Text by Atsutake Kaneko
Photo by Kana Tarumi
On April 27th, the rock festival CA4LA ROCK FESTIVAL Vol.3, sponsored by hat brand CA4LA, was held at EX THEATER ROPPONGI. This is the first time CA4LA has held a rock festival in 12 years since CA4LA ROCK FESTIVAL Vol.2 in 2012, which was held to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the company's founding. The festival was originally planned for 2022, the 25th anniversary, but due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the outlook was uncertain, and it was finally held two years later. A total of five artists with ties to CA4LA who agreed with the statement, "For CA4LA, music is one of the most important cultures, and we have always believed that it is essential to the development of hat culture," took to the stage, livening up the venue.
Index
【Opening DJ】
George (MOP of HEAD)
On the stage, where the main visual was created by collage artist Q-TA, George from MOP of HEAD, who has previously performed at CA4LA ROCK FESTIVAL with his band, was the opening DJ. He warmed up the venue with songs that suited the lineup for the day, and when he played "Now's the time" by the chef cooks me, who ended their activities in March, the audience waved their smartphone lights.
a flood of circle
Just after the start of the show, Ryosuke Sasaki appeared on stage in a yellow leather jacket with a drink in hand, and a flood of circle's live performance started with "Dancing Zombies." Kazutaka Watanabe powerfully beat the beat, Tetsu Aoki spread his legs wide and played the guitar, and HISAYO stepped lightly, and the show was a top-gear rock 'n' roll show from the beginning.
Sasaki's "Today is the party!" raised the excitement in the floor even more, and they continued with the heavy "Gold Diggers", then came to the front of the stage with a hand microphone and sang "Ikasama-shi no Ballad", before running straight into the audience. "I think everyone has noticed, but I'm sorry I'm not wearing a hat. It suits you more, you know," he said with a laugh, but when he called out "Are You Ready ROPPONG!", the crowd responded enthusiastically. He continued singing as he marched through the audience, and when he returned to the stage, he raised a can of beer and shouted "Cheers!", and the hall was filled with cheers.
After that, they continued with "Candle Song" where the chorus of "swaying swaying" started, "Seagull" which is a standard song for live performances, and "I'm Going on the Moonlit Road" which started with Sasaki's a cappella. In the MC, he mentioned what he likes about CA4LA, saying, "It's a crazy business called a hat shop. Do you think people would make money just selling hats? You'd probably end up opening a restaurant without thinking, right? I like that about them." He also said, "There are some really edgy things like, "Who would buy this hat? I feel a lot of love for the act of 'making', and I think they're really fighting." "We also want to make songs that no one needs to understand, but we came here today to try to understand each other for just 30 minutes." At the end, he sang "If You're Living Seriously," which started with Sasaki's freestyle playing and narration. He ended the stage by showing off the way of life of a rock and roller.
Ryohu
Ryohu, the second act, performed with a band set, supported by four musicians: MELRAW on saxophone and guitar, TENDERE on keyboard and bass, Kou Arata (WONK) on drums, and DJ KORK. The live started with "All in One," featuring the impressive, lustrous sound of the saxophone, and in "The Moment," he showed off his Height as a rapper with his skillful flow, while creating a large-scale sound image that rivals that of a rock band with the help of a gospel chorus. The composition of genre-less songs supported by multiple players is a symbol of the free music scene of today.
After saying, "Once again, I'm Ryohu. Everyone in Roppongi, let's have fun until the end," he continued with "GMC" with its light guitar cutting, "One Way" featuring YONCE of Suchmos on the recording, and "RIDE" with its impressive Afrobeat, where Shurkn Pap appeared as a guest and further livened up the stage. After that, he continued with songs in rapid succession, including "Foolish" with a mixture of a trap beat and a strong distorted bass in "True North," and "Level Up" with a psychedelic development with a danceable five-on-the-floor beat. The diverse beats were just fun, and it was clear that the audience was enjoying the music in their own way.
After saying, "Thank you to everyone at CA4LA and the audience," Okamoto Sho of OKAMOTO'S appeared as a guest for "Hanabi." Featuring distorted guitar, it was a rock tune that best suited the sound of a "rock festival" out of the set list for the day, and Ryohu's smile was very charming as he sang, "Me and my friends are forever, Say yeah again on stage," with his arm around his friend's shoulder. Okamoto Sho's staging was also superb, as he performed a solid call-and-response despite the short time. He ended with an emotional "Thank You," once again conveying his gratitude as the title suggests, and the concert concluded peacefully with the gorgeous sound of the saxophone.
LOW IQ 01 & THE RHYTHM MAKERS PLUS
The third act was LOW IQ 01 & THE RHYTHM MAKERS PLUS, a band by LOW IQ 01, who will be performing at CA4LA ROCK FESTIVAL for the third time in a row. LOW IQ 01 was, of course, wearing his trademark hat, and this man is indispensable at CA4LA events. The live started off punkish with the Irish-feeling "Hangover Weekend" with a shout of "Go wild!", and during the interlude, the front members Furukawa Yutaka and Nakamichi Ryo spun around together, adding to the entertainment. During the melodic "SNOWMAN," hands were raised in unison from the floor to create a sense of unity, and in the outro, two guitars harmonized, creating a very happy stage.
