The Glam's "Yamai-ni Rock" events are rapidly acquiring a reputation for bringing together a wide spectrum of great bands, all of which are plugged firmly into some kind of spiritual electric rock and roll national grid. What makes these events so successful is the way that the bands are selected for emotional impact rather than technical finesse or potential audience. This is an event born from love of music, rather than from ego or avarice, and when you give love like this, the love is inevitably returned multifold by the audience.

The Syuugeki are a mod/garage band in the classic mould: young, untidy, and with a surplus of high spirits. Frontman Matsu is a screaming, writhing rock and roll shaman when freed from his guitar, but seems somewhat restricted when forced to play and sing at the same time. Fortunately Takita is well able to carry the riff duties alone. What sets them apart from other bands in their genre is their tentative willingness to explore ground a little beyond the strict confines of music aficionado-approved 60s rock and roll, which all bodes well for the future.

The Glam are slipping further and further down the bill as their events progress, perhaps reflecting a desire to simply get on and enjoy the bands that they so obviously love, or perhaps reflecting a wish to avoid the ego trip of headlining one's own event. Nevertheless, no matter how much they may seek to crawl into the background, there's no denying the quality of songs on offer. Of late, they have been focusing their energies on simpler song structures and melody, rather then the aggression and dynamism that can characterise some of their other material, but songs like "Undertaker" still provide a powerful, if disturbingly sexual, kick in the teeth.

Gargle come out on a more post-rock tip, with each song a mini-symphony for synthesizer, melodica and guitar feedback. They don't so much make music, as bombard you with waves of textures, and if that sounds pretentious then... well, maybe you don't like this kind of music, but trust me, it works. They don't so much construct songs as construct a world, and they do it with such intensity that all but the most cynical observer would be sucked in.

This is the first time I've seen Randy And The Pyramids since the tragic death of their drummer last month, and if anything encouraging can be drawn from such a catastrophic occurrence, then the optimistic and positive way that they have pushed forward is as great a tribute to their own inner strength as it is to his memory. Kyoujyu from The The Glam fills in on drums, providing both passion and sensitivity and adopting a looser style of play that gives the songs the space they need to breathe. Without a doubt, Randy And The Pyramids are developing a kind of talismanic status that just looks set to grow and grow as long as they continue putting in such explosive performances as this.

Headlining tonight's gig, Buchibuchi2 are in similarly dynamic form. The bizarre one-minute "Tamori" is fast becoming a kind of underground anthem, and the wild rhythmical rollercoaster of their music never quite manages to hide their basic pop appeal. Of all the bands on tonight's stage, Buchibuchi2 seem like the one destined for the most direct route to some degree of fame, with not only the individual songs, but also the set as a whole, perfectly balanced and consistently compelling. - Ian Martin, Oct.20.04.