System 7 on Orange Court in 2009
However, it didn’t affect the last performance on Orange’s normal lineup, that being System 7. These guys with their unique blend of instrumental and traditional techno (should that be the other way around?) had the soon-to-be-shut-down court fairly grooving, and became more and more packed out as the performance continued. Continue Reading…
DJ NOBU @ FRF '10
I was talking to a minimal sausage the other week at Freaks Fes, an unassuming little outdoor party that turned out to be one of the best events I have attended so far this year. A great lineup that saw on what I came to call the “downstairs stage” the likes of Daniel Bell and Eye from V∞rdoms who packed out the Red Marquee in 2009 for a late night DJ slot at which our fellow FujiRockers Kern & Dave cemented a relationship that has led to steamy late night discoveries of musical loves shared. On the list was Nobu, due to follow on from Radio Slave lead in to Function closing the party out.
Anyway, as Mr Sausage was saying, and he should know, Nobu is about the best Japanese techno DJ around at the moment, though Nobu doesn’t like to limit himself with labels. The exact term used (amongst many others) by Mr Sausage was “relevant” techno. Now, your guess is as good as mine there, but suffice to say, there aren’t that many Japanese DJs about that can deliver a minimal techno set with quite the ability, the technique, dare I say it, the relevance, that Nobu can. Continue Reading…
I don’t know much about Ringo Deathstarr. But their name is a T-Shirt waiting to happen. And if it happens the way I’m imagining, then one shall be mine. So I had no choice but to look into them. Alas no wikipedia page (which is where I get most of my information these days — thanks Don Coglione) means that I’m going to have to write this myself. Damn. Let’s see if I can at least find a quote or two to pad things out…
Apparently this former four piece is a three piece from Austin, Texas, and were of course in performing about the place for SXSW earlier in the year, a dozen shows or more I’m reliably informed. Continue Reading…
A wave of nostalgia, you say, Lisa? Your list of nostalgia makes me feel decidedly old… Those are all bands that I consider never went away…
Nostaligia? You want nostalgia? I certainly do. Let’s look at my non-exhaustive list of some of my favorite Fuji Rock performances of all time. I’ll pick a single one from each year I’ve been:
The Pogues (2005)
The Cure (2007)
My Bloody Valentine (2008)
Roland S Howard (R.I.P.) (2009)
JohnFogerty (2010)
And without doubt, the best performance I’ve ever seen, anywhere. Ever.
Madness (2006)
And bunches and bunches more that I can’t be bothered listing now. All the way to the Beach Boys (who sadly I missed). Honorary mention goes to FRF stalwart Lee Scratch Perry.
Continue Reading…
It’s been a long weekend. It’s rained a lot. I’m sunburnt. I’ve eaten more than my dietician recommends. Of course, to deal with all of this, I’ve had to drink a lot. For my health, you understand. Keep my fluids up, so to speak.
So, we’ve reached the last set if the night. I’ve exchanged my gumboots for dancing sandals. Mistake? Yet to be proven. But after four (yes, four) long days, my feet are singing a song of praise. And that means, Faber has the sole advantage of finding me with my feet unbound. Not even the superb Horse Meat Disco had that honour. Continue Reading…
Horse Meat Disco tearing it up
Usually Sundays here at the Red comprise of two types: The hardcore, and the stragglers. The stragglers pop in from time to time to see what’s going on as they float between the bars of the Oasis area and the Palace complex. The hardcore are in the thick of it.
That was my plan tonight. Float between the two. I had it all planned. Ozomatli at the Palace. Horse Meat Disco at Red. Back to Willie Martinez at the Palace. Then back to red for Rasmus Faber. Plenty of space and totally doable if experience has taught me anything. But then it started to piss down during Ozomatli, and everything went pear shaped. Continue Reading…
I have been contributing to this team at FujiRock for six years now, and I’ve never covered a headline act. I usually leave this duty for guys with a lot more experience like Phil, guys who write for a living. But when I saw no one else had selected to review this seminal group, I had to take it on.
