On the final day of the Green Stage, a special opening act was invited, Taiwan’s top indie act, No Party for Cao Dong. Despite the early hours, the cage in front of the stage was at capacity early on, and many other supporters filled the field area.

No Party for Cao Dong has won many musical awards in Taiwan, though some are still wondering if the stage is too big for them. As soon as they stepped on stage, they dispelled doubters with a powerful guitar sound a drumming that would rival any other act at Fuji Rock.

The band are composed of Wood Lin (Vo,Gt) and Judy Chan (Gt,Vo) are all dressed in black T-shirts and shorts, a simple fashion for summer, while Dennis Chang is wearing a T-shirt of the Japanese black metal/shoegaze band, Asunojokei. And new drummer Huang Shih-wei is the engine behind the band powering many of the songs with athleticism.

In the intro a guitar is pounded with a twin pedal that creates either post-rock nor shoegaze stands out. Wood Lin’s voice is deep and husky with the three singing in unison on occasion. For newcomers they are punk emo though no member has a charismatic attitude as they work together.

In “Gristy Me” and “Big Wind Simon Says,” they move from dance beats to slow down beat transitions, changing emotions within a single song. The audience knows all the songs well, and the sense of unity at the moment of explosion from the break was powerful enough to create a No Party For Cao Dong community wherever there is music.

Wood Lin muttered something like “we usually play at night so being in the sun is something strange for us.” Otherwise he kept talking to a minimum. It probably was not a coincidence that the song they played after saying “It’s a beautiful mountain…” was “The Human, the Hole and the Mountain”? Their performance, which depicts a vast landscape, was just right for the GREEN STAGE.

Near the end of the concert a circle mosh pit broke out during the tune “Emily the ghost.” The band has charisma, and it showed with “Sankai Wayfaner,” a number that is also famous in Japan. Finally, the band logo was projected large, and many people took out their smartphones.

The number of people singing along to the chorus was extremely high. It was shocking that a Taiwanese band could digest elements of post-hardcore, metal, shoegaze, and electro-dance.

The band’s popularity and appeal is growing along with the enthusiasm of Chinese audience members at Fuji Rock, where many overseas audiences participate. Sometimes music can help people understand each other. It was an hour of music which proved this point