Noodles Become Three

Found out looking at the Noodles’ home page that their guitarist, Junko, had left the band.

The brief announcement didn’t give a reason for the departure. Aggrieved fans had filled the Noodles’ web message board with laments about how they will miss Junko, the lead guitarist of this formerly all-girl quartet, now a trio.

I guess I can count myself lucky. I saw the Noodles twice as a quartet with Junko as lead guitarist. It was only recently I found out about this strangely-named group, but when I did, I went out and bought everything of theirs I could find and started going to their shows.

Their music is pop played with heavy guitars and drums, with Yoko at the center, a singer with a somewhat sleepy-sounding voice that, in an instant, changes so that it soars and surprises the listener with direct emotions.

Junko, the departing guitarist, stood at shows playing her lead guitar parts with a look of slight boredom, an expression that couldn’t really have reflected her true inner feelings, considering how good the notes she played sounded.

This Sunday, the Noodles, minus Junko, are playing with a few other bands at the Chelsea Hotel in Shibuya.