In the middle of the concert, they played songs from their early career, including "Little Giant" from their first album "MASTER LOW" released in 1999, which still sounds fresh, and "SO EASY" was performed with light steps, and a circle was formed on the floor. It could be said that the long-standing trust between LOW IQ 01 and CA4LA is the reason why such long-loved songs were performed. Then, when the chorus broke out during the fast-paced "MAKIN' MAGIC," Straightener's Atsushi Horie joined them halfway through the big song "RULES," also from "MASTER LOW." The surprise collaboration, unique to festivals, drew loud cheers from the floor.
During the MC, Horie talked about his appearance, saying, "When we were rehearsing, I wanted him to come on from the first verse, but I thought it would be exciting when Hosomi Takeshi comes on from the second verse of BRAHMAN's 'Tonight,' so I did it like that," laughing, and talking about his relationship with CA4LA, saying, "CA4LA protects my head." He then got the audience excited again with "Out in Bloom" and "Delusions of Grandeur," and the concert ended with the momentum going strong until the very end. It was a night that added a special touch to the memorial year of his 25th solo career, concluding with the familiar "I'm glad I'm doing music!"
Straightener
The fourth act, Straightener, appeared on stage with Jun Oyama wearing a hat and Hidekazu Hinata wearing a bucket hat. The live started with "The World Record," featuring Nakayama Shinpei's intense drumming and big chorus, and the second song was "KILLER TUNE," which exploded the floor. They also celebrated their 25th anniversary last year, and their strong ensemble and stage presence are rock solid, with Oyama and Hinata playing their solos with ease and dignity.
After greetings such as "Congratulations on holding CA4LA ROCK FESTIVAL. We finally made it there," they went full circle and performed "246," which had a comfortable, straightforward four-piece band feel (at the end of the song they said, "No, it's 246,") and "Space Night, Two Mornings." The moment the intro sequence started, cheers erupted for "BLACK DYED," which had a really cool post-punk rhythm and tribal atmosphere. From "Sayonara Dake Oshiete Kureta," in which Horie delivered a strong voice while playing the keyboard, to the popular "Sea Glass," in which the band once again created a driving feeling, the band's skillful use of tempo changes for each song made for a satisfying set list that mixed new and old songs.
"I've been friends with CA4LA for a long time, and we've DJ'd and sang together at reception parties, and made merchandise together, but we've finally had the opportunity to perform together as a band. I hope you'll continue to support us in the future," he said, before finishing the set with their signature song, "REMINDER." The fact that this song, released 20 years ago, continues to shine today is surely a result of Straightener's continued evolution as a four-piece rock band. It was truly refreshing to see the four of them line up to greet the crowd, and the audience burst into thunderous applause.
ACIDMAN
The final act was ACIDMAN, who, like LOW IQ 01, will be making their third consecutive appearance at CA4LA ROCK FESTIVAL. As the audience clapped along with the SE "Saigo no Kuni (Introduction)," Nobuo Oki appeared wearing his familiar hat and began the show with "Yoru no Tame ni." The band controlled the atmosphere with the tight, solid performance that only a three-piece band can provide, and as Urayama Ichigo's powerful drums and Sato Masatoshi's flashy bass playing heated up the venue, the crowd started "Isotope," calling out, "Let's go even higher! Are you ready to sing?" and the crowd all shouted "Oi! Oi!" in unison, creating the greatest sense of unity of the day.
"Thank you for inviting me again this time. ACIDMAN has performed in all of the previous shows," Oki said in his MC, which was met with cheers. He then spoke of their relationship, saying, "CA4LA made an original hat for me, and we make goods together." He went on to express his gratitude, saying, "It's been 12 years since the last time, and I'm glad they invited me again. I think we can do it because we're both healthy and energetic, and I think we were able to do it because the audience came, so thank you so much for today," which drew thunderous applause from the hall.
Following the funky cutting-based "Rebirth" and the dreamy clean tones and delay-based "Slow Rain," Oki began playing arpeggios and said with a laugh, "Recently, when the atmosphere is like this, people expect me to talk about space, but I don't have time today, so I won't. I'll have a solo tour starting next month, so I'll have plenty to talk about there," before performing the emotional mid-tempo ballad "The Night the World Ends." Whether it's a live house, hall, or arena, ACIDMAN is unique in being able to create a cosmic scale with the power of their songs.
"We've got a little bit left, but we won't be doing an encore today, so we'll give it our all," they said, and performed their latest number, "Kagayakeru Mono," which is also the much talked about theme song for a movie. The intro was very dramatic, and the lyrics, which sing of "life," are very ACIDMAN-like. The final song was a grand finale with "Aru Shoumei," in which Oki himself screamed out loud, calling out, "Let's sing as loud as we can!" Through the passionate performances by the five groups over a long period of time, it was a truly intense night that literally proved the strength of CA4LA 's connection to music.
