Do Not Miss This Band, Part 4

(With a short aside to talk about WALL-E)

If you haven’t seen the movie “WALL-E”, it’s not too late. I think it’s truly worth seeing.

WALL-E is the archetypal solitary protagonist, with one major difference: Instead of packing heat like Alan Ladd or Clint Eastwood, he tidies up. He happens to be the last of his kind, on a ruined world (ours) that was long ago abandoned (by us).

Of course, every movie about a solitary hero has to have a femme fatale. Sure enough, our hero meets a beautiful-but-mysterious stranger: The sleek white futuristic robot, EVE. She is on a secret mission in this post-apocalyptic wasteland, and, unlike WALL-E, she actually does pack heat.

In other words, EVE is the ultimate Apple product — understated, non-threatening — and deceptively powerful.

EVE’s mission? To look for life on Earth, using high-tech sensors to scan her surroundings for anything living. Left briefly to her own devices after first arriving on Earth, EVE indulges in a literal flight of fancy, zipping around at supersonic speed over the desolate, barren landscape.

At one point, WALL-E accidentally startles EVE, whereupon she lets loose with a cannon blast that almost obliterates him.

What does “WALL-E” have to do with Lovebites? Well, watching their drummer Haruna Yosai often makes me think of EVE. She stands a compact 145 cm (4’9”) tall. Like many Japanese female entertainers, when off-stage she slips easily into the “kawaii” persona expected of her — cute, feminine, reserved. Oh, how first impressions can be misleading.

In the previous article in this series, I featured Miyako Watanabe, the classical pianist who also happens to be one of Lovebites’ two lead guitarists.

You Will Never Hear "Painkiller" The Same Way Again

In this installment, we focus on Haruna, the heart of the band. The drummer should be the heart of any rock band, but far too often they are just there to keep time. Haruna really lives the role — she would elevate any band she played with, for the sheer power and creativity she brings to the part.

On stage, dressed in white and gold, she looks like she’s headed to the prom. And then you hear her play. “Explosive” is an understatement. She generates a thunderous wall of sound which is simultaneously intricate, precise, and thoroughly premeditated. She plays a massive kit, and uses every bit of it. She had to have special racks designed for it so she can reach everything comfortably.

“Raise Some Hell!”

Here is a clip from their 2020 live concert DVD, recorded just before the pandemic lock down. If you’re having a bad day, just check out the look of joy on Haruna’s face as she rips through this song. She does far more than merely keep time: Her fills perfectly frame the other instruments, and she spices up the mix with sublime bell accents throughout. Her tom work is both musical and powerful, and she makes it look effortless.

My favorite moment: Watch for the stutter-step transition at 4:10. The staccato triplets have to be perfect, because once you mess that up, there is no recovering.

The problem with trying to feature individual members of Lovebites is that each of their performances features highlight-reel moments by most or all of the band members. The next song is considered by many to be one of the band’s masterpieces. It is far more complex and multilayered than “Raise Some Hell”.

This is rightly considered a showcase for Miyako, because she wrote the piece and because of the bracketing classical piano solos, but under the surface, it is a tour-de-force for Haruna. Her line throughout the song is complex and varied, and she brings in subtle accents that perfectly set up the vocals and other instruments.

The song features a large number of transitions between sections. Haruna’s transitions are never simply fills — they anticipate the next section and lead into it. She never repeats herself. All of this is done at a pace that would exhaust most drummers, yet she makes it look like a breeze.

“Swan Song”

Flash forward three years. A lot has happened, not least the pandemic. Like most musicians, Lovebites were unable to perform live for two years. Their founding member, Miho Rosana, left the band and they nearly called it quits. But they recruited a new bassist after a global audition process, and came back out on a mission. Here is the opening song of their first live set since their hiatus.

All of them seem to be fired up, but like many of their songs, it could be viewed as a showcase for Haruna. The booming toms during the first part of the bridge are a real highlight. Her fills and accents make the whole performance worth repeated listens.

“Hammer of Wrath”

Part 1 of this series includes the concert dates for their upcoming US tour in November. There should be tickets available on the resale market.

Don't Miss This Band!