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sparky_butts has written the following articles:

rufus wainwright

RUFUS IN JAPAN LIVE

Review by Mark Butterworth

It’s easy to forget that behind all of Rufus Wainwright's glitz is one seriously talented guy. It’s this fact that makes the excessive flights of fancy all the more unnecessary and ultimately pretty darn irritating. If only he would just stick to either Rufus Rufus or Judy Rufus»

Sufjan Stevens live

Sufjan Stevens, My Brightest Diamond at Tokyo Shibuya Club Quattro, Tue 22 Jan

Review by Mark Butterworth

You’d think that ten musicians playing select tracks from a series of independent concept albums would be nothing short of chaotic. What actually materialises on stage is quite the opposite. Considering the scale and complexity of the material Sufjan Stevens covers, it’s a remarkably tight set»

The Shins Tokyo by Jimosan

The Shins at Tokyo Shibuya Club Quattro, Tue 13 Nov

Review by Mark Butterworth

After a monumentally bad day at the office DiS is in need of medication, therapy or both. We flee to our favourite Tokyo venue, donning some scrappy jeans on the way, and run straight into the arms of The Shins»

fountains of wayne

Fountains Of Wayne at Tokyo Ebisu Liquidroom, Tue 16 Oct

Review by Mark Butterworth

Few things irk me more than seeing a band simply going through the motions. The cheeky wit and informed irony that sets them apart on record is nowhere to be seen – somehow it just doesn't translate to the stage...»

arctic monkeys summersonic

SummerSonic 2007: the DiS review

In Depth by Mark Butterworth

DiS heads to Japan for the SummerSonic Festival: Pole dancers, a beach, roughly half-a-billion staffed recycling stations, strict one-way pedestrian systems, pens to house pesky smokers, a Paul Smith boutique and an army of staff clad in bright pink Paul Smith uniforms. Welcome to festival-going, Japanese style...»

yndi halda 200

Yndi Halda at Tokyo Shibuya O-Nest, Tue 31 Jul

Review by Mark Butterworth

An increasingly commercial music world means that it’s easy to forget what ‘real’ music (you know – intricate songwriting, sprawling tunes, passion 'n' stuff) sounds like, let alone how good it can be...»