Water Rats. London. 10th November 2000 HALFWAY through Yumi Yumi's set, disaster strikes: Bob falls off his perch (one too many JDs from their rider? I'm saying nowt) - but hey, everything will turn out rosy! Nothing fazes the two bouncy Manga-cartoon characters, Kaori and Yumi, because, if you live in Yumi Land, everything's OK if you smile. Onstage, it's a bit crowded. The girls are pocket-sized, but there's Bob (oh, didn't I mention he's a teddy bear?) and, considering the size of his paws, the things he's doing to that keyboard are nigh-on miraculous! This is ker-azy pink punk - traditional Japanese wood-block chimes ("Oriental") overlaid with grinding death-metal, rock 'n' roll melodies and "Leader Of The Pack" Shangri-La's-style, teen-love lyrics. Symbiotically joined in lyrical synchronicity (watch them go on "Stupid"!), Yumi Yumi's sugared-up sound comes straight from the cane. Between-song banter is limited cos of the language barrier, but the girls bubble over with infectious giggles, which spread to the crowd like someone's let off a canister of laughing gas. The crowd respond with a chant of "Yumi, Yumi", which Kaori swiftly chides them for: "It's not 'yum-mee', it's 'yoo-mi'." So colourful, so thrilling - the exclamation mark was invented for Yumi Yumi! Mu-um, I want one! Alex Prior