[Note: the first three entries for Fuji Rock '01 were written on site, and are being transcribed with only slight modifications.]
Sat. 7/28, 10:15 AM
Well, add one to the list of humorous Engrish T-Shirts i've read: "Love is die. Die is a change." Took a couple seconds for my sleep-deprived brain to register what i'd seen. Of the sets I saw yesterday, i'd have to rank Asian Dub Foundation as the best. They brought a lot of energy, and the crowd was into the show from the start. They played "Real Great Britain," "Two Faced," a kick-ass version of "New Way, New Life," a modified "Riddim I Like," a new song called "Keep Banging on the walls of Fortress Europe," and a few others I can't recall. Also liked the Dropkick Murphys: Celtic punk. Played videogames through Travis' set, although, God help me, i didn't really mind the music. Manic Street Preachers were good as well, though i really only watched 'em to hear "If you tolerate this..." Skipped out on Oasis to see Mos Def and Tricky (not together, unfortunately). Mos Def had a dude from Bad Brains in his backing band, so they did a short cover of "Regulator". Though i wouldn't classify Mr. Def as an old school master, there are certainly worse ways to spend a Friday night (namely, watching the brothers Gallagher whine their way through warmed-over Britpop).
Tricky was absolutely fucked up. His band opened with a song that utilized the keyboard part from the Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams". Much like Homer's suggestion in the Poochie episode of the Simpsons that Itchy & Scratchy constantly ask "Where's Poochie?" whenever the hapless mutt isn't onscreen, the audience was left thinking "Where's Tricky?" throughout the first song. He appeared during the second, however, rapping angrily. He really tries to encompass too many disparate musical styles with his newer music, to my mind. Though occasionally compelling, it mostly reminds me of Zero in Nylund's _A Signal Shattered_: hopelessly fragmented and completely unintelligible. He did play "Karmacoma" or "Overcome" or whatever his version of it is called, as well as a cover of "Lyrics of Fury," so that was cool. Throughout his set, however, I was hard at work trying to fall asleep standing up, so many of the descriptions, depictions, or accounts of Tricky's set could very well have been dreamt. :-)
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