Fujirockers: The official fansite of the Fuji Rock Festival

In a sea of campaing tents, it can be challenging to find your own, especially when you return in the dark after a few beers. We got lucky, as ours was in a smaller enclave that was easier to find (the trade-off? It was a pain in the neck to reach). If you’re camping amongst the thousands, you might want something to mark your tent for easy recognition, like this funky litle fellow here. Other markers we saw included flags, pinwheels, and an inflated figure that resembled a cross between Casper The Ghost and the Shmoo. Full marks for originality, then.

Thank you for providing us with great music at all times

It is always interesting at a live show or music festivals to listen to what music the technicians behind the sound desk play between artist sets and in the past I have heard some amazing tunes being played. Seeing as these people listen to music all day long for a living, you would imagine they would play music that they really love in the small break they have before they have to sound check the next act. Just to give you a taste of what I mean, on the first day of the festival alone, I heard the Beastie Boys’ quintessential album “Check Your Head” played almost in its entirety on the white stage. Continue Reading…

Tread lightly

As we had hoped, the weather’s been great this weekend. Probably a little hot for some, but there’s been no rain that anyone actually noticed. Yesterday, precipitation was predicted, but the rainclouds bypassed Naeba and dumped its offering on Gunma Prefecture. Tonight there’s another forecast for rain in the area, so we’ll see.

But while no rain is nice for music-loving and dancing, it can be murder on skin and lungs because the dry weather makes for a lot of dust, and with thousands of dancing feet it can be a serious health problem. The Green Stage isn’t so bad because of all the grass, but every other outdoor stage, not to mention the main food court, is all dirt, and when the sun is out the air above had a bright brown tinge to it. During the first few festivals dust was a big problem, mainly because it rained heavily and then the sun came out and baked the mud, which was kicked up by boots. The festival kept water trucks at the ready to hose down some of the fields. They haven’t had to use the water trucks this year, from what I understand, and what’s mainly saved us was the lack of wind. The dust is staying mostly on the ground, where it belongs.

Cool side show in the Oasis food court

After grabbing some lunch on Friday afternoon, I came across a Japanese artist with an easel set up in the middle of the Oasis food court.  With a makeshift sound system strapped to his back, he was blasting out a steady stream of dance tunes and grooving along while he painted.  Swinging his palette back and forth while he danced, he’d occasionally pause from his artwork to reach around and push some of the buttons on his sound system or turn some dials to add some new twists to the techno sounds.

Around 40 people gathered behind him to take pictures, sway along to the music, and shout out “Sugoi” (“great” in Japanese).  Betcha more than a few of them wished they had a job that allowed them to dance while they worked!

SKA TOASTING AND OTHER FUNKY BEATS

Located in the World Court, Jim “Vinyl” Nasium’s stall is the location for the finest beats and rhythms from around the globe. At sunset, the record players come out and so do the microphones for a bit of improvisational ska “toasting.” This a musical form where the MC adds extra rhythm and sounds over the pre-recorded vinyl.

The live performance drew a largish crowd of 10-20 people who formed a dance circle.  Even Solomon, the owner of Queen Sheba, got into the act with some dancing and good time grooving.

Grab something to eat and drink and join in the jams. There’s a chance that Big Willy will be DJing here at 1AM on Saturday night.

FLYER

Tohoku Livehouse Daisakusen has a table in the FujiRockers tent by the Shokudo. They are raising awareness and funds towards their project to build music venues along the devastated Tohoku-Sanriku coastal area.

By consciously building venues as part of the grand revival schematics, Miyako, Ofunato and Ishinomaki will become creative hubs, enticing musicians from around Japan and the world to visit the area and perform. Dual-purpose in this pursuit is of course the positive energy brought with performances, but also a reciprocal inspiration exchange, affecting the artist’s themselves with that spirit of human revival and perseverance.

Coming to FRF every year never ceases to fill me with great memories and lots of new ideas for the future. If you are listening to solar powered DJ booths on the Avalon lawn, eating curry cooked with bio-fuel, or buying hand-crafted hemp shirts direct from the artist, the community vibe and sustainable appeal is ever-present, and it renews my faith in the kindness of strangers and the resilience of humanity.

