Shonen Knife carves Aotearoa
adventures this November!

WE’RE SUPER STOKED!!!

Fist-pumping, fun-loving, “candy”-shouting punks, exult!

In the most southerly tour yet, this NOVEMBER Shonen Knife generously offer one of the most joyous live-music gifts people will ever receive, bringing their quirky, food-focused pop punk performance to the good folk of Ōtepoti, Ōamaru and Ōtautahi in Te Waipounamu, and Te Whanganui-a-Tara and Tāmaki Makaurau in Te Ika-a-Māui.

“…a Shonen Knife gig is exactly what my soul has been crying out for.
An electric and unashamedly fun, pop-punk masterclass".
2026 live show review, Leeds, UK - louderthanwar.com

Shonen Knife’s last Aotearoa tour in 2024 wowed enthusiastic audiences in Waiheke and Raglan, Auckland and Wellington, and this tour will be no different. Since then, the band has toured through South America, made two circles of the United States, played multiple dates in Japan and more! Kicking ass and taking no prisoners, their innate energy you’ll catch is the best kind of infection!

Honestly - where would the world be without live shows that leave you happier and lighter than when you entered the gig? On their current US tour, Shonen Knife felt the need for their uplifting magic in Florida; their review in www.19.com says “The thing I’ve always loved about Shonen Knife is the joy they bring to their music. It’s infectious. It lets us disconnect from the darkness around us” This reviewer was also impressed “by the long line already waiting to make purchases. It stretched down the lawn all the way to the seats. I joined the autograph line and got my fanboy moment and a photo with the band.” The world is made that much better by a band like Shonen Knife, and soon Aotearoa will also experience their unique pop-punk exuberance.

With the upcoming release on AUG 21 of their re-cut seminal 1992 album Let’s Knife in Australia/NZ via Valve/MGM, Naoko, Atsuko and Risa cut into the sugar lines of their current world tour to chop it all up in their favourite wonderland of Aotearoa.

"In a world drowning in irony Lets Knife Re-Cut arrives like a neon lifesaver thrown from a punk rock speedboat.
Shonen Knife remind us all that rock can still be heartfelt, silly and absolutely essential.
Grab this one immediately, crank it loud, and prepare to smile until your face hurts because
these songs were built to outlast every trend going." – (Jammerzine)

Let’s Knife’s original success was famously due to Nirvana. In 1992 Kurt Cobain revealed his obsession with the Japanese trio, calling them ‘his favorite band’, seeking them out to open for Nirvana. Shonen Knife had never heard of the band, but eagerly took advantage of the opportunity. They quickly put together Let’s Knife out of their catchiest, funnest songs, recorded them in English and headed to the USA to open for Nirvana’s national tour.

Shonen Knife Bio:

Shonen Knife (meaning "Boy Knife" in Japanese) is an all-female Japanese pop punk band formed in Osaka, in 1981.  Heavily influenced by 1960s girl groups, pop bands, The Beach Boys, and early punk rock bands, such as the Ramones, the trio crafts stripped-down songs with simplistic lyrics sung both in Japanese and English. They continue to be the most internationally recognized name in Japanese Rock, the indie darlings of hipsters and rock stars alike, thirty-three years since Naoko and the band began releasing albums of their joyous mixture of pop, punk, food and fantasy for the world to enjoy. Since their inception featuring Naoko's sister Atsuko and their friend, bassist/vocalist Michie, through to their varied lineup changes featuring current drummer Risa, SK have maintained their rightful place in the ever changing indie rock scene. Despite their pop-oriented nature, the trio maintains a distinctly underground garage rock sound rooted in edgy instrumentation and D.I.Y. aesthetics, which over the course of their long career has earned them a solid, worldwide cult following and made avid fans out of seminal '90s alternative rock bands such as Sonic Youth, Nirvana, and Redd Kross. The band has been credited with making "the international pop underground more international" by "opening it up to bands from Japan". They have also performed as a Ramones tribute band under the name 'The Osaka Ramones' and have recorded music for numerous films including the theme song to the popular PowerPuff Girls cartoon series. Shonen Knife has toured worldwide playing their unique brand of sugar-pop-rock touring in the US, Canada, UK, Europe, Japan, China, Australia, Thailand and thickening their rich syrup as a band with each and every release.