Shibuya Channel’s Artist File series sat down with COKEHEAD HIPSTERS guitarist SANO on the eve of the band’s Tokyo leg for the HIT or MISS release tour. Formed in 1991, disbanded in 1999, reunited in 2007, the group carried “legendary mixture band” status from Japan’s 1990s crossover boom — rap, punk, and rock stitched together without asking permission.
The Osaka show (19 January) and Nagoya show (20 January) were already behind them. Tokyo landed 26–27 January 2013 at Shibuya O-nest — two nights, different support bands, zero song overlap planned between days.
Band snapshot at interview time
Lineup in the source: KOMATSU (vocals), SANO (guitar), KOBA (bass), MURA (drums).
Album HIT or MISS had arrived in September 2012, roughly two years and eight months after the previous release. The Shibuya dates capped a short domestic tour with:
- 26 January: COKEHEAD HIPSTERS + COUNTRY YARD
- 27 January: COKEHEAD HIPSTERS + G-FREAK FACTORY
Doors 18:00, start 19:00. Historical venue reference: shibuya-o.com.
Track listing from the feature:
- NEVER BE THE SAME
- IN MY HEAD
- BREAK UP THE PARTY
- THE PRESSURE
- WE GONNA HAVE SOME yeah! FUN TONIGHT
Lead track “NEVER BE THE SAME” had a music video circulating at publication time. Merch sold through Believe Music Store (believemusic.shop-pro.jp). Official site: cokeheadhipsters.com.
On making HIT or MISS
Why release now?
SANO: “Because we thought of it.”
What kind of record is it?
“We might be growing compared with the last one — that’s how it feels to us.”
Main focus in production?
“Maybe maturity.”
Studio story?
They usually write by jamming in the studio. For several songs, the regular drummer could not make sessions often enough, so other drummers played on those tracks while the band assembled parts.
The answers are short on purpose. COKEHEAD HIPSTERS’ public persona in this era leaned dry rather than manifesto-heavy.
Tour logic and road life
Had they shared stages with Country Yard and G-Freak Factory before?
They played an October event together; SANO liked both bands and invited them for the release shows.
Tour concept?
“Nothing special — we’ll play a lot of post-reunion material.”
Tour essentials?
“Funny stories each member hides” — useful on long drives.
Van atmosphere?
“We talk too much to sleep.”
What to listen for at O-nest?
Because the two-night plan avoids repeating songs, expect live cuts they barely perform — SANO said they worked hard to memorize by ear.
Merch design?
They want unusual goods but admit it is difficult. Everyone contributes ideas; SANO handles design work.
Future plans?
“Go at our own pace.”
Shibuya-specific detours
Recommended Shibuya ramen?
“Kiraku.” One word, no tour-guide padding — consistent with the rest of the interview.
Days off?
“Play with my kid.”
Message to Shibuya Channel readers?
“We’ll keep going as a Shibuya-scene band.”
That last line lands differently in 2013 than today: “Shibuya-kei band” here means belonging to the district’s live-house ecosystem, not a fashion label.
Why this interview still maps to Shibuya
COKEHEAD HIPSTERS’ story is tied to rooms like O-nest — upstairs sibling to O-Crest and O-WEST in the Maruyama-cho cluster. Mixture bands of their generation learned set length, crowd density, and repeat customers in those boxes long before festival stages scaled them up.
The HIT or MISS tour was a homecoming format: two nights, different openers, deep cuts prioritized over greatest-hits safety. Country Yard and G-Freak Factory each brought their own crossover DNA to separate evenings rather than sharing one blended bill.
Watch present-day Shibuya street flow on the Shibuya Crossing live camera, then read this Artist File as the upstairs counterpart — where a 1990s legend reunited and still claimed Shibuya as home turf.
Readers connecting Artist File history to today’s street feeds can start with how to watch Japan live.
Historical event summary
- Tour: HIT or MISS Release Tour
- Tokyo dates: 26–27 January 2013 @ Shibuya O-nest
- Times (2013): open 18:00 / start 19:00
- Album: HIT or MISS (September 2012)
- Interview subject: SANO (guitar)
Confirm current COKEHEAD HIPSTERS activity, venues, and ticket links on official channels. Kiraku’s hours and menu should also be verified before a ramen detour — SANO’s recommendation is a snapshot, not a live review.
