Iron your drainpipe trousers, polish your winklepickers and get ready for Twist and Ciao, which is coming back to Taipei after its first and only edition five years ago. The party was originally launched in 2006 by Wonfu (旺福, also known as Wonfu Jr, 小旺福) and Japanese mod rockers The Collectors. Both bands will return tomorrow night to Legacy Taipei (傳音樂展演空間), along with former Pizzicato Five lead singer Maki Nomiya.
Twist and Ciao was inspired by Mod Mayday, an annual party in Japan that gives the country’s mod scenesters a chance to rock out and hold vintage Vespa and Lambretta scooter rallies. Twist and Ciao aims to mix 1960s flair with current fashions and rock; dressing up for tomorrow’s party is strongly encouraged, but not required.
Wonfu’s newest release is a concept album that focuses on rock music for children, but this weekend the group returns to the retro persona it adopted for earlier albums like The Records of Wonfu (旺福誌). Founded in 1986, The Collectors is one of Japan’s best-known mod rock groups and a regular at the Mod Mayday festivals. The band is known for its impeccably crafted stage image and wardrobe of sharply tailored suits.
Photos Courtesy of Legacy Taipei
Nomiya was the lead singer of Pizzicato Five, a figurehead in the Shibuya-kei Japanese pop subgenre which drew inspiration from French ye-ye music. After the group broke up in 2001, Nomiya focused her solo career on collaborations with musicians like Japanese hip-hop act m-flo and rockers Spitz. Her own compositions mix rock, jazz and electronic music. For Twist and Ciao, Nomiya will team up with The Collectors to perform some of Pizzicato Five’s most popular tracks.
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