Fujirockers: The official Fuji Rock Festival blog

This is where the Chems crowd moved on to. A bit housier, a bit cheesier, but no less danceable. Vying for noone else in the same market, he has a greatly reactive crowd. This is house with cheese so thick you could cut it. I’ll have mine aged, and sharp. Just the way it’s being dished up.

Towa Tei is good at what he does, and that is get a room moving. They like to move it move it. They just can’t get enough. It’s electro house. It’s acid house. It’s anything sped up, slowed down, turned around, lost n found, just not homeward bound. But all too soon it’s come to an end. Too bad. Well, luckily we’re not homeward bound yet. There’s at least four hours to go. Thank Fuji for that.

Altz has a hard job tonight. Coming on at 10:30 pm in the Crystal Palace, he’s fighting for a dancey crowd. But that crowd is all watching Chemicals Tom & Ed, doing their headline thing down on Green. At the same time. Man, talk about tough calls.

Fresh from a DayDreaming set this morning where he’s a solid, and longtime regular, I’d say that unfortunately even though he’s made it to a coveted Palace spot, he’s probably playing to less people. I’m counting ten on the floor, and about the same on the periphery.

But you know what? This is great disco, and ridiculously funky tunes that are floating through the speakers. Smooth tunes, that are just perfect for starting an evening, rather than finishing it. I’m loving it. The only thing the Chems have over Altz tonight is that we all know the name of the tunes they’re playing. But now the Chemicals have finished up, there is a quietly growing crowd.

I was at the Chemicals for the first hour, and I can honestly say, I prefer this. Maybe that’s because my working day is almost finished, and party time is starting soon. But maybe, it’s because it’s more interesting. I vote for a pay rise for Altz next year. Because we know he’ll be back.

Are you ready to testify?

There’s something about angry rock. For the Japanese, a very peaceful people in general, they really go for bands that stir up anger. I mean, this is a country where you can avoid arrest for a fairly serious assault if you’re just willing to apologise and shake hands.

But they love them. Take RATM, huge in Japan: a band that basically released one song, re-recorded & re-released it with different lyrics, then finally admitted defeat and actually rereleased the original. Take Zach de la Roche with his new outfit last year, One Day As A Lion. Three original songs they had when they performed. Or about that. Yet their draw was huge. The audience wanted, but didn’t get RATM’s Killing In The Name Of. It was as obvious as the audience for Thomas Yorke looking for Radiohead.

So Atari Teenage Riot certainly know what their audience want, and they are more than happy to give it. In spades. Every track has the audience throwing themselves about, and this ain’t just the mosh, unless the mosh extends back beyond the sound booth, because the madness extends this far back and beyond. There are more surfers than I’ve ever seen at a gig in Japan, and positioned at the outlet for expelled Decembers, there is a constant stream of revellers being ejected rolling past me looking scattered. Or looking for their mates.

But then, we’ve got a lot to be angry about this year here in Japan, and that’s been a theme in itself all weekend here. Be it a DJ with a sign, the official green stage intro, or a friendly rev up between acts at Gypsy, the message is clear: we’re sick of the lies, the bullshit, the secrecy, the boy’s club that surrounds the Fukushima disaster.

Maybe that’s helping, but one thing is clear, Atari Teenage Riot are just what the doctor has been needing to subscribe for Japan this year. It’s obvious in frontman Alec Empire’s vox a few tracks in: Now is the time to play a show in Japan. In response to his friends concerns about whether it was safe to come. Is it? Regardless of the answer, sometimes you just have to do what’s right. And what’s right tonight is stirring up dissent. There never was a better time. Nor, do I think, was there a better band to do it. A message to the politicians: We don’t believe your fucking lies anymore. It’s time to fight! screams Empire. And for Fuji Rock tonight, that it is.

Yes, that it is.

Apollo 18 with superfluous InterFM DJs, Sang Yun still asleep

Apollo 18 played this morning in the Red Marquee, to the delight of a building crowd, helped a little by the rain, and a lot by the awesome sound. Look out for J’s full review later today.

