Summer Sonic | 08.09 & 08.10 | Japan

Words & Images by: Theresa Meehan

Summer Sonic :: 08.09.08 & 08.10.08 :: Makuhari Messe Event Hall & Chiba Marine Stadium :: Tokyo & Osaka, Japan

Summer Sonic 2008 :: Japan (c) SUMMER SONIC 08 All Rights Reserved

Summer Sonic is Japan’s ultra-convenient annual rock festival. Organized by Creative Man Productions, the event is a two-day party hosted simultaneously between Tokyo and Osaka fusing some of the world’s best indie and major rock artists alongside their Japanese counterparts.

Successful rock festivals are often only as good as the venues they occupy, and given the lack of space even in the greater Tokyo region, the massive Makuhari Messe, hosting three stages, and Marine Stadium, with smaller stages scattered throughout, are superb! These two major arenas are a fair distance apart, but as long as you’ve donned some comfortable shoes, one can easily maneuver between them with relative ease. Some may have complained about getting around but the fact is Summer Sonic, in accommodating some 200,000 punters, presents a very strong lineup and fully caters to everything including numerous food and retail areas, side shows staging comedic and musical acts and a private beach, all offering chill-out spaces in between shows. There’s even a separate stage out near the camping area next to the Silent Disco. For around $150 per day your costs are immediately met by the main acts showcased at the end of each evening.

Saturday, 08.09.08

The Prodigy

The Prodigy :: (c) SUMMER SONIC 08 All Rights Reserved

Against a pitch black stage speckled with blood red and electric blue luminous robotic eyes gazing at the crowd, day one culminated with The Prodigy energizing Marine Stadium in their usual crazed punk-style performance as a half moon rose over Tokyo. Dressed in manic outfits – Flint in a red and white striped jacket that read “My Dogs Will Kill You” and Maxim in black and white with stark white makeup – the duo thumped and bumped across the stage, occasionally stopping to stare down the crowd with their wild eyes wide open. Their set included the explosive hits “Breathe” and “Voodoo People” with Flint staging a mock bashing of the guitarist, who abruptly fell to the floor while still playing, naturally! Complete anarchy followed as an extended remixed version of hit “Firestarter” played while the boys caused havoc around the stadium and brought the gig to a close as the evening’s fireworks display exploded high above.

Perfume
Earlier in the day the Dance Stage started with Japanese female trio Perfume, who enveloped the crowd with their heavy thumping beats and mannequin-like dance gestures coupled with intermittent questions and jokes in Japanese. Their performance of the hit “Chocolate” definitely pleased the crowd.

Yelle

Ryan Tedder – OneRepublic (c) SUMMER SONIC 08 All Rights Reserved

Halfway through her performance security had to close entry to the Dance Stage arena where Yelle played to a capacity crowd. A large group stood just outside the entrance trying to catch a glimpse of the French mistress of flowing, bass heavy electronica. She performed in neon leggings and a blue sequined blouse, and her accompanying live percussion setup sent everyone into a temporary state of madness. It was difficult to pull myself away from Yelle’s show, especially given the highly charged atmosphere she had created. Since seeing Yelle perform live and despite my eyes still adjusting from the onslaught of fluorescent colors, I’m definitely a fan!

OneRepublic
As the first few notes of “Apologize” played, the mostly female audience was already swaying in unison, mouthing the lyrics being passionately delivered by pianist-frontman Ryan Tedder. Despite some criticism of Tedder’s supposedly bland voice, there’s no question that the guy can belt it out and hold his own, although his attempted cover of Rihanna’s “Umbrella” proved slightly too much. The band played solidly throughout the set, but there were times when Tedder was drowned out by the additional surges of sound. Although OneRepublic wowed the crowd with “Stop and Stare” and “Someone to Save You,” hearing Tedder sing “Come Home” (his ode to a friend at war) live definitely made my hurried dash across the motorway separating the two main arenas worthwhile.

