Nov 12, 2013 17:13

On The Road with Rolo Tomassi

This September I was lucky enough to join Rolo Tomassi in Tokyo as they embarked on their first ever tour of Japan.

As I am sure many readers will know, the band have had a hard working, DIY approach since their early teens, and whilst this determination had previously got them so far as America’s SXSW or Australia’s Soundwave festivals, the band were yet to reach the shores of Japan.

This was set to change when in 2012 the heads of the Japanese post-rock label Zankyo fortuitously stumbled across the band’s performance at Brighton’s Great Escape festival and were impressed enough to invite them to their homeland. Thus began a year’s worth of correspondence and putting in the hours at work (sandwiched between a European tour for good measure) to ensure that the Japan tour would become a reality, and even when I met the band at our hostel in the Jimbocho district, there was still a level of incredulity on their faces.

This wonderful fusion of disbelief and gratitude was palpable all week as the Tokyo crowds filled out the venues or queued up to take photos with the band. And yet, there was something about Japan and its technological interests that made Rolo Tomassi, with their space-age imagery and tales of constellations, seem quite at home; or perhaps it was simply frontwoman Eva’s penchant for all things Hello Kitty and Domo.

In any case, these photos document the week in Tokyo that the band are surely to remember for ever.

WORDS: John Bell
PHOTOS: b&w by Josh Connoly, colour by John Bell

By Ben Tipple
Wednesday 18th September <br><br> Headline show @ Takadanobaba Phase <br><br> After a night- no, the whole night- experiencing various bars around the city, it was with a sore head and a heavy heart that I made my way to the band’s last Tokyo date at Takadanobaba Phase, a ridiculously well-soundproofed venue that was easier to find than pronounce. The set opener, ‘Howl’, set the precedent for the rest of the set as they churned through huge, dark soundscapes, and after several shouts for encore succeeding the dreamy post-rock finisher ‘Illuminaire’, the band looked truly touched. Synth and vocalist James Spence thanked the crowds and told them of how they hoped to return soon, and as Rolo Tomassi ripped straight into the chaotic ‘Illunis’, I felt sure that they would.
Wednesday 18th September

Headline show @ Takadanobaba Phase

After a night- no, the whole night- experiencing various bars around the city, it was with a sore head and a heavy heart that I made my way to the band’s last Tokyo date at Takadanobaba Phase, a ridiculously well-soundproofed venue that was easier to find than pronounce. The set opener, ‘Howl’, set the precedent for the rest of the set as they churned through huge, dark soundscapes, and after several shouts for encore succeeding the dreamy post-rock finisher ‘Illuminaire’, the band looked truly touched. Synth and vocalist James Spence thanked the crowds and told them of how they hoped to return soon, and as Rolo Tomassi ripped straight into the chaotic ‘Illunis’, I felt sure that they would.
Tuesday 17th September <br><br> Headline show @ Club Kinoto <br><br> After some fantastic Japanese post-hardcore support, Rolo played their second headline Tokyo show to a packed audience. They played a slightly shorter set to a crowd that seemed more vivacious than previous nights, and it was clear that their performance was all the better for it.
Tuesday 17th September

Headline show @ Club Kinoto

After some fantastic Japanese post-hardcore support, Rolo played their second headline Tokyo show to a packed audience. They played a slightly shorter set to a crowd that seemed more vivacious than previous nights, and it was clear that their performance was all the better for it.
Monday 16th September <br><br> Zankyo Fest After-party @ Shibuya O-Nest <br><br> After a day exploring the retro Nintendo stores and truly bizarre sex shops of the Akihabara district, we headed back to Shibuya to fit in a heavy sushi session before the after-party of yesterday’s Zankyo fest. This was Rolo’s first headline show in Japan, and songs from the latest record Astrea dominated the set.
Monday 16th September

Zankyo Fest After-party @ Shibuya O-Nest

After a day exploring the retro Nintendo stores and truly bizarre sex shops of the Akihabara district, we headed back to Shibuya to fit in a heavy sushi session before the after-party of yesterday’s Zankyo fest. This was Rolo’s first headline show in Japan, and songs from the latest record Astrea dominated the set.
Sunday 15th September <br><br> Zankyo Fest @ Shibuya O-East <br><br> This was Rolo’s first and busiest Tokyo show, as part of the Zankyo Matsuri 9th Anniversary tour. The band played to around 800 people, and were joined by an incredible selection of math-rock and post-rock bands including Cinema Staff and Té.
Sunday 15th September

Zankyo Fest @ Shibuya O-East

This was Rolo’s first and busiest Tokyo show, as part of the Zankyo Matsuri 9th Anniversary tour. The band played to around 800 people, and were joined by an incredible selection of math-rock and post-rock bands including Cinema Staff and Té.
Saturday 14th September <br><br> After a thirteen hour flight arriving early Friday morning, Zankyo Records were kind enough to leave two free days to acclimatize to both Tokyo’s timezone and overwhelming environment, if indeed such is possible in two days. <br><br> Instead the band headed over to a the Zankyo store, hidden amongst Shibuya’s hip -and very, very expensive- vintage stores and craft beer bars, where they received a warm reception for their Q&A.
Saturday 14th September

After a thirteen hour flight arriving early Friday morning, Zankyo Records were kind enough to leave two free days to acclimatize to both Tokyo’s timezone and overwhelming environment, if indeed such is possible in two days.

Instead the band headed over to a the Zankyo store, hidden amongst Shibuya’s hip -and very, very expensive- vintage stores and craft beer bars, where they received a warm reception for their Q&A.