So I was pretty interested to hear that this post rock / post hardcore outfit were going to do an acoustic show for InterFM at 3pm in the InterFM booth, broadcasting live from the festival. It was such a late addition that there was no writer nor photographer assigned. I thought I’d better rectify this, and get some words and vision up. Continue Reading…

Sweet Home Naeba

And that’s what blues the butcher did this afternoon, was add in a bit of new power as they took to the stage as the first sunshine of FujiRock ‘11 hit the field. There was a full crowd, and it was difficult for me to find a space big enough to both get my mojo boogie on as well as take notes & punch out my review. Continue Reading…

A burst of flamage to make up for a lack of plumage

I always look forward to the Palace Of Wonder sideshows in the Palace Arena. There’s nothing better than someone else risking great physical harm for your entertainment. I like to take a front row seat (or usually stand) because it adds just that little bit of further edge should they slip and impale / crush / toast you. Continue Reading…

Although I don’t subscribe to it myself, a load of people like to take a backpack everywhere they go at a festival. I prefer to take nothing more than will fit in my pockets, but our erstwhile leader this year, Shawn, subscribes to the backpack club. This would explain the rabid excitement he experienced when we ran across this set of backpacks liberated from their owner’s backs, housed temporarily on improvised spaces on the wall. So if you have a monkey on your back you need to shed, try for some wall space in the Red for some relief.

Oh dear...

Manu Chao at the Crystal Palace was certainly one of the gigs of the festival, though it was in my opinion no Gogol Bordello. It would appear that Kern and Dave are not in agreement with me though, they found it a shirt raising experience. For disturbing photographic evidence, click the “More” link, but be warned, click at your peril! Continue Reading…

Takuma strums the fretboard of his very long guitar

The music is good, but seems a little by the numbers to me. But then a lot of punk / ska bands sound that way to me. But it was good enough to have a good sizeable mosh going on in an otherwise fairly sparse (for a J band on White stage) afternoon crowd. It’s not even raining any more, so I don’t know what happened there. It must be their fans are few, but passionate.

Speaking to a couple of fans after the set (J-punk fans are almost always impossibly cute young girls) they told me their pick of the set was the last song, Goes On. I must agree. How could I argue when the fans have spoken?

Photo by 深野輝美
More photos HERE

There’s something about a man with a mustache in full drag. Complete with Goldilocks wig. Singing in a deep baritone. Yes. This is string bean skinny Toby-san. Nice to meet you, how you do?

Toby is assisted by his assistant, the beautifully Reubenesque Mia. A more than capable assistant. More than capable of outdoing any Harajuku girl. Gwen Stefani take note. Continue Reading…

DJ Nobu spins in his sleep

So you know what that means, don’t you. Most of Nobu’s set fell on other people’s ears. But I did manage to catch a half hour or so. When I first arrived, about an hour into Nobu’s set, it was banging at a rate similar to Protoculture, who I’d just escaped. His was relentless, and unchanging. This wasn’t the Nobu i’d seen a few months back, surely. But any worries I had were quickly put to rest as he changed it up, lightened the mood, and began to wind down his set. The audience was sparse by this point, but these are the people you need to play to. No treating the most dedicated of your crowd with disrespect. Nobu moved through the end of his set in a fluid motion, and was able to keep his existing crowd going, and bring in the latecomers (me) with great tunes, played with great skill.

Nothing more. Nothing less. A fantastic end to the night.

Photo by 府川展也
More photos Here

So hot you might scorch your fingers

Protoculture took over from Darren Emmerson at about 3:00 or so. The general consensus was that Emmerson would be a hard act to follow. He had satisfied many with just what they had hoped for. And, it seems, surprised a few that were expecting less.

And thusly Protoculture took over. We knew it would be a different kettle of fish the moment Emmerson put on Protoculture’s first wreck chord for him. Bangin. Hard. From the get go. Isn’t that what techno is? Ask your mum. She’ll tell you. Ts bm ts bm ts bm ts bm. Ad nauseum.

Well, I don’t think it has to be. And I’d quite prefer it if it wasn’t. It was ok. But that’s what it was to me, and it seemed others too. Take The Lawnmower Man, when asked for his opinion on Emmerson: He was better than the next guy. Yes, indeed.

The highlight for me were the visuals. Three fire dancers, including two belly dancers. This was complemented by random bursts of flame from two jets either side of the stage. It was enough to take enough of my attention, and meant I enjoyed the music more, even if it was due to it being relegated to the background, for me anyway. I was also distracted by asking the punters present to write my Darren Emmerson piece.

