GO!GO!7188
GO!GO!7188 is name that every fan of Japanese rock should’ve heard at least once. The band was formed as an all-female band in the late 1990’s by five girls from high school in the Kagoshima prefecture. At their formation, their name did not include the exclamation points that the band uses today.
During 1998, GO!GO!7188 appeared at the Japan Teens’ Music Festival, and participated on a compilation album for said event.
While the band’s activity thrived in high school, after the time they graduated, the initial quintet fell apart. Bassist Hamada Akiko and guitarist Nakashima Yumi were the only remaining members and they shared the role of vocalist. After having found Hosokawa Turkey for the drums, the trio GO!GO!7188 was born. They held many performances and their indies release, Papapantsu/Koi no uta, helped them to get better known on the scene. Before long, the trio had a steady fan base.
In 2000, GO!GO!7188 moved to Tokyo where they celebrated their major debut on Toshiba-EMI with the single Taiyou. Soon after its release, they became so popular that their one-man live at Shibuya Kôkaido hall sold out. That December, they released their first album: Dazoku Hokou.
A short year, and more singles and an album later, the trio announced they would pause the project and find their own way with solo projects. Though, after the announcement was made, no such thing seemed to happen. They held a nationwide tour, released more singles and a cover album but there was no news about the aforementioned solo projects. However, the following year the members again announced they would be starting work on solo activities; this time they kept their word.
GO!GO!7188 started their own radio show at BayFM and Yuu and Akko each released a solo album:Ten no mikaku and Kirari respectively. Still, those projects did not lead to the trio’s end and meanwhile, their eleventh single, Aoi Kiretsu, came out, followed by a well-received tour final in Nippon Budokan that was recorded and released on CD and DVD in March 2005.
Yuu created a new side project in the middle of 2005 and it carried the heavy name Chirinuruwowaka, which is a passage of the famous Japanese poem Iroha in which every one of the fourty-seven Japanese syllables appears exactly once. The first album of said project was named Iroha as well and Yuu tried her luck at songwriting for the first time. Akkos second solo album was released that year as well.
2006 brought a best of for GO!GO!7188 before Yuu went on tour with Chirinuruwowaka but remained busy with the trio – their twelfth single, Kinkyori Renai, was released in September followed by their fifth studio album.
In 2007, the band performed overseas for the first time as they were a part of the Japan Nite Tour and performed in seven states. By the summer, they returned to the United States, performing in New York, Pennsylvania and Illinois. In November, GO!GO! 7188 embarked on the 14 SUGOROKU TOUR in Japan, wrapping up on the January 26, 2008 in Naha.
Taking a small break, the group dropped TORA NO ANA 2 in May before embarking on the 2man Tour Tetsuko no Hair with Flower Companyz. The trio wrapped the year up with the Omatase tour, and moved right into 2009 with the album Antenna’s release in February. Remaining busy throughout the remainder of the year, GO!GO!7188 made time again to return to the recording studio, and by 2010 released two albums and a concert DVD.
Official Website: http://www.gogo7188.jp/index.html
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/gogo7188
Blog: turkey http://ameblo.jp/turkey696/
Hamada Akiko – official site: http://www.breast.co.jp/kirari/
Chirinuruwowaka – official site: http://www.chirinuruwowaka.jp/index.html
Nakashima Yumi – official site: http://www.breast.co.jp/ten/
Turkey – official site: http://www.turkey-beat.com/
GO!GO!7188