Monoaural Mini Plug has to be one of the more unexpected bands of the Fuji Rock weekend.

All dressed in orange polo shirts, the band took to the sweaty insides of the Café de Paris tent and brought an appropriate exotic vibe in their first song, which featured instruments such as a reed pipe from Laos called a khene and what may have been a kind of Thai lute called a sueng. With a troop of drummers, cymbal players and even one person on cowbell, there’s a lot going on, but it all coheres to create a fun and unusual performance. The band comes out on to the floor of Café de Paris twice and plays in front of the bar to the assembled crowd to much excitement, an act they pull at the end of the set as well to play out a good 10-minute number to finish.

The mix of traditional instruments and arrangements mixes up with slightly psychedelic vibe is an unusual and pleasing treat and hopefully has persuaded a few people to explore the mor lam music of Laos and Thailand, this writer included.