Silk on Stone: 101-A Crank it Gently
As the Zutons chugged through their set a hundred meters away, I thought that Japanese trio 101-A who were playing the Naeba Shokudo stage set up near the Oasis and Food Court areas wouldn't be able to compete with the Red Marquee sound system. I was wrong.
After a quick tune-up (was he using his laptop for that?), the threesome crunched into a dirty grunge while fairy-like vocals cooed over the mud. I was told to expect a grandchild of My Bloody Valentine (that's why I'm there, actually), and although it wasn't what I expected, I wasn't disappointed.
The vocalist, the black fabric of her jumpsuit spilling onto 6-inch stack boots, looked like a schoolgirl in over her head until the occasional knowing look betrayed something more sinister within. Her fragile vocals stood in contrast with the gravelly drone of feedback from the lead guitarist, like a feather floating over a table saw. Sometimes opposites attract.