The Livehouse initiative can be found online here. Get connected, and if you have the time and energy, join in some way, any way, and help out the collective. Keep jamming amidst the rubble.

JUMPING AROUND AS THE MINSTREL PLAYS

Can’t put my finger on it, maybe it was his bucket hat, but this duo called Mitsu (kanji meaning nectar or honey, so sweet) lent something timeless. Ryo Hashizume, a tall drawn pauper (think taller, Japanese Johnny Depp from Edward Scissorhands) coupled with Uni Kimura, a spunky Punky Brewster of sorts, barely five-foot-and-some-change, a cheerleader on stage sometimes carrying a melodium pom-pom.

They open with typical singer-songwriter stuff. Layered harmonies keep it interesting. At times her (and his for that matter) wide-mouthed vocal range soars to squeaky heights dangerously near too cute J-Pop territory, yet conversely dipping into the serious, mature depths the likes of which ought to make even Kato Tokiko smile.

And smiles abound as they go into clever fast raps, like Bone Thugs and Harmony ridiculously fast. Uni initiates a slew of muzukashii (difficult) call-and-response games with the audience. They are into it. Her cute/sarcastic edge is contagious; she is the epitome of the adjectival “firecracker” on stage. Great presence.

Continue Reading…

There was a super long line for official merchandise on the first day of the festival. My estimate is 2.5 hours mostly because it takes people a long time to make up their minds when they get to the front. Top sellers were The Stone Roses, a crossword like design because Ian Brown is a big fan of these mind twisters, and also there were a bunch of Beady Eye towels in the audience. Feel free to stop by when the line isn’t so long, there are lots of cool looking t-shirts still available.

Most t-shirts sell for between 2,500 to 4,000 yen with a variety of sizes available. Also, there are loads of neck towels and other related merchandise on offer as bands seem to be looking for more and more ways to get their name out there. Radiohead also promises to be a big seller as they play tomorrow night.

WITH ALL THIS NATURE WHY DO THEY LIKE MY CLOTHES SO MUCH?

Naeba is truly an unrivaled display of the beauty of nature. With copious amount of vegetation that covers the mountains and the fields though, there are of course also an innumerable number of which also inhabit the area. I guess us humans shouldn’t feel so strange when we discover an insect crawling on us, after all, it is us who is invading their territory and not the other way around. So within the first 24 hours I had been at Fuji, I had a rather large cricket and and an inch worm both take a liking to me and decide to explore my clothing. Despite a couple of minor mosquito bites however, compared to Tokyo there seems to be far fewer biting insects here than there are in the big cities of Japan. Continue Reading…

ANOTHER SATISFIED CUSTOMER

I popped into the NGO Village near the Gypsy Avalon Stage expecting to get more fistfuls of promotional material thrust into my hands than one can normally expect to receive upon walking out of Shibuya Station on any given Saturday afternoon. Instead, I encountered a large gaggle of workers helping festival-goers to make free handmade products, including a stall that allows visitors to make a Fuji Rock coaster from an old tree trunk completely from scratch. Visitors are encouraged to complete every step in the process. In fact, I’m pretty sure there is no other option. First, they saw a round chunk of wood from a log. This takes extra effort under a scorching hot sun. They then sandpaper both sides of the wood clipping they’ve just cut before branding the Fuji Rock logo on it with an iron-hot – you guessed it – iron. If you’re Japanese isn’t super hot, Chigusa-san is often available to offer a few instructions. Pictured here is Miyuki-san, who appears to be pleased as punch with her effort. Sterling work I must say, all the more so given she had a camera following her every step of the way. More pictures after the jump… Continue Reading…

Fujirock.com blogger J Pausing to briefly ponder the question at hand

Folks are being asked a vital question as they walk past the trash area at the back of the Green Stage. And of course the answer has been “Yes!” right across the board.

Heck, that’s probably the easiest question fest-goers will have to answer all weekend long. Well, maybe except for “Do you to get want another beer?”

“Yashi Noki Bashi” is how many people know John Helmer. He is known to shout this at the top of his lungs while standing on the pebble strewn shore of the creek that runs near the White Stage. He’s been selling these distinctive Columbian palm hats for as long as many can remember, usually selling out on the first day.

