The Shrine Vs. Japan: Blood, Honor, and DIY in the Land of the Rising Sun

VIA: Venice, CA skate-rock rippers THE SHRINE recently upended the Land of the Rising Sun on their first Japanese tour, banging out five shows in Tokyo, Kanazawa, Gunma, Niigata and Ibaraki. They returned like conquering heroes, with tales and photos galore—of old-school skate crews, bloody head wounds, and very polite Japanese fans going berserk. Unlike most bands that have the opportunity to tour Japan, THE SHRINE didn’t take the established booking-agent route. Instead, their tour was organized by a particularly enthusiastic and well-connected fan: Tsuyoshi Nishiyama, who runs a skate shop called Felem Skates in Sakai, Ibaraki. Just a few days after getting home, The Shrine’s vocalist/guitarist Josh Landau met us for a beer at Footsie’s in Los Angeles to give us the rundown on the entire saga.
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In addition, THE SHRINE have a new 12-inch for Waiting For the War due via Tankcrimes . Stream the title track on the Noisey site as well.

Read the full interview with THE SHRINE at Noisey!