RUDIMENTAL

Rudimental had the inauspicious task of kicking off their show on the White Stage halfway through the Foo Fighters set on the Green Stage. Luckily, there were plenty of people gathered to see the band as they started in recognisable Rudimental style (euphoric vocals and benthic drum n bass) and as the set went on the White Stage ground filled up with increasing numbers of dancers pulled in by the bands infectiously upbeat tunes.

Rudimental are just the kind of band that goes down at Fuji Rock as well as as anywhere else, as the band’s busy summer of festival shows has proven – enthusiastic front men riling up the crowd, exuberant and wholehearted singers, and the rest of the band pulling the audience along with their breakneck set of hits and crowd-pleasers. Soulful vocals, mixed up with a wind-section channelling some dub/reggae kicked off proceedings and as the night progressed Fuji Rock was treated to a great performance allowing the horns to stand out and show off much more live than they do on CD. Most notable were the backing singers who alternated lead vocal duties throughout the show, bringing as much to numbers like the Ed Sheeran-fronted release “Bloodstream” or “Not Giving In” as the original releases did.

One could accuse Rudimental of keeping to their traditional formula a little too much – cool, summery, quiet sections building into bass drops that set the crowd going nuts – but there were a few times in the set when the band took things down apace, and even mixed in a little bit of house and vocal duets to keep things fresh. Ultimately though, this was a set which was all the better for its familiarity, and the buzz through the crowd on the way out backed up how great a show the band had put on. As one girl who skipped down the path excitedly ahead of me put it “That was fucking awesome!” And indeed it was.