Mika Bomb
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Mika Bomb (sometimes spelled Mikabomb) is a London-based, Japanese pop-punk band. The current line-up is:
- Mika Handa - lead singer
- Anko (Ann Sung-an Lee) - the tele girl, backing vocals
- Mel Roxy - the SG girl, backing vocals
- Wataru Idol - bass
- Ergi Ahmed - drums
Lead singer Mika Handa arrived in London in 1998, with the goal of playing in a punk band. Recruitment for the band began with the arrival in London of the guitarist Agi (Long Kuan),[1] who now sings in the electronic duo, Long Kuan Jiu Duan.[2][3] Agi is also known to have tried to re-use Mika Bomb songs in China for profit due to their shaky copyright laws. Another Mika (Mika Kanayama) on bass introduced an element of musicality to the bass department while a North London boy, Ergi, provided the drums.
In 2000, they signed with the Beastie Boys' label Grand Royal. Mika Bomb performed in the West Country plugging their singles Super Sexy Razor Happy Girls and Heart Attack. They fused Motown, New York punk, 50's garage rock and Japanese pop to form a distinctive, distortion-heavy pop sound.
2001 saw the release of their debut album The Fake Fake Sound of Mikabomb on the Damaged Goods label after Grand Royal went bust.
Through their career they have played with At the Drive-In, The Donnas, Snuff, Bis, The Datsuns, The D4, Ten Benson and Rosita (ex-Kenickie) to name a few.
In 2005, they released their second album, Hellcats, which features a cover of Holly Golightly's Won't Go Out with Mika and Holly herself performing a duet on lead vocals.
On December 10, 2005, drummer Ergi fell ill and was rushed to hospital where he was diagnosed as having septicaemia. He survived a week-long, near-fatal coma, but had both his legs amputated below the knee. There were several fundraising events in 2006 to help Ergi cope with the changes in his life, the highlight being a benefit gig at The Garage, Highbury Corner, Islington, London on May 15, 2006.
[edit] External links
- Mika Bomb's page on Damaged Goods' website
- PLAYLOUDER | Yellow, I Love You Feature article on Hellcats by Daniel Robson, including a history of the band and an interview with Mika Handa.
[edit] References
- ^ 'Chaos' of China's music industry. BBC News. BBC (2008-02-21). Retrieved on 2008-02-21.
- ^ Chinese Duo "Long Kuan Jiu Duan" Releases First Album. Beijing International. Retrieved on 2008-02-21.
- ^ Shen Ting (2005-03-12). Long Kuan Jiu Duan: I like Tricky Music. Cri Online. China Beat. Retrieved on 2008-02-21.
