【LIVE REPORT】FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL’24

Clad in the Hot Wind

The memorable stage, like last year's ROOKIE, began with the ambient sound of Key. 田中利幸. But this year, a hot wind blowing from the audience of RED MARQUEE, which accommodates 5,000 people, swayed 田中's hair on stage.
Percussion-like sounds from Ba. 大蔵倫太郎 were joined by Dr. 保田優真's drums, like a massive surge.

A familiar intro at the beginning of their live shows brings a surge of excitement, signaling 'that song is coming,' starting with 大蔵's words, 'Let's begin FUJI ROCK. Here we go.' Yes, it's “NTM” (from 1st album 『NEO TOKYO METRO』). The light, crisp sound of the hi-hat in the chorus intersected with Vo. 杉田春音's singing style, which was more concise than usual.

Seamlessly transitioning into “The Few” (from 1st EP 『新東京 #1』), 保田 showed a relaxed expression throughout, starting with a smile as he observed 大蔵 during the intro.
In the following “ユートピアン” (from 1st EP 『新東京 #1』), the chaotic section in the middle was played more intensely than usual by all instruments, as if confirming each other's breath. When the section concluded with 杉田's '雲一つない青空は' (a cloudless blue sky), there was a feeling that a cloud-like illusion vanished in milliseconds.

By the time “Heavy Fog (Organic)” (from 5th EP 『新東京 #3 (Organic)』) began, RED MARQUEE was filled to the back, making one forget it was the morning of the first day of FUJI ROCK.

Then came a bass and drum duo. The BPM was 150. 保田's dry snare, toms, and bass drum, like a silenced gun, and 大蔵's explosive, bursting slaps, seemed to form an A.T. Field just for the two of them, naturally sparking cheers and applause. Of course, this led into “Escape” (from 1st album 『NEO TOKYO METRO』).

杉田's sharp gaze, as he sang with rising voltage, shouting 'Everyone, find your own way to ride this out! To the end!', flew towards the back of the venue. With 大蔵's playful spirit woven throughout, they entered the final instrumental section. At the finish of a section where the keyboard and bass intertwined, almost becoming a unison, 田中 spontaneously stood up, a smile spreading across his face.

From there, they seamlessly transitioned into “Cynical City” (from 1st EP『新東京 #1』).
Following 杉田's shout of 'FUJI ROCK! Let's dance!', 田中 executed a sticky glissando with a heavily distorted sound, reminiscent of a desert hot wind.
After the second chorus came a solo where the drums and bass responded to each other. One of the Wind God and Thunder God, 保田's drum solo, had an unusually thick and wild sound from the bass drum and toms, creating a stark contrast with the thunderous cymbals. The other Wind God and Thunder God, 大蔵's bass solo, changed expression between the first and second halves, yet consistently exuded a rich, burning warmth in the back of the throat, like Scotch whisky.
Following this was 田中, looking happier than ever before in a live performance. He concluded his improvised solo, exploding with passion and a mischievous, boyish smile.
Listening to 杉田's smoky, somewhat juvenile voice as he sang, smiling contagiously, it seemed inevitable that this song would be their signature.

Performer's High

In the one or two weeks leading up to FUJI ROCK, 杉田 had told his bandmates, 'While I objectively understood that it was approaching, I just couldn't grasp the reality of it, and I spent my time in a fuzzy state.' However, contrary to those words, he also said about his performance that day, 'I was so high that I truly don't remember anything.' 保田 reportedly kept thinking about what would happen after it was over, and 大蔵 was deliberating whether he had performed well even after it finished. It's said that tension and exhilaration actually have similar brainwaves, but even while assailed by such indistinguishable emotions, they might have ultimately mastered them with something like their own bodily sensations.
After finishing their ROOKIE A GO-GO stage last year, all of them reportedly discussed in a car late at night, 'How can we get to perform at RED MARQUEE next year?' The future they seriously envisioned and earnestly pursued seems to have welcomed them.

The Dream Stage Once Seen Far Away

The chorus of the next song, “さんざめく” (from 1st album『NEO TOKYO METRO』), is a memorable track with 杉田's expansive vocals. His posture, stretching his limbs wide and looking up at the sky, seemed to embody holding the dream stage he once saw far away, feeling it with his entire being.
Then, after a short MC, came “36℃” (from 1st EP 『新東京 #1』).
In the instrumental break after the first chorus, the section where the title '36℃' appears in the music video, a short but intense bass solo, different from usual, was inserted. The keyboard and drums also featured subtle arrangements that differed from the original.

And then immediately, “Morning” (from 2nd EP『新東京 #2』).
A tempo slightly faster than the original heightened anticipation for a super play. In the solo section, after 杉田's rap-like B-melody and a sharply tense chorus, 田中 stood up and played while looking out at the venue. And during 大蔵's most intense solo part of the day, some audience members responded with wolf whistles to his fire-breathing slaps and his sight of hitting the strings with both hands.
After 杉田 casually announced a new song release during a short break before the final chorus, a flash-like 'SHINTOKYO' appeared on the huge screen behind them, along with the '新東京' logo adorned with four curves, accompanied by 保田's eight 16th-note snare hits. Shouting 'Dance!!! All the way to the back!!', 杉田 went into the final chorus with the biggest smile of the day. Looking at the audience stretching beyond the roof, it seemed as if they were savoring the fact that this stage was truly theirs. At the final note, both 保田 and 田中 spontaneously stood up, and 大蔵 ran down from the platform. A post-performance smile radiated from everyone's faces.
True to 杉田's closing words, 'Let's enjoy FUJI ROCK,' the members themselves might have truly enjoyed this stage.

Everyone Is an Ally

Just before the performance, leader 田中 said this while forming a huddle backstage:
'Not just the staff,
everyone here has chosen to come see SHINTOKYO; everyone is an ally.
And the members closest to each other during the performance are each other's greatest allies.
I know you've practiced the most.
During the performance, let's look at each other and have fun.'

ーーAnd so their summer was etched into the history of FUJI ROCK.

PLACE : 苗場スキー場
STAGE : RED MARQUEE
DATE : 2024.07.26(Fri)