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In a move that would have made Axl Rose proud, Lemon Jelly began their set tonight at 9 p.m., a full two hours later than the scheduled start-time. However, whereas in the Gunners prime Axl was late because he was often indulging in a variety of things (booze, drugs, girls), the boys in Lemon Jelly were side-tracked due to technical difficulties. There's a lot going on during a Lemon Jelly concert and I can totally understand that sometimes things can run amuck. It was the timing of when the problems were discovered that bothered me. Arriving at Shibuya AX at quarter to seven, I was greeted by the sight of a fully prepared stage that was adorned with various instruments eagerly waiting to be used. Around 7:30 p.m. several roadies emerged and huddled around a large console of sequencers and other electronic gadgets. A few minutes later it was announced in English and Japanese that something was wrong and that the show wasn't going to start until 8:30. Another announcement came later to say that things were going to be delayed even longer. My question is, why wasn't this malfunction discovered before half past seven, 30 minutes after the group was supposed to start their set? 
Oh well, when the duo finally did emerge they quickly set out to right the evening's wrongs. Greeted with a huge round of applause from the near capacity crowd of 20 and 30 year olds, Fred Deakin and Nick Franglen kicked into "Come Down On Me", the lead off track from their recently released '64-'95 album. With everyone swaying back and forth to their chilled out grooves, the trio unveiled "In The Bath". Upon finishing the song, Franglen grabbed a mic and said "Kon bon wa. Genki desu ﾉ or something like that." Regardless of his uncertainty, the mainly Japanese audience cheered his attempt at speaking their native tongue.Some electronic artists are content to charge people a lot of money to watch them perform and then just sit back and push a few buttons on stage. Lemon Jelly are not one of these acts. The two band members were constantly on the go as they switched back and forth between several instruments in order to recreate their music in a live setting. "Baby Battle Scratch" provided a good example of this. Franglen started the number behind the group's console of goodies while Deakin sat down at the front of the stage and played cello. The two soon switched places as Franglen stepped out from behind the enclosure to strum an acoustic guitar. Deakin then made his way back to the cello before running over to his microphone to sing a few lines. After that he jogged over to a set of turntables and began to tinker with some records as a plethora of vinyl adorned with Lemon Jelly's symbol flied across the video screen positioned above the band. After a few minutes of scratching, Deakin resumed his duties behind the console as Franglen ended things with a bit more guitar. 
Franglen used a brief break after "His Majesty King Raam" to apologize for the group's tardiness. Although the extremely forgiving audience roared their support, Franglen still felt bad about things and threw a bunch of candy into the crowd. His simple, yet effective, gesture was probably not-so-coincidentally followed by a performance of Lemon Jelly's latest single, "Make Things Right". As attendees danced and nodded along it became evident that all events prior to the start of the show had been forgotten. Let this be a lesson to you kids out there, a couple 100 yen worth of sweets and a good song can go a long way if you ever find yourself in trouble with a few hundred people.Playing selections from all three of their studio efforts, Lemon Jelly mesmerized the crowd with their sonic masterpieces. The addition of a fantastic light show and stunning visuals helped create a peaceful, laid back vibe throughout the club. The only downside was the unexpected delay, but the night's strong selection of music and the tasty treats provided by Franglen helped drive make the performance well worth the wait. |
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report by shawn and photo by hiroqui |
 mag files : Lemon Jelly 本当に「待ちに待った」 (05/03/29 @ Shibuya AX) : review by ryoji, photo by hiroquiNothing A Few Sweets Couldn't Fix (05/03/29 @ Shibuya AX) : review by shawn, photo by hiroquiトラブルを乗り越えた笑顔 (05/03/29 @ Shibuya AX) : review by nob, photo by hiroquiphoto report (04/10/2-3 @ Asagiri Arena) : photo by sama |
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The official site Lemon Jelly www.lemonjelly.ky The latest album :  『'64-'95』 (国内盤 / US import / UK import) |
previous works : アルバムのチェックする？ |
 2005Groove Is In The Heart : Tabla Kwaiesa (6th Mar. @ Yokohama Silk Road Buto-Kan)Interview : Constantly Evolving : 90 Day Men (13th Mar)It's Party Time! : The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, The Benevento/Russo Duo (28th Feb @ Shibuya Club Quattro)Weekly Service : The Chemical Brothers (12th Feb @ Shibuya AX)Tattoos and a Whole Lotta Hair : EXTREME THE DOJO Vol.12 feat. Every time I Die, As I Lay Dying and Shadows Fall (7th Feb @ Shibuya Club Quattro)Geography At Its Best : ISIS (5th Feb @ Shibuya Club Quattro)To The Extreme : The Shins (31st Jan @ Harajuku Astro Hall)CD review : "Panopticon" : Isis (27th Jan)Winter Be Damned : Ash (17th Jan @ Shibuya AX)Interview : Peaceful, But Far From Quiet : Mono (20th Jan)CD review : "The Nein" : The Nein (13th Jan)2004CD review : "Christmas" : Old Man Gloom (28th Dec)Music Soothes the Savage Beast
: eastern youth (20th Dec @ Shibuya Club Quattro)And to all A Good Night : Shonen Knife (19th Dec @ Daikanyama Unit)Exciting Music for Exciting People : illreme (6th Dec @ Shibuya Club Quattro)Expansive Rhythms : Tabla Kwaiesa (4th Dec @ Cozmo's Cafe and Bar)It's In Their Hands Now : Franz Ferdinand (29th Nov @ Shibuya AX)Lights, Camera, Action : Brahman (15th Nov @ Ebisu Liquidroom)Mostly Business : The Stills (8th Nov @ Ebisu Liquidroom)Scare The Rock Right Outta Ya : Halloween Ball 2004 feat . The 5,6,7,8's, Gasoline, The Woggles (30th Oct @ Shiomkitazawa Shelter)Three More, Two More, and Take it to the Left : Hawaiian6/ Idol Punch (11th Oct @ Shinjuku Loft)Busting Eardrums : Mogwai (5th Oct @ Ebisu Liquidroom AX )Medical Breakthrough : The Most Notorious Vol. 18 feat. Melt Banana and K.K. Null (25th Sept @ Shimokitazawa Shelter )Grey Skies Are Going To Clear Up... : HUSKING BEE (5th Sept @ Shibuya AX )no title : V∞REDOMS (8th Aug @ Ebisu Liquidroom )CD review : Andre Ethier With Christopher Sandes : Andre Ethier2003Cause Music Must Be Magic : Mayor McCa (21st Dec @ The Casbah,Hamilton, Ontario )Make It a Double : EVANESCENCE (28th Jul @ Shinjuku AX)Getting Knifed in Tokyo : Shonen Knife / bloodthirsty butchers(12th Jul @ Shibuya Club Quattro)Hail Hail! Some of Japan's best come together to pay tribute to San Diego's finest : TRIBUTE TO ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT feat. John Speedo with Jet Boys, Retro Gretion, and KEMURI, (21st June '03 @ Shibuya Club Quattro)The Canucks are Coming! The Canucks are Coming! : Simple Plan & GOB (26th Apr @ Akasaka Blitz)no title : Banda Bassotti with Doberman, Oi Skall Mates & Rude Bones (12th May @ Kawasaki Club Citta)The Enchanting Sounds of Summer : KEMURI (31st May @ Shinjuku ACB Hall)Absolutely F**king Brilliant!! : The Coral (21st Apr @ Shinjuku Liquid Room)no title : Short Circuit w/ Asparagus (24th Mar @ Shibuya AX) |