Fujirockers: The official Fuji Rock Festival blog

While the first wave of Fuji Rock acts are usually announced in early March, seeing as how Smash broke from tradition and revealed headliners The Stones Roses back in November it’s not that surprising that today they released the news that Radiohead will also be headlining FRF ‘12.

This will be Radiohead’s first time to play at FRF.  Frontman Thom Yorke performed on the Green Stage at 2010’s fest with his Atoms for Peace side project.  Reviews of that show were mixed, but I’m guessing a proper Radiohead will draw mass accolades from rain slicker sporting scribes and fans alike.

So we’ve got Radiohead and The Stone Roses on board already for FRF ‘12.  Who’s your guess for the fest’s third headliner?

Thom Yorke photo by Hiroshi Maeda and used with the permission of Fuji Rock Express ‘10.

The plan was to post this earlier, but we’ve all been swamped over the last few weeks.  Anyhow, better late than never, right?

So usually FRF officially announces the dates for the next edition of the fest on New Year’s Day.  Then they release the first wave of acts at the beginning of March.  Breaking with tradition, in November Smash revealed that FRF ’12 will take place from July 27 – July 29 and shared that the recently reunited Stone Roses will be one of the headliners.

Early bird tickets for FRF ’12 will go on sale in early February.  Other acts likely won’t be announced until March (like past years), but we’ll keep you posted if any more names come out before then.

Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown’s voice was a wee bit rough when he performed on the White Stage at FRF ‘10.  Hopefully he’s in better form next summer.  Check out a review of Ian Brown from FRF ‘10 here.

Monday morning around 2am I was met with this spectacle: A drummer wearing nothing but a pink thong. (Admittedly this isn’ weird, as I’m a Golden Bomber fan – their drummer is frequently almost naked – the only difference is that his thong is black, or he chooses to wear tighty whities.) A guitarist wearing sunglasses and a jacket that was too small for him, looking suspiciously like Matsumoto-san from B’z. A bassist who looks like SixH’s MINT, or perhaps a Frenchman who hasn’t gotten much sleep this past century.

And a vocalist who dressed like she needed a husband with a pitchfork by her side.

Had I not researched them before that, I wouldn’t have known what to think. Heck, I did research them and I still didn’t know what to think. The band name, XX, is actually chomechome, which is usually used to censor words of a less sophisticated nature.

Needless to say, the following 30 minutes was an eye-opener. Punk tunes and hardcore screams, skirt lifting and plenty of energy. Ah, to be young again.

The bassist climbed up the piled up amps at one point, sat down and started taking pictures of the audience with his iPhone. “Stop taking so many pictures and get down!” demanded the vocalist.

So he started taking pictures of her instead.

Between songs, Natsumi (vo.) mumbled intelligible bits and bobs, but took the time to say, “Thank you Japan.”

Pause.

“I’m from Japan.”

To be honest, I still haven’t figured out what was going on because there was so much happening at once, but I do remember getting some very early Beastie Boy vibes, mixed with The Sex Pistols. What that means, is anyone’s guess. You’ll just have to check them out for yourselves, and I recommend you do – if just to wake you up a bit.

It was certainly better than the coffee I couldn’t buy because it was sold out at Atomic Cafe. (Boo!)

Photo by: 深野輝美

For more　THE xx’ズ craziness, click here.

Sunday, just before 6pm at Gypsy Avalon. Actually, 5,50pm to be exact, and not at Gypsy Avalon but somewhere behind it at Atomic Cafe. There I was, drinking some herbal tea (they had run out of coffee – yeah, I couldn’t believe it either!) when suddenly something drew my attention to the Avalon area. Something beautiful. Something magical.

It was at this point I realised Silverbus was on stage and it wasn’t for a sound check. I rushed (well, okay, waded slowly because I was not in the mood for a wipe out) down to the Gypsy stage and prepared to squeeze myself into the crowd.

