Returning for the first time since 2014, Krautrock band OGRE YOU ASSHOLE made their way back to Fuji Rock! This year, instead of performing on White Stage, we got to see the four members jam at the Red Marquee.

OGRE YOU ASSHOLE likes to experiment with all of their live shows. Fans of the band know that going to an OGRE YOU ASSHOLE show could yield in any number of concert experiences. They take pride in presenting different arrangements of their songs at each and every performance. So what did Fuji Rockers have in store for them this time?

With dim lights and lot’s of smoke, band members wordlessly entered the stage with their band name in simple lettering lighting up the display behind them. Red Marquee was transformed into a nightclub strobing with different colored lights and a reverberating bass line. To accompany this atmosphere, OGRE YOU ASSHOLE created something unexpected- psychedelic pop beats. The studio versions of their songs fall within the 4-5 minute range with lyrics and a very clear verse/chorus structure. This set’s songs, however, broke all of these conventions.

Towards the beginning of the set, audience members seemed to keep expecting the song to come to a close when the instrumentals settled down, but the band kept picking up the melody and charging forward. Twenty minutes later and their fist song came to a close. The rest of the set continued like that with scarce breaks in the music or dancing. Even with such long pieces, OGRE YOU ASSHOLE maintained hype throughout each song by introducing unique sounds and instruments into the mix. Things like theremin sounds and wood block percussion were added to the established backing tracks to make it consistently sound fresh and new!

The benefit of performing at Red Marquee was that the whole audience was covered in the atmospheric lighting, not just the band. Disco balls and lasers lit up the entire crowd to really create an immersive experience! Based on everyone’s applause and enthusiasm, you would not be able to tell that OGRE YOU ASSHOLE was playing a midnight set.