I'm 72 and my favorite old group is Yes (whom I have seen many times) and I have an enormous collection of their music (including about 360 bootlegs) . My music collection in general is extremely large and it includes a lot of "progressive rock" I've accumulated over the years. I had pretty much given up on regular rock as being boring and repetitive and hardly listened to it at all for the last decade or longer choosing instead to listen to more progressive music because there's just so much more going on. About six years ago I stumbled onto Band Maid and was attracted to them because of the many classic rock elements they included in the music. The earlier albums are more regular fare but they weren't allowed to write their own music yet but once they took control of what they were doing they really took off and I became a total fan, you could say I'm one of the Madiacs. It's true they're mainly hard rock but they mix in a LOT of other genres and over the years have really become a genre unto themselves. I've said for several years that they incorporate a lot of prog elements into their music. They're not straight prog but what they do is interesting enough to keep me hooked. I always say they're the best rock band on the planet currently, at least for my tastes. If you want to hear some more proggish songs listen to WITHOUT HOLDING BACK or ONSET live (both instrumentals) or perhaps CORALLIUM. They can go pop or punk or just straight metal if they feel like it. They're way better live than recorded generally speaking and Yes, they wear maid outfits on stage which is called "the gap" because what you see isn't what you're hearing. There's also a beautiful song called ABOUT US which is a love song written to the fans during the pandemic lockdown that you ought to listen to. They have about 150 songs in their catalogue, including the ones they didn't write, and they're are very good. If you want to see the MV that saved the band from being dropped by their label watch THRILL, it was the first video and it went viral. It's straight old style groove rock and simple compared to now but excellent. Watch NO GOD live, it'll blow your socks off and there's another crazy one called BLACK HOLE. Sorry, I'll shut up. I hope you keep investigating.
As a Japanese person, I would like to say that unlike many other countries, music in Japan is not often divided into genres (I think it would not be wrong to say that labels only use such a classification for convenience in their labeling). Since childhood, our lives have been filled with not only traditional Japanese music but also various genres of music from various countries, without any distinction, and chaotically (LOL) at random. People who have grown up with such a wide variety of music create and perform music that they think is cool and that they want to play in a very natural way. In other words, most Japanese are omnivorous creatures when it comes to music (in fact, the same is true in many other fields as well), and they live their lives without being aware of their unique characteristics. This is why the music of BAND-MAID is a very natural mixture of a great variety of genres and eras, to the ears of those who are particular about genres. There is prog rock, old school rock, metal, jazz and fusion, and so on. Because it is so well mixed and easy to listen to, it is often called "cleverly composed" or "controlled chaos" by music fans outside of Japan, but we are surprised by such a reputation. LOL If you are interested in their music, please don't try to categorize their music into genres you like or don't like, but just listen to it as it is, based on whether you enjoy it or not. If you do that, you might find new discoveries and unexpected joys for yourself??? LOL
@pohojisan1287 Great comment !!!! I don't know if you are currently living in Japan or not, but I found out something odd. I'm from NYC and this past Monday I attended the International Food & Beverage Show here and had occasion to speak to several vendors who were here from Japan to show their products. I engaged in conversation with some of the younger people working there and mentioned my fondness for Japanese music, especially Band Maid. None of them seemed to know who they were and didn't recognize the name. Now I have heard that Band Maid has more fans outside of Japan than from Japan. What's your take on that ?
@@mikeat2637 Unfortunately, if a survey of their recognition were conducted at this time, I am not confident that Japanese fans would outnumber the total number of international fans, just by comparing the numbers of people, (IMO). I am now 64 years old, living in Japan, and used to work in the music industry in promotion and planning, albeit in different genres (mainly in classical music and jazz). So, I know a lot of Japanese music media people. But unfortunately, many of them do not even know the names of amazing Japanese bands like BAND-MAID, Lovebites, Nemophila, etc., or if they do, they are not interested in them at all (they have never even heard their music). 😩 Therefore, I have given up trying to promote them in Japan and concentrate on trying to make their music known to music fans in other countries. This is because many Japanese people, especially those in the media, bow down before the fact that they are "recognized and popular around the world".😓 I also expect that many foreign people have the ability to distinguish the real thing by their own judgment, rather than Japanese people whose prejudices and pride block their ears.😊
@@mikeat2637 Unfortunately, if a survey of their recognition were conducted at this time, I am not confident that Japanese fans would outnumber the total number of international fans, just by comparing the numbers of people (IMO). I am now 64 years old, living in Japan, and used to work in the music industry in promotion and planning, albeit in different genres (mainly in classical music and jazz). For that reason, I know many Japanese music media people. But unfortunately, many of them do not even know the names of amazing Japanese bands like BAND-MAID, Lovebites, Gacharic Spin, Sokoninaru, Nemophila, Asterism, etc., or if they do, they are not interested in them at all (they have never even heard of them). Therefore, I have given up trying to promote them in Japan and concentrate on trying to make their music known to music fans in other countries. This is because many Japanese people, especially those in the media, bow down before the fact that they are "recognized and popular all over the world." LOL I also expect that many foreign people have the ability to distinguish the real thing by their own judgment, rather than Japanese people whose prejudices and pride block their ears.
Welcome to Band-Maid! The best hard rock band I have heard in my 58 years on this planet. They don't stick to any one genre and often mix genres in songs. They are extremely diverse and have an extensive back catalogue featuring Punk, Pop-Punk, Hard-Rock, Classic Rock, Metal, Prog, Blues, Jazz, Groove, Rap etc. From face melting 220 bpm punk-prog to ballads, instrumentals to acoustics they do it all. They are also five of the nicest people in music, without a shred of ego. They are funny and fun and bad-ass musicians to boot. They are currently into their 11th year with the original line up. There is a music video for this track that's really worth watching! Yes they have a lead singer. Saiki the lead singer has had throat surgery in the past so the band are very careful with her voice. They play 2+ hour sets so to give Saiki a break around mid-set they do three things. 1. Play an instrumental, 2. Miku (rhythm guitar) takes lead vocals for a song or two (she usually has one track per album where she is lead vocalist) and 3. Miku will do her legendary and hilarious "Magic Time" MC set. Then Saiki comes back on to finish the set. Even though Saiki no longer needs a break nowadays, it's become more of a tradition. So yeah, they have a number of really cool instrumental tracks. Check out the live MV of "Onset" for another instrumental banger!
Band-Maid has a very visual component, in addition to the musical, so when you have the choice between a Music Video and an audio-only track, ALWAYS choose the video (there is an official MV for this). And their live is generally a few steps above their studio work, so when you have the choice between a music video and a live performance, go with the live version, especially if its an official live clip from their own TH-cam page.
There is a great MV for this song. This is one of their 4 instrumental tracks. Honestly I don't know what classifies as prog and what doesn't. I do know some have said Band Maid has prog elements in many of their songs. Different MV might be a good one to check out. Very unusual riff and has been described as controlled chaos. Giovanni has a very unusual song structure. Feels like 3 different songs. If you want to get a good feel for the energy of the band then check out the new Hate Live video they just dropped. There is a fantastic extended bridge section.
Band-Maid..10years and 120+songs of Pure Greatness. Amazing musicians, humble humans. For me..Kanami Tōno, lead guitarist and composer is most impressive musician of the 21st Century. Pure genius as a composer and true Rock n’ Roll Star on stage. She is the Spesial One 🔥🤘❤️ Like all the great bands in the history..they are better live. I highly suggested their newest Official Live Video: Hate? for next reaction. Greets from Finland 🤘🔥❤️🇫🇮
This is one of several *instrumentals* that Band Maid has released. They are predominately paired with vocals. They have recently 3/6/24 released their live recording of *HATE?* That'd be a great follow up to *From Now On* . They have upwards of 130 songs released You can find all of their tracks on their official TH-cam page. *And they won't block them* 😀 🤘😀🤘
They play Band Maid Music. Whatever genre that suits the song, they play. You should watch their videos, especially the live ones. Their first official music video was "Thrill". when it was introduced on a J-rock radio station, the video got over 2 million hits in 2 weeks. That video saved the band. The band celebrated their 10 Anniversary Tour finale with all original members in Yokohama this past November. I suggest you react to "Hate?", the official live video, from that Yokohama concert. It will show how far they have come in their 10 years together and also showcase their talent, showmanship, and incredible professionalis.