I arrived and slipped into place at front center, with a perfect view of the stage and no one in front of me. And yet, I was about 4 meters back. I looked behind me and saw people sparsely scattered about. Obviously enjoying the show, but… for what I was witnessing on stage, it seemed wrong, unfair.

Silverbus describe themselves as “indie-pop, post-rock, quiet intensity, shoegazers”. The last one couldn’t be more fitting, and although shoegazers occasionally frustrate me, with their music, it fits. Mellow tunes that vary in strength and intensity, occasionally accompanied by Foo’s tender voice draw you in and keep your attention locked on them until they tell you they’re done.

I’m not usually a big fan of fully instrumental songs because I need a voice to keep me focused, but with Silverbus there was no such feeling. I even kept my iPhone safely stuck in my pocket (I usually take notes on it during the show) because I couldn’t pull myself away from just listening/watching. I was quite honestly blown away.

If you want to know more, then check out their website where they’ve posted their first full length album for you to listen to. May I suggest that you do so wearing headphones and sit in a dark room for full effect

“Hope our music can touch people’s hearts as the process we make it.” – Foo, lead vocals.

They touched mine, I hope they touch yours too.

Photo by: 横山正人

For more Silverbus photos, click here.

And that is just what every-dancing-body did. The small city-sized CG screen filling the void behind the Bros playing Green Stage, in my estimation stole the stage from the Brothers themselves. Granted, their songs are great, but their show was not much more than merely pressing play. Every now and then to bridge the gaps between songs, instead of mixing cleverly, they would twist a few chaos knobs, or turn up the pitch, musically making it “Chemically” great, as the songs are super tight and heavy on the bass, but as a LIVE show, mediocre.

The visuals and interactivity on the other hand was stupendous! And I like to think the Bros have a hand in that creative side of their gigs, for some redemption. It began with a cylindrical waterfall equalizer of lights hanging from the scaffold directly above the Bros, reacting with the bass hits. Then, the 6-story light silhouettes of people start dancing, a horse made of geometric shapes gallops and whinnies in time with the song, scary clown close-ups fade in and out, plenty neon, lasers, I think you get the (BIG) picture.

My favorite was the green and yellow bouncing balls on all three CG screens (the big one and two smaller to either side of the stage, as one linked, making sure all 20,000 people in the audience, back to the pine tree line could see). Simultaneously huge green and yellow balloons miraculously appeared to be bopped by pumping fists, and as some inevitably pop, so do the video balls, exloding in paint splats of color. Then that damn scary clown again!

As for track choice, they played a few favorites like “Hey Girl, Hey Boy,” and a remix of “Brothers Gonna Work It Out,” as well as tracks off their 2007 album We Are The Night, and “Swoon” off their latest album Further. The crowd loved it, but also seemed a bit exhausted, not blamed on the Bros whatsoever, but rather on the weather. A solid play of hits, and one of the biggest acts in electronic music history brings the tracks that brought them that fame in epic fashion.

Photo by 前田博史. More photo reports here

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.

OMG. What took me so long to get my happy ass on the Dragondola (world’s longest gondola ride) and up to experience the Daydreaming and Silent Breezing on top of Mt. Naeba? Yeah, it’s pretty much the tallest thing around. And that vista mentally sets you free to shake it, baby, without recourse!  We made it in time to catch the tail end of Kaito’s time behind the helm.  Excellent, airy, danceable trance techno vibes bumping from two stacks out back, DJ in the womb of a geodesic dome. Plenty room to get your freak on. We do an umbrella dance.

Yoda seamlessly hops in the cockpit and starts another wompy set, more bass-tastic than his normal ambient stuff, still pure techno though (fancy that, he DJs regularly at Club Pure in Shibuya). We cut a muddy rug until four o’clock. Then, as if making space for the music to fly, clouds open up, sunshine pops its head out and graces our cheeks with warmth for a precious few moments. Yoda levitates us, too, into the stratosphere, glowing our insides out with tasty bass-natural ear pills. Luckily we didn’t get sliced by any light sabers.

Photo courtesy 直田亨. More photo report here

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.

havin’ a brew.

