THE NEATBEATS started in 1997 in Osaka. The line-up consisted of: Manabe Takashi, aka MR.PAN, as vocalist and lead guitarist, Tosa Kazube aka MR.LAWDY as second guitarist, Ura Dai aka MR.GULLY as bassist and Kusube Shinya aka MR.SHENN on drums. Next to playing their main instruments, the musicians also sing.
In the same first year as their formation, they released their first work called Far and Near, which secured them some fans in the dance halls of Osaka. Two years later they released their album Mercurial, which was released on the label Get hip. To keep to their traditional image, the band released their albums on vinyl as well as CD.
After a number of successful albums, Dai left the band in early 2001 and was replaced by Miura Seizen, aka MR.ROYAL. With the new member line-up they were just as successful as before and they started to tour and record singles together with The High-Lows.
Golden Goodies, released in 2002, contained songs that reminded one a lot of Jerry Lee Lewis, especially because of Shirai Mikio's (THE HIGH-LOWS) loud piano parts. This release is considered as their best album. The obligatory tour of the same name followed, which took place in a lot of small halls in Japan. During the tour, Shinya suddenly left the band due to unknown reasons. Because they couldn't just stop the tour, they recruited Kazuyuki Kuhara (ex Thee Michelle Gun Elephant) as support drummer.
In 2004 the band split themselves from their label and released a "Best of" album. Thanks to MR.PAN they managed to get a new major-deal pretty quick. They changed from Universal to BMG Funhouse and continued their work.
After Asahara Keisuke aka MR.SHALLOW joined them as the new official drummer, they continued and in October 2004 they released a new album with brand-new songs, called Attention Please. MR.PAN also worked on his solo-activities and released some works in which he collaborated with various musicians.
The following year, the band toured through the spring, and by June, they were back in the recording studio, preparing for the release of their album BIG BEAT MIND!!. To celebrate, THE NEATBEATS decided to hold 100 lives nationwide.
By 2006, THE NEATBEATS released an LP and CD version of their new album, ROCK ' N ' ROLL CHRISTMAS along with a live DVD. The band decided to hold a commemoration tour for the release of the new album, and upped the ante by performing 140 shows before the year ended, a new feat for the band.
Starting in April 2007, the band kicked off 10th Anniversary Tour Part.1 and soon after released the mini album JAPANESE ROCK & ROLL ATTACK in celebration. However, dampening the festive time was the announcement that bassist Seizen Miura would be leaving the band. THE NEATBEATS took a small break and by the time they began 10th Anniversary Tour Part.2, Ura Dai had rejoined the band to take his place. Closing out the year, the band release another mini album, ONE MAN BUSINESS.
The year 2008 brought more good things for THE NEATBEATS, with Mr. Pan producing a vintage recording and the release of another new album, ROLL ON GOOD!!. However, the summer produced more heartache with another line-up change, with long time member Keisuke Asahara being replaced by MR. MONDO.
The band rolled right into the next year with a flurry of live activity, as well as making many radio appearances, sometimes two per day. While there were no releases that year, 2010 made up for their absence with a special three CD release in April, including a single, album and best-of CD.
With several lives planned for the end of December and their 2011 tour schedule through the early months already confirmed, THE NEATBEATS are ready to launch into the next year with as much energy as ever!