Hate? live is a must and yes they have vocals 97% of the time. One of the reasons for the instrumentals is to give Saiki a break, the 10th anniversary tour finale at Yokohama Arena was 3 1/2 hours and 33 songs so they break the show up to make sure Saiki is good for the whole show as most of their songs are pretty ferocious and many are very taxing for any vocalist. She had vocal chord polyp surgery in 2017 so they have become very clever at managing a precious asset. Glad you were impressed and welcome aboard.
I'm a prog fan. Looking at your recent reactions, I've seen both Haken and Big Big Train live. While I wouldn't call Band-Maid prog, they do have everything I love about prog (well, everything except 10+ minute epics). My favourite band, and the tip of the iceberg that is the incredible Japanese rock and metal scene. Edit: I subscribed, both for Band-Maid and for the prog
Welcome to Band Maid! This band loves and watches YT reactions of their songs. So, you never have to worry about copyright blocks.... 50+ videos at their YT channel to react too. Dive in and enjoy! 🤘Seeing is believing, their live MV's sound great.
Oh, they love to experiment! :D They might not be normally categorized as a Progressive band but behind the catchy vocals, there is the masterful instrumentation and musicianship.
They’re not overtly prog (usually) so you’re not going to get any 20 minute epics or flute solos - but underneath the gloss of catchy melodic hooks and radio-friendly song structures you’ll find a lot of dense layering and technical playing. Some people call them “sneaky prog”. For some of their stranger works, try Giovanni, Balance, Wonderland, and Black Hole. Why Why Why mixes different styles into one song.
Yo. I've watched a couple of your reactions (Mars Volta, one of my favourite bands) and Porcupine Tree (awesome). I think you'll find that, especially by what I've (possibly erroneously) inferred from those videos, by your standards Band-Maid aren't particularly prog...I think I remember you saying (or implying) that TMV's "Day of the Baphomets" wasn't that interesting until it got to a time signature change which kind of blew my mind because I think that song is all kinds of awesome 🤣. Well I'll just say it: Band-Maid aren't King Crimson and they're not trying to be. But in my opinion they do more than enough to scratch the same itch that I got from prog. What I listened to prog for was that it was more interesting than the "standard" rock music that I'd heard for so long. Band-Maid puts tons of incredible moments into their songs such that I haven't gotten bored of them after 3 years; and I'm someone that gets bored of most songs before the song has even finished. The fact that Band-Maid puts these moments into a "regular" song format means I can enjoy it with both the part of my mind that enjoys prog and the part that enjoys other kinds of music as well. Their songs aren't like King Crimson's "Discipline", far from it. But I don't need it to be. I hope that, if you listen to more of them, you'll do so with this kind of mindset in the back of your head. Have a good one!
Thanks for the fun reaction. Kinda surprising, isn't it? The lead guitar (and songwriter) is also a keyboard player. She creates backing tracks with piano and synth for some songs. I think the most prog thing they have with vocals is Black Hole. There is an MV version on a two song video -- Manners, Black Hole Official Live Video. Black Hole starts at 4:10. Since it's live from a COVID era streaming concert, you can see the girls play but still good recording and mix. By the way, there is an MV for From Now On. Of course, the girls don't play live on the MV but it's still fun to watch. You should do so for your own enjoyment.
They're a live band with a vocalist, so they have some instrumental tracks like this that give the lead vocalist a chance to rest her voice, or run to the bathroom or whatever. The vast majority of their songs have vocals. Their songs are all pretty short like this, so you're not going to get long prog epics or anything. They're like good writers who edit and edit and edit until there's nothing left that they can take away, so there's some prog stuff, but it's wildly accelerated to fit in a 3-4 minute song.
Personally, I don't think you can really go wrong with any Band-Maid song. They are all so talented. I guess for progressive tastes, I would say “Giovani” or "Blooming" might give you more of that...although, they really do a good job of blending genres and it's hard to pin them down to one type of rock. I will say that, after starting my musical journey in the 70's with heavy metal(Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath), and lots of 80's rock/metal....Band-Maid has gone to the top of my playlists. Great first time reaction, I look forward to your next one, maybe with Saiki singing.
Four official instrumental tracks over ten years. However, Band Maid writes complex, layered songs with their vocals…and because they can stand alone as instrumentals, they also release many of those with the vocals removed. I’m an old cat who grew up woodshedding Geddy Lee bass lines until my fingers bled. Band Maid is the most fun and interesting musical artist to come along in a long long time I think their recent live release of “Don’t you tell ME” is one of their most popular songs, with songwriting to appeal to the wider audience. For a music video, “DICE,” would be another well-crafted piece with lyrics that will give you hair metal vibes while also providing some proggy touches Band Maid! 🤘🏽 🔥
Definitely on of their more PROG numbers, but they defy labels and genres making the music they want. Most of their music has the lead vocalist and backup vocalist with very good and interesting lyrics, this instrumental shows you how good they are individually and collectively. Check out more of their music, I think you will like what they do, especially the last 2 or 3 albums.
I wouldn't call them prog rock but some of their songs are pretty proggy. "Giovanni" is pretty close. I think their live video for "Manners/Black Hole" you would find musically interesting. Their latest video "HATE?", while being straight hard rock, nonetheless, shows you that rock is alive and well in Japan.
You did hear keys in this which will be on a backing track for live performances. Not all of their songs have a track but when they do it is usually for little embellishments to enhance the overall soundscape. For instance you can hear the drawn out synths setting the ethereal atmosphere behind the bass and guitar duel in their latest release of Don’t You Tell ME - Live from their 10th anniversary finale concert at Yokohama Arena. I hope you explore this band further. They have quite a deep and diverse catalog.
You should check out their latest live video Hate if you want to hear singing. I’m sure you’ll love it. I love me some Hate from Band-Maid. Subscribed, can’t wait to hear more reactions from you.
Sugoi! I've seen them twice in the last 20 months, and they are not to be missed. Kanami "Mincho" Tono, lead guitarist, is a prolific songwriter and writes initially on piano. More please. Arigatou! 🤘🤘 #ShareHappyLetsDance
I wanted to let you know that those piano parts in the song where record by Kanami, the composer and added to the backing track. She is quite an accomplished pianist and usually uses the piano to write her compositions.
GIOVANNI is a pretty darn proggy song from their "Unseen World" album...key changes, interesting riffs both guitar and bass, etc. Worth a try, sir. Great reaction. Thank you for giving BAND-MAID a chance on your channel.
95% of their songs have singing- mostly in Japanese - but they are also known for some amazing instrumentals :) They play in whatever styles they feel like- they call themselves hard rock but have plenty of elements from heavy metal, pop, punk, prog, etc - to varying degrees depending on the song- but not that many of them are very proggy- maybe Giovanni is the most prog like unless im forgetting some.. The correct label for Band-maid is Band-maid :) They sound like themselves. They are all really great musicians and composers.