THE DEKITS.

Made up of KC from RIDDIM SAUNTER, MAURICE from YOUR SONG IS GOOD, TGMX from FRONTIER BACKYARD and TK from COMEBACK MY DAUGHTERS, together they make an excellent folk quartet.

All of them are pro’s to the bone and between them have countless years of experience and masses of talent, but today, at the Mokudotei stage, they give off a completely different vibe. They’re just four guys chilling on a cool Sunday afternoon, having a beer (and kanpaiing the audience) in the middle of the woods.

Now I’m a sucker for multiple vocalists in a band, and given that four out of four of the members of this one are just that, that alone is heaven. Add in the fact that they sing both good ol’ classics like “Lean On Me” and “You are My Sunshine” as well as their own original hits like “Thursday”, and some great conversation in between songs, you’ve got yourself the perfect way to spend the evening.

The only sad thing is that it didn’t last that long. Thankfully they’ll be playing in Tokyo in less than a month on the 25th of August at Sangenchaya Grapefruit Moon, so it won’t be too long until Tokyoites at least can hang out with them again.

Cheers to that!

Photo: 輪千希美

For more chillin’ with THE DEKITS, click here.

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.

Sunday at lunch, maybe you were headed to the Field of Heaven anyway for one of those delicious flatbread pizzas, or maybe you wanted to freak out dance to the didgeridoo. Either of the two, and you end up watching a fine eclectic performance by Goma and his solid backing 3-piece percussion barrage, the Jungle Rhythm Section. Somebody in the audience was doing an opposite rain dance, too, and the clouds broke, exposing rockers to more sun than had been seen for 3 days; it’s getting a little sweaty under that rain gear, huh?

Even still, thanks to all the bubbles some kid kept blowing, the deep bass-induced trance effect of the didgeridoo and the humidifying atmosphere, it felt like we were all in a submarine. And whether it was planned or not, Goma was wearing a tie-dye cut off that perfectly matched the Field of Heaven’s stage dressing! All factors considered, this was a synchronicitous occasion of emotional proportions.

The didgeridoo has never been this cool. He had a full size on a stand, and a smaller, skinnier handheld one to walk around stage with, playing like a triumphant trumpet. The thing is hard enough to play, but Goma manipulates it in ways I have never heard before. At times it sounded like a DJ record scratching, dubstep bass wobbles, low octave synthesizer riffs, or some kind of crazy flanger reverb effects on electric guitar. It was an amazing sight and sound to behold. Plus, Goma had some sweet dance moves when he wasn’t gurgling into the ‘doo, resembling a pop ‘n’ locking octopus on acid!

Before the last song, Goma tells the audience he was in a car accident 2 years ago and had some brain damage, erasing much of his memory. It has been a long road, but here today, he feels he has arrived. After the last jam, he grabs the mic, already on the verge of tears, and gives the most raw and genuine “Hontouni arigatou gozaimasu” of the festival (really thank you very much). He drops to his knees, and now beyond the verge of tears, the sobbing drops falling from his eyes, too struck with gratitude to move, thanks everyone for coming a few more times, then his band mates come to console their emotional brother, and he embraces each of them one-by-one with big bear hugs. They walk to stage front, give another bow, and exit stage left. I didn’t see that kind of gratitude and emotion from any other acts, and can’t say I have ever seen it after a music show, so it is safe to say Goma gets the Fuji Rock 2011 Grammy winning Thank You speech award; First rate music from a first rate fellow, along with the amazing and talented Jungle Rhythm Section.

Photo courtesy 北村勇祐. More here

Finally! Fiiiinally! Fiiiiinally!

At last. A British band that decided not to bore the crap out of their audience here at Fuji Rock (Coldplay being the only other exception so far, but well, they’re Coldplay aren’t they?). Just what the doctor ordered, a dose of some good and proper British Indie pop mixed with some real rock’n'roll vibes. It was such a relief to see a band that let their reins loose a little, and their efforts were duly rewarded by the grateful and active crowd in front of the White Stage.

