A mid a flurry of cancellations of festivals and other concerts around the nation since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami disaster, there has been a growing number of domestic artists, labels and event organizers — both big and small — who are making use of their music to do what they can to aid a country in crisis.
Jack Johnson and Slash have each decided to abandon their Japan tours, and the Go!Fes and A-Fes, two music festivals scheduled for this month, have scrapped their annual efforts altogether. However, many in the domestic music scene have held out their hands — and voices — to the populace within days of the disasters that wrought havoc in the Tohoku and Kanto regions of Japan.
At the fore of the relief effort is J-rocker Gackt, who is spearheading the Show Your Heart drive, a league of musicians and other Japanese celebrities who have assembled en masse to express the need for donations to be sent to the most badly affected areas. Among the ranks are familiar folk-music veteran Shigeru Izumiya, pop singer-songwriter Maki Oguro and Luna Sea's Shinya Yamada. "We, as Japanese, need to help one another at this time," states Gackt on the campaign's rapidly constructed website static.hangame.co.jp/hangame/extra/showyourheart, which includes donation instructions. "We need your strength."