kanekoayano live in London: No longer just Kaneko Ayano with a band

Kaneko Ayano’s return to London on May 22nd marked her first UK appearance under the name kanekoayano, a project that now formally recognises her long-time collaborators as full band members. The performance at The Garage followed the official transition from solo artist to bandleader, which Kaneko announced in August 2024 after her Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall show in Tokyo.

Although the group toured the UK in 2024, including a run of dates at The Great Escape Festival, this year’s tour was the first carried out under the new band identity. Their London stop was part of a broader 8-date UK tour ahead of their upcoming debut in Australia and a domestic hall tour across Japan beginning in June.

While on the surface, a name change might not seem like a big deal, the distinction matters. Following the release of their debut album ‘Ishi no Ito (‘thread of stone’)’ in April, the band’s live setup reflected the shift in dynamics that’s been taking shape across their recent performances in Japan and abroad.

Opening with ‘noise’, the first track from ‘Ishi no Ito’, the show began with a kind of purposeful chaos. Kaneko remained the visual focal point, but the band behind her wasted no time establishing their presence. By the time they moved into ‘Hinode’, it was clear this wasn’t going to be a set dominated by a soloist, with each member given space to push and pull at the shape of the songs.

‘Kibun’, released in 2023 as part of her solo catalogue, carried its usual emotional range and volatility. It was during the final chorus that Kaneko broke forward with full vocal force, a moment of visible command over the rest of the band before stepping back into the group dynamic.

Hirotoshi Hayashi, a longtime collaborator whose guitar work has become inseparable from Kaneko’s recent live identity, remained essential throughout. His playing on ‘Watashitachihe’ and ‘Taiyou wo Mezashiteru’ alternated between rhythmic precision and unrestrained distortion, feeding off Kaneko’s intensity and setting the pace for the rest of the band.

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Ryotaro Miyasaka’s percussion added an unpredictable edge elsewhere in the set, cycling through maracas, claves, and even unconventional objects like books and what appeared to be a frying pan. Each switch added a layer of texture without disrupting the structure, underscoring how tightly the band’s sound is now interlocked.

Hirotoshi Hayashi (Guitar) and Ryotaro Miyasaka (Percussion) in full stride as kanekoayano return to London under their new name.

Drummer SEI NAGAHATA, having recently returned following a period away from live shows, delivered a performance that was anything but reserved. His playing combined tightly wound snare patterns with sharp, deliberate accents, offering a sense of scale well beyond his minimal setup.

On bass, takuyaiizuka kept a low profile on stage but delivered quietly decisive shifts throughout the set. Whether adding backing vocals or anchoring the rhythm beneath the band’s more volatile passages, his playing gave shape to moments where Kaneko’s vocal delivery moved between restraint and intensity.

takuyaiizuka (Bass) and SEI NAGAHATA (Drums) laying the foundation as kanekoayano bring their full-band sound to London.

The encore brought the crowd together one last time for ‘Car Stereo kara’, which opened with a tightly wound rhythm before breaking loose into a climactic guitar solo from Hayashi. By the end, the track had shaken off its restraint entirely, one final surge of energy from both band and audience as the night came to a close.

What makes kanekoayano so effective—just like Kaneko’s solo work before it—is how easily they cut across styles without ever sounding unsure. One moment they’re low-lit and reflective, the next they’re tearing into guitar lines and shouting into the void. It’s not about contrast, just instinct. At The Garage, that instinct felt fully in sync. This wasn’t a reinvention. It was a band finally calling itself what it already was.

After London, kanekoayano continued their UK tour with appearances at Dot To Dot Festival in Bristol and Nottingham. In June, they’ll head to Sydney and Melbourne for their debut stint of Australia shows, before returning to Japan for their 14-date Ishi no Ito Hall Tour, which ends on September 28th at Urasoe City Tedako Hall in Okinawa. Their debut album ‘Ishi no Ito‘ is out now digitally, with CD and vinyl editions also available as of May 28th.

Photos by Mahek Kharva (mkvision26)

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