This is the first part of an information file I post for people new to reacting to Band-Maid. Band Maid Is; (In order of joining band) Name/Age: Nickname: Position: Miku Kobato Small Pigeon/ Band Founder, Secondary Lead Vocalist, Rhythm Guitarist, Main Lyricist, Age: 32 Koba/Kuruppo/ Backing Vocals, Backing Tracks, Arrangements 10/21/91 Cluppo Kanami Tono Princess/ Lead Guitarist, Primary Composer, Backing Vocals, Keyboards, Backing Tracks Age: 32 Kanamincho/ Backing Vocals on Backing Tracks, Arrangements 9/28/91 Mincho Akane Hirose Gorilla/ Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals on Backing Tracks, Backing Tracks, Age: 33 Ah-Chan Arrangements 12/14/90 MISA Barefoot Assassin/ 5 String Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals on Backing Tracks, Backing Tracks Age: 31 MISA-MISA-MISA Arrangements 10/15/92 Saiki Atsumi Ice Queen/ Primary Lead Vocalist, Backing Vocals, Lyricist, Backing Vocals on Backing Age: 30 Sai-Chan/ Tracks, Backing tracks, Arrangements 2/8/94 Sensei (Teacher) There is MUCH more information if you would care to know it. As for the genre the Ladies could be classified as, well most of us Maidiacs as we call ourselves, say that Band-Maid genre is Band-Maid. They have a unique bass forward, guitar driven sound that incorporates multiple other genres, many times in the same song. They have songs that start off pop, move into punk, then some jazz and R&B, then back into pop-punk, all with a Hard Rock overtone. They have ballads, they have songs that border on thrash metal. Songs that are smooth jazz, then turn to rock. So you can't really identify them as one genre or another. Exactly what many others would say is Progressive. I and quite a few others consider these 5 young Ladies to be their generations version of RUSH, maybe old Styx. And the Ladies have only 5 songs that are strictly instrumental. Currently. They may add more later. But they DO have an entire album, they released as instrumentals. I'd suggest their newest as in the song was released on their 2022 EP, and they just released an official live video from their 2023 Tour Ending concert at the Yokohama Arena. That song is the newest on their channel and is called "Hate?" But basically ANY song on their channel any video would be considered a "Good" song. Some are EXCELLENT songs, but so far after literally listening to their entire catalog, including the songs that their label provided to them in the beginning, all of their songs are good. As they have progressed and taken over the writing, producing and arranging of their music, they have simply gotten better and more Prog/Hard Rock.
@@uffdad8211 Thankee Uffdad For anyone interested, here is the rest of that file. Band Maid was started in 2013 by Miku Kobato. At the time she had just left the Idol Group, Lil Cumin and she didn't like the type of music she had been performing. She approached her management agency with the idea of making an actual band playing rock music but dressed as maids. She had worked in a Maid Cafe and thought the image of maids playing rockin music would create what she called "The Gap" between what you see and what you hear. The Management company was like Ok, go ahead. Miku then looked around and found Kanami a singer/songwriter who was posting her own videos on the internet. Miku had her agency contact her and Kanami thought the idea was cool and agreed to join. Miku then asked if Kanami knew a drummer who might be interested. Kanami had worked with Akane in the past and there is 2 versions of this, the first is, Kanami literally walked over to Akane's apartment and asked her, the second is Kanami called Akane and asked her. (Akane has said in 2 different interviews that 1: Kanami called her and asked if she could come over and 2: in a second interview Kanami just came over) Akane was actually hesitant as she had worked in an "All Girl Group" before and didn't enjoy it as it wasn't the type of music she wanted to play. After hearing a Demo, Akane was like ok, but was still slightly hesitant because of the "Maid Outfits", but she agreed to give it a try. Akane was asked if she knew a bass player and she had gone to Tokyo School of Music with MISA and had worked a couple of jobs with her. So Misa was contacted and after she heard a demo she was like I like the music, but she also was hesitant about the "Maid Outfits", but she relented and joined in as she really wanted to play the kind of music she heard in the demo. The 3 of them then "Auditioned" for the record company and passed the audition. Now we have the "Core" members. The 4 members worked out some songs provided for them by the record company, and a setlist and they had performed 3 times with just Miku on main vocals. Miku after those performances felt that her voice wasn't powerful enough to really perform the songs she wanted. So she approached her management company again and asked if they had any singers who weren't in other projects. They then auditioned several singers. Miku heard Saiki rehearsing in a room across the hall and asked if she could be auditioned, the record company then had Saiki audition. Saiki was signed to the same management company and had done some work as a backup singer and dancer and was asked if she would be interested in auditioning for this new group which currently had 4 members and she would be the fifth. She had been a member of a group with 8 other people as a backup singer and dancer, and HATED it. So she listened to the demo and thought "Cool" because she liked the music. Now we come to the tricky part. Miku KNEW that if Saiki was told about the "Maid Outfits" she would say NO WAY!, so they didn't tell her. They told her they would have "Cool/cute Clothes"(I've read it translated either way), and she never met Miku until a few days before they had a contracted performance. She wasn't told about the "Maid Outfits" until the day before the performance, and she had considered backing out, but she had signed the contract. (Saiki also had NEVER met Miku until then as well) So the Ladies, went and did the performance and Saiki really, REALLY liked the crowds reaction and the music they were performing. She DIDN'T like the apron she wore so it got ditched after the first performance. And you now have the beginnings of the BEST LIVE HARD ROCK BAND in the WORLD! ALL HAIL BAND MAID!!!!! Now that we have the Full band, it was felt that there needed to be a second guitar. Saiki was like, "Not Me, No Way." So Miku said, "I'll do it.", at first that was literally all she did, was hold the guitar and mime playing it, until Akane said, if you are going to hold it, you NEED to learn to play it. And Miku said, "Ok.", and Kanami started to teach Miku how to play. The Ladies released their first album in 2014 "Maid in Japan" which failed to chart, but later after "Thrill" it was reissued and charted to #26 in Japan.
Then in 2015 they released "New Beginning" On New Beginning was the song that changed Band Maid's entire existence. "Thrill"... The band was getting ready to release their first music video and the choice was between "Love, Passion, Matador" and "Thrill" and the ladies chose Thrill. (Little known fact, Miku helped with the lyrics on Thrill but did not get credited) This became the seminal moment of Band Maid. Because their second album charted at #64, the record company was seriously considering disbanding the Ladies and switching them to other projects. (In fact they had Kanami and Akane work with Mochi to Cheese thinking that when Band Maid cratered they could use them in another band. MISA had also just started working with Mochi to Cheese as well). However about 6 months after the video's release, a Facebook page "JRock Radio" posted the video to their timeline. And the video went viral. Having over a million views in just a few short weeks. The Ladies Twitter page got so many hits they thought their page had been hacked. Their TH-cam channel also started getting more and more subscribers and views to Thrill. Now the ladies knew where their fans wanted them to go. Harder Rock, less pop. And history was Maid. I and others are glad to help new listeners to Band-Maid find out about the Ladies, and to help them as they experience one of the best Hard Rock Bands currently touring.
Welcome to the Wonderful World of Band Maid !!!!!!! I have also been very fond of prog rock going back to the mid 1960's and still like it today, though the really good groups are hard to find. I'm 77 and have been following rock since the first time I saw Joey Dee and The Starlighters perform The Peppermint Twist in Jersey City, New Jersey. I remember Chubby Checker too, lol. Band Maid is the best thing to happen to the rock genre in two decades. As @Davey-Boyd has noted below all of their sub-genres, there is no reason to repeat it. As you mentioned, these ladies are not kids anymore, lol. Drummer extraordinaire Akane Hirose a/k/a Gorilla is the oldest at 33. Next come the group's founder Miko Kobato a/k/a Kuruppo at rythym guitar and Kanami Tono a/k/a Mincho (Shorty), a Mozart quality composer who writes music every day and can shred with anyone else out there at present are 32. Next is wunderkind bassist MISA MISA MISA a/k/a The Barefoot Assassin (she figured if they were going to be maids she wanted to be an assassin maid) who is one of the best bassists out there today, male or female. And last, but definitely not least is lead vocalist Saiki Atsumi a/k/a The Fashionista a/k/a Ice Queen and rapidly approaching the top if the heap as a rock frontwoman today, is 30, the baby of the group, lol. Just to show you the difference 10 years have made, react to their music video of "Thrill" from 2013, which launched them to where they are today, and the new live official video of "Don't You Tell Me", which dropped on 2/22/24 from the finale concert of their 10 Year Anniversary Tour from last November. THAT will show you how much the entire band has progressed to the point where they are in the top ranks of rock groups today. Their catalogue is voluminous to say the least and covers the entire spectrum of rock. We Maidiacs are fervent fans who love the group not just for the music, but for the amazing and beautiful personalities that make Band Maid who they are. I've seen them three times, twice in 2022 and once in 2023 and wish I could have seen them 3 or 4 more times. Band Maid is a dish best served LIVE !!!!!! I look forward to more reactions from you, as I'm now a sub.
OPH Great reaction,you have to see these ladies live they are amazing,check out the latest release ,,HATE,, Live at yokahama,with the vocalist,best band on this rock we call home.
Some excellent neo-classical prog from Japan: "Angel of salvation" by Galneryus, "Faith and Decision" by Versailles, "Knight of sword" by Unlucky Mmorpheus, "Curse bride" by Tears of Tragedy. Unlucky Morpheus also does an impressive cover of Dream Theater's "Dance of eternity" in live and studio versions.
