Visually it was all very impressive, with dubstep producer Johnathan Gooch positioned in the middle of what looked like a gigantic moustache that projected images in independent panels. Gooch, who is also known as Spor from his days in partnership with pioneering drum ‘n’ bass label Renegade Hardware, played some bangers that had inebriated punters throwing their arms around in jubilation. However, he saved his best bits for the tracks he wound back from full throttle. These he let simmer over the sound system until the less intoxicated members of the audience had no other choice but to abandon any resistance they might have had and join the party. And once that was done, there was no turning back…

Heavy showers threatened to rain on Kevin Shields and Co.’s parade on more than one occasion throughout the one-hour set, but the gods that look over the band were very kind to them. The downpour we had been expecting all day hadn’t materialized by the time the pioneering shoegazers took to the stage, allowing us to gaze at our sneakers while swaying gently from side-to-side during their performance as had always been intended. “Rain boot-gaze” just doesn’t quite have the same ring to it.

Released in February 2013 after more than 20 years in the making, “mbv” confirmed that the Irish dream pop outfit still has what it takes to rule the sonic roost in today’s cluttered music lineup. The band toured Japan earlier this year and appeared to have enjoyed it so much that they signed up to appear at Fuji Rock. The revelation at the time was certainly jaw-dropping, as the festival’s headliners had already been named. My Bloody Valentine had headlined Fuji Rock in 2008, so where on Earth were they going to play? Not after Mumford & Sons surely…

The scheduling, it turns out, wasn’t ideal, and one suspects the ethereal atmospherics MBV produces could have benefited from a later time slot. The subtle visuals that lit up the back of the Green Stage only really started being noticeable about halfway through the set, and a bit of darkness may have added a dollop of extra intrigue to the aural performance.

As a result, the music itself seemed to suffer from a distinct lack of intensity, and the wall of sound that we’ve all come to expect from My Bloody Valentine gigs made only fleeting appearances. Shields deliberately wound back several tracks from the new album during the show, at one point almost stopping entirely mid-song. Unfortunately, I’m not convinced many in the crowd had the patience for such antics. You could see what My Bloody Valentine was trying to do, but there was a definite disconnect between its attempts and the sound that ultimately reached our ears. It was, honestly speaking, a poor man’s substitute.

That said, if the band was indeed trying to make up for the overall lack of sound during its performance, its delivery of “Wonder 2,” the final song from the new album, was a vast, disquieting seismic combobulation that blew my skullcap off completely. (Note to self: Stop in at Lost & Found before jumping on the bus back to Tokyo.)

I’ve long suspected that mbv is somehow an anagram of reverb but have never exactly figured out how. However, after witnessing a performance as convoluted and atmospheric as the one delivered on Friday evening, I definitely think I’m getting closer to the mark. And just when I thought I had reached a moment of mellifluous clarity, Shields and Co. ended the set with a seemingly endless blast of sonic rumble that was so thunderous that I had to check a few times to make sure I was still wearing my earplugs.

“Thank you, goodnight,” Shields said to the audience as the band finally fell silent. It was the first and last thing words he spoke.

And then, as if almost on cue, the heavens opened.

[Photographers were prohibited from taking photos during My Bloody Valentine's performance on request of the artist.]

On the internet, the hype had been building as high profile admirers like Radiohead helped put the band on the map. Well this evenings crowd at the Red Marquee was quite full and it was impossible to get in using the side entrance that opens out onto the Oasis.

Many were looking into the future of indie rock when bands only play keyboards and synthesizers, and sequencers. And Darkstar did not let anyone down, doing lush compositions that spilled out to nearby diners at World Court. If anything the sound was a little too loud and a bit uncomfortable up front.

But as an alternative to EDM acts like Skrillex, Darkstar are pursuing a musical journey much like Animal Collective and individual artists like Panda Bear. There is a good chance that we will be seeing a lot more of this band.

On album, most of Rhye’s music is shadowy and intimate, the aural equivalent of a lover whispering things into your ear. Those sort of numbers could work in a smoky club, but Fuji Rock requires something bigger. So Rhye stretched out their songs, turning them into larger creations with new segments and flourishes. The already-rhythmic “Last Dance” lasted longer and featured a killer trombone solo. “Open,” nearly hushed on record, was given added thump. The aforementioned “The Fall” was way longer, and featured moments of ecstatic noise and near silence, all parts adding more drama to the track. They at one point had everyone snapping along with them.

Oh, equally spellbinding – Milosh’s voice, a high-pitched thing that he controls magnificently, wringing out all sort of emotion from it. It wowed the crowd from the get go, and whatever doubts Milosh had at times (“It’s so hot in here, is it always so hot?”) were erased when he sang. It felt really good.

But enough about me, how was the music?

DJ Nobu appeared to float above his minions, playing his usual brand of feet-to-the floor hard techno with aplomb. There was certainly no stopping him in terms of intensity and the crowd of 150 or so who braved the journey to the Orange Court to experience All Night Fuji were certainly looking much more bushy-tailed than this intrepid writer by the time he finished his knee-destroying set.

The show was billed as being based around an “ANF exclusive laser show,” and smarter people than I will probably know what ANF actually stands for. Oh wait, the penny has just dropped. In any case, the visuals were certainly impressive. Waves of neon flickered regularly across the crowd, seemingly controlled by Nobu up in his elevated booth. Clouds of mist wafted through the dance floor from time to time, intensifying the surreal atmospherics produced by the light show and giving die-hard techno fans something to distract them whenever Nobu let up — which was virtually never.

Fortunately for this writer, All Night Fuji is only held at the Orange Court once per year. But I am certainly tempted to pop down for some serious ligament-stretching action next year should I be in the neighborhood, and I’d suggest you do too…