'It's too easy for bands to play [in Tokyo] really. There are so many places to play, and everything is divided into convenient categories," says Hajime Yoshida of the Japanese punk band Panic Smile. "Bands from outlying cities have a tougher attitude than Tokyo bands."
Yoshida decided to do something about this from the position he held as the booking manager for Akihabara Club Goodman from 2002 till recently.
"In Osaka or Fukuoka, you must be skillful and have a hard attitude, but Tokyo live houses are just like rehearsal studios" he says.