I came here from a disappointing Ian Brown. I’m amped for something more. More what? Well, more good. I chose to walk along the back road so I could have a view of the stage from behind with the audience aglow. It’s a special view that I’ve added here after the jump. Apologies for the no tripod fuzziness. I managed to be watching from here just as they came on and the crowd rushed forward, quite a sight I’d not experienced from afar before. Continue Reading…
I started listening to Ian Brown outside the White Lodge, your fujirock.com hq, just up from the White Stage. It sent a shiver down my spine. That’s some milk curdling voice he has going on here. I went inside, and things didn’t get any better… Eventually I bit the bullet and down I went, to get in amongst.
I was regretting the decision to choose this over Air at the Red. But once in situ, the cacophony of sound works with Brown to, err, drown out, err, tone down his voice. Things become much more listenable once here. Continue Reading…
Thom Yorke's back
I’ve just been down at LCD Soundsystem, and now I’m at Atoms For Peace. One thing that’s been bugging me all weekend, and that’s the complete inability for Japanese video operators to get it right.
Extreme closeups. I don’t need to know how long it is since Thom Yorke cleaned out his ears. I don’t need to see the back half of his head occupying a quarter of the shot and the backdrop behind him taking up the rest. I don’t want to see James Murphy bounce in and out of shot as you try in vain to follow him. Zoom out for fucks sake! Continue Reading…
Strolling back down the hill from our hotel after a quick trip to dump my gear, a quick grab of the Boom Boom Satellites can be heard as the traffic lulls and the wind blows the right way. It reminds me of what I’m missing, but it makes a long walk much more pleasant.
I usually arrange my schedule to avoid two things at FRF. One, the Red Marquee. Two, British bands. These guys slipped past my radar because they’re more Scottish than British. And I quite liked the idea of their “retro sound” as Jeff made note in his preview.
I usually avoid the Red because it’s the only stage that gets uncomfortably crowded. That’s fine if you want to mosh, but a right pain for taking notes and paying attention if you need to review. Not so this afternoon, we’re only about a quarter full for today’s CVC show. Continue Reading…
Carlos and Temjin of MMK
It’s all about the brass. Bursting onto the stage and quickly picking up a pace that didn’t let up, Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro made pulling myself out of bed after a few scant hours and making an hours trek all worth it.
This booty shakin’ sextet are tearing up the stage with a crowd of ravelers singing along to every word of “Baggy Pants” led by Bobsan on guitar. That’s right, everyone here knows both words. By heart. Even the guys from Ozomatli are approving, off stage right. Temjin on trumpet and Carlos on sax are the frontmen and face of the stageshow, but it’s Ginger on bass that gets the biggest cheers of the set as he leads us briefly into Run DMC’s Walk This Way. Brilliant stuff. Continue Reading…
Mustang is a hard act to follow. The started out a little iffy at the pre party. Then they proved their worth at Shokudo. And cemented it in the Palace.
Enter DAD MOM GOD. Capitals cos that’s how they do it. We started with a list of famous musicians from the 60s. Session guys mostly. A hint of things to come? It was to a skewif techno beat. That quickly gave way to said 60s classics. The inevitable exodus was inevitable. But the unanticipated return was anticipated. By some. But it hasn’t taken long to fill the place. Or is that the Palace? Continue Reading…
I blogged about JBT growing into something more interesting a month or so back. Due to a surprise lift from a kindly local from the minshuku we’re staying at (40 odd minutes walk from the Green Stage), I was able to slide in just as John Butler picked up his slide guitar. Actually, it was a banjo that he started the day’s activities with. But that doesn’t work with where I’m going… Continue Reading…
Takkyu Ishino. I’ve seen him before. Denki Groove at FRF in 06, second to headlining the Green in 06 before the Chilli Peppers. All Night Fuji in 08. And in clubs more times than I care to remember. He is insanely popular with the Japanese raver set, and last night was no exception.
I must admit to having a bit of an aversion to him over the years. Maybe it’s the too crowded dancefloors of adoring fans meaning I have a crud time with no space to move. Baybe it’s some of the mixing he does that has jarred on me. My girl? Loves him. Me? Well, I don’t actively dislike him, it’s more a case of… meh. Continue Reading…
I met Rory just before his Naeba Shokudo performance started. He struck me as a genuine guy, just as indicated on the Don’s preview piece. Kinda genuinely happy that I’d be watching.
