Current line-up at Fuji Rock '01!

Hi!! This is Nobu on the FROM ORG staff. Sorry to have kept you waiting for the latest line-up at the festival, but here goes!

Several acts have recently been added to the bill, and with them the flavor of FRF '01 is forming to give you a taste of what to expect. So spread the word and get ready to rock with your friends.

The complete list, at the time of this posting, is:

Alanis Morissette (28 July)
Ani DiFranco (29 July)
At the drive in (27 July)
Brahman (29 July)
Dropkick Murphys (27 July)
Echo & The Bunnymen (28 July)
Hothouse Flowers (28 July)
Kemuri (27 July)
Manic Street Preachers (27 July)
New Order (28 July)
Number Girl (28 July)
Oasis (27 July)
Powderfinger (28 July)
Rickie Lee Jones (28 July)
Ron Sexsmith (29 July)
Stereophonics (28 July)
Travis (27 July)
and more...

Maybe some of these artists were beyond your wildest dreams, but - I can tell you, this is only the beginning! We have even more earth-shaking announcements to come, so stay tuned.

In the words of Taisho, as enigmatic as ever, any scoops you read here are "... just me talking to myself, so even if someone hears me, it doesn't mean that they're confirmed. Official announcements will be posted on Smash's official website, so don't forget to hit that page, too." Please remember that the fujirockers.org page is designed for you to enjoy the process of these negotiations.

Taisho also tells us that Manic Street Preachers, who play on the same day as Oasis, claim, "We'll do a better show than Oasis." In response Oasis said, "They're a good match for us." Perhaps a real conversation, perhaps not, but one thing is sure: Manic Street Preachers, Oasis AND Travis will all be performing on the same day, and this line-up clash should have a big impact on each of their shows. My guess is that they'll all deliver a mind-blowing set.

All 3 bands are headliners in Britain, where they would never be billed on the same stage on the same day. The staff at our Smash UK office couldn't wait to announce this information, which would literally shock rockers in Britain. They are so relieved that they can talk freely now...

Some secret news behind...

For my part, I would like to start this report with the story behind some of the cancellations and the reasons why some acts were unable to appear at this year's festival (though there is always hope for next year...).

- Deftones
We are not sure why they pulled out of the festival. They did send us confirmation, but then they started hinting that they wanted to tour the US, so we gave up! We now have one less loud act on the bill, but Taisho still seems to have many ticks up his sleeves, so we'll just have to wait.

- Limp Bizkit
Well, they just sort of went limp and disappeared. They were supposed to tour Korea after Fuji, but it was taking them too long to confirm, so they won't be performing this year. I really wanted to see their show, which I've heard would be even more awesome than their last gig at Fuji Rock.

- A Lady singer from rather up north relating with Ice(?)
We received many requests for her on the BAND BBS, but she says she wants to tour with opera theaters around the world. There is a strong rumor that she is having tour before or after Fuji, so we now have one more event to look forward to.

- JJ72
They said in an interview that they would be coming in August, and they will - but, again, not for Fuji. Keep your eye on announcements around mid-April. I guess you know what I mean...

- Slipknot
They can't make it because they're playing at the Ozz Fest in the US. They might be able to make it to Japan a week or so after the festival.

- Daft Punk
I offered them a gig on the White stage, but they said they weren't ready to tour this summer. I guess those visual effects are taking time...

The flavor starts to brew...

With all the (possibly) sad news out of the way, let's move on to what is brewing as the actual flavor of this year's festival. The followings acts have been confirmed:

- Oasis will headline on Friday, which looks like being a big day out for the Brits. Saturday's headliner should be confirmed soon. I'm still feeling limp about Bizkit cancelling on Sunday, but we will still be able to enjoy a top-shelf mix of Japanese and US acts. There will be no more British bands on the Green Stage.

- New Order are headlining on the White stage on Saturday, though rumor has it that they may clash with the soon-to-be-confirmed headliner on the main stage. You will definitely have trouble deciding which band to see, but that's just the sort of decision that makes you really feel like you're at a festival! So many flavors to choose from.

- Echo & The Bunnyman from Liverpool in England, who had many hits in the 80s, will be playing in the Red Marque dance tent. As New Order are also coming to Naeba, it's looking like an 80s reunion at the festival!!

As you should have already read on the official homepage, Ani DiFranco, Alanis Morissette, Number Girl - a Japanese power pop band, and Powderfinger have all been added to the official FRF '01 bill. The latter from Austraria will also be playing in the dance tent.

Still hungry for info? Well, just remember that resident high-energy bands who've played at previous Fuji Rock Festivals, like Ozomatli and Todos, were not confirmed at this point in the proceedings. Both of these bands were relatively unknown before the festival but delivered octane-powered audience-rocketing sets AFTER known headliners had performed.

Archives returning soon!

At the moment, you won't be able to access the Fuji Rock Express archives from '97 through '99. This is not only due to the as-yet-unfinished website renewal, but also due to server trouble. But please be patient as we will resume access to the archives as soon as we possibly can.

We are thinking of grouping all previous Fuji Rock Express reports together in one ARCHIVE section. Don't worry - we would never delete them, especially as they contain too much valuable information which you can use to give us even better ideas for this and forthcoming Fuji Rock festival homepages.

At this point, however, it's not just as simple as adding a link. Our new web designer, Michael.A. Follin, from the UK, is working double time and wishing there were "...48 hours in a day!!!" (his request to the organizers). Please cheer him on in the TOGETHER BBS - maybe, just maybe, it'll help him work faster!?

I hope you're starting to get the picture for the Fuji Rock Festival '01. For me, the process is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the festival, so hang in there and get ready for the next update.

While we're on this topic, let me remind you about what I've been saying about your contributions to the BAND BBS. Please read the rules (accessed via the "HELP!" on the top right hand side of the webpage) before posting your suggestions. Most of the artists for the Green stage have already been decided, so, at this point, we'd like to hear your suggestions for artists we should watch for in the future. Oh, and by the way, when you request your favorite bands in the BAND BBS, could you also add how great they are and why you think they should play at Fuji? Then if we receive a lot of agreement from other Rockers, maybe we can get Taisho to act.

Anyway, see you later!

PS : I hear that the Smash UK site will be having arenewal from the next week. I guess there might some new information there. Please check it as well.

Reported by Org-Nob  (March 21, 2001)