Welcome, Mr. Head ;-). You are embarking on (along with many others - over 190 million YT views plus over 40 million reactor plays!) an awesome, progressive, hard-rock journey with 5 incredible women. Here's my intro blurb for those who may be new to Band-Maid:
BAND-MAID’s songs and sound beat with the heart and soul of all rockers. But you’ll also hear heavy influences of Prog, Punk, Metal and Pop, with nice touches of Blues, Jazz, Funk and Grunge. Sometimes they use multiple genres within the same song. Their Composition, Execution, Joy of Playing, Consistency (130+ songs), Uniqueness, Charisma, Charm and, oh yeah, Cuteness factor, position them as becoming the hard rock Beatles of our time! In other words, they’re destined for mega-stardom. Each member's personalities are super interesting and their musicianship among the best. Their writing, arrangements and overall sound, especially guitar tones and drums, are kick-ass! Having seen them LIVE, I can honestly say their performance, sound, stage appearance, and band synergy is off-the-rails spectacular! Band-Maid is the only band in decades where I love nearly EVERY song they’ve done. I have over 70 favorites! "Thrill" (2014) is a great place to start: th-cam.com/video/Uds7g3M-4lQ/w-d-xo.html Their songs from albums Unleash, Unseen World, Conqueror, World Domination, Just Bring It, Brand New Maid, and New Beginning drive even more - Shambles, Warning, No God, Different, Black Hole, Rinne, Blooming, Moratorium, Domination, Clang, Dice, Spirit, Don’t You Tell Me, Turn Me On, Fate, Play, Hide-And-Seek, Secret My Lips, Puzzle, Choose Me, I Can’t Live Without You, and on and on. But don’t miss out on their powerful, beautifully written, mid-tempo songs like Daydreaming, About Us, Memorable, Anemone, Endless Story, PAGE, At The Drop Of A Hat, Mirage and Smile... or more punky like After Life, Don’t Let Me Down and Screaming… or funky like Bubble… or bluesy like Manners and The Dragon Cries… or poppy like Start Over… or a bit jazzy like Wonderland… or progressive like No God, Giovanni, and Black Hole… or cultural like the Band-Maiko series… or instrumentals like From Now On, Don’t Be Long, Onset, Without Holding Back and Going Nuts… or their many acoustic versions like Catharsis and Sayonakidori... and last but not least, their Anime hits (AniMaid) like Sense, Glory and Unleash!!!!! (from their own Anime MV (series?)): th-cam.com/video/7LB_EPS48HE/w-d-xo.html) And many songs are represented with over 50 well produced music videos. th-cam.com/users/BANDMAID Most performances should be experienced from their LIVE audience & online OKYU-JI concerts: ONLINE OKYU-JI (Feb. 11, 2021) “No God” th-cam.com/video/nAdWnIRjGak/w-d-xo.html Tokyo's LINE CUBE SHIBUYA (February 14, 2020) “Domination” th-cam.com/video/QbyQCJn6rYg/w-d-xo.html ZEPP 2018 “Real Existence” th-cam.com/video/-qQnKILR5u0/w-d-xo.html Shinkiba Studio Coast 2017 and other full concerts are on bandmaidprime.tokyo, bili, and official Band-Maid’s DVD/BD/CD. “P and D⁴” Photo Collage videos at www.youtube.com/@PinDakaPanic810 And some of the better quality fan videos are excellent. Here’s two of what it’s like to see Band-Maid LIVE at an intimate venue: Shot by Pat McKee from their 2023 US tour concert in Detroit: th-cam.com/video/DgxU-MVjta0/w-d-xo.html See the Maids 2023 Rockville Festival’s short-set perfection performance: th-cam.com/video/vjZkNeoGmhc/w-d-xo.html If you like Band-Maid, make sure to support them by purchasing some concert tickets, CD, DVD/BD & Merch, etc. bandmaid.tokyo Like most Band-Maid songs, I like them from the get-go but really start to appreciate them after more hearings and seeing their LIVE videos. I'll go back and see an older song like YOLO, Order, Shake That, Freezer, Before Yesterday, Real Existence, Non Fiction Days and Alone, etc. and realize there's no band that can consistently construct and play like Band-Maid. For fun, check out: "Mega Band-Maid Mix" by DJ Ray of some of their earlier stuff: facebook.com/djrayboston/videos/1004709499579009 Band-Maid MIDI covers: www.youtube.com/@DeanF_MIDI Reimagined compositions of Band-Maid songs: www.youtube.com/@fxdxmusic Band-Maid Members: Saiki Atsumi (Sy-i-Key or Psyche) “StarQueen" - Lead vocals, arrangements and melodies. At 30 and the youngest, “Sensei” (Teacher) as band members call her, has the last word on many musical decisions. High-heels or sneakers, Sai-chan’s smile melts away her sometimes perceived, coldish persona. Saiki’s powerhouse performances, charisma, and voice focus the experience that’s driven her to the top echelon of hard rock frontwomen... or frontmen! Miku Kobato (Me-Ku) "Small Pigeon" - Rhythm guitar, vocals, lyricist, 32 years old. “Koba”, as Saiki calls her, is the Band founder and a firecracker MC & PR SpokesPigeon, po! Her “Magic Spell Time” charm and energy ignite the room. Kuruppo! No, no, no… KURUPPO!! Kanami Tono (Ka-Na-Me) “Princess” - Lead guitar, keyboards, 32 years old, is a prolific writer of most Band-Maid material. Kanami (translates “Song Wave”) is a possessed riff-slayer who’s so damn adorable it hurts. The only thing you want from Mincho is more! Akane Hirose (A-Ka-Nay) "Gorilla" - Drums, 33 years old, band energizer & co-clown with MISA. Achi’s talents include massive consumption of noodles and bananas, of course, (even during performance!) while revolutionizing rock drumming with relentless drive, dynamics and the kick. This “DrumZilla” is the Party! MISA (Me-Sa) "Barefoot Assassin" - Bass, 31 years old. An alluring free spirit driving her 5-string to rapturous low-ends while pulling off surprising counter leads with Kanami, off-stage MISA is the band’s goofball ballerina. Sometimes seen as the Mysterious One because she lets her instrument do the talking, the Assassin literally kills it… every note... uniting Band-Maid’s world-class rhythm section. A slug of JB, a slight grin, and let the slappin’ begin… MISA! MISA! MISA! Maidiacs (Maid-e-acts) - Band-Maid’s crazed yet supportive, knowledgeable and loyal Super Fans. [BAND-MAID NEWS] BAND-MAID PRIME - Special Video Distribution Website. Along with nearly 50 great play-through’s by each member, concerts and skits, Band-Maid management / label(s) have included the Acoustic Christmas 2021, ZEPP 2018 and Shinkiba Studio Coast 2017 concerts! Fans can now see more than 50 great live performances with awesome audio, etc. like Fate, I Can't Live Without You and the great MISA / Kanami exchange in Don't You Tell Me. Those concerts are two of the best produced & performed concerts ever recorded, IMO. bandmaidprime.tokyo The Maids SOLD OUT 2023 US & Mexico tour wrapped up and was a fantastic success. And so many great live fancams to watch! Their playing and antics were as fresh and fun to experience from first show to last. BRAVO Band-Maid!!!!! In addition, their Japan tour finished up with 13 concerts, AND they’re writing and recording for their new album. Their 10th Anniversary Tour concluded at Japan’s 17,000 seat Yokohama Arena on Nov. 26, 2023 and in Hong Kong Dec. 21! And their latest 10TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR SPIN OFF concert at KT ZEPP YOKOHAMA on February 22, 2024, where they played songs not performed at the 10th anniversary tour final at Yokohama Arena, was SOLD OUT! The Maids are one of the hardest working super groups in the business! Their music, their sound, each of the Maids, and the love that permeates their live events is an experience not to be missed. Hope you can catch them LIVE!
Band-Maid refuses to be pigeon-holed or locked into any particular type of hard rock/metal music. They feel free to explore and combine many different types of genres and weave them all into a sonic tapestry of musical greatness. Band-Maid are elite artists and the music they write and play cooperatively is astonishingly refreshing and extraordinarily addictive. More Band-Maid please!
