"I'm not sure. I guess it is because of our name."
This is the simple answer offered by guitarist and vocalist Manabu Deto when asked why his band, the Nagano-bred postpunkers Ogre You Asshole, have gigged alongside more than three dozen foreign underground and alt-rock acts during their Japan visits, making them one of the most sought after local openers.
The first international touring artists the quartet warmed up for were Portland, Ore., space-rock group Yume Bitsu in August 2002. Since then, they've received offers to share stages with the likes of Foo Fighters' guitarist Chris Shiflett's Jackson United side-project, Minor Threat and Fugazi vocalist Ian MacKaye's (one of the pioneers of hardcore) The Evens, Half-Japanese's Jad Fair, and punk-cabaret duo The Dresden Dolls.