Fujirockers: The official Fuji Rock Festival blog

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.

SEUN KUTI

The first thing that needs to be said about Asagiri Jam is that it is perhaps the most beautiful location in the world for a music festival. Mt. Fuji looks down upon the festival site as if the peak was some kind of gathering place for the music gods from which they send their magic to the audience. I hadn’t been to Asagiri for a couple of years and despite it having been amazing weather the other times I had been, I heard that last year the rain was really bad. With the setting being so integral to this festival it seems like those gods upon Fuji were in good spirits this year, gracing us with 2 days of crisp sunny skies with just the right amount of clouds added for optimal beauty.

The pristine nature is certainly one of the best things about this festival but the next thing that needs to be appreciated here is the amazing vibe from all the unique people who come here every year. It is such a feast for the eyes to see the way the festival goers go to extreme lengths to look and act the part for this celebration of humanity. Every point on the color spectrum is represented in the wild and tribal clothes, mostly intensely patterned attire, which the crowd uses as their launching point for further self-expression and exploration. Yes this is indeed a modern hippie festival with people juggling, throwing Frisbees, getting creative with hula hoops and twirling various other objects in the air, all as a means of returning to the simple pleasures of life that can so often be forgotten when you live in Japan’s densely populated cities. Continue Reading…

So much of a festival takes place far away from the stages, somewhere down a muddy path through the woods or atop the black asphalt of the parking lot. This is where we talk, hang out, and drink beer. As a tribute, here are a few grainy memories from that final night, along with my picks.

Best Moment: Wu Lyf: Guitarist Evans Kati exited the stage mid-set to take a crap leaving frontman Ellery Roberts to kill a few moments which he literally did, asking everyone to think of their last wish on earth before popping a muthafuckin’ cap into the microphone ..”chk chk… boom”

Best Song: The Faces “Oh La La.” I knew this going in, and damnit nobody but Kern cared how many people were in the crowd cuz this was the longest singalong I’ve ever heard. Pretty poignant lyrics too.. “I wish that I knew what I know now, when I was younger.” And lets be honest, Ron Wood’s boozy RnB riffs influenced a nation of rock and rollers from Guitar Wolf to Yusuke Chiba who all copped his licks.

Best Band: Wilco. 2011 is a make or break year for Tweedy & Co. and you could see the expectations weighing in mightily on the last remaining alt-country hero. Tweedy is looking as bad as Billy Joel nowadays with a rumpled suit coat and unkempt, graying hair, but he seems to wake-up or genuinely enjoy playing on stage midway through the show. For a young person, he’s already spent half his life on stage, and I’m starting to wonder if anything outside of the stage or recording studio exists for Tweedy.

Best Celebrity Sighting: Mick Jones and Don Letts. Rock and Roll Royalty. Both as pleasant as can be. Mick even chatted about his mum who know lives in Hurley, Wisconsin, and married a G.I.

more pics
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HEY, DIDN'T THEY USE THAT SIGN LAST YEAR?

MY TOP 5:

CSS at the White Stage (Fri): Its hard not to love Lovefoxxx, especially when she brings it that hard. And she’s not doing it alone. This was just awesome.
Manu Chao’s secret set in the Crystal Palace (Fri): Yup, he was the “special guest.” Later, his Japanese promoter told me the last time he played Fuji Rock, he ended up in the Palace of Wonder playing guitar outside for free anyway, so they just decided to put him on the schedule. As previously noted, the staff of this blog went a little nuts.
The Naked and Famous (Sat): I had a couple linger doubts about this band after seeing them at SXSW, and they all went out the window with one of the tightest sets I’ve seen in a while by a young band. They have one great album. Let’s hope they keep it up.
The Black Angels in the Crystal Palace (Sun): Looked like I picked the wrong day to stop drinking Jack Daniels, and omygod was that surf rock?!?! Double OMG!
Chemical Brothers (Sun): Sure, we joke that they are just up there playing a DVD and secretly checking Facebook, but even if they were, they still rank among the few acts in the world that can get 20,000+ people partying at the Green Stage. And I mean that people were partying all the way in the back!

