C10 LIFE FEATURES THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2005 SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST

GIGS Edited by Adam Wright [email protected]

This year’s festival boasts Marrow escape 200 bands, including Coldplay, who’ll take to the Green for gangsta rapper Stage (far left), and Ryan Adams, who’ll play the Field of Heaven Ice-T may have matured, but he hasn’t (left). PHOTOS: softened, he tells David Watkins TROY DUNKLEY/ KOICHI HANAFUSA If Ice-T’s real name was Dave, ‘Where’re these black kids as opposed to what it really is – coming from? They’re crazy! Tracy Marrow – chances are They’re gonna kill us!’ Now he wouldn’t have become such you’ve got 50 Cent doing it and a tough nut. As it was, he was everyone’s saying, ‘So what?’ forced to look after himself from It’s become saturated.” day one, standing up to those Ice-T, meanwhile, has who taunted him about his branched out into acting and has “girly” name. a book – The Ice Opinion – under He’s also the reason there’s his belt. All of which is enough such a thing as the “Parental to make you assume that the Advisory” sticker on CDs. Turning self-styled “Original Gangsta” has his attentions to music after a mellowed. Not so. stint in the army and a storied “If you’re a gangsta, then I career on the streets as a pimp don’t think you ever really mellow and hustler, Ice-T became out. You always keep that energy. something of a cult figure when You become more focused the song Cop Killer hit the streets maybe. The old Ice-T was, ‘I’ll in 1992. Causing a global uproar, kill everybody!’ The new Ice-T is with politicians calling for the kinda like, ‘By the way, you know song to be banned globally, it I’ll kill you, right?’” eerily preceded the LA riots of Despite the fact that Ice-T can the same year. sell millions of records, choose Funny then, that 13 years where he wants to play in the later, Ice-T has used his status world and stay in top hotels, he to become, of all things, a cop – says his gangsta element hasn’t albeit one on TV, as the popular been cushioned. Detective “Fin” Tutola on NBC’s “When I was hustling we were Law and Order. in better hotels than this,” he “I haven’t really changed,” he says. “The only thing I got going This year’s Fuji Rock Festival will be the biggest yet, writes Audrey Luk says over the phone from a hotel for me now is that I’m not room in Taipei ahead of his Hong crossing people or making Kong performance on Saturday, enemies out on the street. That when he’s scheduled to appear happens when you’re hustling. alongside DJ Afrika Islam, son of You create enemies and every pioneer Afrika Bambaataa. day you don’t know when they’re “Nothing’s really changed going to walk up behind you. around me. A lot of people like “Now I don’t have those kind MUSIC TO YOUR EARS me, which is good – as a real of enemies or those issues. But gangsta you don’t want to be you’re a target for other reasons – hated and feared. You want to be You can never relax. I could relax “WHO ARE YOU here to see?” a Japanese by a typhoon. It’s been at Naeba ever After Coldplay on the main Green from the festival entrance – the field has able to walk among the people. and then some kid could walk attendee at last year’s Fuji Rock Festival since. “We’re very happy with Naeba, but Stage, The Pogues are set to fire up the been home to more mellow acts. The Car- When I do my shows I come right up to me, cock a .45 and asked. We were in the line for the porta- it’s getting too small,” says Moylett. White Stage, which is the festival’s big- dinals are Adams’ touring band, and their on stage now and I go, ‘A lot of murder me. It could happen to potties, the great leveller at large-scale “Every year, there’s something new and gest. Expect a rollicking good time among latest album is Cold Roses. With a deep y’all know me as Detective Fin’, Donald Trump, you know?” outdoor events. I spied musicians from we’re running out of land. At the same tens of thousands of revellers, swigging body of work to choose from, Adams’ per- and there’s a big cheer. ‘But So don’t expect a friendly hug various bands standing patiently in line, time it’s such a beautiful setting – a holi- beer, linking arms and singing along with formance should be as electrifying as the I’ve got news for you. I’m Ice from a soft gangsta retiree in some chatting with fans to pass the time. day in the sun, good music, nice food, re- Shane MacGowan to The Irish Rover and action on the larger stages. motherf***ing T.’ And that’s when Hong Kong this weekend, then. Who wasn’t I there to see? Last year’s laxed atmosphere.” A Pair of Brown Eyes. Beck (Green Stage, 7.20pm) promises a they go nuts.” “We’re gonna do five songs off line-up read like a music lover’s dream: Organisers take full advantage of the lo- On Saturday, it’s Fatboy Slim on the lively show. His latest, Guero, is infused Compared with that summer the new album, a mature Ice-T The Pixies, The White Stripes, Basement cation. Movies and ambient images are Green Stage from 9pm to 11pm, a time- with the catchy, Latin and hip-hop fusion when Cop Killer caused genuine album. An overview on this world Jaxx, Jack Johnson, The Killers, and PJ projected against a forested mountain near slot shared by Ryan Adams and The Car- rhythms of his other albums. shockwaves, the world today is of 50 Cents,” he says, before Harvey, to name a few. one of the stages. Joe Rush and the Mutoid dinals on the Field of Heaven. By virtue of At the Red Marquee, a smaller, tented wise to the theatre of Gangsta asking where I’m calling from. This year, the festival (at Naeba Ski Waste Company will be back this year with its location – it’s a brisk 30-minute walk venue nestled in the Oasis, where most of Rap, while Ice-T – with his ex- “Hong Kong? Oh, you there Resort in Niigata Prefecture, Japan, from new giant “junk sculptures” that will be on Fuji’s food is served, The Bravery are stripper wife, Coco, and family – with the triads then. They’re July 29-31) promises an even wider array display outside the Palace of Wonder. scheduled to perform at 3.10pm. Al- seems to have settled down. But the real gangstas. That’s the of talent, with almost 200 bands in the Unfortunately, rain isn’t off the menu though their name may not be familiar, if Gangsta rap is unable to shock, difference – they’re actually still line-up – music to the ears of Fuji’s esti- at Naeba. Storms have hit the festival for the US group’s eponymous debut’s first then what’s it good for? doing it. I’m making records. mated 125,000 ticket holders. the past two years, although the audience track, An Honest Mistake, is being used to “You’ve got to remember that Don’t f*** with them, man.” “We’re almost sold out, which is a rarely seems to mind. promote new programming on Star TV. when we first came out, no one first,” says Johnnie Moylett, a former “Björk in the rain [in 2003] was a good At night on the same stage, Seattle- knew what the hell it was,” says Ice T and Afrika Islam, Dragon-i, member of the Boomtown Rats and now one,” Moylett says. “You didn’t even no- based United State of Electronica will play the veteran rapper. “We scared Sat, 11pm, $150 at door. Inquiries: international co-ordinator for Smash tice it was raining until she stopped.” their infectious, positive grooves, fol- the s*** out of the world – like, 2899 0059 Corporation, which has been organising So far there have been no last-minute lowed by Japan’s veteran DJ, Towa Tei. the festival since it was launched in 1997. cancellations. Major acts booked for the Sunday is packed with headliners. Rapper and actor Smash was set up by Masahiro Hidaka first day include the Foo Fighters, Coldplay Röyskopp play their delicate, downtempo Ice-T with his wife, specifically to run the festival, after he was and The Pogues. Coming close to the re- trip-hip at the Red Marquee. The Nordic Coco. PHOTO: EPA inspired by visits to Glastonbury. lease of their third well-received album, duo are preceded by The Coral and fol- The first festival was held at Tenjinya- X&Y, Coldplay shouldn’t have any trouble lowed by The Futureheads and Aqualung. ma, at the base of Mount Fuji, but was hit drawing the lion’s share of Fuji rockers. Joe Rush’s giant sculptures feature again The Green Stage hosts New Order, Moby, and Primal Scream, while The Mars Volta, Doves, Athlete, and Sigur Ros take the White Stage. “Unfortunately I’ll only be there for the SOUND ADVICE TO MAKE THINGS ROCK AT FUJI day that I’m playing,” Moby says. “But I’m excited to see New Order again.” Putting Pack as lightly as possible, It’s usually warm and for the day before leaving If you intend to fly in on July these two artists on the same stage back- but make sure you have the sunny during the day, but your tent. It’s best to bring 29, take one of the earliest to-back will be quite an experience. essentials: cash (there are the temperature drops a small backpack. flights (this will get you to But perhaps the biggest act of the festi- no ATMs on the festival dramatically at night, so Ticket sales overseas Naeba between 5pm and val will be The Beach Boys, who are set to grounds), comfortable don’t skimp on space with have closed, but they’re 7pm). On arrival, take a train play at 5.30pm on the Green Stage. “I saw walking shoes, a water- a thin sleeping bag. “It’s a still available in Japan at to Tokyo station and then them 10 or 15 years ago and they were note- proof jacket or anorak good idea to pack clothes you various outlets listed at switch to the JR Joetsu perfect,” Moylett says. “They’re a part of (umbrellas aren’t allowed), wouldn’t mind throwing away www.smash-uk.com/frf05/ Shinkansen line and alight music history and fun to sing along to.” a few T-shirts, a sweat- afterwards,” says organiser ticket_japan.html at Echigo Yuzawa station, The last acts are scheduled to take their shirt, a hat, sunglasses, Johnnie Moylett. It takes a while to get to where signs will lead you to bows at 5am on Monday. By the time the sunscreen, a pair of shorts, Because the campsite is Naeba from Tokyo. Plan on the buses to Naeba. One-way last bus leaves Naeba later that afternoon, a pair of long pants, soap, a 20-minute hike from the spending four to five hours tickets are 6,690 yen ($465, fans should be sufficiently warmed up for a towel, a flashlight, a tent festival entrance, make sure getting to the festival adults, $232 children). Summer Sonic, another Japanese live and a sleeping bag. you have everything you need grounds from Narita airport. Audrey Luk music extravaganza to be held on Aug- ust 13-14.

