over, and it was awesome to hear it. Unfortunately, the SMG crew was onstage almost immediately to begin taking apart the drum kit and guitar rigs, which pretty much meant that the band was not coming back. So much for triple encores...

A cluster of us SMG fans gathered around the stage door to see if the guys would come out for a little meet-and-greet session. I've always liked club shows since it seems more likely that bands will come hang out with the crowd after a show. I have no idea how it works in Japan or if Japanese SMG fans ever get to meet the band members, but I really did think that Anchang and the boys might want to meet the Nashville audience, especially since they'd been in the US for a while without a real chance to talk to any American fans. After a while, we wandered outside and met the tour manager, who told us that the guys had already left since they didn't think anyone would be interested in meeting them. D'oh! The manager was actually surprised that we were looking for the band and that we had SMG CDs and other stuff (my pal from NJ had seen SMG in Tokyo, and of course there I stood with a bag of CD and DVD booklets, video cases, photo books, and so on). We assured him that US fans had congregated from all over the country for the chance to see SMG, and we strongly suggested (read: resorted to borderline begging) that the band do additional US gigs with more promotion.

I get the feeling the SMG were not sure what kind of response they'd get from a US audience, and I hope that they enjoyed that Friday night as much as we fans did. The gig did get extensive coverage in the SMG fan club magazine, with a generous batch of live photos plus a few small shots of the US crowd. Apparently, the live report included Anchang's comments that he was rather tense about the first US concert but that he enjoyed it very much. Likewise, Joe said the "hot support" from the crowd made him believe that "music has no boundary"...my thoughts exactly!

All in all, this was an absolutely amazing night. OK, I admit that the live set was short and left us wanting at least 3 more hours of Machinegun metal, and I probably would have compiled a different set list that included more of my personal favorite tunes. But hey, I feel fortunate that I was able to catch an SMG gig at all, much less the band's first (and only) live performance in the USA. So I got to see my favorite Japanese metal band up close in a small club, plus I got to meet up with some very cool people and fellow SMG fanatics. I am hopeful that this is only the first of many such chances to check out the band. More than once that night, I heard fellow machinegers mention that this gig was a "once in a lifetime" affair, but I truly hope that is not the case. SMG has only just begun their conquest of the unsuspecting flock of American metalheads, but you can believe that when the "high speed Samurai" come back again, we will definitely be ready for them...

To check out the band's extensive catalog of releases, hit the official Sex Machineguns web site (includes an English version, although it is not as fully developed as the Japanese site). And by all means, buy everything that you can find by the band...my personal favorite is their self-titled debut album, but it's all good stuff...try HMV Japan, CD Japan, or eBay. Update: April 2006 Not sure when Sex Machineguns will be making a return trip to the USA, or to anywhere else for that matter. After a live show at Kawasaki Club Citta on 20 March, Anchang announced that the band would finish off some upcoming tour dates (through early June) and then would stop their activities for a while. Odd timing since they just pushed out a trio of new releases, but Anchang revealed that he wants to take time off to improve his musical abilities and to learn English. He also mentioned that another solo album is likely (to follow up his first solo effort, 2004's The Maintenance). The rest of the band should have no trouble keeping busy...Panther already has several solo instrumental releases under his belt, and Panther, Kenji, and Joe recently released an instrumental record under the name of Elleguns. Fingers crossed that this is nothing more than a brief hiatus—after all, the band was officially broken up for about 9 months in 2003-2004. Let's assume that the future will hold bigger and better things for Sex Machineguns...!