Actually, to be perfectly honest, as they walked on greenery-clad stage I almost thought I’d misread my schedule and went to the wrong place, or was there at the wrong time. Amongst “normally” dressed members, there was a suspiciously pixie like woman heading towards the right side of the stage, followed by a man in an old aviator cap and brown overalls. Not exactly a nautical theme.

As Yan threw himself into “Remember Me”, the crowd started dancing along, one guy waving a green branch, just like those displayed on stage. I hope he didn’t cause too much damage trying to get it – don’t want to be messing with the eco-friendly vibes of the fest.

What followed was that injection of charisma and uncontrolled rock that British indie rock has been dying for over the past few years. Yan ran around in the pit, hugging and shaking hands with fans during “Apologies to Insect Life”, finishing the track back  on stage bent back on his knees, screaming. Rock. And. Roll.

The band continued their energy giving show with their new single “Georgie Ray” – the bassist managed to perform with a beer in hand, nice touch – and an older favourite, “No Lucifer”, (but instead of singing “EASY! EASY! EASY!” it was “FUJI! FUJI! FUJI!” …or rather “FUJAY!” , given Noble’s Northern dialect), getting the crowds riled up even more. It didn’t hurt that they claimed Fuji Rock was their favourite festival in the whole world, either.

These guys know how to put on a good show and follow through on it, so I’d say it seems Her Majesty has a new representative of rock, at least at Fuji.

Photo by: 熊沢泉

For more British Madness, click here.

To tell the truth, Sunday noon was a little early for tap dancing. Not that Conguero Tres Hoofers were bad. They were in fact quite good. Performing nu-jazz and soul tunes to an accompaniment of dance-club style beats that are tap danced is really quite phenomenal. This project has been going a couple years now and this was their second appearance at Fuji Rock – last year’s was on the Orange Stage (and there’s a pretty good review of it here), so this at Gypsy Avalon was a lot more intimate. I just wasn’t ready for all that pounding and motion.

Photo: 横山正人
More photos: http://fujirockexpress.net/11/5142.html

Get a taste with one of their music videos after the break: Continue Reading…

Naeba = where we are right now at Fuji Rock. Ongaku = Music. And Totsugekitai, refers to some sort of kamikaze soldiers on the front lines charging forth without weaponry, fierce cries of intimidation, think warpaint. So this troupe just got together a few days before the fest, aside from their regular band lineups, to put together this romp at the Naeba Shokudo stage. A makeshift setlist for an unassuming side stage under a grove of trees.

The backdrop is like an open air tatami mat bar room, bamboo shades, and guys knocking back sake and smoking cigarettes, red cheeked greasy fellows, with elegant ladies sipping wine at their side. Fitting audience and impromptu actors on the stage, considering tonight’s band is a motley assortment of what look to be ex-cons, as the “Ojisan” (old dudes) have a rough-hewn refinement to their individual styles.

Drummer sports a sharp goatee and black bowler, the bassist in a polyester shirt with the top two buttons undone and boots (I haven’t seen hardly any other artists at the fest, on stage, in boots – that is solidarity, my friend), singer is a coarse-voiced wailer whose mole under his right eye somewhat resembles a tattooed tear drop, and black Latin greaser curls, while the guitarist, confident in his skills, including slide guitar, American folk and speedy surfer solos sports a pair of khaki shorts and could conceivably be gone fishin’ after the gig!

A handful of the crowd sang along with some anthems. I caught a few sweet lines (lyrics entirely Japanese), something about there being “happiness behind unhappiness,” along with bits and pieces of “nothin’ and nobody.”  For the last few songs and encore, a younger guitar wiz and accordionist crowded the tiny stage, and lent sounds coming straight out of Louisiana and the dirty south, and on another song, something like a Scottish jig.

I enjoyed the show along with people munching on World Restaurant fare, who may have very well just happened by to witness the soldiers rushing forth, for all our Sunday evening dinnertime listening pleasure.

