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“Fuji Rock won’t really be like Glastonbury until the Emperor shows up in a pink wig.” – Jon Helmer, Fuji Rock documentarian
Tents & Bugs & Rock N Roll
In fact, plenty of “stars” are presented through relatively candid moments and quick interviews, though none are identified with titles. Instead, Helmer leaves them as just more voices in the chorus, much like everybody else. And that’s what most of the video is: the guy in the Indian headdress and the pink speedo, girls screaming “Welcome to Fuji Rock [insert year here]!”, the head of security (the 1999 security staff had only 80 members!), the campers, the rain, the naps on the grass on a sunny day, and the faces, the faces, the faces…. Helmer himself makes a living writing music for TV commercials, and says “I’m really only a cameraman when I’m in Japan.” Just as he was packing up for FRF2010, he took some time out to answer a few questions by email about this video.
Q: How did you come to start this project? Were/are you an official part of the fujirock staff? Or are you doing this independently?
Jon Heller: The story of how I came to make the video is quite interesting, after going to Glastonbury in England with Masa [Hideki] back in 1999, he invited me to Fuji ‘99. On the Friday morning of Fuji Jason [Mayall] from Smash in London asked me “have you ever used one of these before ? ” and handed me a video camera. I’d never touched one! But he said, “you point it this way and press the red button………..it’s easy” And it was. Every year I came back and used the camera until eventually I thought I had enough for a DVD.
Q: Why focus on the fans, not the bands? What’s unique about the Fuji Rock fans?
JH: My version of Fuji Rock has never had much to do with the big bands, it’s always been the event and the people and the vibe, and the camping and the food and the mountains. If I’m honest I’ve always regarded the bands on the main stage as an unnecessary distraction. Japanese music fans are obsessive and it’s always interesting to observe obsessives. I think every year the festival becomes more of a star than the bands, and every year the people become more interested in experiencing the festival rather than just ticking band names off a list.
Q: When you started, did you think the project would go on this long? How long will you keep on going with it?
JH: It never started as a project as such and I suppose it will go on until I die, or I do something dreadful and don’t get invited back.
Q: How would you compare Glastonbury and Fuji Rock? What kind of relationship do you see between the two festivals?
JH: Regarding the differences between Glastonbury and Fuji, I suppose the most obvious difference is that there are a lot more Japanese people at Fuji Rock than Glastonbury and the trees are taller in Japan. While at Glastonbury we have less Tokyo Riot police and Heineken but much more trash on the ground (and in the trees, maybe that’s why they are so short ).
The people of Fuji Rock and the people of Glastonbury have more in common than most of those people do with the rest of the people from their respective countries.
I think Glastonbury is now so much a part of the British establishment, it’s on TV for 6 hours a day during the festival and every TV and Radio news report.
The Queen would go to Glastonbury if she wasn’t so decrepit. I think her kids go for the street cred.
Fuji Rock won’t really be like Glastonbury until the Emperor shows up in a pink wig.
Q: What are some of your favorite memories from the filming of Tents & Bugs & Rock ‘n Roll?
JH: I’m just packing my bags, I leave London for Japan tomorrow morning so I’m really thinking about Fuji 2010, I think the best moments may still be yet to come.