IMO their proggiest song is Giovanni, but there's a lot that have prog elements. They are at their core hard rock, and their singer(s) are also fantastic. They just dropped a new live video "Hate?" - I'd check it out, but come back to Giovanni for proggyness.
So what is Band Maid? Start with a foundation of some classic rock, add some modern metal, (even progressive metal), a pinch of neo-classical, some funk, jazz and emo, along with some anthemic hooks that stuck in your head, before executing it through a sort of post-punk filter. Their increased progginess isn't obvious but the experimentation is undeniable. You won't get any 8 minute tracks, but you might get a 4 minute track with twice the layers of craziness. Of course when live, all bets are off on what happens. Saw them in ATL last year at a sold out show with 1800 of your new best friends. They just killed it like a tight, well oiled machine. I grew up on Rush, Yes and Genesis . To me, "From Now On" is their "La Villa Strangiato."
Out of 120 songs, they have four instrumental songs. You caught one of the four. The lead guitar player is a concert pianist. So, may hear some piano tracks at times. One of them also plays violin, I think it's the base player... so you may also hear some violin at times on a few tracks.
Okay, names, pronunciation, nicknames, and roles, in order that they joined the band. Miku Kobato - mee-koo - Kuruppo, the Little Pigeon, the Little Engine Who Will - band founder, backing (and occasionally lead) vocals, rhythm guitar, principal lyricist, tireless Spokespigeon and PR machine. Wielder of weapons grade cuteness. Poker shark and horse racing fanatic. So determined to see her band succeed that she fired herself as lead singer (she decided her voice wasn't strong enough for hard rock), then went looking for a replacement. Learned to play guitar after the band was formed. Definitely eccentric, possibly insane. Kanami Tono - kah-nah-mee - Kanamincho or just Mincho - lead guitar, keyboards, principal composer and arranger. On stage, she's a savant mad riffer with a room temperature IQ and a huge crush on Saiki. In reality, she's a genius, and not just musically- she has a degree in economics with honors. A sweet, motherly woman who turns into a beast when you hand her a guitar. Akane Hirose - ah-kah-neh - A-chan, the Gorilla - drums, sequencing, snacks, the leader the band doesn't have. What you see is what you get- a cheerful jock with a huge appetite who burns off the calories murdering her drums. Completely unflappable. Frequently snacks between songs. Has been known to sign her banana peels and throw them to the audience. MISA - mee-sah - the Barefoot Assassin, MISA MISA MISA! - bass, booze, occasional wet work. Usually stone faced. Barely acknowledges the audience's existence. Always has a beer or a bottle of Jim Beam on her Orange amp. Originally, these were ways of coping with stage fright. These days, that's just how the assassin rolls. Saiki Atsumi - sah-ee-kee (but Psyche is close enough) - the Ice Queen, Sensei, Sai-chan - lead vocals, some lyrics, the "We're done" girl. Fashionista and train nerd. Regards her band mates, especially Kanami and Miku, with bemused exasperation. In total command on stage; hides behind Miku off stage (she's actually kind of shy).
Check out Black Hole, which has a definite prog metal vibe. It's paired with Manners, which is more classic rock in conception and performance but still very worthwhile. They are relaxed about copyright as long as what's being used is an official release for review purposes. The band themselves enjoy watching reaction videos and also encourage cover versions of their songs.
Welcome to the pigeonhole, po! Best rock band on the planet! I'm not sure why anyone would suggest an instrumental as an introduction, but it is a BA one. Also, there is an official MV for this one. They just dropped some live videos from the 10 year anniversary tour, which I suggest you check out next. Unleash!!!!! Don't You Tell Me Hate?🤘
Band Maid are incredibly talented - more in the hard rock genre but do mix things up If you looking for more proggy band from Japan try Sokoninaru - this one is a good showcase of what they are about - th-cam.com/video/n7MyoBki9wk/w-d-xo.html
🐦 *OPH Reacts* 🐦 Welcome to the world of *BAND-MAID* (2013 - Present) A group of 5 young ladies from Japan that will rock your world: *Miku Kobato* (Kuruppo) = Lead Vocals / Rhythm Guitar *(Po!)* *Saiki Atsumi* (Sai-Chan) = Lead Vocals *Kanami Tono* (Kanamincho) = Lead Guitarist *Akane Hirose* (A-Chan) = Drummer *MISA* (MISA, MISA, MISA) = Bassist If you wish to continue down this Pigeon Hole 😊 you will enjoy over 100+ great songs you will start saying to yourself “This is my favorite *BAND-MAID* song”. _(No joke Po!)_ Below is a list of songs that will get you started *Blooming-2019* *Dice-2018* *Choose Me-2017* *ONSET* (instrumental) *Real Existence Live (Apr. 13th, 2018)* I discovered *BAND-MAID* in 2019 and came to a realization that *BAND-MAID* more then just a rock band they are a band that does not have any boundaries and is willing experiment into different genre from (Blues, Rock, Punk and Jazz) and a lot of fans including me would say “you got to check out their live videos” from: *2017-STUDIO COAST* *2018-Zepp Tokyo* *2020-LINE CUBE SHIBUYA* *2021-BAND-MAID ONLINE ACOUSTIC* In the end I realize that *BAND-MAID* more then just a band but a band that cares about each other and their fan base and in October of 2022 I had a fortune of experiencing them live and with that *BAND-MAID* cemented their Legacy into my heart. Rock On! 🤘 *100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back…*
May I ask why you didn't react to the official MV? Domination LIVE music video should be next. BandMaid is technical and catchy. So they are far more engaged with the audience than being above it all. Riffs, hooks, and sing with section are hallmarks of BandMaid tunes. They in sing a mixture of Japanese and English. Anyway take care!
Maid Cafe = Japanese hooters. When I say that Japanese people say that they aren't like hooters nothing happens there. It's just for middle aged men. So exactly like Hooters.
Band Maid... best served Live... too bad you missed this MV but you can fire up Puzzle, No God, Domination.. pretty much any Live version is going to be great.. its not all prog but it is all awesome ....
BAND-MAID can play anything they want and often do. This is a good example for you, but not a full song. Try 'Puzzle'. But if you like instrumentals try 'Without Holding Back'. But where's the video? BAND-MAID are very visual. If you want more traffic from the Maidiacs you're going to want that video on there. And , though they have a few songs where the OMV is the superior version, they are best experienced LIVE! All keyboards were played by band composer and lead guitarist, Kanami. When they play LIVE that's on a backing track.
The Maidiacs welcome you! You’ve fallen down a rabbit hole or as we refer to it as “The Pigeon Hole.” I get that you went with the audio only video to assess the band without the visuals but you should have checked out the official video of this song th-cam.com/video/a6ZSvmnkS00/w-d-xo.htmlsi=0Y_lbpYRaU7z54R7 I mean no disrespect, just constructive criticism. They are just as good with the visual experience. It’s always entertaining to watch a newbie discover Band Maid for the first time.
Nice t-shirt👍 These girls are very talented, but I think the influence of prog on their compositions is very little, thank God (no offense). Kanami, her guitarist and main songwriter, is very fond of fast rhythms and using a lot of riffs, but I wouldn't exactly call their music "progressive". I think their ages currently ranges between thirty and thirty-three years old.😉
I would say that some of Band-Maid's music would fall into the prog rock category. Definitely not as progy as Yes, Rush, Kansas, etc... They call themselves a hard rock band. You should check out something live by them to get the full effect of Band-Maid. Some of their heavier songs are Moratorium, No God, and Rinne among others. The double bass drum on No God and Rinne is incredible.