Old Man River
Old Man River and his band have risen out of the Sydney music scene and over at the Beach Stage they performed songs off the new album, Good Morning, including “Summer,” “Time” and “Better Place.” Fusing the sitar with up-beat drums and infectious guitars, they created a colorful, warm mood as the ocean breeze encircled the stage, sending positive vibes out into the swaying assembly.

We Smoke Fags

Paolo Nutini :: (c) SUMMER SONIC 08 All Rights Reserved

Their first time in Japan, the punk/indie North Londoners provided visual thrills, such as crazed samurai slicing at warp speed, to accompany the heavy slashing of their guitars. If you were looking for something a little distorted and somewhat louder than the other Dance Stage acts, if that’s even possible, then WSF were perfect! Initially I didn’t think much of the trio, who are said to be inspired by David Bowie and Iggy Pop, but decided to wait it out. Maybe it was the collective assault on my eyes and ears but I eventually got into “I Love You,” “My Disco Is On the Floor” and “Television.” However, it was “Fashion” which sent the fans, and their limbs, flailing in all directions. The band seemed to be sweating quite a bit; they’d put on a great show and the Japanese fans loved it!

Paolo Nutini
Back out on the beach the charismatic Paolo Nutini, known for his unique voice and insightful lyrics, did his darnedest not to let the crutches he was on keep him from showing the crowd a good time. Nutini did an amazing vocal performance of the poignant “These Streets,” which, to me, is already a classic since it reminds the listener of where they are and where they’re heading. With the help of his band, who backed him phenomenally, bodies were bopping all around to songs like the catchy “New Shoes,” the harmonica-infused “Funky Cigarette,” a bluesy “Mellow Down Easy” and his new tune “Sleepwalking.” Nutini was sporadically up hopping along with the crowd during the hour-long set, and even on crutches he definitely knows how to entertain.

The Verve

Richard Ashcroft – The Verve (c) SUMMER SONIC 08 All Rights Reserved

As a headliner, The Verve, including frontman Richard Ashcroft, Simon Jones (bass), Nick McCabe (guitar) and Peter Salisbury (drums), gave us the show of Summer Sonic Day One. Ashcroft emerged, cocky and rather well dressed, to the sounds of “This Is Music.” The band’s intoxicating hour-long gig included “Sonnet,” “Space and Time,” “Sit and Wonder” (a new song, with a heavy drum intro and melodic electric guitar reminiscent of U2) and “The Rolling People” which truly captivated the audience. The funked-up sounds of “Life’s An Ocean,” from the Northern Soul album, gave punters a chance to groove it out a little. I was thankful to hear my all time favorite Verve song, “The Drugs Don’t Work,” start only to be abruptly halted at the second verse. We had no idea why but Ashcroft mouthed something like “Fuck that tune. I’m never playing that song again!” and then, after some thought, stepped back to the mic with, “Do you want one more go?” Of course, the crowd obliged with raucous applause.

They played “Lucky Man” before Ashcroft said that he wasn’t sure if the next song made it over to Japan but it was big in Iceland. Then, violins, which could only mean “Bitter Sweet Symphony!” It sent the entire stadium into raptures, whereupon Ashcroft donned his leather jacket and introduced the final song, “Love Is Noise,” which, with a constant, heavy dance drum beat, sounded a bit different, lacking any substantial guitar involvement but supplemented by Ashcroft’s floating voice. All in all, for a band that has recently regrouped after some years, it was a truly brilliant performance.

Continue reading for Sunday coverage…

Sunday, 08.10.08

The Shoes

The Shoes :: (c) SUMMER SONIC 08 All Rights Reserved

One of my biggest surprises for the weekend, and possibly the largest draw for the Dance Stage on Day Two, were The Shoes, who couldn’t put a foot wrong (pardon the pun). Security turned a number of people away despite some of the crowd pushing and spilling their way onto the already cramped dance floor. The predominantly Japanese crowd loved, or shall I say went nuts over this French duo, who, in their unique electro-pop style, seemed to have a bunch of fun onstage as they unleashed a barrage of remixes, which included a pounding “America” that sent the crowd into a mad frenzy. The guys could be seen roaming about the festival after the show, chatting to their fans, their clothes still dripping with sweat from the show.

