Singer/songwriter Kazuyoshi Saito (Yellow Magic Orchestra and others) and drummer Tatsuya Nakamura (The God and other bands) got together as Mannish Boys for the first time just before Fuji Rock ’11, where they performed for a very tightly packed Gypsy Avalon crowd.

Back then they were making marginally big headlines for the song Kazuyoshi wrote in response to the nuclear disaster following the March 11 earthquake, “Zutto Uso Datta” (It was all/always lies).

This time the duo (with support) took to the White Stage accompanied by Muddy Waters’s “Mannish Boy” playing in the background. The sun was just about to set, and you could almost smell the anticipation in the air. They started off with a light retro-rock song about a monkey, and finished the song with a short intro of the of each other as well as the support members. When it was Tatsuya’s turn, instead of the mean drum solo you’d expect, he hit a cowbell, once.

Kazuyoshi asked, “Where did you even get that thing?”

Tatsuya replied, “At Don Quixote in Yoyogi Uehara,” before clinking the bell once more and received a wild eruption of applause in return.

The Adult male-like kids ventured on with a selection of songs that were so strong and varied—they covered pop-rock, rhythm and blues, ska/reggae, a 90s ballad and some progressive, trippy rock too. It felt fresh and at the same time familiar, fun and exciting.

But while it’s all well and good saying what I think, I decided to ask some different festivalgoers why they liked Mannish Boys, and here’s a selection of some of the best answers:

“I can enjoy watching them with my parents. They know their (the members’) music from before, and I know they make together now.”

“Mannish Boys give me lots of energy to keep going!”

“They’re versatility! They’re light and fun, but deep and serious at times, too.”

“I don’t know! I was on my way to another stage, but I felt I had to stop and watch them play… They were really good!”

And thus, the people have spoken.