BEST SHOWS I MISSED: Continue Reading…

Very Gerry

2. Keep your wrists loose

3. Twist your hips and hop or reel from one foot to the other

4. Keep your arms loose and let them flail around

5. Improvise with any movement that feels “free”

6. Now you’re doing the Hippy Shuffle

It feels that in the past few years Fuji Rock has gotten serious about rock ‘n roll history. John Fogerty and Roxy Music last year, Faces, Mick Jones (ex-Clash) and Don Letts (influential figure in British reggae, punk and ska) with Big Audio Dynamite and others. So it doesn’t seem out of place that a Grateful Dead tribute band should play, especially given that one of the festival’s biggest stages, The Field of Heaven, is essentially for hippies, jam bands and a smattering of world music. Thus came Dark Star Orchestra, the world’s best Grateful Dead tribute band, from Chicago, Illinois, and having played more than 1900 shows. Continue Reading…

Jeff Tweedy of Wilco

At the start of the set, Jeff Tweedy looked tired, jet-lagged, and basically worn out. I’ve seen him in one incarnation or another for probably 25 years. During that time I have fallen in an out of love with the band, but this hasn’t stopped Tweedy & Co from non-stop touring and recording. The last batch of albums may have alienated some fans, though it seems the music press and others have dubbed 2011 the year of Wilco’s return.

But back to Tweedy’s look. His hair was frazzled and unkempt, with a touch of grey at the sides. I don’t know if it was intentional, but his suit was also rumpled and his eyes seemed a bit off. But when your summer is spent at Bonaroo, Pitchfork Festival and countless other outdoor gigs, how does one stay fresh?

It took a few songs for Tweedy to come around, namely the song “Via Chicago” which was interrupted three times with wild drumming, simulating the effect of lightning. I had heard about this reworking of the song, but was still surprised when I heard it. Did it work? I was quite shocked that it did, adding new poignancy to the song with the band being able to easily recapture the tuneful groove.”

Then it was “Shot In the Arm” and “Heavy Metal Drummer” and an abrupt finish (they ran overtime) with “Outta Sight Outta Mind.”

In the end it was joyful, despite all the noise.

RIFF-ROCKIN BEATS

The thing to like about 80Kidz is that their stuff sounds like DJ tracks on their records, but they are a 4-piece band in performances and can crank out the electro-jams all the same. Though they’ve done a bunch of well known remixes (MGMT, Metric, Stellastarr, etc.) and even produced a new track featuring CSS’s Lovefoxxx (check out all that on their official site), this was what you might call their “originals,” i.e. the bangers on their albums (otherwise known as the music that will make them money if you buy it). They are not jarringly original, but they are definitely fun and can rock a big room. And that’s exactly what happened Saturday night (7.30.2011).

Photo: 中島たくみ
More photos: http://fujirockexpress.net/11/4769.html

Hisashi Yoshino of Eastern Youth

Eastern Youth are one of the first generation of punk bands, forming in 1988, and gaining early acclaim with other punk bands such as High Standard. They were one to top the record charts with mega selling albums, inspiring others and turning the heads of A&R reps. I saw them play the Red Marquee years ago and that place was absolutely popping, though this show at the White Stage was more mature, showing balance and tempo change instead of straight ahead power punk. I should add the audience was a bit older now, and this may have added to the slower tempo set.

Eastern Youth take an obvious influence from Fugazi and the straight edge scene, though Eastern Youth are keeping it strong and steady.

Alex Maas of Black Angels

Still, there was a powerful vibe in the Red Marquee, and the afternoon sun did much to turn the front of the stage into a sweltering mass. The band played songs such as “Bad Vibrations,” “Surf City(Revisited)” and “Phosophene Dream.” Each song was mesmerizing and a tad loud for this stage as a guitar buzz was apparent whenever the band switched, which was often. There was feedback (intentional) and lots of marimbas as the band make no secret about their adoration for predecessors Brian Jonestown Massacre. I only wish that Joel Gion of BJM were here to add a little charisma to the front of the stage.

