Daniel Robson 
Electric Eel Shock (from left): Tomoharu "Gian" Ito, Akihito “Aki” Morimoto, Kazuto Maekawa. (©Makkus Photo)
With their rallying cry of "Rock'n'roll can rescue the world!" Japanese metal band Electric Eel Shock put on a blistering live show that is hard to forget. The band celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2024 and is currently in the midst of an extensive 36-date tour of the United Kingdom and Europe.
Comprising guitarist/vocalist Akihito "Aki" Morimoto, bassist Kazuto Maekawa, and drummer Tomoharu "Gian" Ito, EES has run on pure passion for three decades. It has survived without major label support by maintaining a rough and ready fan base of metal maniacs.
This trio comes packed with stories of bootstrapped tours, crowdfunded albums, on-stage nudity (Gian usually wears nothing but a strategically placed sock), and their struggles in pursuit of the rock'n'roll dream. Their extremely accomplished musicality is matched only by their wild sense of humor.
I first saw EES in London around 25 years ago, and have been a fan ever since. I jumped on the phone with Aki, Gian, and support bassist George Iwamoto (standing in for Maekawa, who was unable to join this tour) as they arrived in Sheffield, England.
We had a lively chat about growing old on stage, touring the world, and the power of heavy metal. Oh, and read to the end to find out how to get a free T-shirt!
A Universal Band
For JAPAN Forward readers, how would you describe Electric Eel Shock?
Aki: Our music has a backbone of 1980s heavy metal, but we're not really a heavy metal band. We play stupid party rock. We want all kinds of audiences to enjoy our performances, so we're really a universal band. We can play at punk festivals, metal festivals, or pop-rock festivals, and smash it every time!
Your live shows are always amazingly energetic and fun. What makes a cool live performance?
Aki: We don't think about it too deeply. But we're from Osaka, and people from Osaka like to keep the people around them entertained. We put that into our shows. We care a lot about musicianship and technical ability, of course, but wanting to put on a fun show comes naturally.
Has your approach to live shows changed over the decades?
Aki: Not really, no. Myself and Gian, we love to entertain people. Kazuto has become a bit boring in his old age though. Our stand-in bassist George is great fun, so Kazuto might be in danger of being replaced!
George: I have so much fun playing together with the members of Eel Shock, and giving the audience a good time.
Aki: George might be even more popular than me now. It's becoming a problem! We've been friends for 20 years. He's learned all our songs, and he whips the audience into a frenzy. He's great. Mind you, we're paying him, so…
Still Unstoppable
It was your 30th anniversary last year (2024). Even as you get older you still play tours with a tough schedule and explode every night on stage. Does that get harder with age?
Aki: I have to use an intravenous drip! Actually, I've always been in good health, but from last year I've started to get a bad hip, so next year we might have to cut our overseas tour down to like four dates. But we're still going strong.
I do think it helps that we've had basically the same lineup for 30 years, though. The band members are part of our appeal to our fans. Perhaps if we became super famous, we'd start arguing and some members would quit the band, so we're extremely lucky that we've managed to stay unpopular.
Gian, you play the drums almost completely naked every night, with only a sock to protect your modesty. Does it get harder to perform naked as you get older?
Gian: As you get older you start to sweat differently. But actually, being naked on stage makes things easier in many ways. When people throw beer at you, your clothes don't get wet.
Metal Without Borders (or Pants)
Do you ever regret making the decision three decades ago to perform nude?
Gian: No, it's become my routine. Sometimes it causes trouble though, so I have to put clothes on — like when I got arrested while we were performing in Hong Kong, or the time we played a show in a church. I have to obey the rules sometimes.
Metal is a genre that is beloved around the world, perhaps more than many other genres. Do you feel that?
Aki: Absolutely. Japan has always been a difficult country for metal, but in places like the UK, everybody knows metal. In Japan, we have to play down our metal roots to appeal to local music fans.
I was extremely curious about the rise of Babymetal. Their music isn't to my taste, but when Babymetal began becoming popular in Japan, a lot of secret metal fans started to come out of the woodwork in Japan. A lot of people had been hiding their love of heavy metal, especially older guys, so it was wonderful to see them become liberated by Babymetal.
No Big Label
There aren't many Japanese bands who can play a tour of 36 concerts overseas, especially ones without a label or management. Do you wish you could tour in luxury like a rich rock band?
Aki: I actually like how hard it is. On this tour, we're driving everywhere ourselves, and I love it. We once toured on a Nightliner bus, with flat beds — the sort of bus you'd see Mötley Crüe riding.
Every day we'd go from our bunks on the bus to the venue, then get back on the bus and drive to the next place — and all we ever saw of each city was the space between the door of the bus and the door of the venue. We could be in Paris or in Madrid, but it was all the same. Knowing that you've driven hundreds of kilometers yourself and being able to point out each city on a map makes it feel much more real.
You must have problems on the road sometimes though, right?
Aki: Oh, we have loads of problems. It's tough, but we can always look back on it afterward as a fun time. It was pretty bad when Gian was arrested in Hong Kong, and we've had so many problems with our van breaking down.
Once, the windscreen wipers stopped working and we had to drive through the snow, so we rigged up a string so that whoever was in the passenger seat could pull the wiper back and forth manually. We don't let problems like that stop us from getting to the venue on time.
Getting Reflective
To mark your 30th anniversary, you released a new album, Heavy Metal Black Belt. Is there a concept behind the album?
Aki: We don't really have concepts for our albums, but I always feel that each one is like a snapshot of who we are at that time. The title refers to the fact that the album starts with several heavy metal songs, but after that, there are a range of other styles as well.
What's the first song Scum Vader about?
Aki: Scum Vader is about becoming a father. Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker's father, right? I have a son, and I was reflecting on whether or not I was a good father. I can be too bossy, so Scum Vader is me. We can't have all our songs be party songs.
Sure. The album does also include party songs, though, like Metalheads Just Wanna Have Fun.
Aki: Yeah, that's a party song. The title is a reference to Cyndi Lauper. I never used to like music like Cyndi Lauper and Wham! when I was at school, because I liked heavy metal, but now I have grown to appreciate her music. So I wanted to mix those elements together. I guess that's another song of self-reflection. I must be growing up.
Lessons in Rock
After three decades, what has touring the world taught you?
Aki: I've learned how important it is to be connected with people. Wherever we go in the world, we have people who want to see us and support us, and that's a really powerful feeling. I can point almost anywhere on a map and I'll have friends waiting for me there.
George: Playing as a stand-in for Kazuto, I've been amazed to see how fans in each place welcome Electric Eel Shock. What an amazing band. It's a relationship that goes beyond language barriers.
Gian: I've learned over the years that people in foreign countries have open minds. People are so friendly — even though I don't speak English, they come to talk to me and tell us we're "awesome." If you have people treating you with so much love every day, you can't help but be affected.
Free Giveaway
Is there anything else you'd like to say?
Aki: Come see our shows! We'll be touring until late June, and I think our performances are fun for anyone. If you tell us after the show that you discovered us on JAPAN Forward, we'll give you a free T-shirt!
Really?!
Aki: For real. Please come say hi!
Electric Eel Shock is currently on tour in Europe and the UK until June 22, including shows in England, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, France, and Spain. For full tour dates and further information, visit their website.
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Interview by: Daniel Robson
Read Daniel's artist interviews and his series Gamer's World on JAPAN Forward, and find him on X (formerly Twitter).