But that said, I’ve heard so called “masters” of techno do much, much worse. It kept the crowd dancing, anticipating the next act. System 7. A fine way to finish a party.

Photo by 近澤幸司
More photos HERE

Darren Emmerson focuses on his craft by triangulation

I blame Don Coglione. It was he who scoffed when I suggested I might skip Manu Chao in the Crystal Palace. There are many things I will grin and bear, but scoffing is not one. So Manu Chao proved to be well worth the effort. But it meant I arrived for Darren Emmerson at 2:56. Or 25:56, if you follow the Japanese space time continuum. So, with four minutes left of his set, I did what any self respecting FujiRocker in my position would do: I asked the audience to write the review for me. Here’s what they had to say:

The Adonis told me: Emmerson really got the crowd going. He played a lot of hard stuff. He was much better than The Adonis expected.

The Con Man said he was kind of a little hard, but soft around the edges. He played a few Underworld like tracks, but no full Underworld plates like “Born Slippy”. We agreed that he leaves that for Paul Van Dyk.

The Fat Man told me he likes ten bags of Charlie. I think he meant himself, not Emmerson.

The Lawnmower Man said: better than the guy after him.

The False Groover said: Don’t ask me, I might tell you the truth. I’m jaded.

All I can say is this: in those last four minutes, I felt love. Donna Summers love. And THAT… is never a bad thing.

Photo by 近澤幸司
More photos HERE

Kensington Hilbillys get their noodle on

Such was the case with the Kensington Hilbillys, as tight an outfit of guitar twanging fells as you’ll find in the fair city of Toronto. Just as I arrived, the rains started, only difference this time being we’re at Naeba Shokodo under the trees, meaning a deluge of turgid drops from the trees above long father the rains stop.

No matter, as the four members on stage tonight played a great mix of lively originals such as The Cat Down In The Well, as well as covers from country greats such as Hank Williams. Recognising the significance of Joe Strummer, they dedicated “Go Straight To Hell, Boy” to his memory. That may sound a bit wrong in print, but it worked as a respectful homage in person.

It will be interesting to see these guys play a bigger stage. I think it would translate best into a boozy bar with saloon doors, and a big selection of whiskey & bourbon.

Photo by 直田亨
More photos HERE

Andrew Eldritch checks his cheat notes for tomorrow's maths test

Hitting the stage in a blaze of invisible drums, I assume the famous Dr Avalanche, Andrew Eldritch’s distinctive voice was almost drowned out, when the guitars of Chris Catalyst and Ben Christo were added into the mix. I know vocals are meant to get buried somewhat in this kind of music, but it wasn’t just me, a friend remarking on the lack of strength too. as the set wore on the mixers recognised the problem, and rectified it somewhat, but a couple of other small technical difficulties persisted.

It was interesting that, as my tastes run now more to the minimal side of electronic, to run into at first the promoter of Tokyo’s series of minimal techno parties, and a DJ I consider to be one of Tokyo’s best techno DJs. We reminisced briefly on the Sisters of Mercy being influential in shaping our musical tastes. It would seem that fans of this style of music have been herded in a certain direction, whether it be on the same track, or off on an obscure tangent.

A lot of the 80s sounds have aged in a way that does them no favours. Not so this group. The sounds emanating from the speaker stacks are as fresh as they were when they were (or for that matter weren’t) recorded. If “fresh” is a word you can apply to the industrial gothic style. The light show is perfect, keeping the band clouded in smoke, illuminating them just enough to reveal Eldritch’s sense of humour with his florescent yellow & orange shirt illuminated in the black light after discarding his generic white sweater. A lot of unrecorded material I don’t know forms a backbone for a set peppered with classics from my musically formative years. This is a set that is rock n rollicly correct.

Those who chose to stay rather than head out for a good spot for Coldplay were rewarded with This Corrosion followed by Temple of Love to finish which is, I’ll wager, a better gift than anything Coldplay will give tonight.