Excellent photo courtesy Julen Esteban-Pretel. More here

I was somehow drawn to see Cornershop out of a weird curiosity based mostly on a Fatboy Slim remix of their song “Brimful of Asha” from around a dozen years ago, and also Sean’s great de-interment of the band’s weird and somehow fantastic story. And where else was I gonna hear “Norwegian Wood” with actual sitar accompaniment and sung in Hindi? Then there was the hangover, as I’ve been sticking pretty strictly to my rock’n'roll diet, so mellow, poppy rock at 6pm on Sunday at the Field of Heaven sounded like a great way to nurse my way into the evening, and Kern showed up with a paper cup of Tokyo Ale just to take the edge off. The stars were aligned, and I was actually waiting for Cornershop to go on. And then they came out as a nine-peice band. A fucking nine-peice band! Continue Reading…

I’m beginning to suspect it’s the fault of all the British bands that there’s been so much rain and grey skies at Fuji Rock.Maybe we should just ban them all next year. Then again, I suppose the wet and dreary makes them feel at home.

Glasgow band Glasvegas took to the Green Stage around 12.30 in the midst of a particularly heavy downpour, but looked quite comfortable as they walked towards their respective positions, all dressed from head to toe in black barring vocalist James Allan, who strutted on stage in a white cut-off t-shirt and ripped faded jeans. Perhaps he didn’t get the memo. New drummer Jonna Löfgren seemed genuinely happy to be where she was, and impressed by drumming standing up; a feat attempted by few of her ilk.

During the set James took the time to thank the audience for the gifts the band had received, or that’s what I assume, since he prefaced it with “I don’t think you’ll be able to understand a fucking word I say, but thank you for the letters and stuff.”

The rain may have dampened spirits, although there were some cheerful shouts and yells as the first song started, “The World is Yours”, taken from the band’s new album Euphoric Heartbreak. A slow, melodic rock song that set the tone for the rest of the set. Slow and heavy, with scattered showers forecasted for the remaining 40 minutes. 40, because they finished early and surprisingly didn’t come back for an encore, choosing to finish with “Daddy’s Gone”, a crowd favorite. And as they left, the sun peaked from behind the clouds, lifting spirits even further.

Photo by: 前田博史

For more Glasvegas goodness, click here.

The Kills are probably destined forever to be the band that wasn’t as good as the White Stripes, and that was the band that showed up today at the Green Stage. But! When I saw Tokyo-based music writer Rob Schwarz after the show, he was ecstatic, saying it was the best rock ‘n roll show he’s seen in years. All that raw, grinding power. But I should also mention that as a festival blogger, deferring to others’ opinions is a good way to stay politic and polite, or as we are now calling it rock-and-rollickly correct. Fellow Fujirocker Shawn was more of my opinion: he thought they were on too big a stage. And they ended 5 minutes early. As for me, I thought it was a set with no air in the sails by a band that took rock a little too seriously. Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince wore all black clothes, played all black guitars, and they did it against a plain black backdrop. Even their hair was black. The guitar riffs are powerful, but they are not instant anthems (like the White Stripes), and that’s what you need to play a stadium or festival main stage when all you’ve got is two people, one guitar, one bass and a drum machine. Their songs are good – they played a good mix of the back catalogue and new material, including “Satellite” from the new album Blood Pressure – but they are seldom White Stripes great or even Black Keys good. And like I said, they ended 5 minutes early. And then their Fuji Rock was over.

Photo: 前田博史
More photos: http://fujirockexpress.net/11/5184.html

Feeder have been playing with a string of drummers-for-hire since founding drummer Jon Lee tragically took his own life in early 2002. They’ve certainly got a good one right now; Dmon Wilson is about the closest I’ve seen to Dave Grohl since Dave Grohl himself. Sandwiched between floor toms with hair flailing wildly, I reckon he gets at least 40% of the credit for all the raised fists and banging heads Feeder inspired right from the start.

