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.