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FRF DANCING DAYS ARE NEARLY HERE AGAIN
My esteemed brothers-in-rock have offered some very fine pieces of advice in the posts below this one. Here’s a few more pointers to add to the list.
Remember to bring plenty of yen with you. There are no bank machines at the festival. According to the official FRF site, you can use bank cards and credit cards at the Ganban shop for purchases over ¥3,000 and at the official merchandise stalls if you are buying over ¥5,000 worth of fest and band branded paraphenila, but other than that the majority of booths will accept cash only. Most food items are going to run you ¥500 – ¥600. Soft drinks cost ¥200 (if memory serves me right) and booze is likely going to be ¥600 per tasty, refreshing cup.
Preview the official festival merch and what bands will be selling at this year’s FRF here. Knowing what you want beforehand will help you better budget your money and will speed lines up at the fest.
I always make sure to have a package of wet tissues packed in my knapsack. They are great for wiping off your hands and face, cleaning up spills (I’ve been known to spill food and drink on my staff t-shirt in the past … sometimes not-so-accidentally), and can double as makeshift toilet paper if need be.
For bands, I second Jeff’s recommendation about checking out of the many home-grown musical flavours that FRF features. You can check out MySpace profiles for all the Japanese (and international) acts here. Or, like Jeff suggested, just try a few random performers on for size. I’ve caught gigs from toe , The Bawdies, Tucker (playing with Beardyman), Ego-Wrappin’ and the Gossip of Jaxx, Bloodthirsty Butchers, Buffalo Daughter, and →Pia-no-jaC← in the past and will gladly vouch for their live goodness.
I’m personally psyched about getting the opportunity to watch locals Lite, Super Junky Monkey, Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro, iLL, ALT, Uchujin, Gellers, and Kaji Hideki for the first time.
Check out The Japan Times picks for Japanese artists to see here and Tokyo Gig Guide’s here.
*Dancing crowd photo by Suguta and used with the permission of Fuji Rock Express ‘09