But band themselves, singer/guitarist Grant Nicholas and bassist Taka Hirose are no slouches either. Sure Nicholas is a fine singer and songwriter, but that doesn’t necessarily buy you a good live show. Late 90’s grunge inflected British rock is a tough sell for me these days. I spent a decade where grungey rock was about all I listened to, and I’ve been moving on of late. I was pleasantly surprised by the tunefulness of Feeder’s records when I gave a listen earlier this week, expecting another group of slouches, but on tape I reckon they never surpassed the song “High” off their first record, as good a use of the four grunge chords as ever there has been. But live, they are a whole nuther band, one of the best of the genre I’ve heard. The sound pressure down front at the Green Stage was intense (perfect mix), and Feeder were tight, feeding the crowd with a confident generosity.

Nicholas exudes the attitude of a man who appreciates Continue Reading…

Tokumaru came to Fuji this year with a six-piece band, up two from his last stint in 2008. Although he had a bigger stage to fill (White, 12:50pm), I’m not convinced the way he filled it was the right way.

Gone is the menagerie of toys filling out his arrangements; now we get two slightly eccentric percussionists, one with (small) kick, snare and floor tom even, an electric bass, and Shugo on hollow-bodied electric guitar. This standard-fare instrumental line-up brings his major key shout-alongs to a sort of sameness with other acts. The full chords strummed on the hollow body in particular seem to overpower the subtlety of some of the other instruments. He’s got an accordionist in the back, but the arrangements aren’t built around her. His sole remaining concession to the sort of happy-day eccentricity he started his career with is the glockenspiel ringing out airy melodies above everything.

He did bust out the ukulele for a cover of “Video Killed The Radio Star” (pretty rough on the pronunciation there) and for the set closer, which opened up a little more space, but Continue Reading…

A sweet new banner hangs behind drummer Sang-yun, like an alien eye half open looking at some netherworld universe, or a still half-drunk Fuji Rocker on Sunday morning, and an epic intro track plays with blue strobes blinking. This would be awesome at like 9pm tonight. Drawing an 11:30AM slot on Sunday, unless you are as well known and loved as Oh Sunshine, apparently, is a rough time. Even still the power trio gets down to business. Set starts heavy with songs off A18’s Blue Album. Thanks to the trickling rain outside, people have trickled into the Red Marquee as well. The A18 guys knew that rain would play in their favor as they don’t have a lot of name recognition in Japan yet (this ain’t Korea anymore, Dorothy).

Lead singer and thrash guitarist Hyun-seok, aka Sucks (he introduced himself to me 3 years ago in Seoul like, “I’m Sucks.” So I said, “You suck?” “Yes, I’m Sucks.” And that was that), had a funny jiko-shokai (self-introduction) translated into Japanese that got some grins from the motley crowd.

The onslaught continued with heavy songs, including a new one “Sonic Boom” off their album Gogol, set for release early fall. Besides Envy, and arguably Atari Teenage Riot, this year’s festival is light on the heavy rock acts. So A18’s volume and swagger is welcome reprieve from all the world music and jam rock.

“Get the fuck up!” Sucks screams on “Discusting,” surely heard throughout the nearby campground, decreeing all the late risers peek their sleepy heads out there tents and in fact “get the fuck up.” It wasn’t until “Warm” off their Red album that the psychedelic clouds rolled in and the wind (fan) blew on drummer Sang-yun, giving the moment that much more of a refreshingly ethereal feeling. It too though would crescendo in post-rock finale fashion.

The last song showcased a bit of the guys’ characteristic careless stage presence, tossing instruments and wobbling off stage into the arms of front row fans over the barricade, feedback still screeching. I would have liked to see a little more of that madcap movement throughout the set. That ought to rile up the crowd and keep attention of everyone not in love with their post-hardcore psychedelia.

Very last, the dudes tossed out some promotional iphone covers to try and increase that name recognition, and I would put money on them being back in the future too, on a better stage and time slot for their style. After all, their work ethic, raw skills, and personality all together seem like every successful band in the rising star stages. No doubt A18 will keep shooting for the moon. Just next time, not so damn early!