I woke up today at 7am feeling great, like maybe one of the best days of my life” said Helmer.

His mood was buoyed by the sunshine, and obvious driver for his hat sales today. In addition to his palm hats, he’s also offering broad rimmed straw hats from Cuba, Helmer’s long term residence.

“Now that they have opened up the economy, I can sell more hats, especially bigger ones.”

As for his famous three words of Japanese, recently included in the official Fuji Rock documentary, Helmer says it means palm hats. He’s not totally sure but that’s what someone told him many years ago.

EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY

Every year at the pre festival party on Thursday night there is a interesting mix of fireworks, traditional Japanese music/dancing, DJs, bands and costumed out-performers. The fireworks do indeed add to the tension and make for a visually fitting start to such a stellar celebration of music.

Rocking Out Under Clear Blue Skies ... This Isn't the Fuji Rock I'm Used To!

A clear blue sky is not something many Fujirockers are used to seeing.  While Dave and I were walking to the site this morning to start work, he said, “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a blue sky here before.”  I couldn’t remember if I had either.  We’ve seen lots of cloudy skies and plenty of dark, rainy ones too.  But this is something unexpected.  What are the odds it stays like this all weekend?

Now that's what we're talkin' about

It’s been like 3 years since the pre-fest party was blessed with such gorgeous weather–and such a kickass sunset. T-shirt weather with only a hint of humidity, enough to bring the bullfrogs out, but so far the mosquitos seem to be cooperating. People are starting to arrive and the bon odor has begun. Tomorrow it’s fair again, or it’s supposed to be. Now for beer.

BE CAREFUL THE HUGE SPIDERS IN NAEBA!

Winding your way up and around the little mountain villages stacked below steep valleys sprinkled throughout Niigata, the smog from Tokyo faded away in favor of clear blue mountain skies. Blow your booger-filled nose and wipe your squinting eyes, take a deep down breath and let the city stress melt away, bending your scowl gently into a smile.

The forecast says slight chance of precipitation for Friday, but otherwise, we may in fact be in for, wait…don’t jinx it… Nice weather this weekend! Welly boots abound regardless what the weatherman says; people walking up to the campgrounds in their cute little rubber galoshes, just in case. If that forecast is right though, please remember to drink plenty of water, and you may want to bring a bandana to wrap round your mouth and nose Los Lonely Boys bandit style– because if it stays sunny and dry, then like the temperature, dust will rise.

Strolling across the field of green affront Green Stage, stage hands securing the last of the scaffolding, as the sun sets and the clouds turn pink and the sky darker shades of cerulean blue, beautiful Naeba is ready and willing to recharge your spirits and set the stage for a musical smorgasbord for the next 72 hours.

Whether this will be your first festival or your 15th (Phil), feel the tension, the excitement building, as the campgrounds fill up and the staff puts the final touches on every little detail of the infrastructure here. We are in for a treat as always, come rain or shine, thanks to musicians making the trek thousands of miles, and the fans who dance arm in arm, stinky and tired as ever, clinking plastic glasses “Kan-pai!” and slapping high fives.

And plan those toilet breaks, too!

As you probably know the only tickets left as of this writing are single-day admissions for Friday, which means it’s going to be really crowded all weekend. We say the more the merrier, but the way the festival is laid out bottlenecks are inevitable even under relatively sparse conditions, so it’s best to think ahead. You may not be able to avoid the Yamanote line conditions at certain times, but if you have other options you could save yourself some aggravation.

The biggest bottlenecks occur between the two main stages, the Green and the White, since there’s only one narrow path connecting them (we won’t count that scenic route along the river because we’re not sure of its status this year). However, the boardwalk connecting the White to Heaven and Orange can often get really crowded. Though it’s touted as a shortcut, if you’re really pressed for time getting to the far reaches of the festival (note, you’re not supposed to go the other way) you may actually save time going the long way, meaning around Gypsy Avalon. Also, in the wee hours, getting from the main festival area, especially the food court, to the Palace of Wonder will likely take a long time, since the only performances are taking place at the Red Marquee and the Palace venue. Continue Reading…

T-SHIRT & TRASH BAG (SHADES OPTIONAL)

If you’ve ever seen a photo of Fuji Rock you will notice most people DRESS FOR THE WEATHER, AND NOT THE CROWD. You can’t really blame them as rain is a near constant (why do you think this place is a ski resort?). And similarly, mountains are darn cold and you can shiver to death.

