Everyone knows that Japanese music stage is famous mostly for its visual kei bands. Moreover, it’s not just a music style, but a part of Japanese culture. Nippon Project wants to cover various aspects and forms on the Japanese music stage. This time Nippon Project is going to tell the readers about GEKI Rock FES vol. 9 which is popular among Japanese fans of alternative music. The large-scale event is held not only in Tokyo, but also in Osaka, Nagoya and some other cities, though in the capital it lasts several days.

GEKI Rock is not just the name of the festival. First off, it’s a website dedicated to Japanese alternative music, where you can read about such bands as Maximum the Hormone, ONE OK ROCK, FACT , Pay money To my Pain, Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas, DIR EN GREY, CROSSFAITH, HER NAME IN BLOOD, ROACH, RADWIMPS, BIGMAMA, and many more, bands, including overseas bands. There is also a free music magazine that is released once a month.

The festival took place in Club Seata. The large Tokyo venue was already crowded with people waiting for the show to begin. It was THE TWISTED HARBOR TOWN who opened the event. It’s not easy to be first, as quite a lot of effort is required to stir the audience up. The band played songs from their recently released EP “This Story Is Not About The Others” and their first demo CD.

One more post-hardcore band was next, it was REMEMBERING SENSATION. Right with the first beat vocalist Isamu jumped into the crowd. In the middle of the performance he asked the audience to raise their lighters or cell phone screens. When the melodious intro was over and music started to gain speed guys in the audience made a circle pit and moshed there for several songs. The set list contained songs from EPs “Say Goodbye” and “Build your dreams on my shattered hopes”.

REMEMBERING SENSATION vacated the stage for INHALE, the band with international lineup, whose vocalist Jeff is originally from Britain. The style of this band can be characterized as a very sophisticated metal core. From the very first song the circle pit reappeared somewhere in the middle of the audience area. Enormous energy generated by the band members flowed onto the audience, making guys in the pit go wild, while those who were in front rows started stage diving. During the final song people in the standing area organized wall of death.

The next band who appeared in front of the audience was HEAD PHONES PRESIDENT. The crowd calmed down a bit, looking up at the vocalist Anza. Those who came to Club Seata that night were mostly guys, thus, they got close to the stage, fascinated by the charming woman on vocals. With no doubt she knew how to draw the attention of the crowd: she rocked out like there was no tomorrow. During Hiro’s solo she approached the band mate and bit at the neck of his guitar, then started to hammer it with her fist.

The last Japanese band of the night were metal core monsters METAL SAFARI. Since the very first second of their performance it seemed like the volume regulators were turned up to maximum level. Those whose eyes were glued to the stage only a few minutes ago went totally mad. They jumped, danced like crazy, front rows got even denser. Sharp screams of Ina pierced through the listeners’ ears. During numerous solos of Hiro Ina supported his band mate with furious air banding. These rough guys who set the high standard for other metal core bands impressed the audience with their mere presence.

The closing acts for the night were the British band ANTERIOR, and LAZARUS A.D. who were the headliners of the festival. Most of the Japanese audience was waiting for these particular bands.

November, 27
Tokyo, Kichijouji, Club Seata

Line up:

ANTERIOR (UK)
LAZARUS A.D. (US)
METAL SAFARI
HEAD PHONES PRESIDENT
THE TWISTED HARBOR TOWN
REMEMBERING SENSATION
INHALE

Special thanks to GEKI ROCK (http://gekirock.com/).