Ging Nang Boyz Is The Best Punk Band You’ve Never Heard
Chances are, unless you have spent time in Japan, you have never heard of the band Ging Nang Boyz. The only real exposure they have had in the US is a limited EP release and a song featured as the opening for the anime Sonny Boy. In their home country, they are fairly popular as far as punk bands go and have even played at the prestigious Nippon Budokan, a privilege they share with bands such as The Beatles, Queen, and Prince. There have been artists outside of Japan that have covered their songs, such as Jeff Rosenstock, but they have never toured in the US. I would like to take some time to argue that they are one of the best punk bands to come out of the 2000s and are worth your time, even if you don’t understand Japanese.
A short history of the band first, they were formed in 2003 shortly after the sudden breakup of frontman Kazunobu Mineta previous band, GOING STEADY (another band I highly recommend). Their lineup consisted of Kazunobu Mineta on vocals and guitar, Abiko Shinya on bass, Murai Mamoru on drums, and Chin Nakamura on guitar. Their debut albums (yes, they released 2 albums on the same day); 君と僕の第三次世界大戦的恋愛革命 (which roughly translates to You & Me and Our WW3-Like Love Revolution) and Door would go on to become legendary albums in the Japan punk scene and influence many bands to come.
Throughout the rest of the 2000s and early 2010s they would play live shows and release singles along with forays into other artistic endeavors such as play soundtracks, but a new album was not released until 2014. In the same vein as their debut albums, they released 2 albums on the same day — 光のなかに立っていてね (which roughly translates to Stand In The Light) and BEACH (which may be the best live album ever created, and also likely completely unlistenable to many people due to the sheer noise and loudness). During this time, the band was going through a lot of inner turmoil, and and all members besides Kazunobu Mineta left the band both before and not long after these two albums were released.
This seemed like a death blow to the band, but Mineta carried the name forward — releasing singles and recruiting new members. It all culminated in an new album dropping in 2020, along with frequent live shows going on over the past few years.
My personal exposure to the band happened in 2014. This is when I was beginning to dig deeper into Japanese rock bands such as Number Girl, Mass of the Fermenting Dregs, and Bloodthirsty Butchers. My YouTube recommended feed was filled with many related bands, and one spring day an album appeared on my feed I wasn’t familiar with. The album cover was simple — an anime girl staring right at you with the text “…young, alive, in love”. I clicked it, and it immediately changed my life.
I honestly can’t think of a better way to explain the band and this album in particular than what is literally printed on it. It’s like you are being injected with water from the Fountain of Youth. All the feelings of unfiltered, unapologetic emotions fill each song — joy, love, hate, sadness fill you and make you feel like you are 16 again. All of this to the backdrop of some of the loudest, raunchiest punk ever recorded. For those who have never listened to this album before — it’s loud. Despite this, it still has a very melodic quality and often leans into pop sensibilities, most illustrated in their most popular song Baby Baby.
The best US equivalent I can compare them to is a mix of Weezer and Green Day. You can get a glimpse of their influences in the probably the best punk banger of the album, Trash, where they literally name off their influences. Bands like Weezer, Green Day, Buzzcocks, and Pixies top their list, along with influential Japanese bands such as Jagatara, The Pees, and The Stalin.
(Side note — this song has one of my favorite all time lyrics)
Baby Baby Couples that look like they’re happy
I want to chop into pieces with a chainsaw
I could write many, many, many more words about this band, but this would become an actual novel. The point I want to make is this band is absolutely worth listening to, even if you have never listened to any Japanese music in your life. You may find yourself feeling reinvigorated and excited about life again, even in the worrying and near-dystopian times we live in today. I will end this with a translated passage from NO FUTURE NO CRY as a small message of hope to anyone reading this
We are not alone. We are not alone.
My shouts in prayer are vanishing into the empty sky
For my father, for my mother, for my friends
My hopes are being entrusted into the countless scattered stars
If you want to learn more about this band, I highly recommend listening to the podcast Dog People , which features experts on the band, including those who released Libido in the US! Also, it includes interviews with all the original band members!