Welcome & thanks from Japan 有難う💛。 Band-Maid is one of the best bands in our country, especially in live performance. We say "Japan is the country obsessed by Rock Music". The history is very long and the obsession started in 1966 when Beatles visited Japan and held 5 concerts at Budokan. Speaking of hard rock / heavy metal music, a number of bands started to come to Japan since as early as 1970s : Led Zeppelin / Grand Funk Railroad (1971), Deep Purple (1972), Queen (1975), Kiss (1977), Cheap Trick / Van Halen / Scorpions (1978), Judas Priest (1978/79) and so on. Now, any type of rock can be enjoyed here, especially by many all-female or women-fronted bands. They are daughters of American / European rock, for sure. (Many are grand-daughters in terms of age.) Uh-oh, we also say "Japan is the country obsessed by Jazz". It had started earlier than rock 😄
Band maid probably the best female talent in Japan...but since your already here definitely check out BABYMETAL definitely one where the Kami band is shown like "Rondo of Nightmare with Mischiefs of God intro Budokan live" or just go straight to their best song "BMTH Kingslayer ft BabyMetal live in Tokyo" (P.S. don't let gimme chocolate be your first experience haha)
not even the music video? weak...and..., I love it when old western metal farts like me (59} talk about gimic in non-western bands...The words 'manga' or 'anime' are also often used for Asian bands. apropo gimic's...the whole gimic of 'kiss' with the painted faces...AC/DC's gimic with the guitarist dressed like a schoolboy...slipnot with the gimic with their masks...but lots of rock/metal bands use the gimic with the long hair, leather rivets and boots clothes. gimic's? paah!😜
I'm 72 and my favorite old group is Yes (whom I have seen many times) and I have an enormous collection of their music (including about 360 bootlegs) . My music collection in general is extremely large and it includes a lot of "progressive rock" I've accumulated over the years. I had pretty much given up on regular rock as being boring and repetitive and hardly listened to it at all for the last decade or longer choosing instead to listen to more progressive music because there's just so much more going on. About six years ago I stumbled onto Band Maid and was attracted to them because of the many classic rock elements they included in the music. The earlier albums are more regular fare but they weren't allowed to write their own music yet but once they took control of what they were doing they really took off and I became a total fan, you could say I'm one of the Madiacs. It's true they're mainly hard rock but they mix in a LOT of other genres and over the years have really become a genre unto themselves. I've said for several years that they incorporate a lot of prog elements into their music. They're not straight prog but what they do is interesting enough to keep me hooked. I always say they're the best rock band on the planet currently, at least for my tastes. If you want to hear some more proggish songs listen to WITHOUT HOLDING BACK or ONSET live (both instrumentals) or perhaps CORALLIUM. They can go pop or punk or just straight metal if they feel like it. They're way better live than recorded generally speaking and Yes, they wear maid outfits on stage which is called "the gap" because what you see isn't what you're hearing. There's also a beautiful song called ABOUT US which is a love song written to the fans during the pandemic lockdown that you ought to listen to. They have about 150 songs in their catalogue, including the ones they didn't write, and they're are very good. If you want to see the MV that saved the band from being dropped by their label watch THRILL, it was the first video and it went viral. It's straight old style groove rock and simple compared to now but excellent. Watch NO GOD live, it'll blow your socks off and there's another crazy one called BLACK HOLE. Sorry, I'll shut up. I hope you keep investigating.
What he said.
@@Kevin6059 I agree indubitably !!!!!
As a Japanese person, I would like to say that unlike many other countries, music in Japan is not often divided into genres (I think it would not be wrong to say that labels only use such a classification for convenience in their labeling). Since childhood, our lives have been filled with not only traditional Japanese music but also various genres of music from various countries, without any distinction, and chaotically (LOL) at random. People who have grown up with such a wide variety of music create and perform music that they think is cool and that they want to play in a very natural way.
In other words, most Japanese are omnivorous creatures when it comes to music (in fact, the same is true in many other fields as well), and they live their lives without being aware of their unique characteristics.
This is why the music of BAND-MAID is a very natural mixture of a great variety of genres and eras, to the ears of those who are particular about genres. There is prog rock, old school rock, metal, jazz and fusion, and so on.
Because it is so well mixed and easy to listen to, it is often called "cleverly composed" or "controlled chaos" by music fans outside of Japan, but we are surprised by such a reputation. LOL
If you are interested in their music, please don't try to categorize their music into genres you like or don't like, but just listen to it as it is, based on whether you enjoy it or not.
If you do that, you might find new discoveries and unexpected joys for yourself??? LOL
Great post, @po! (@po, I like that 😉.)
@pohojisan1287 Great comment !!!! I don't know if you are currently living in Japan or not, but I found out something odd. I'm from NYC and this past Monday I attended the International Food & Beverage Show here and had occasion to speak to several vendors who were here from Japan to show their products. I engaged in conversation with some of the younger people working there and mentioned my fondness for Japanese music, especially Band Maid. None of them seemed to know who they were and didn't recognize the name. Now I have heard that Band Maid has more fans outside of Japan than from Japan. What's your take on that ?
@@mikeat2637 Unfortunately, if a survey of their recognition were conducted at this time, I am not confident that Japanese fans would outnumber the total number of international fans, just by comparing the numbers of people, (IMO).
I am now 64 years old, living in Japan, and used to work in the music industry in promotion and planning, albeit in different genres (mainly in classical music and jazz). So, I know a lot of Japanese music media people. But unfortunately, many of them do not even know the names of amazing Japanese bands like BAND-MAID, Lovebites, Nemophila, etc., or if they do, they are not interested in them at all (they have never even heard their music). 😩
Therefore, I have given up trying to promote them in Japan and concentrate on trying to make their music known to music fans in other countries. This is because many Japanese people, especially those in the media, bow down before the fact that they are "recognized and popular around the world".😓
I also expect that many foreign people have the ability to distinguish the real thing by their own judgment, rather than Japanese people whose prejudices and pride block their ears.😊
@@mikeat2637 Unfortunately, if a survey of their recognition were conducted at this time, I am not confident that Japanese fans would outnumber the total number of international fans, just by comparing the numbers of people (IMO).
I am now 64 years old, living in Japan, and used to work in the music industry in promotion and planning, albeit in different genres (mainly in classical music and jazz). For that reason, I know many Japanese music media people. But unfortunately, many of them do not even know the names of amazing Japanese bands like BAND-MAID, Lovebites, Gacharic Spin, Sokoninaru, Nemophila, Asterism, etc., or if they do, they are not interested in them at all (they have never even heard of them).
Therefore, I have given up trying to promote them in Japan and concentrate on trying to make their music known to music fans in other countries. This is because many Japanese people, especially those in the media, bow down before the fact that they are "recognized and popular all over the world." LOL
I also expect that many foreign people have the ability to distinguish the real thing by their own judgment, rather than Japanese people whose prejudices and pride block their ears.
Welcome to Band-Maid! The best hard rock band I have heard in my 58 years on this planet. They don't stick to any one genre and often mix genres in songs. They are extremely diverse and have an extensive back catalogue featuring Punk, Pop-Punk, Hard-Rock, Classic Rock, Metal, Prog, Blues, Jazz, Groove, Rap etc. From face melting 220 bpm punk-prog to ballads, instrumentals to acoustics they do it all. They are also five of the nicest people in music, without a shred of ego. They are funny and fun and bad-ass musicians to boot. They are currently into their 11th year with the original line up.
There is a music video for this track that's really worth watching!
Yes they have a lead singer. Saiki the lead singer has had throat surgery in the past so the band are very careful with her voice. They play 2+ hour sets so to give Saiki a break around mid-set they do three things. 1. Play an instrumental, 2. Miku (rhythm guitar) takes lead vocals for a song or two (she usually has one track per album where she is lead vocalist) and 3. Miku will do her legendary and hilarious "Magic Time" MC set. Then Saiki comes back on to finish the set. Even though Saiki no longer needs a break nowadays, it's become more of a tradition. So yeah, they have a number of really cool instrumental tracks. Check out the live MV of "Onset" for another instrumental banger!
Band-Maid has a very visual component, in addition to the musical, so when you have the choice between a Music Video and an audio-only track, ALWAYS choose the video (there is an official MV for this). And their live is generally a few steps above their studio work, so when you have the choice between a music video and a live performance, go with the live version, especially if its an official live clip from their own TH-cam page.
They also don't mind reactions too.
There is a great MV for this song. This is one of their 4 instrumental tracks. Honestly I don't know what classifies as prog and what doesn't. I do know some have said Band Maid has prog elements in many of their songs. Different MV might be a good one to check out. Very unusual riff and has been described as controlled chaos. Giovanni has a very unusual song structure. Feels like 3 different songs. If you want to get a good feel for the energy of the band then check out the new Hate Live video they just dropped. There is a fantastic extended bridge section.