Polysics
If you haven’t yet heard of Tokyo’s biggest new wave, hardcore punkers, then you’re likely to get a massive electric shock! Buckle up for these crazy kids, who are guaranteed to send you into a spin with their manga/anime/punk influenced tunes. Band members Hayashi (guitar, lead vocals), Kayo (vocals, bass, synthesizer), Fumi (vocals, bass) and Yano (drums) all dress in identical jumpsuits, complete with custom made robotic shades. They will make you wish you had a triple espresso to keep up with the latest songs off their new album, We Ate the Machine. Hayashi, who screams and squeals incessantly, sets their frantic onstage pace. It’s a huge contrast from Yano, who, other than playing the synthesizer, was motionless for most of the set except for several sporadic outbursts, which included the shaking of bright pom poms! Yes indeed, the Polysics are truly unique and you don’t want to miss their show.

The Kooks

Polysics :: (c) SUMMER SONIC 08 All Rights Reserved

Featuring songs off their debut album, Inside In/Inside Out, and latest, Konk, their usual irrepressibly contagious energy spread throughout the stadium, sending fans into a constant, energized, jumping flurry. You couldn’t help but move and think how good they sounded. Maybe it was the amazingly clear acoustics of Marine Stadium, maybe it was that the raw talent of frontman Luke Pritchard, who, along with the band, was simply too damn good. As the set came to a close, Pritchard, his curly hair flailing in the swirling wind, jumped down to the photographer’s pit and up on the rails, where hands reached out to pull him into the sea of manic fans. He momentarily considered launching himself but was held back by a security guard. “Shine On,” “Always Where I Need To Be,” “Naive” and “Eddie’s Gun” were all crowd pleasers in Tokyo.

Alicia Keys
Dressed in custom Armani attire, perfect makeup and looking fit, relaxed and generally gorgeous, Keys entered to deafening screams, heading straight into “Go Ahead” before infusing reggae beats into “You Don’t Know My Name.” Keys was supported by her two female back-up singers as they sang “Teenage Love Affair” and moved to a Diana Ross and the Supremes routine before “Heartburn” and a spectacular piano performance of “I Need You.” The band then broke it down into a Spanish Harlem themed “Karma,” which had everyone up dancing and clapping to the extended set that segued into “How Come You Don’t Call Me” and “If I Don’t Have You.” Keys pumped up the crowd with the final song, “No One,” as she bopped between her piano and around the stage before waving goodbye, leaving her back-up singers to take over as the crowd continued to jump, their hands in the air, eagerly awaiting Coldplay.

Fatboy Slim

Alicia Keys (c) SUMMER SONIC 08 All Rights Reserved

Despite being slotted at the same time as Coldplay, Norm Cook, aka Fatboy Slim, pulled a substantial crowd to the Mountain Stage, where he donned a rabbit’s head mask and satisfied the fans with remixes of his signature “Praise You,” John Paul Young’s “Love Is In The Air” and The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me”.

Coldplay
Lights out. Cue deafening screams, the inevitable glow of cell phone screens, flashing camera lights and incongruent clapping. The stadium came alive with impatient anticipation as a giant backdrop depicting Delacroix’s “La Liberté guidant le peuple” (“Liberty Leading the People”) brought the stage to life. Coldplay’s current album, Viva La Vida, features the same painting on its cover and the revolutionary theme continued as the band, fronted by Chris Martin and dressed in mock-Napoleonic outfits, opened with “Life In Technicolor,” amidst blazing lasers and a huge array of lighting, followed by “Violet Hill.”

