Area 11

The members of British rock band Area 11 call their sound "gaijin rock" -- a fusion of pop-punk, metal, prog, and glam fortified by a major obsession with anime, video games, and Japanese comics. Area 11 were formed in 2010 by Sparkles* (real name Tom Clarke) on vocals and keyboards, and guitarists Luke Owens and Alex Parvis; the three met at a rehearsal studio in their native Nottingham, and while they weren't impressed with their first jam session, they thought they had enough promise to merit continuing. Recruiting bassist Tim Yearsley and drummer Leo Taylor, Area 11 began ...