Folks grabbing Merch from their fest faves

With a massive crowd of people crowded around the Green Stage for Yellow Magic Orchestra, there’s absolutely no queue for t-shirts.  Popping up for a quick look, I was surprised to see that the most expensive tee at the fest is for Asian Dub Foundation, who are charging 4,000 yen for a shirt.  There are a few acts charging 3,500 yen, while the rest are charging between 2,500 – 3,000 yen to sport their moniker across your chest.

Best deal of the fest seems to be from The Get Up Kids who are selling hoodies for 3,500 yen.  It may be summer, but it gets cool in the mountains after dark, so that GUK sweatshirt could come in handy later tonight.

Apollo 18 with superfluous InterFM DJs, Sang Yun still asleep

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

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

Oh Sunshine Help Usher In A Sunny Sunday At FRF

On Friday, Sunny Day Service were unable to stop the rain at FRF.  Oh Sunshine fared much better, though.  The light rain that had been falling all Sunday morning let up right before the act took to the stage at 10:20 am.

Despite their early starting time, the Tokyo-based band were still able to half-fill the Red Marquee.  The duo of vocalist Emily Connor and guitarist Mikio Hirama brought along a backing bassist and drummer to help them flesh out selections from their eponymous debut EP.

Connor bounced around and sang while the group knocked out solid bluesy rock.  Hirama got his chance to shine on “I’ll Take You Down To The Riverside.”  The track had a bit of a southern rock feel and included a searing solo from Hirama who hoisted his guitar above his head and shook it as the track came to an end.

Making an effort to look as good as they sounded, during the next cut, Connor paused mid-song to compliment Hirama’s fashionable footwear, exclaiming “I love those shoes.  Those are some great fucking shoes for Fuji Rock.”

Photo by 佐俣美幸
For more photos go here.

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

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

I called him the Japanese Tom Waits based on the video I saw, and live at the Gypsy Avalon (4pm Saturday) this didn’t seem too far off. Upright bass, accordian, small percussive-toned acoustic guitar, 1920s sounding music, and some extremely grizzled vocals–he sounds the way Bruce sounds when he’s straining (the “boooorn” in “boooorn in the U.S.A.”), only all the time–the crowd that had shown up even before the first song suggests a devoted following.

And from what I heard, he’s earned it. I often dislike music sung in Japanese, and I think this may reflect my deep and long-standing standing hate/hate relationship with the language (OK, there’s a little love in there too; it’s like a hate sandwich), but I kind of love the way this guys sings. And old-timey acoustic is always a good way to mellow out of an afternoon at Rock festival. Continue Reading…

Marc Ribot becoming one with his instrument

I wrote in my post yesterday that Deerhoof’s drummer was by far the best I have seen at this year’s Fuji and although it is still only Saturday, I am supremely confident that I witnessed the best guitarist at the festival tonight at the Orange Court. Yes, I am well aware that many musicians may have been more interested in seeing Ronnie Wood from the Rolling Stones play with the Faces but believe me, Marc Ribot has the kind of control over his guitar that Ronnie could only fantasize about. It is no surprise that Ribot has been a staple session musician for many years, playing live and in the studio with greats like Lou Reed and Tom Waits. Although he always has numerous music projects going on at any one time, he could not have chosen a more appropriate unit to take over for Fuji Rock. His Los Cubanos Postizos allow Ribot to bring his guitar alive to a backdrop of infectious Latin grooves. Watching him play was truly an unforgettable experience. With the crazed motion of his head and his hands moving over the strings with lightning speed and precision, I kept imagining that he was using his instrument to somehow channel the spirits of all the legendary guitarists who have come before him. Continue Reading…

Yeah, it’s Asian Dub Foundation again. Fuji Rock’s favourite band. This is their 8th appearance at the festival. You know what to expect, you know it’s gonna be wild, and you know you’re never going to wish you’d seen that other band on the other stage.