Martin used every opportunity to address the crowd in their native tongue and completely shocked everyone with a solo piano rendition of “Sekai ni Hitotsu Dake no Hana” (“A Flower Unlike Any Other in the World”), which sold over two million copies for SMAP, Japan’s most celebrated pop group. Despite his honorable yet slightly confusing attempts at Japanese, he had the audience singing along, and judging by their reaction he pulled it off extremely well. Definite audience favorites included “In My Place” and “Yellow.” Granted, there were several outbursts of “oohs” and “aahs,” but it’s rare to hear a Japanese crowd sing all the words to an English language song, and “Yellow” proved a true testament to Coldplay’s global reach.

During “Politik,” Martin smiled while altering the lyrics to “60,000 Japanese people watching us/ Let Alicia Keyes always play with us,” foreshadowing her appearance later. Martin didn’t stop bouncing about and running out to the crowd throughout “Fix You,” where he sprinted between the extremes of the stage and momentarily dropped to the floor before pacing back to his piano, where he collapsed in a sweaty heap, much to the audience’s delight.

Coldplay :: (c) SUMMER SONIC 08 All Rights Reserved

As “VIVA” flashed up on the bright scarlet red background, the entire band jumped off stage and sprinted through the crowd to the rear of Marine Stadium and then up onto a makeshift platform as the crowd went bonkers. Martin apologized for their “well traveled” odor since it was the end of the festival, and so started a seemingly impromptu acoustic interlude of “The Scientist.” Martin thanked the crowd as he humbly stated, “Some bands are blessed with one singer, some bands are blessed with two, some with none. We’re one of those but what we have is passion and a lot of enthusiasm. We don’t have the talent of Alicia Keys. She’s fucking on another planet! But, what we do have is teamwork.” Martin introduced drummer Will Champion as a regular 30-year-old guy who likes football, tennis and going to the cinema, adding that “he sings like a fucking angel” and further hinted that they would give us “the biggest surprise you’ve ever seen.” Champion then sang “Death Will Never Conquer” as the foursome huddled together, with Guy Berryman on guitar, Martin on harmonica and Buckland on tambourine.

The “Violet Hill” video, which features dancing politicians and scenes of war and poverty, then played before Alicia Keys was introduced by Martin as “the most beautiful woman in the world… except for my wife that is.” She joined Martin on piano as they performed “Clocks.” Waving a Japanese fan, Martin improvised by singing, “Sitting on the piano with Alicia keys singing.” He ended the routine by singing the lyrics of Keys’ hit “No One.” The show closed with “Lovers In Japan,” and as an enormous explosion of colorful paper butterflies fluttered over the crowd, the band played “Death and All His Friends” and “The Escapist” before saying goodbye and making way for Summer Sonic’s fireworks finale. Coldplay’s performance was raw, and they seemed to enjoy themselves, especially Martin. Of course you have the usual theatrics, but as shown in his attempt at an extremely famous Japanese pop song, they were genuinely thankful to their fans. They were living in the moment and the mutual admiration of all involved was apparent.

There’s no disputing this year’s acts were simply outstanding, yet what also stuck out was the vigilance event organizers took towards recycling. There were recycling stations everywhere, guarded by staff that kindly insisted on the removal of bottle labels to be placed in specific bins. Awesome. Definitely one of the cleanest music festivals I’ve attended. Another notable memory of the festival was Von Halen, a Japanese rock group known for performing Van Halen songs. Led by lead singer Debuccho Lee Roth, who sported the tightest red and white striped Lycra pants I’ve ever seen on a middle aged-man, they got the Marine Side-Show crowd into the spirit, and even drew a large group of onlookers from the Marine Stadium. These guys were class. They looked like they were genuinely having a blast and that’s what it’s all about really. Summer Sonic ’08 impressed the capacity crowd fully. If you can make it out here for the festival in 2009 do it. Sure beats listening to cicadas in the cruel swelter of the Japanese summer.

JamBase | Rising Sun
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