Photo courtesy 佐俣美幸. See more photo reports here

If the area beyond the White stage of FujiRock is the more relaxed end of the fest, Gypsy Avalon is the hippie Mecca. There is a certain sector of the crowd who park themselves here, and don’t move for three days, other than to avail themselves of the beads and baubles of the New Power field next door.

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…

Obrint Pas were scheduled for an accoustic mini show at the Ganban signing booth last night. I was expecting a couple of members to be strumming guitars, but the Spaniards had other ideas. The entire band crammed into the tent and began a set that would have been right at home on one of the main stages. They’d brought a crowd too.

If you saw their Orange Court show, you’ll know that Obrint Pas aren’t very good at leaving the stage. They thank the audience, play a little bit, thank the audience, leave, come back, thank the audience, leave, come back, thank the audience…

When they finally stopped their Ganban show, the crowd began chanting the band’s name, and the musicians didn’t need any more persuading to start up again. When they finally stopped, the crowd began chanting the band’s name, and the musicians didn’t need any more persuading to start up again. When they finally stopped, the crowd began chanting the band’s name, and the musicians didn’t need any more persuading to start up again.

Eventually, the singer called it a day, but the brass players headed into the crowd and carried on playing. I think they won a few fans here this year. Including me.

For my money, Faces were an almost ideal act to headline the Green stage: a band I was eager to see, and a big heap of nobody waiting to see them. Seriously, I’ve rarely seen the Green Stage that empty at 3:30pm on Friday afternoon, let alone for Saturday night’s headliner. I arrived late, and went straight for the pole position in front of the sound booth. Not like Oasis in ‘09, where my late arrival required me to shove in front of hundreds of very grumpy people who had been waiting hours in the rain, and where my fresh-from-indoors enthusiasm got me on the shit list of dozens of people I will never meet again.

I do say “almost” though, because in that ideal world the crowd would have filled in around me as the show progressed, and we would have ended in the usual huge Green Stage Saturday night love orgy. But that resolutely did not happen. I put the attendance at about 1/3 of the average Green Stage headliner, 1/5 of what the Chili Peppers pulled in a few years back. There were wide open spaces in front of the sound booth the entire show, and you could have had a nice game of footie in the mud next to it. Only advantage: it was easy to keep slipping out for more beers. This is blooze rock after all. (This would prove detrimental to the rest of my evening though.)

Not that any of the Faces or their recent additions noticed. Mick Hucknall, in place of Rod Stewart, greeted the crowd with “L’layalilrah’rol’eh?!!!”, which is how they said “Let’s play a little rock and roll, eh?” in the 1970s. I came into this with a very open mind, hoping that Hucknall would tear it up, and in truth the man did a stand-up job. But as soon as he opened up to sing the first song, “Miss Judy”, the feeling was unmistakable: “dang, I miss Rod”. You can imagine how bad that makes a man feel, to realize he is missing Rod Stewart. But the guy is one of the best-selling artists of all time for a reason: Continue Reading…

I’ve seen a few acts at the Rookie A Go-Go stage this weekend, and tonight I’ll be seeing a few more. “Rookie” though, seems a bit of a misnomer. The quality of the acts has been really high and, in some cases, I think much better than the “proper” performers on the bigger stages.

I guess the moral of the story is that you can’t have it all. Or that writers can’t be choosers. Except we can, since Rookie A Go Go performances have a chance to “win” a performance on one of the big stages next year. If you see the bands and like them, put a vote for them in the box to the right of the Rookie A Go Go area. There’ll also be a second round of voting online next year when the Fuji Rock 2012 site opens.

But enough about that, and more about NOKIES! (The exclamation mark is theirs, not mine.) This Kansai-based band of young lads performed a solid set of rockin’ indies tunes that I suspect will appeal to the mainstream crowd. their music is good, they drew a big crowd, the boys are cute (especially the bassist <3) but…

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