Breaking: Porno Super Express 2017 “G-FREAK FACTORY” Live Report

favorite_borderLast updated:2017/12/26

• Music Festival Master / Editor-in-ChiefKeisuke Hane
  Editor-in-chief of RAG MUSIC and in charge of music festivals. When I attended my first music festival as a freshman in college, I was captivated by its charm—“I can’t believe there’s a place this free and this fun.” I share information about wonderful music festivals every day to help grow the community of festival fans.

It's live—forget everything!

When the announcement 'G-FREAK FACTORY!' echoed throughout the venue, the band members—except for vocalist Hiroaki Motegi—slowly appeared on the dimly lit stage without any intro SE.

As soon as bassist/chorus Nobuyuki “yossy” Yoshihashi started playing the opening phrase of the first song, “Too oLD To KNoW,” a big round of applause and cheers erupted.

Motegi appears with a Rasta flag draped over his head and casually begins to speak.

Even as they clap along, the audience listens intently to Mogi, not letting a single word of his slip by.

“Let’s go, Rotten!” With that shout, guitarist Kisey Harada began playing a riff.

A refreshing and majestic track that’s perfect for the opening number.

In the short time since they took the stage, they completely transformed the atmosphere—overheated by Crossfaith’s intense set just moments before—and built a world that was unmistakably G-FREAK FACTORY.

During the chorus, the audience sings along as well.

With Motegi’s shout of “Yahman! Kyoto!” a reggae-flavored interlude kicked off, and we surrendered ourselves to the sound, swaying our bodies gently.

Then, even though it was still the first song, Mogi got off the stage and plunged into the audience.

Standing atop the front barricade, they sang their heartfelt song while looking around as if to take in each and every fan gathered at the venue.

After finishing the first song, Mogi begins his MC, but after a while he sets down the microphone and starts delivering the message in his natural voice.

“We’re not here to promote anything—this is a live show. Forget everything!” “But don’t you dare forget that this local band from Gunma stood on the Kinkaku stage at Porno Ultra Express!” With that, they expressed their joy at their first appearance to the fullest.

And so it began: The Sun Is Still High.

The laid-back ska rhythm feels pleasant, and the audience joins in singing in unison.

And then, midway through the song, when Mogi urged the audience to “Sit down, sit down!”, N∀OKI from ROTTENGRAFFTY appeared as a guest vocalist.

N∀OKI sings a freestyle rap in his signature style over a reggae rhythm, while Motegi hypes up the crowd with call-and-response.

They went straight into the final chorus, and the audience jumped up and down wildly.

Comrades, I’m standing here overwhelmed with gratitude to ROTTENGRAFFTY!

While the earlier light, breezy comfort still lingered, the mellow “Daddy Darlin’” began right away.

The audience was riveted by Motegi, who used his entire body on stage to express himself as if acting out the song’s world.

Everyone in the venue listened intently to the singing voice, imbued with a mysterious power that seemed to sink directly into the listeners’ hearts.

Here, referencing the time ROTTENGRAFFTY performed “Mandala” at the Yamabito Music Festival previously hosted by G-FREAK FACTORY, they said, “We’ve brought an answer song,” and kicked things off with “Shimatiku-min.”

A track that progresses with the vocals’ spoken narration at its center.

Not to be outdone by Motegi, who had stepped off the stage and kept singing with fiery passion, Harada, Yoshihashi, and drummer Seitaro Iesaka’s performances grew increasingly heated as well.

In the subsequent MC segment, they shared stories about their longtime comrades ROTTENGRAFFTY and 10-FEET, saying, “Comrades, I’m standing here overwhelmed with gratitude to ROTTENGRAFFTY!” and once again expressed deep thanks for being invited to the Kinkaku stage at Porno Chotokkyu.

And the final song that begins is “EVEN.”

While moving back and forth across the stage from end to end, they took their time to sing lyrics filled with a gentle heart.

I was captivated by the performance, where the tempo was handled with chameleon-like freedom yet the members played in perfect sync.

While expressing their gratitude to ROTTENGRAFFTY until the very end, G-FREAK FACTORY, making their first ride on Porno Chotokkyu, carried it on to the next stop.

Porno Chotokkyu 2017 Photo by HayachiN

G-FREAK FACTORY Official Website

Porn Super Express