Sapphire Tonics and Filthy BIG NIGHT Sapphire Martinis while watching the sun go down over the train OUT station. It was beautiful. Stars on the rise in the Soler system I was supposed to play a three-hour set, but I stayed on Tommie Sunshine for almost an extra hour because Italy proved to be a valuable front of a huge audience, singing for the album and it didn’t come DJ/producer the crowd kept asking for more. I It’s been a long, hard road to their debut lesson in social etiquette. in different languages – which is out. We thought ‘Oh my god, it’s ended with The Clash’s London’s “We weren’t looking for people what we do now,” Dino says. not that simple’.” Before I arrived in Hong Kong a Calling and everyone went wild. album for Macau-born twins Julio and to understand us. But we learnt They started making phone During a holiday in Macau few weeks ago, I had a huge night After the set, I hung out with Dino Acconci, writes Lee Wing-sze their ways and tried to adapt,” calls. “We knew that if you wanted the next year the twins thought in Amsterdam. It started early, the crowd for a bit. There were all says guitarist and vocalist Dino. in, you had to start at the bottom,” about returning to Asia. Dino about 5pm, when my sound sorts of people: drag queens, rave The brothers continued to Dino says. Eventually, they were met musician Jun Kung who later engineer and I were invited to kids, the fashion crowd. Those seeing Soler for the first lot of live shows, and are due to play music. They performed signed to EMI Italy in 1996. introduced him to former Beyond dinner with DJ Dave Clarke at At dawn, I returned to the time are often amazed even perform in Tsim Sha Tsui’s M1 Bar to a 20,000-strong crowd at the Although they released a single, guitarist Paul Wong. an amazing seafood restaurant. Lloyd Hotel for a nap. The before the Macau-born twins and Central’s Red Rock next week, International Youth Festival Tears in Your Hands, in Europe Since then, Dino has worked From there I went to the interesting thing about the hotel start to play. With their Italian- to promote the new disc. Genfest, but didn’t think about in 1998, an album was never with Kung, as well as written and venue where I was playing – on is that it’s haunted – when you Myanmese features, you wouldn’t The brothers say launching taking it up professionally until released. “It was a major blow,” produced for singers such as get out of the lift, you see a necessarily assume they were their career in Hong Kong has 1996. “We had this vision of us in says Julio. “We prepared two years Eason Chan Yik-shun, Faye Wong bouquet of flowers, but when proficient in Cantonese. The been a long, tough journey. and Edmond Leung Hon-man. you come back a few minutes pop-rock duo actually have “We were naïve about how the He’s also performed in Wong’s later, it’s dead and dried up. seven languages under their belts industry works,” says Julio, the band, Hann. Julio has worked as After a couple of hours’ – including Putonghua. older sibling. “Over the years, a graphic and web designer to let sleep, I raced to the fruit stands The Acconci brothers, now we’ve made a lot of mistakes – Dino focus on music. near the hotel to buy fresh based in Hong Kong, refuse to be but nothing we couldn’t fix. So It seems to be paying off. strawberries and raspberries. considered foreigners. “We here we are today with a simple Earlier this year, Soler secured In the US, food often contained speak Chinese,” is the first thing and straightforward album.” a contract with fledgling record chemicals and steroids, so Julio says after we meet. Encouraged by their company Humming Bird. food tasted much better in On their debut album, Stereo Myanmese mother, the self- They say they hope to Amsterdam. I took my fruit to Sound, which was released last taught musicians started to play represent a new generation in Dam Square and reflected on week, there are six Cantonese the harmonica and organ when China. “If you’re born in China, how the simplest pleasures are numbers, three Putonghua songs they were kids. But when their why can’t you be Chinese?” the top floor of an art museum life’s best. and two in English. The twins, father died when they were 15, the asks Julio. “We’re pushing the which is usually a restaurant but As told to Caryn Yap who wrote all the music and the twins moved from Macau to Italy. boundaries of ethnicity.” occasionally holds special events. English lyrics, invited rocker Paul On top of having to learn another There were about 700 people Had a big night out recently? Wong Koon-chung to write the language, they also struggled to fit Soler, July 27, 10pm, M1 Bar, TST; there and I had a few drinks We’d like to hear about it – Chinese lyrics. into an environment where they July 28, 10pm, Red Rock, Lan before my set. I had Bombay e-mail [email protected] The duo have been doing a were seen as foreigners. However, Dino (left) and Julio Acconci of Soler. PHOTO: OLIVER TSANG Kwai Fong