Shonen Knife’s Naoko Yamano recalls the band’s 1991 tour with Nirvana, teaching Kurt Cobain the guitar chords to “Twist Barbie” and the lasting connection between the Japanese punk trio and the Seattle band.
by Paul Cashmere
Shonen Knife founder Naoko Yamano has recalled one of the most distinctive connections between the Japanese band and Nirvana, when Kurt Cobain asked her to teach him how to play “Twist Barbie” during a three-week UK tour in 1991.
The encounter took place as Shonen Knife toured Britain with Nirvana, before the American band became one of the defining acts of the 1990s. According to Yamano, Cobain wanted to perform “Twist Barbie” at a secret gig, prompting her to teach him the guitar chords.
“He learned them very quickly,” Yamano told Noise11. “I am very honoured that he liked that song.”
The story is part of a much broader relationship between Shonen Knife and the international alternative rock community. Yamano has spent more than four decades leading the band, whose concise pop songs, punk energy and distinctive Japanese perspective developed a strong following outside Japan.
Yamano remembers the Nirvana tour as a particularly memorable moment because, at the time, she did not know the band in the same way Cobain knew Shonen Knife.
“When we toured with Nirvana, I did not know Nirvana, but Kurt knew us,” she said.
Cobain’s interest in Shonen Knife became particularly significant through “Twist Barbie”, a song that has remained a recurring part of the band’s live repertoire. Yamano said she continues to enjoy performing the song, despite having played it for decades.
“I never get tired of playing the songs,” she said. “When I play ‘Twist Barbie’ or some songs from our latest album, the audience becomes cheerful. I am happy to see them.”
The relationship between Shonen Knife and the Ramones provides another important link between Yamano’s band and the American punk tradition. Shonen Knife later developed an entire live set devoted to the Ramones, a concept that began in Tokyo in 1995.
Yamano explained that Shonen Knife performed an all-Ramones show in Tokyo in 1995 after having two performances scheduled around the same period. The band decided that one of the nights could be dedicated entirely to the Ramones.
The idea eventually developed into the Osaka Ramones album after Robbie, the owner of Shonen Knife’s American label Good Charamel Records, suggested that the band record a Ramones covers project in 2011.
The connection was particularly direct. Shonen Knife had supported the Ramones during their farewell tour in Japan, including two Osaka shows. Following the final Japanese performance, Yamano recalls spending time with members of the Ramones at the Hard Rock Cafe in Osaka and speaking with Joey Ramone.
Shonen Knife also toured America with C.J. Ramone in 2015.
The Osaka Ramones concept has since become an occasional part of Shonen Knife’s live identity, with Yamano saying the band has performed the set in Japan, the UK and the United States. During the current American tour, Shonen Knife performed three Osaka Ramones shows.
Whether Australian audiences hear the complete Ramones set in 2026 will depend on demand.
“If people would like to listen to the Osaka Ramones set, we can do it,” Yamano said. “It depends on our audience. If we have many requests, we will do it.”
The Nirvana connection is only one part of Shonen Knife’s long relationship with Australia. Yamano places the band’s first Australian visit in January 1997, with the Gold Coast show taking place on January 18 during the era of the Big Day Out. Shonen Knife was touring around the period of Brand New Knife.
Almost 30 years later, the band will return for an extensive Australian tour beginning in Melbourne on October 14, 2026.
The tour follows another Australian connection through Regurgitator. Shonen Knife previously supported Regurgitator on an Australian tour, while Regurgitator returned the favour when Yamano invited the Australian band to support Shonen Knife in Japan in July 2026.
Yamano described the exchange as a cultural connection between the two bands and said they had become good friends.
The upcoming Australian shows will also draw from Shonen Knife’s extensive catalogue. Yamano identified “Banana Chips”, “Riding On A Rocket” and “Twist Barbie” as songs that frequently make the set, although she deliberately avoids repeating exactly the same programme every night.
“Many people would like to listen to our popular songs,” she said.
“ESP”, released in 1996, remains another potential setlist choice. Yamano particularly likes the song’s vocal harmony.
The band’s catalogue now extends beyond 20 studio albums and more than 200 songs. Yamano keeps individual song cards to construct each setlist, giving her a physical archive of the band’s enormous repertoire.
Shonen Knife’s next chapter is already taking shape. Yamano plans to write more than 10 new songs by the end of 2026, with the intention of recording the next album in early 2027.
For now, the Australian tour provides another opportunity to revisit the songs that established Shonen Knife internationally, including the track that created an unexpected connection with one of rock’s most influential figures.
More than three decades after Yamano showed Kurt Cobain how to play “Twist Barbie”, Shonen Knife continues to carry that song into new audiences, while maintaining the broader punk, pop and Ramones influences that have defined the band’s career.
Shonen Knife Australian Tour Dates
14 October, Melbourne, The Tote
15 October, Ballarat, Volta
16 October, Belgrave, Sooki Bar
17 October, Melbourne, Croxton Block Party
18 October, Hobart, Altar
21 October, Perth, Milk Bar
22 October, Adelaide, The Gov
24 October, Brisbane, ZED51 Festival
25 October, Alice Springs, Alice Brewing Co
28 October, Canberra, Baso
29 October, Sydney, Crowbar
30 October, Bathurst, Keystone 1889
31 October, Avalon Beach, Avalon Beach RSL
1 November, Newcastle, King Street
Ticket Details
https://www.consume.com.au/posts/shonen-knife-re-cuttin-australia-2026
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