But I gotta say it sort of sucks when everyone plays it safe and waddles around in identical rain suits in the same bland red, yellow, blue, and green. It’s enough to make you wear sunglasses! I -truly admire those who give-up the Gore-Tex and face the elements full on with old school non-performance  materials like denim, leather, suede, and even thin-cotton T-shirts.

To the left you will see a Nova teacher who is having just a fine time with his makeshift raingear.  I have another picture of his mate wearing an identical outfit (same trash bag) and having an equally good time. The plastic provides a bit of warmth as you can get a chill swigging lager all day. (FASHION NOTE: Very few are bold enough to wear a band T-shirt, mostly preferring something ironic or well worn, or just downright plain looking.) A few days ago, I asked a mate about his outfit and he sent me this succinct text, “Docs shorts tshirt.” Enough said.

Continue Reading…

LIFE IN A GLASSHOUSE WITH THOM YORKE AND CO.

Thinking of coming to Fuji Rock on Sunday to see Radiohead close the 2012 edition of the festival on a high note? Well, the bad news is that you won’t be able to drive there by car without a ticket: the one-day parking tickets for Sunday have sold out.

The good news is that one-day tickets for Sunday and three-day tickets for the entire festival are still available but we’ve been told that they’re close to selling out. Our advice: Get in quick to avoid disappointment.

The Fuji Rock homepage has also updated its information regarding the last-day availability of tickets at various outlets around the country (Lawson, Pia, e-Plus, Gan-Ban, HMV, Tsutaya etc).

See here for all the gory details.

In other news, the schedule for the free shuttle bus to/from JR Echigo-yuzawa Station has been released. Free shuttle buses will be available to and from JR Echigo-yuzawa Station for all ticket holders from noon on Thursday through noon on Monday.

The shuttle buses depart Echigo-yuzawa Station from noon until midnight on Thursday, and from 06:00 until midnight on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The shuttle buses depart Naeba Bus Terminal outside the entrance to the festival from 13:00 until 01:00 on Thursday, from 07:00 until 02:00 on Friday, from 05:00 until 02:00 on Saturday and Sunday, and from 05:00 until noon on Monday.

See here for the full shuttle bus schedule.

See here for more information about getting to/from the festival.

BEST FEET FORWARD

With less than two weeks to go until Fuji Rock, it’s time to start making sure you’ve got everything you need to make the festival an unmitigated success. Here’s a list of essential items you’d be well advised to bring:

Gumboots (known as rain boots or Wellingtons to those outside of Aotearoa): Footwear is a fiercely debated topic. Ideally, you’re likely to need something mid-calf or higher to keep the mud out. I wore a pair of ankle-high hiking shoes last year and the mud was perilously close to the top by the end of the first day. I was already taking wide berths around certain areas on the main paths, and the Orange Court was basically inaccessible. Remember to bring some comfy insoles to help give the soles of your feet some added protection.

Poncho/light raincoat: Umbrellas are prohibited in the festival grounds and rain is as much a part of Fuji Rock as the music itself. I personally find ponchos easier to use than raincoats because you can simply throw them on and off as and when is necessary (the rain has a habit of coming down in regular showers). Ponchos can also cover any day bags/gear you might be carrying. It’s worth buying a semi-decent one that will last the distance because the ¥100 varieties have a tendency to disintegrate just when you need them most.

Torch (flashlight) and batteries: It gets pretty dark when the sun goes down. Central Shibuya this is not.

Sunscreen, insect repellent, Tiger Balm, hat, sunglasses, folding fan: The Red Marquee may be blessed with a roof but you’re going to be exposed to the elements for much of the festival. Continue Reading…

When you’re pulling a 24-hour-door-to-door trip, braving international airports and airline food, jet-lagged and stupefied for the first few days of your journey…you don’t want to turn around and go home again after only four days.  As amazing as Fuji Rock is – and it sure the hell is – travelling all the way from central Canada to the mountains of Niigata for only four days seemed extreme.  That’s why my fiancée and I are making it a two-week trip, touring around the country before we wind up in Naeba.  This has presented fairly specific challenges, which you might be facing if you’re coming to Fuji from overseas yourself.

