On Fuji Rock’s intimate Red Marquee stage, Leeds art-rockers English Teacher delivered one of the festival’s most anticipated performances, blending wiry post-punk tension with frontwoman Lily Fontaine’s magnetic spoken-sung poetics.

In a weekend dominated by big-name headliners, this became the word-of-mouth show to attend, a start-up UK band formed by college mates, who’s alchemy has won over college radio stations and the indie music press around the world.

The band don’t fit any categories and that’s just fine as post-punk UK has been a slew of genres such as post-rock, folk revivals, and other trends. The fact that English Teacher fits none of these categories suits them just fine.

From the opening visuals, the “This Could Be Texas” trumpeting their recent release, the band went into a bombastic jolt with “The World’s Biggest Paving Slab.” It was all staccato bass lines and drum fills that landed like carefully placed punches.

Fontaine, dressed casually in shorts held the crowd in a trance with her opening song about the mundanity of modern British life.The song took on extra meaning in beautiful mountains of Japan.

The band seemed genuinely awed by their surroundings, with Fontaine noting “This is first time we have been at Fuji Rock wand we love it so much.Fontaine’s vocals were on point throughout the night, gaining in intensity and power to match the pulsing music. Many may be surprised that the band play much louder than the records, dabbling no doubt with post-rock which is well known in UK.

The band played “Albatross” pounding number with Fontaine discussing her close association with the sun and how she has many good interactions with the sun during her travels in Japan. The band also debuted a new song which matched the intensity of the moment.

The second half of the show picked up in intensity, picking up from “Broken Biscuits” to “Nearly Daffodills.” The entire show was dramatic and intense and possibly setting up the band for more world tours and stops in Japan.