FREE SHIPPING ON ORDERS $120 AND OVER (U.S. DOMESTIC ONLY)

Your cart

Your cart is empty

Continue shopping
SPITSET Tokyo Recap :: TRAPPED UNDER ICE, ALEXANDER SPIT & NUMB

SPITSET Tokyo Recap :: TRAPPED UNDER ICE, ALEXANDER SPIT & NUMB

By Alexander Spit

It was my last night in a city that changed my life.

During the two weeks of September I’d spent in Tokyo, I met a roster of unforgettable people that redefined my perspective of what connects us as people—how we coexist within the strange and exciting worlds we’re unfamiliar with. From dedicated fans traveling across the country, young rebels gifting me LSD, new friends connected to me through dead homies or girls with a broken arm from a show weeks earlier; there was an explosion of fascinating people in attendance to create a one of a kind community at the latest SPITSET in Shibuya.

A refreshing climate of light rain amongst a perfect temperature was the motif of that night, and it allowed the crowd to loiter outside the venue while drinking beers from the corner market. We took over the entire block with fans representing every tier of the event—with every act of the bill bringing out a different kind of hardcore kid. The limited SPITSET x TRAPPED UNDER ICE t-shirt was sported on many of those lucky enough to have arrived early. We flooded the block after sets and when the next performance began, folks rushed in the 250 person venue to be apart of the mayhem.

Every set was active with front men of the bands demanding active participation from the crowd. Yang, the lead singer of FIGHT IT OUT speared mic stands into the back of the audience. Franz of TURNSTILE pitted and stomped to the opening sets of DOMINATE, OTUS & STAND UNITED. Senta of NUMB received undeniable love and hit the stage harder than front men half his age. Heads were bleeding from dives hitting the low ceilings. A plethora of fans sported TRAPPED UNDER ICE merch and separated seas of people with their aggression.

After muscling my duty of watching and participating in the pit of every single set, I hit the green room moments before it was my time. As soon as my gear was plugged in I hit the venue’s booming sound system with a curveball and blasted “Blow the Whistle” into “Still Brazy” into “Garcia Vegas” while the transitional visual screen blocking the stage projected old punk shows. I wanted to flip everyone’s concept of what they thought should be into the world of juxtaposition that I’m proud SPITSET has become.

It was my first time performing in Tokyo, and from the beginning of my set to its bittersweet end, I received nothing but love from a crowd that showed no concern for the language barrier that existed between us. Strangers rapped along to verses. When I dedicated songs to specific homies I’d lost this year, Japanese friends destroyed the pit for me in memorial of our mutual loss.