Bo Ningen, Liverpool Arts Club. 5th June 2025

I flew back from the US this morning and I’m running on empty, so a trip across to Liverpool might not be sensible, but it’ll certainly wake me up! You see I’m here at Liverpool’s Arts Club for some Japanese Psych Noise Rock, with Bo Ningen.  I’m sure I’ve been in here before, possibly only once but with jet lag hitting hard, my mind is mush to recall who I was watching. This could be a very weird experience. Anyway, it’s a nice room, good size, dark, ticks all my boxes. I’ll forgo my usual attempt to highlight song titles as we go, this one regardless of my physical state is going to be more about the tone they create, rather than get bogged down with frivolous detail. It’s a sparse crowd it has to be said. I could do with a few more people around to lean up against, but there’s still a buzz of expectation as the four-piece take the stage. I instantly know I’m in safe hands as they launch into an avant garde jazz groove. Long dark hair swings around each member as instruments are explored. It’s wonderful. They’re hard to pin down though, as they push the prog into doom metal, flecked with screamed vocals, that being in Japanese I’m struggling to find meaning in, but instead admire how the yelps fit in as another instrument in the heady mix. The guitars are a wall of noise, while the bass and drums keep everything tight. Taigen on vocals and bass is captivating, not only does he look cool as fuck (they all do), but he’s theatrical, flailing his arms around between tearing out deadly bass riffs. Monchan on drums too is a monster. Now, the drummer is always the much maligned linchpin, but this lad is magnificent. Taking the centre of the stage, the pair draw much of the focus. You could almost forget the two guitars in the wings, were they not deftly switching from shoegaze introspection and seismic shredding to shimmery indie grooves and full blown atonal jazz nastiness. In short you’ve got four musicians orchestrating what can often seem excitingly chaotic, but is always engagingly brilliant. They really keep you on your toes. As Taigen dons a hoodie (it’s not often you see bands putting cloths ON during a set), things get more out there. The guitars still squeal, but the staccato rhythm bounces along with the the almost hip hop delivery, albeit one that twists through an ethereal soundscape. They purposely defy convention and genre to unfurl an inventive set that constantly turns new corners, unveiling something unexpected, sometimes all within one song. I’ll admit I am flagging toward the end, but I’m glad I made the effort to drive over for a near perfect hour to soundtrack my impending dream-state. I’ll be driving home with the windows down and Bo Ningen blasting out. Fantastic.