The rain started a few minutes in, and built up steadily. Good thing? It certainly made for a more intimate show, as everyone crowded into the postage stamp size undercover area at Shokudo. I wanted to catch Rory at some point this weekend, and had decided this would be the pick. I think this kind of thing is best enjoyed in a small space. Continue Reading…
There are two nationalities that are the winners in the drawcrowd stakes here at FRF. The first is the Brits. It was fellow FRFer Jeff who put it so succinctly when he said if you laid a turd on toast, put it on stage and called it British, people would come to see it.
The second is, unsurprisingly, the Japanese. No matter who they are, regardless of if they’re any good, a local band will always draw a respectable crowd. So it is at White right now, as Straightener show me just why they have as big a group here as One Day As A Lion will later this evening. I expect local rockin faves The Cro-Magnons will draw a bigger crowd still. Continue Reading…
I arrived at All Night Fuji just as Green Velvet was taking over the decks. Some in the crowd expressed their disappointment that he was not to be playing live, but I found no such disdain. As I predicted in my preview piuece, his style was tonight much more tripped out than the house that made him famous. Sandwiched between Ken Ishii and Denki Groover Takkyu Ishino, it’s no surprise that he saw fit to adjust his style to fit the moment. The sign of a good DJ is in my opinion the ability to read the crowd and adapt to what they want, whether that be a track by track decision, or a stylistic one before a beat has been played. Continue Reading…
So it started with an argument. A simple statement from the Professor. A learned man. Check his credentials. He’s a frickin professor fer fooks sake.
But no. Sean wasn’t having that. Dubstep is dub, said he. Michael Jackson might disagree. What’s he got to do with it? Well, t’was he who was remixed into dub in the early stages of the set.
Cutting up the classics in a way that Jackson might just approve now that he’s chilling. That’s the professor’s specialty tonight. It’s all there. Of course the reggae classics make an appearance. Bob Marley gets a look in with Single Bed. Continue Reading…
So I ran into Dennis & Ben of the Human Cannonball last night at the pre-party. Not really what I was expecting from the performers here. I had searched in vain to find more information on this interesting risk-of-death show of the sort we’ve come to expect from the Palace Arena late of a night. I had assumed verterans, middle aged at least, with decades of daredevil, devil-may-care cavalier attitude towards life experience in their hip pockets. What I found were two very personable guys in their early twenties. But don’t let that fool you, these guys have both been doing this since they each “ran away from home at 17 to join the circus!” Continue Reading…
I arrived just in time to get a crap position for Moriarty on the boardwalk. It seems that despite the fact most of us here at FRF.com know sweet F.A. about them they are pretty popular act… I had to climb off the boardwalk into the bush (on the wrong side) just to get a look in.
Starting out with “My Baby’s Back In Town” (at least that’s the first song I was able to listen to) the group ingratiated themselves wit a nice bluest guitar sound. “Private Lily” hinted at an anti war sentiment, something unsurprising given Sean’s labeling of them as the real bohemians. A very 40s feel was evident to me as I struggled to even get a look at the six piece. Continue Reading…
One of the best things at FujiRock are the things you were not expecting. This mime artist was spotted as I grabbed some liquid refresment in the Tokuro Tenguku food court area near White Stage.
Performing to an eclectic combination of Chemical Bros, Elvis, Swan Lake, and the Chariots of Fire theme, this buy was pretty good overall. At least good enough to hold my attention and get me to stay for the remainder of his performance. Some classic mimes like the immovable floating suitcase, and a combination of the invisible wall with body popping moves had a good crowd in atendance. I’ll let the pictures tell the story, more after the jump. Continue Reading…
So you’re back in my good books, Ash. You did well today. A good mix of new material, and older classics that made me love you guys back in 93.
You guys so could have been Weezer. Great quirky pop songs that had everyone listening. Had everyone singing along. Had everyone dancing. But something went wrong. Maybe it was the difficult 4th album. Maybe it was the lineup changes. But you all but disappeared from the radar. You’d never know by the Green Stage crowd this afternoon. Despite the early timeslot, there was a really big crowd here for your set. Yes, some may have been from those setting up their base camp for the day / weekend. But it was more than that, with loads there for the band, paying attention, grooving along. Continue Reading…
Bawdies frontman Roy belts one out
Palace Of Wonder being made wonderful
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