LIVE: SHONEN KNIFE + TURNSTYLE – Perth | Boorloo, 21 October 2026

LIVE: SHONEN KNIFE + TURNSTYLE – Perth | Boorloo, 21 October 2026
The Milk Bar, Inglewood, Perth, Western Australia
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar

A popish rocking band needs a popish rocking support – and local 90’s indie dabblers Turnstyle prove the ideal choice. Their sound is bouncy rock – never too punk nor indie, never too heavy nor pop. Heck, they’re just themselves – perhaps a little Weezer-adjacent if I had to compare, but with (famously) cheap Casio keyboards adding poppy quirky flourishes.

All three guitarists – Adem ‘K’ Kerimofski, Paul Fanning, Todd Griffiths (Dean Davies completes the lineup on drums) – take a turn on lead vocals providing no shortage of diversity to their chirpy set, and plenty of engagement by the steadily swelling crowd.

The overall vibe is like being back in the indie 90’s (in a good way), with Planned Attack (or is it Plant Attack!? That would be cool! – ** UPDATE: The band have generously advised that the song is called FLANK ATTACK! **) and old favourite Spray Water On The Stereo getting loud whoops and cheers, new single Lefty – and the announcement that they’re doing the full Australian tour as support for Shonen Knife, “the first time we’ve been out of the state in twenty-one years” – before finishing with another old fave, Cologne.

Then it’s time for the headliners, Japanese pop punk legends Shonen Knife, who we love fervently for their simple and straightforward, hyper-catchy approach.

With the current feverish debate about politics in music it’s refreshing to know we’re more likely to hear a few songs about food, shopping and being a cat – and although they’re revered as a punk band, it’s far from all punk: most of their songs are cute, in your face, good time rock n’ roll.

Opener Welcome To The Rock Club is self-explanatory; Black Bass sees them “let’s go fishing in the lake”; Ah, Singapore is almost spaghetti western soundtrack fodder.

Then it’s time for a food song interlude: “This next songs is our food songs and this is our bassist Atsuko (Yamano), she loves Mexican food,” says singer/guitarist and older sister Naoko Yamano, Shonen Knife’s mainstay since they formed in (incredibly) 1981. Atsuko sings Vamos Taquitos, which is followed by favourite Ramen Rock and not long after comes Green Tea.

Jet Shot is about famous tennis player Kei Nishikori, Jump Into The New World is like a self help shot of positivity, Sweet Candy Power bounces along singing about hard candy, Banana Chips take us back to their beloved food theme and Riding On The Rocket (“feel the power”) and the new agey Pyramid Power end their main set on a cuteness overload, fuelled by super riffs which hint at Black Sabbath, Hard-Ons, Ramones and everything in between.

An encore of Twist Barbie and Buttercup (I’m A Super Girl) is just the icing on a super sweet cake and a fantastic, fun night with a band who everyone should enjoy at least once. Thankfully we’ve had more opportunities than that already, and hopefully will have more to come.

Set List:

Welcome To The Rock Club
Lazybone
Flying Jelly Attack
Bear Up Bison
Black Bass
Devil House
Ah, Singapore
Vamos Taquitos
Ramen Rock
Ghost Train
Jet Shot
Green Tea
Jump Into the New World
I Am a Cat
Sweet Candy Power
Banana Chips
Riding on the Rocket
Pyramid Power

Encore:
Twist Barbie
Buttercup (I’m a Super Girl)

Category: Live Reviews