Mix earth with rain and thousands of people, and you get a big muddy mess. But, rain or shine (and it did a little), the key ingredient is music. Philip Brasor, Simon Bartz and Mark Thompson indulged in FRF '03.
July 24, 9:45 p.m.
Danko Jones, a blues-rock singer from Toronto built like a bullet and with a stage persona to match, is blowing away a near-capacity crowd in the Red Marquee, the only venue hosting bands on this, the night before Fuji Rock Festival officially begins. An estimated 15,000 people, or roughly half the maximum who could buy tickets for a given day, are here in Naeba; which is both a record and a clear indication of what the festival has become. Seventy percent of total ticket sales are for three-day tickets, and Saturday completely sells out at 37,000.