I really enjoy new Band-Maid viewers.
Band-Maid does NOT block reaction videos so discover away freely. So you can see their videos
You need to re watch this with the MV to this song
Agree. Seeing the band members play their instruments is indeed poetry in motion and enhances the emotional feel and impact of the song.
Band-Maid..10years and 120+songs of Pure Greatness. Amazing musicians, humble humans. For me..Kanami Tōno, lead guitarist and composer is most impressive musician of the 21st Century. Pure genius as a composer and true Rock n’ Roll Star on stage. She is the Spesial One 🔥🤘❤️
Like all the great bands in the history..they are better live. I highly suggested their newest Official Live Video: Hate? for next reaction. Greets from Finland 🤘🔥❤️🇫🇮
This is one of several *instrumentals* that Band Maid has released.
They are predominately paired with vocals.
They have recently 3/6/24 released their live recording of *HATE?*
That'd be a great follow up to *From Now On* .
They have upwards of 130 songs released
You can find all of their tracks on their official TH-cam page. *And they won't block them* 😀
🤘😀🤘
They play Band Maid Music. Whatever genre that suits the song, they play. You should watch their videos, especially the live ones. Their first official music video was "Thrill". when it was introduced on a J-rock radio station, the video got over 2 million hits in 2 weeks. That video saved the band. The band celebrated their 10 Anniversary Tour finale with all original members in Yokohama this past November. I suggest you react to "Hate?", the official live video, from that Yokohama concert. It will show how far they have come in their 10 years together and also showcase their talent, showmanship, and incredible professionalis.
Hate? live is a must and yes they have vocals 97% of the time. One of the reasons for the instrumentals is to give Saiki a break, the 10th anniversary tour finale at Yokohama Arena was 3 1/2 hours and 33 songs so they break the show up to make sure Saiki is good for the whole show as most of their songs are pretty ferocious and many are very taxing for any vocalist. She had vocal chord polyp surgery in 2017 so they have become very clever at managing a precious asset. Glad you were impressed and welcome aboard.
I'm a prog fan. Looking at your recent reactions, I've seen both Haken and Big Big Train live. While I wouldn't call Band-Maid prog, they do have everything I love about prog (well, everything except 10+ minute epics). My favourite band, and the tip of the iceberg that is the incredible Japanese rock and metal scene.
Edit: I subscribed, both for Band-Maid and for the prog
Welcome to Band Maid! This band loves and watches YT reactions of their songs. So, you never have to worry about copyright blocks.... 50+ videos at their YT channel to react too. Dive in and enjoy! 🤘Seeing is believing, their live MV's sound great.
Digging into their back catalog is extremely worth-while! Trust Me!
Definitely you have to watch they MV 😉And also yesterday they put a live official video HATE? You will enjoy I promise 😉
Oh, they love to experiment! :D They might not be normally categorized as a Progressive band but behind the catchy vocals, there is the masterful instrumentation and musicianship.
Welcome to the Maidiacs, OPH
Why not the MV?
They’re not overtly prog (usually) so you’re not going to get any 20 minute epics or flute solos - but underneath the gloss of catchy melodic hooks and radio-friendly song structures you’ll find a lot of dense layering and technical playing. Some people call them “sneaky prog”.
For some of their stranger works, try Giovanni, Balance, Wonderland, and Black Hole. Why Why Why mixes different styles into one song.
HATE OFFICIAL LIVE VIDEO just released yesterday 😊
Yo. I've watched a couple of your reactions (Mars Volta, one of my favourite bands) and Porcupine Tree (awesome). I think you'll find that, especially by what I've (possibly erroneously) inferred from those videos, by your standards Band-Maid aren't particularly prog...I think I remember you saying (or implying) that TMV's "Day of the Baphomets" wasn't that interesting until it got to a time signature change which kind of blew my mind because I think that song is all kinds of awesome 🤣. Well I'll just say it: Band-Maid aren't King Crimson and they're not trying to be.
But in my opinion they do more than enough to scratch the same itch that I got from prog. What I listened to prog for was that it was more interesting than the "standard" rock music that I'd heard for so long. Band-Maid puts tons of incredible moments into their songs such that I haven't gotten bored of them after 3 years; and I'm someone that gets bored of most songs before the song has even finished. The fact that Band-Maid puts these moments into a "regular" song format means I can enjoy it with both the part of my mind that enjoys prog and the part that enjoys other kinds of music as well. Their songs aren't like King Crimson's "Discipline", far from it. But I don't need it to be.
I hope that, if you listen to more of them, you'll do so with this kind of mindset in the back of your head. Have a good one!
Corallium live! You’ll love it
Thanks for the fun reaction. Kinda surprising, isn't it? The lead guitar (and songwriter) is also a keyboard player. She creates backing tracks with piano and synth for some songs. I think the most prog thing they have with vocals is Black Hole. There is an MV version on a two song video -- Manners, Black Hole Official Live Video. Black Hole starts at 4:10. Since it's live from a COVID era streaming concert, you can see the girls play but still good recording and mix. By the way, there is an MV for From Now On. Of course, the girls don't play live on the MV but it's still fun to watch. You should do so for your own enjoyment.
Giovanni also
@@dazedandconfused318 Yes, and actually, Corallium is pretty progressive all in all. And a lot of Unseen World and Unleash numbers have prog elements.
They are rock and roll guardian angels and the best hard rock band on this planet🤘Keep an eye on them!!
Hey OPH !
Welcome to the world of Band-Maid !
Glad to have you with us on this journey.
They're a live band with a vocalist, so they have some instrumental tracks like this that give the lead vocalist a chance to rest her voice, or run to the bathroom or whatever. The vast majority of their songs have vocals. Their songs are all pretty short like this, so you're not going to get long prog epics or anything. They're like good writers who edit and edit and edit until there's nothing left that they can take away, so there's some prog stuff, but it's wildly accelerated to fit in a 3-4 minute song.
Vlad Chupin has a nice video where he talks about prog as it relates to Band-Maid and King Crimson. th-cam.com/video/jqP0e6gkny0/w-d-xo.html
An alternate view is they pack in as much as they can in 3-4 minutes, without disrupting the overall flow of the song.
Saw them twice in Sacremanto CA and they performed this. Just as amazing live. I can't wait to see them again when they tour.
No need for an interpreter Kanami's PRS has a universal language all can understand. Welcome to BAND-MAID.
Yes! I understood every phrase in "From Now On"!
Personally, I don't think you can really go wrong with any Band-Maid song. They are all so talented. I guess for progressive tastes, I would say “Giovani” or "Blooming" might give you more of that...although, they really do a good job of blending genres and it's hard to pin them down to one type of rock. I will say that, after starting my musical journey in the 70's with heavy metal(Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath), and lots of 80's rock/metal....Band-Maid has gone to the top of my playlists. Great first time reaction, I look forward to your next one, maybe with Saiki singing.
Definitely need to try the official MV for "From Now On," Po! Enjoy, Po!! 🦍🍌
Four official instrumental tracks over ten years. However, Band Maid writes complex, layered songs with their vocals…and because they can stand alone as instrumentals, they also release many of those with the vocals removed.
I’m an old cat who grew up woodshedding Geddy Lee bass lines until my fingers bled.
Band Maid is the most fun and interesting musical artist to come along in a long long time
I think their recent live release of “Don’t you tell ME” is one of their most popular songs, with songwriting to appeal to the wider audience.
For a music video, “DICE,” would be another well-crafted piece with lyrics that will give you hair metal vibes while also providing some proggy touches
Band Maid! 🤘🏽 🔥
Incredible band. Seeing them live is everything.
Definitely on of their more PROG numbers, but they defy labels and genres making the music they want. Most of their music has the lead vocalist and backup vocalist with very good and interesting lyrics, this instrumental shows you how good they are individually and collectively. Check out more of their music, I think you will like what they do, especially the last 2 or 3 albums.
