Shoegaze has a pretty bad rep for live shows, but this owes much to the performative laziness of a number of key exponents. My Bloody Valentine have a soul-searing reputation, not least because their approach to 'live' is to turn it up past all sensible levels, and seep out noise-chaos on every plane of existence between them and the back wall. We love that shit, but MBV aren't on Ten Tracks (yet). The altogether awesome Asobi Seksu are, though, and they excel in the live arena in a not dissimilar way: by taking a distinct approach, and mastering it.
In their case it is to play up to the mood of their name - 'Asobi Seksu' is slang for playful sex in Japanese - and the band in the flesh are at once fun, jagged, winsome, in-and-out-the-moment so as it's alomst scary, and, most of all, sexy.
Lucky Glaswegians can catch this all on Valentine's Day (guaranteed to put you in the mood), though sadly this means they'll miss the Ten Tracks-affiliated night at the Bowery in Edinburgh the same night, featuring Rob St John and Eagleowl, on which more soon.
ASOBI SEKSU ON TOUR: Date, Venue, Time
February 8
The Talking Heads, Southampton, UK - 8pm
February 9
Islington Academy, London, UK (w/Howling Bells (NME Awards show)) - 8pm
February 10
Roadhouse, Manchester, UK - 8pm
February 11
Crawdaddy, Dublin, IE - 8pm
February 13
Speakeasy, Belfast, UK - 8pm
February 14
ABC2, Glasgow, UK - 8pm
February 15
The Cluny, Newcastle, UK - 8pm
February 18
Barfly (Dragon), Birmingham, UK - 8pm
February 19
ICA, London, UK - 8pm
February 20
Paradiso, Amsterdam, NL - 8pm
February 22
Rotonde, Brussels, BE - 8pm
February 24
Gleiss 22, Muenster, DE - 8pm
February 25
Magnet, Berlin, DE - 8pm
March 2
La Sala Rossa, Montreal, QC - 8pm
March 3
El Mocambo, Toronto, ON - 8pm
March 4
The Pike Room at Crofoot Ballroom, Pontiac, MI - 8pm
March 5
Empty Bottle, Chicago, IL - 8pm
March 6
Illinois Wesleyan U.-Young, Bloomington, IL - 8pm
March 7
7th Street Entry, Minneapolis, MN - 8pm
March 10
Chop Suey, Seattle, WA - 8pm
March 11
Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR - 8pm
March 13
The Independent, San Francisco, CA - 8pm
March 14
Troubador, Los Angeles, CA - 8pm
March 15
The Casbah, San Diego, CA - tba
March 19
SXSW, Austin, TX - tba
March 20
SXSW, Austin, TX - tba
March 21
SXSW, Austin, TX - tba
March 22
Rubber Gloves, Denton, TX - 8pm
March 23
Spanish Moon, Baton Rouge, LA - 8pm
March 24
Young Avenue Deli, Memphis, TN - 8pm
March 25
Eyedrum, Atlanta, GA - 8pm
March 26
Local 506, Chapel Hill, NC - 8pm
March 27
The Ottobar, Baltimore, MD - 8pm
March 28
Rock and Roll Hotel, Washington, DC - 8pm
March 29
Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA - 8pm
March 30
Middle East (downstairs), Cambridge, MA - 8pm
April 2
Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY - 8pm
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