This year they’re touring their new History of Now album. Any Asian Dub Foundation album  makes you want to see the band live. Listen to Temple Siren on the band’s latest album, all thundering drums and siren guitars, and you desperately want to hear it live. Preferably outdoors with the sound wailing off into the distance. Sadly, they didn’t play it. But we got Urgency Frequency, History of Now and New London Eye, and I’ll settle for that.

Unless I was knocked out in the mosh, they didn’t play London to Tokyo either, which would have surely made the crowd happy.  But we got Flyover, of course, and that’s when the moshing kicked into high gear. The only other time I’ve seen this field look so deadly was when The Pogues played.

Asian Dub have been going for about 500 years, and they still sound fresh as hell. What happened to all the other Asian breakbeat acts?

Anyway, the set proper petered out with w bit of a whimper as percussionist Cyber gently eased off the drums. This, of course, means there’ll be an encore. Nobody ends a set like that. The encore is Fortress Europe, dedicated to Japan. They tell Japan to keep bangin’ on the walls of the government until they tell the truth. I think the crowd misheard it as “keep bangin’ into that big fat white guy”. I like a revved up crowd, but I might have to watch from a bit further back next time they’re here. And for sure, there will be a next time.

Walking along the boardwalk today, I saw that someone had written “Girls Generation” in big letters followed by the names of the K-pop act members and “Korea” at the very end.

Girls Generation thankfully won’t be appearing at Fuji Rock, but their fellow countrymen Apollo 18 will.  The post-hardcore and post-rock trio won “Rookie of the Year” at the 2010 Korean music award and played at SXSW this spring.  And although they are a far cry from K-pop and have a whole lot less sexed-up outfits and dance routines, I’m banking they will still be pretty damn entertaining.  They play on Sunday morning at 11:30 am in the Red Marquee.  They’ll do a short acoustic performance and interview Sunday afternoon at 3 pm at the InterFM booth, too.

Washed Out At The Red Marquee

Admittedly, my expectations for Washed Out’s 11 pm Friday night Red Marquee set were low. Band mastermind Ernest Greene and his backing players made there Japan debut back in May at Freaks Music Festival ‘11.  Reviews of that gig were far from glowing.  One friend simply said, “Yep, they definitely sounded washed out.”

That wasn’t the case in the Red Marquee.  Greene was a full on rock star as he lead led his group through chillwave anthems from his new “Within and Without” full-length debut.  It was a huge party onstage with one of the supporting musicians sporting a headdress and Greene bouncing around and waving his arms to rile up an already excited audience.  Hopping off the stage onto the platform above the photo pit, he ran end-to-end clapping his hands above his head, causing the crowd to follow suit.  Getting back onto the stage he shouted “Pick it up” to both his bandmates and fest-goers before starting another mass clap-along.

Sadly the act wrapped things up five minutes before their scheduled finish time.  Everyone definitely would have been happy with one more song.  Before exiting, Greene called out, “Thank you so much.  It’s been incredible!” He wasn’t kidding.

Photos by 府川展也.
More photos here.

Naruyoshi Kikuchi conducts his sonic alchemists

The organizers of Fuji Rock must really like this group because in the past they have been the final special guest act on the Green Stage on the closing night of the festival. They are unquestionably a sight to behold, with 2 drummers, a percussionist, horns, guitars and keyboards, the stage was overflowing with people and their instruments. What they play is very hard to describe but I think the closest point of reference might be Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew and On the Corner albums. They started their set very nicely with some slick funk bass lines and and smatterings of cosmic sounding keyboard playing. As time went on though they got more and more experimental, taking the audience on a twisting journey through ultra quick time changes, bursts of noise and a barrage of layered rhythms. The underground Japanese music scene is well known for its obsession with the extreme and watching this band perform it is easy to see why.

Picture by Julen Esteban-Pretel. More here.

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

SHUKOTU MUKAI, WATERSHED MOMENTS

Photo: 古川喜隆
More photos: http://fujirockexpress.net/11/4102.html