First, there’s the camping.  Getting a hotel in Naeba is a pipe dream, so we’re tenting for the duration.  Camping in a foreign country presents a host of new issues and problems that we’d never thought of before.  In many ways, it is an easier trek than a regular camping trip, as you can avoid stoves, coolers, fires, etc – since you’re buying delicious international treats from various FujiRock vendors.  You don’t even have to bring travel mugs in order to hide your liquor from park rangers.

On the other hand, hauling camping supplies across international date lines is not a joy.  Luckily, our airline has a two-bag-per-person allowance on flights to Japan (not to mention there’s a generous fella who offered to tote his tent from elsewhere in Nihon, so we didn’t have to bring it overseas – thanks, man).  Still, unless you travel hilariously light, you’re going to want to bring at least one extra bag, even if you have to pay for it.  Seems like a no-brainer but use a backpack for your sleeping bag(s – if there’s two of your and you’re intimate, a queen size bag is easier to carry than two separate bags).  It’s best to travel light if you can – use your towels as a pillow, leave your air mattresses at home if you can handle sleeping a few days on hard ground.  You’ll be sleeping but few hours a night, right? 

Somewhere out there, a person who know Tokyo and speaks better Japanese than I is laughing at me.  Why didn’t you just rent camping gear? this person is saying, shaking their head.  Well, the reason is, my limited Japanese reading ability, along with my not-very-outdoorsy friends in Japan, were of no assistance in finding a camping-equipment-rental place in the country.  Surely, such a place exists, but for a westerner trying to suss it all out, it’s muzukashii, desu ne.  Please pipe up and let us know if such a magical place exists…

There’s plenty of tips on what to bring camping to Fuji (try here and here), so I won’t get into the details of that.  Suffice to say, it’s a lotta gear, so make sure that backpack is large.

If you plan on wandering the country but don’t want to trek with all your gear, my suggestion – which may be flawed (and let me know if it is), is to find a coin locker in Tokyo and drop your suitcases in there over the weekend.  The subway systems have tons of them, many big enough to fit a full-sized suitcase.  They’re not expensive, and as far as I’ve experienced, there’s no time limit on locker storage (though if you left things there for months on end, you’d probably lose your stuff).

One final thing we wondered about was cell phone availability.  Sources tell me that reception in Naeba is a bit better these days, so you may want to have a phone – to rendezvous with people at Fuji, or to confirm hotels or call people you might know in the country.  Check with your provider – not all cell phone plans will work in Japan, of course, and they aren’t cheap (for me, texts will be $0.60 Canadian each, and phone calls $2.60 Canadian a minute).  You can, however, rent cell phones at Narita (info here).  It’s not unreasonable in price and conveniently located. 

I’ll post more tips if I think of them, but if I don’t…we’ll see you in Naeba!

THE DAY AFTER: QUEUES THAT NEVER END

So you’ve bought your ticket to this year’s Fuji Rock Festival and you’re – as they used to say on “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” in the early ’90s – “psyched.” Now comes the mundane part: getting there.

There are a number of options you can take to get to and from the festival site, which is located in the lush mountains of the Naeba Ski Resort in Niigata Prefecture. These fall within various categories ranging from “you can do it with your eyes closed” to “it would be faster to walk,” so let’s cover each of these in turn…

TRAIN

1. TRAVEL TO TOKYO STATION

The very first thing you need to do is work your way to Tokyo Station, from where you can catch a bullet train to a station on the Joetsu Shinkansen line near the festival site.

(1) From the Tokyo area:

Narita Airport to Tokyo Station

The Narita Express takes around 90 minutes to Tokyo Station and leaves the airport roughly every half hour between 07:30 and 19:45. After 19:45, trains are less frequent and vary depending on the day, with the last train leaving Terminal 1 at 21:44. Tickets cost ¥2,940 one-way.

See here for the Narita Express timetable from Narita.

See here for the Narita Express timetable to Narita. Continue Reading…

Ok it was Mannish Boys, and the crowd was so thick at Gypsy Avalon they were even standing behind the rubbish bins. Talk about packing it in!