Towards the end of Atarashii Gakko’s set! at this year’s Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona, group member Suzuka, playing off the crowd’s excitement, jumped off the stage and ran onto the barricade holding back attendees.
“Barcelona! Primavera!” she shouts as the people around her move to the rhythm of ‘Nainainai.’ Someone holds up a hat, which she held and wore. She then refused to leave the stage and, in what seemed like a tribute to James Brown, was covered in a cape before breaking away and continuing to rap stage.
“When we perform abroad, we always make sure we have fun,” Suzuka tells The Japan Times during a video call from a Spanish hotel room days before the set. “We also recognize that we have a great opportunity, we have the chance to introduce foreign fans to Japanese culture. And give them energy.”