Photos by 熊沢泉
More photos HERE

Hamaken Blows his own horn

Starting out with Hamaken on trombone, slowly eases them into their set with some slower, and shorter tracks. Things start to heat up with Hoshino Gen leading into some more upbeat numbers, but it’s Hamaken’s ‘bone that drives the songs. A lengthy introduction of the band appeals to the audience in that typically J style.

There is something very fitting about the low cloud that rolls over as these guys send out their slow, almost melancholy, jazz from the stage. The light just starting to fade helps with the ambience this combination is producing.

But back to some more upbeat numbers, it seems not too soon as some punters are just making moves. Fenced in by Ron Sexsmith on the Field of Heaven and Jimmy Eat World on Green, Sakerock have managed to draw and maintain a decent crowd for their short & sweet (and long & sad) tracks.

Photos by 北村勇祐
More photos HERE

…absolutely rocked the green stage just now, this blurry phone camera view from the backside during the last song of the set. Look out for a full review from Dave very soon.

I was thinking that I’d love to see these guys on a more intimate stage… And then they announced that they would be the Very Special Guest at Crystal Palace come 1:30 tonight! For that, you don’t even need a ticket, so get your traveling shoes on!

Green Stage on Thursday Night

I’ll do an after picture on Monday morning, so we can see how it fares with a weekend’s revelers grooving away.

Getting set up on Thursday afternoon to bring you all the latest news & reviews for the weekend ahead, it seems Dave has already been working too hard…

… Cos it’s gonna be a wet one by the looks.

SnowForecast.com's weather prediction

Snow Forecast is predicting 29mm of rain on the Sunday night alone, and non stop rain varying from almost none to heavy over the whole three days… But there’s better news after the jump! Continue Reading…

FUJI ROCK REVELLERS

My non-exhaustive guide to what you should bring, do, and see at Fuji Rock this year

Music. Well, I’m not going to tell you what you should see. We all like different things, and far be if for me to tell you what is best. I will say this though: Get to the smaller stages, and catch some acts that you’ve never heard of. As Lisa noted, going digging often as not finds you a gem or two. I never have enough time to properly research the whole schedule, but really enjoy a schedule that sees me wandering through everything between Red Marquee & Cafe de Paris to find something I wasn’t expecting along the way. And should you find a stinker, you will have no end of pleasure telling your mates what crap the band you saw were. Continue Reading…

Guitar King Doing His Thing

It surprises me somewhat. Every year, I speak to seasoned Fuji Rockers, people who’ve been to the fest multiple times, year in, year out. And there is one thing that most of them have in common: They’ve never taken the time to head up to Day Dreaming.

It’s understandable I guess. It’s quite a ride, taking some 20 minutes on the Dragondola, and you have to buy a ticket (~¥1,200 I think, available at the rear area behind the Red Marquee). But it really is worth the effort, time, and expense. The ride alone is worth the price, with breathtaking views of the mountains, valleys, & rivers (directly below you), as well as a view of the crowds at Green Stage otherwise unavailable, as well as a bird’s eye view of White Stage and Orange Court. Continue Reading…

Blues rearranged into a symetrically aesthetic sound

The other writers on here put me to shame a little, what with their authoritative facts and figures, utter familiarity with albums, readiness to analyse & compare bands at the drop of a hat… I’m looking at you Kern. Myself? Well, I don’t know art, but I know what I like.

And I can tell you this much for free: I love blues.the-butcher-590213. That’s how they write it. Complete with superfluous six digit number, a number which when entered into Google brings up only the odd partial phone number, a plethora of real estate listings in the US, and mentions of this band. And an A4 size Filofax, yours for £90.07, a veritable bargain marked down from the original £91.67. Ask any Englishman, that’s an amount well worth the effort of pocketing.

So, this band, named for a Filofax, or someone’s phone number, or something or other else, are AWESOME! I love a good bit of blues, and in fact this is the second time in as many weeks that I’ve put pen to paper, or at least finger to key, to tell you that the blues are where it’s at this coming final weekend of July. Continue Reading…

Kensington Hillbillies arranged by countryness of shirt.

Having had a search I found that while Steve Ketchen and his rabble collective first plucked their strings together over ten years ago, their music is quite hard to track down on YouTube. No matter, a look at their MySpace page (does anyone use myspace for anything else these days?) found me four more of their tunes. Continue Reading…