Fujirockers: The official Fuji Rock Festival blog

THAT IS A BIG WALL

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.

SOUNDTRACK FOR THE DAYDREAMERS

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.

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.

GOMA'S SINCERE, SOBBING "SAYONARA"

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

Ya'll stay away from drugs, y'hear?

I thoroughly enjoyed Kensington Hillbillys set on the Gypsy Avalon stage Sunday evening. The group’s mix of country classics and originals just hit the spot, and while the audience was rather spare, everyone clearly had a good time; and it occurred to me: American country music is one of the most popular styles in the world, so why doesn’t Fuji bring more country acts? I mean, this year they brough three top-line African acts, and always invite excellent reggae, blues, and other “niche” forms that connect to rock but aren’t actually “rock.” So why not country? Continue Reading…

Rebel Music

If any band at Fuji Rock required a crib sheet it’s Tinariwen, a collective of Taureg nomads from northern Africa who turned to the guitar as a means of expressing their rebellion against those authorities (mostly Libyan) who would restrict their lives. There are at any one time more than a dozen members, but only four came to Fuji, and while guitar freaks may be disappointed that the full complement of Tinariwen’s axe-slingers didn’t make it this trip (nomads’ lives are difficult to pin down), the ones that did show up were more than equal to the task of blowing away the jaded Field of Heaven habitues. Continue Reading…

SPRAINED WRIST FROM A BAR BRAWL SATURDAY NIGHT

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

DAYDREAMING OF PSYCHEDELIC SOFT CREAM

Way up here, the vibe is nice, high above the clouds. The sun is peeking through 3 days of overcast overhead. Luigi makes an appearance and eats a huge plastic magic mushroom. There are rainbow ice cream cones, a rock ‘n’ roll panda, lions, tigers, and bears oh my! (Seriously, human-sized.)

Don’t wake me from this trippy daydream on a mountaintop. But what put the icing on the mud cake was the full freakin’ rainbow on the Dragondola ride down! It seriously spanned the sky, arching from one pot o’ gold to the other, over peaks and a winding river. More to come on that later…

Riding the dragon up to Daydream was the best possible way I could have spent the afternoon calm, albeit raving with umbrellas at three o’clock in the afternoon, hardly the definition of calm. Yoda DJing must have covertly transferred some of his grammatical wisdom through the womping bass, as I seriously feel enlightened. Because, we may have since descended from on high, but I am still on cloud 9 and plan to ride this feeling to finish this year’s fest strong, despite my damp wooly socks. Fuji Rockin’ Rainbows of Love!

Whistle while you work

That was some smooth scheduling. Ren Takada took the tiny Mokudotei stage on the  boardwalk between the White Stage and the Field of Heaven about a minute-and-a-half after Dachambo finished their very loud set. Takada is singer-songwriter of the quiet, thoughtful school, and while his music is perfectly suited for the forest setting it was staged in, it wouldn’t have done at all for him to compete with Dachambo’s frantic jamming. As it was, there also wasn’t anyone on the White Stage, though occasionally the sound check floated over. Continue Reading…

All together now

Japan’s premier jam band, Dachambo, has played the Field of Heaven at least once before because I remember seeing them there. They were good, but I was startled to see the crowd that had assembled for their Sunday show, which happened to greet a rather hot sun. Obviously, a lot of people knew more than I did, and as soon as the show started it became obvious: These guys had become more intense, and they were intense to begin with. As far as jam bands go, Dachambo are closer to Juno Reactor than to Phish, but they go light on the electronics and effects. And while all jam bands worth their wah-wah pedals reference world music, Dachambo actually plays it: Latin, African, reggae, hip-hop, even Bo Diddley figure centrally in their songs. Continue Reading…

SUCKS SCREAMING DISCUSTING

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

And I got thirsty.

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…

Sunshine????

Jun Saito, man of action

With Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra graduating to a headlining slot, some veteran Fujirockers might have missed their spirited show as a day-opener, but actually there were two ska groups doing the job at this festival: Mom Dad God on Friday (whose leader is a SkaPara alumnus) and Your Song Is Good on Sunday.  A younger but by no means unseasoned collective, YSIG is a bit looser. Fifteen years after they originally formed (under a different name), they still dress and look like college students, and when they took the stage promptly at 11 they warmed up with a blues-soul vamp that already had them sweating by the time they launched into their opening number. Continue Reading…

Is never-ending.

But I did make a new friend over at the green stage, where Glasvegas are due to play in just a few minutes.

I just met the coolest guy over at the tenkoku area – check out the incense sticking out of his hat!

HE NEVER STOPPED SMILING!

