In 1985, Hanatarash frontman Yamantaka Eye drove what was reported to be a bulldozer (actually an excavator) into a Tokyo venue, destroying it and cementing the band’s reputation as the most dangerous force in the Japanese noise scene. A set of photographs by Gin Satoh remain the only visual documentation of the event, capturing the moments and aftermath of one of the most infamous performances ever staged by a noise band. Formed by Eye, Hanatarash operated at the extreme edge of Japan’s underground noise movement. Their performances pushed the idea of noise music into something closer to physical spectacle. The band quickly gained notoriety as audiences were required to sign waivers before shows, and performances often involved smashed glass, flying debris, and dangerous stunts. In one incident Eye strapped a circular saw to his back, which slipped loose and nearly severed his leg. The escalation peaked on August 4, 1985, at the Toritsu Kasei Super Loft in Tokyo. After throwing metal objects into the crowd, Eye briefly disappeared from the stage and returned driving an excavator through the venue’s main doors. Despite not knowing how to operate the machine, he smashed equipment and punched a hole through the building’s wall while drummer Ikuo Taketani attempted to continue playing. The excavator eventually tipped, spilling gasoline across the floor. Eye then attempted to ignite it with a Molotov cocktail before venue staff restrained him, ending the show minutes before disaster for the roughly 100 people present. The incident helped cement Hanatarash’s reputation as too dangerous to book. A later performance opening for Psychic TV was stopped by police before it could occur, after it was discovered that Eye planned to blow up the stage using dynamite. Venue bans followed, eventually pushing the group out of the live circuit. Members later shifted toward a new project, Boredoms, which focused more on sound than destruction.
Yamantaka Eye of Hanatarash destroying a venue during a performance in Tokyo, 1985.
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