As the Southbank’s Meltdown festival celebrates its 20th anniversary, Yoko Ono has taken on the role of curator supremo, concocting a programme to make any self-respecting muso’s mouth water.
Might the fact that she’s one of only three-ever female Meltdown curators have influenced the rich array of female musicians she’s conjured up? From Patti Smith to Peaches, Siouxsie Sioux to Marianne Faithful, via Ono’s own Plastic Ono Band and Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon, the line-up has been tantalising.
One of the lesser-known acts (and the one that got me sizzling with summer excitement) was Cibo Matto. Formed by Japanese New Yorkers Yuka Honda and Miho Hatori in 1994, the band’s first album was a musical gastronomy-fest, as each track revolved around food: Know Your Chicken, Birthday Cake, and Sugar Water to name but three. (Check out the latter’s charming video, directed by a then early-career Michael Gondry.)
The addition of Sean Lennon (guitar) and Timo Ellis (drums) on their second album, Stereo*Type A, further honed their indie/hip-hop/metal/ambient/pop wackiness. The group’s cult following was severely disappointed however when they subsequently disbanded in 2001.
Fast-forward to Saturday’s Meltdown gig and the sense of euphoric reunion that pervaded the Queen Elizabeth Hall was understandable. From the start, Miho Hatori won the audience over with her polite but firm request that we stand up. As row after row took to their feet and started grooving to the beat, she peered through her sunglasses into the crowd and pronounced: “Oh yeaaah, that’s it! Yeah yeah yeah, I like that, I like that”.
From that point on nearly everyone remained standing and the Hall (which can lend a slightly sterile atmosphere to a pop gig) was alive and rocking. Honda’s charismatic synth lines shone over the top of some stonking basslines, while new female drummer Yuko Araki maintained a serious and powerful groove alongside the e-beats.
Meanwhile, Hatori’s voice was sweet as ever, constrasting with her shouty choruses and rap intervals. The sound was spot on, and her delicious Japanese-American accent perfectly audible.
The mood of infectious pop energy and excitement went up a notch further with the appearance of Sean Lennon, who announced that Cibo Matto were his “favourite band in the world” before harmonising with Hatori on the lush Moonchild, and playing bass on the jump-along Birthday Cake.
And just when you thought the love couldn’t get any greater, the final song saw the arrival on stage of a top-hatted dancing diva by the name of Yoko Ono. She joined in gleefully on Know Your Chicken – one of the band’s most-beloved (and wacky) songs. The crazy tale of chicken appreciation states “spare the rod and spoil the chick, before you go and shit a brick”, which honestly sounds deeply charming when sung by Hatori.
The announcement of a new album, Tenth Floor Ghost Girl, will have set many hearts a-glowing. Meanwhile you can check out their whole set on YouTube, above… and prepare to remain standing.
Words: Charlotte Harry
