Now that the featival is finally over, I finally have a second to process everything that’s happened in the past three days.
So much information, so few words.
If there is a way to describe the experience in short, I’d say it was three days of me smacking myself back into the moment.
“It’s hot. Are you going to let that stop you from having a good time?”
No.
“Your legs feel like sticks, doesn’t it suck?”
Not enough to have a bad time.
“Artists you respect are here, don’t you worry about what they think?”
Yes and no. I would love to connect with a bunch of them, but there is no need go impress them. The desire to impress them is just too much ego.
Most of the 3 days was just enjoying music and studying the performances and the event itself, to see what I could learn,
A fair bit of it was battling with self consciousness though.
What would you do if your favorite artist or the person you respect the most in your field of work was standing right in front of you and another two or three people you respect were standing within 2 meters of you in a crowd?
Now imagine it was Japan where people don’t talk to strangers and it’s considered pushy to start a conversation with a stranger in most cases.
Now imagine this is all an independent DIY scene where celebrity isn’t supposed to be the most important thing, and to overemphasize it shows a kind of tone deafness and misunderstanding towards the entire scene.
I’d much rather they know me through naturally stumbling upon my work and through the mutual friends we have than as a babbling fan who is trying to suck up to them.
Even the guitarist who I have talked to twice before. I caught him trying to avoid my gaze twice as he was walking around the festival.
I don’t think he meant to ignore me specifically. As someone who gets a lot of attention, he needs to manage where he puts his energy and he has a lot of close friends and other social responsibilities there. I amxsure he does that with most if not all of his fans. He might be tired or too drunk (lol he definitely was too drunk).
It’s also a cultural thing. Japanese people hate awkwardness so much that in order to avoid being the one who isn’t noticed by the other person, they pretend not to notice you in the first place. This is ridiculously common and drives me crazy 😝 it doesn’t apply if you are an ultra close friend, or to extremey extroverted people but most people here are not that.
Could you enjoy the music if semi-famous people you respect and who you’d love to sit down and talk to are literaly all around you and you had no comfortable way to approach them?
Well that’s what my week was about, trying to keep a cool head and just enjoy the music despite all the distractions around me.
One of my favorite singer/songwriter’s stood next to me during a performance for literally the third time since I started listening to his music. He looked like he didn’t want to talk to anyone but because I’ve run into him so many times I thought we should at least interact, so I gave him a head nod. He gave me one back. Mission accomplished. Not awkward. Not nothing.
The same thing happened with an artist who I’ve been listening to for 20 years who was my first dive into experimental and psychedelic music. I wanted to pet a dog who everyone was petting and noticed her waiting to pet the dog too so I told her to go first so the dogs didn’t freak out over my food.
I hate being this star struck but its to be expected I guess and I shouldn’t be embarrssed by it.
I’ve told this story before the first two times I ran into artist mentioned above. Rather than obsess over them or just accept that I missed my chance to connect, I will use this as fuel to focus on my work and level up.
We run in the same circles and one or two of them even follow me on social media so it’s not as if we will never have a chance to connect again.
In the end I want to connect with everyone as equals, as regular human beings, not with some complicated power dynamic where one person is way more interested in the other. The only way for me to get there is to create work that I love almost as much as I love their work and to find others who like it at least half as much as I do.
My message to rhe festival organizers:
“See you in 2026, I will grow a lot this year so I can share my magic with everyone too”
——-
Posted Using INLEO
How many people were there that wanted to talk to you, because of what you mean to them? Imagine for a moment, that your reputation is not so humble, and you are the one being recognised in the crowd.
It could be next year, the year after. What if the roles were reversed?
What would your feeling be, what would your behaviour entail?
Enough rhetoric, though - I hope your legs are feeling more secure, and your heart continues to burble with the satisfaction of walking among, amid, alongside the greatness you aspire to.
The fact that you can exercise restraint in that environment, recognise the cultural sensitivity, and still enjoy, is something I deeply respect. I feel the same way when surrounded by artists and writers, and the unspoken kindred, collaborative bond dwells in the space. Between the bodies, and in the silence. I feel it, but maybe I'm strange.
It’s a good thing to imagine. It’s not that far fetched either. I do stand out with my clean egg head and I’ve already had two strangers stop me to tell me they like my work, even if it was in a familiar environment where most people are connected through two degrees of separation.
I’m literally 1 degree of separation with some of these people even if we are in this awkward friend/fan limbo, so the parts are all there waiting to be assembled. Best way to do it is focus on my work and realize I am already making an impact and the only thing that needs doing is bringing it into focus.
And to have fun cause that’s really what this is all about in the end.
Also imagining something is sometimes a prerequisite for turning it into a reality so I appreciate this exercise!
I didn't realise that we are already halfway through 2025. Damn!!
Wow!!! Look at you. Powering through pain and discomfort and pushing aside the ego. ❤️☮️
Keep jamming, my friend, you are already a source of light. People will see.
PS : Did I ever mention that this music reminds me of Return to Innocence
Thank you friend! 🔥🔥🔥
You keep me energized too!
Which song!?! My song!?!? Ayyaaaaayyaaaaiii owaaaaaa!
Ohaaayyyyay Waaahhhhh... ❤️☮️
how is the business card culture in that sense? would it be respectable to approach and offer a business card and leave instead?
That would probably be hilariously confusing. Independent bands don’t really do business cards as far as I know. It might actually work if I make it funny enough hahaha. Good idea!
Honestly, I’d be too distracted trying to play it cool around people I admire. The music would just be background noise at that point. Social anxiety wins again 😂
Right? That’s how I was the first few minutes, the first time I ran into one of the people I respect the most about a year ago. This festival he was literally all over the place and all I got in was a nod because people in Japan don’t give you a window to talk to them. But I think it was enough. I’ll catch them through my music
I'm sure you'll do through to the music 🥰🥰
Incredible move to play it cool and flow with the experience instead of trying to break the awkwardness and initiate a conversation :)
I presume it wouldn't be awkward to interact with these fellow artists on social media? Like hit them up occasionally to check on them or interact with the work they put out?
I’m ok with the awkwardness! I’ve already tried breaking the ice and it’s led to them being even more awkward with me because if there is one thing people fear in Japan it’s awkwardness and if there is one thing that results as a fear of awkwardness it’s more awkwardness. And so now we are an awkwardfest.
Lots of bigger Japanese independent artist will get 0-3 comments even if they get 2000 likes. And if you comment they either ignore it or give you a cookie cutter response. I have some interactions with one of these guys, but its mostly just him being polite I think. They have a lot of obsessive fans so they are hesitant and me caring this much gives them reason to be hesitant. I get it.
It’s ok though. By the time I’m ready to collaborate with them I think it’ll be a lot easier. Im sure the one I’ve talked to will be there when i have something meaningful to bring to the table.
Awkwardfest 😂😂😂
Yeah, it's probably quite an adventure to live in a culture that's this reserved from the outside looking in yet also so admired by many people around the world for their lifestyle and mannerisms. It seems building relationships is by default a long term endeavour, meaning one has to be really patient and not be too attached to the process.
Value for value exchanges are arguably the best form of collaborations. Until you're ready, keep putting in that work on refining your artistic skills ;)