The all-out freak-out jam last night at Orange Court, started by two wee kalimbas (thumb pianos), and carried through by a cast of about a dozen multi-talented and incredibly diverse skilled musicians, singing, dancing and banging things was what huge international festivals like Fuji Rock should be all about. To see a musician going beyond their own song list, bending and blending styles, and expressing the inner rhythm to the beat of just one drum (a HUGE hide skin thing tonight), rekindles the definition of a true artist, reaching higher, further, stretching, aching 15-minute jams kind-of further, to embrace the crowd as a pulsing organism comprised of precious individual expression.

Deerhoof front lady Satomi Matsuzaki lent her vocal styling’s to a rare distinguishable vocal hook “No one can change no one else.” That was both fitting precisely into the motley percussive Congotronic rhythm and still hosting a tint of Satomi’s own unique voice. Wildbirds and Peacedrums‘ Ms. Mariam also impressed with a vocal pipe strength both primal as what archetypal native African singing might bring to mind, but with incredible inflections and a bunch of other pleasant surprises, with passion ever-present.

The smiles never ceased on all the Congotronics members’ faces. Their authenticity, playing steady since the 70’s, was contagious. I think if they had it their way, the crowd and band would become one, like a dusty Congolese café, patrons boogying, having fun, picking up a drum, expressing the movement and sound that go hand-in-hand in spinning the globe. So global music meshes like this can be expected more, I hope, and it will be fun to see what genres morph next.

Photo courtesy Julen Esteban-Pretel. More photos here

Is there a Kato in the house?

Though veteran blues guitarist Jun Nagami dropped her professional alias, Madam Guitar, for her performance at the tiny Naeba Shokudo stage with the power trio Punch Kiita Blues, some habits die hard. As Madam Guitar she assumes the persona of a forebearing, put-upon Japanese housewife; in other words, someone whose particular species of “the blues” is recognizable to the average Japanese person. With Punch, she didn’t wear the kimono or the elaborate hairstyle, but she was still wry and ironic. She even did a couple of Madam Guitar songs, like the priceless “Kato-san,” about the difficulty of being born with (or, in this case, married into) a name that’s ubiquitous, like “Jones.”

Thoughout the 45-minute set, Nagami kept the stragglers chuckling while ripping through a wide variety of blues-derived styles, from soul to funk to enka (which, real enka aficionados will tell you, is nothing but the blues), all with the help of her deft and sympathetic sidewomen: former Super Junky Monkey bassist Shinobu Kawai and drummer Grace.

photo: Yokoyama

SMOOTH HIP CAT PIMP DADDY-O

I was just finishing my green curry and tofu pita when I heard the trombone squeeze and saxophone, my cue to hustle over the bridge to the Green Stage. Only 15 minutes before, walking through the sparsely populated Green Stage lawn, I wondered what kind of crowd the Tokyo Ska outfit would draw.  I got my answer as I showed up on the lawn with capacity other ska stompers keeping time.

All clad in matching suits, a gangster-esque menagerie of accessories, like bowlers, shades, braids, open top buttons, etc. these guys looked the professional part (though professional what, just by looking, may be hard to tell…assassin perhaps?) Anyway, it did not take long to learn that the only thing these guys are killing is the airwaves all the way back to the tree line and beyond. They had the priority area patrons up out of their seats stomping!

Showcasing the talent of this tenured act, around since 1988, every one of the members gets a shot in the spotlight. At one point the front man in the Blu-Ray shades is scatting oogy-boogies versus the trombone player squeaking out replies. There was even a surprise rendition of Tequila, performed flawlessly on harmonium, with a large portion of the crowd happily filling in the vocal portions.

A special track was performed as inspiration post-earthquake, the baritone saxophone man puts down his brass and belts the hook full of celebratory confidence, “We can do it!” The crowd smiling and singing along in solidarity.

I have a new favorite genre ska, and the president-elect of that new favorite genre is, Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra.

Photo courtesy 熊沢泉. More photo reviews here

MS. TOKIKO, YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE

Kato Tokiko was described to me endearingly as Japan’s most famous hippie lady. When she comes out on stage at the Atomic Café (Gypsy Avalon), the sun may be hidden beneath layers of cloud, but she exudes an elegant vibrance to fill the atmosphere with a bright genuine smile and confidence, even before her first words. Think Joan Baez with a perm, and a little shorter. “Genki?” She asks knowingly. “Subarashii.” Wonderful.

She explains this set is not just about singing songs, she will be talking about important issues, too. She closes her short and sweet intro with something like, “Of course Solar Power is strong and important, but what is even stronger and more important is each and every one of you in the crowd.” Continue Reading…