Thee Michelle Gun Elephant

Thee Michelle Gun Elephant (TMGE) were a Japanese rock band formed in 1991. The band's strange name is from a combination of a mispronunciation of the The Damned's album, Machine Gun Etiquette, and the name of Billy Childish's band Thee Headcoats.

Thee Michelle Gun Elephant had their first live show at Shelter, a well-known live house in the Shimokitazawa area of Tokyo. Their first major release, Wonder Style, came out in 1995. The record was produced by Chris Brown, who had worked on records for Radiohead and Pink Floyd.

In 1998, Thee Michelle Gun Elephant played the famous Fuji Rock Festival in Naeba, Japan. The band was signed to Alive Records in America, after being recommended to the label by The Brian Jonestown Massacre.

Thee Michelle Gun Elephant announced their break up in October 2003, after their Last Heaven tour of Japan.

Thee Michelle Gun Elephant Members

• Vocals: Chiba Yusuke
• Guitar: Abe Futoshi
• Drums: Kuhara Kazuyuki
• Bass: Ueno Koji

Thee Michelle Gun Elephant Discography

Thee Michelle Gun Elephant Albums

• Maximum! Maximum!! Maximum!!! (1993)
• Cult Grass Stars (1996)
• High Time (1996)
• Chicken Zombies (1997)
• Gear Blues (1998)
• Casanova Snake (2000)
• Rodeo Tandem Beat Specter (2001)
• Sabrina Heaven (2003)
• Sabrina No Heaven (2003)

Thee Michelle Gun Elephant Live albums

• Casanova Said "Live or Die" (2000)
• Last Heaven's Bootleg (2003)

Thee Michelle Gun Elephant Singles

• Sekaino-Owari (1996)
• Candy House (1996)
• Lily (1996)
• Culture (1997)
• Get Up Lucy (1997)
• The Birdmen (1997)
• G.W.D (1998)
• Out Blues (1998)
• Smokin' Billy (1998)
• GT400 (2000)
• Baby Stardust (2000)
• Abakareta-Sekai (2001)
• Taiyou wo Tsukande Shimatta (2002)
• Girl Friend (2003)
• Electric Circus (2003)

Thee Michelle Gun Elephant B-sides compilations

• Rumble (1999)

Thee Michelle Gun Elephant Best of compilations

• TMGE 106 (2000)
• Collection (2001) Alive Records (US release)
• Grateful Triad Years (2002)

Thee Michelle Gun Elephant Other releases

• Wonder Style (1995)
• Wonder Style (reissue) (1997)
• Vibe On! (1998)
• Kwacker (with Mick Green) (2001)

External links

• Paper Mag Article (English)