You took a Chance on Roger's suggestion & he came up with a banger :)
By chance was that a pun Gary?🤔
@@jeremydawkins8814 There's a good possibility Jeremy :)
@@GaryHolloway-810 Thought so. And don't call me Shirley.🤔😁😁
@@jeremydawkins8814 Lol. Classic times huh.😆
@@GaryHolloway-810 Rodger Roger.
When I think of progrock I think of Yes, early Genesis, Rush ect. And when I think of Band-Maid I think just strait up hard rock.
I wouldn't call them prog rock but some of their songs are pretty proggy. "Giovanni" is pretty close. I think their live video for "Manners/Black Hole" you would find musically interesting. Their latest video "HATE?", while being straight hard rock, nonetheless, shows you that rock is alive and well in Japan.
You did hear keys in this which will be on a backing track for live performances. Not all of their songs have a track but when they do it is usually for little embellishments to enhance the overall soundscape. For instance you can hear the drawn out synths setting the ethereal atmosphere behind the bass and guitar duel in their latest release of Don’t You Tell ME - Live from their 10th anniversary finale concert at Yokohama Arena. I hope you explore this band further. They have quite a deep and diverse catalog.
You forget to mention that those keys are played and recorded by lead guitarist and composer Kanami who has a solid piano background.
Congratulations on discovering the best band in the world today! Enjoy the ride!! 🎶🎸🥁🎸🎶🔥🙂🕊
There is a mv for this song ..
You should check out their latest live video Hate if you want to hear singing. I’m sure you’ll love it. I love me some Hate from Band-Maid. Subscribed, can’t wait to hear more reactions from you.
Sugoi! I've seen them twice in the last 20 months, and they are not to be missed. Kanami "Mincho" Tono, lead guitarist, is a prolific songwriter and writes initially on piano. More please.
Arigatou! 🤘🤘 #ShareHappyLetsDance
I wanted to let you know that those piano parts in the song where record by Kanami, the composer and added to the backing track. She is quite an accomplished pianist and usually uses the piano to write her compositions.
GIOVANNI is a pretty darn proggy song from their "Unseen World" album...key changes, interesting riffs both guitar and bass, etc. Worth a try, sir. Great reaction. Thank you for giving BAND-MAID a chance on your channel.
so far it blows my mind!!! so good man!! so atmospheric!!
The music video is very impressive
Check out Hate?, their newest official live video. Thanks for the reaction.
Congratulations you just found the absolute best band on the planet 🔥🔥🎎🎎🤘🤘
95% of their songs have singing- mostly in Japanese - but they are also known for some amazing instrumentals :)
They play in whatever styles they feel like- they call themselves hard rock but have plenty of elements from heavy metal, pop, punk, prog, etc - to varying degrees depending on the song- but not that many of them are very proggy- maybe Giovanni is the most prog like unless im forgetting some..
The correct label for Band-maid is Band-maid :) They sound like themselves. They are all really great musicians and composers.
This is the first part of an information file I post for people new to reacting to Band-Maid.
Band Maid Is; (In order of joining band)
Name/Age: Nickname: Position:
Miku Kobato Small Pigeon/ Band Founder, Secondary Lead Vocalist, Rhythm Guitarist, Main Lyricist,
Age: 32 Koba/Kuruppo/ Backing Vocals, Backing Tracks, Arrangements
10/21/91 Cluppo
Kanami Tono Princess/ Lead Guitarist, Primary Composer, Backing Vocals, Keyboards, Backing Tracks
Age: 32 Kanamincho/ Backing Vocals on Backing Tracks, Arrangements
9/28/91 Mincho
Akane Hirose Gorilla/ Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals on Backing Tracks, Backing Tracks,
Age: 33 Ah-Chan Arrangements
12/14/90
MISA Barefoot Assassin/ 5 String Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals on Backing Tracks, Backing Tracks
Age: 31 MISA-MISA-MISA Arrangements
10/15/92
Saiki Atsumi Ice Queen/ Primary Lead Vocalist, Backing Vocals, Lyricist, Backing Vocals on Backing
Age: 30 Sai-Chan/ Tracks, Backing tracks, Arrangements
2/8/94 Sensei (Teacher)
There is MUCH more information if you would care to know it.
As for the genre the Ladies could be classified as, well most of us Maidiacs as we call ourselves, say that Band-Maid genre is Band-Maid. They have a unique bass forward, guitar driven sound that incorporates multiple other genres, many times in the same song. They have songs that start off pop, move into punk, then some jazz and R&B, then back into pop-punk, all with a Hard Rock overtone. They have ballads, they have songs that border on thrash metal. Songs that are smooth jazz, then turn to rock. So you can't really identify them as one genre or another. Exactly what many others would say is Progressive.
I and quite a few others consider these 5 young Ladies to be their generations version of RUSH, maybe old Styx.
And the Ladies have only 5 songs that are strictly instrumental. Currently. They may add more later. But they DO have an entire album, they released as instrumentals.
I'd suggest their newest as in the song was released on their 2022 EP, and they just released an official live video from their 2023 Tour Ending concert at the Yokohama Arena. That song is the newest on their channel and is called "Hate?" But basically ANY song on their channel any video would be considered a "Good" song. Some are EXCELLENT songs, but so far after literally listening to their entire catalog, including the songs that their label provided to them in the beginning, all of their songs are good. As they have progressed and taken over the writing, producing and arranging of their music, they have simply gotten better and more Prog/Hard Rock.
Thanks, Greylocke for illuminating the details of Band-Maid for the newbies.
@@uffdad8211 Thankee Uffdad For anyone interested, here is the rest of that file.
Band Maid was started in 2013 by Miku Kobato. At the time she had just left the Idol Group, Lil Cumin and she didn't like the type of music she had been performing. She approached her management agency with the idea of making an actual band playing rock music but dressed as maids. She had worked in a Maid Cafe and thought the image of maids playing rockin music would create what she called "The Gap" between what you see and what you hear. The Management company was like Ok, go ahead.
Miku then looked around and found Kanami a singer/songwriter who was posting her own videos on the internet. Miku had her agency contact her and Kanami thought the idea was cool and agreed to join. Miku then asked if Kanami knew a drummer who might be interested. Kanami had worked with Akane in the past and there is 2 versions of this, the first is, Kanami literally walked over to Akane's apartment and asked her, the second is Kanami called Akane and asked her. (Akane has said in 2 different interviews that 1: Kanami called her and asked if she could come over and 2: in a second interview Kanami just came over) Akane was actually hesitant as she had worked in an "All Girl Group" before and didn't enjoy it as it wasn't the type of music she wanted to play. After hearing a Demo, Akane was like ok, but was still slightly hesitant because of the "Maid Outfits", but she agreed to give it a try. Akane was asked if she knew a bass player and she had gone to Tokyo School of Music with MISA and had worked a couple of jobs with her. So Misa was contacted and after she heard a demo she was like I like the music, but she also was hesitant about the "Maid Outfits", but she relented and joined in as she really wanted to play the kind of music she heard in the demo. The 3 of them then "Auditioned" for the record company and passed the audition.
Now we have the "Core" members. The 4 members worked out some songs provided for them by the record company, and a setlist and they had performed 3 times with just Miku on main vocals. Miku after those performances felt that her voice wasn't powerful enough to really perform the songs she wanted. So she approached her management company again and asked if they had any singers who weren't in other projects. They then auditioned several singers. Miku heard Saiki rehearsing in a room across the hall and asked if she could be auditioned, the record company then had Saiki audition.
Saiki was signed to the same management company and had done some work as a backup singer and dancer and was asked if she would be interested in auditioning for this new group which currently had 4 members and she would be the fifth. She had been a member of a group with 8 other people as a backup singer and dancer, and HATED it. So she listened to the demo and thought "Cool" because she liked the music.
Now we come to the tricky part. Miku KNEW that if Saiki was told about the "Maid Outfits" she would say NO WAY!, so they didn't tell her. They told her they would have "Cool/cute Clothes"(I've read it translated either way), and she never met Miku until a few days before they had a contracted performance. She wasn't told about the "Maid Outfits" until the day before the performance, and she had considered backing out, but she had signed the contract. (Saiki also had NEVER met Miku until then as well)
So the Ladies, went and did the performance and Saiki really, REALLY liked the crowds reaction and the music they were performing. She DIDN'T like the apron she wore so it got ditched after the first performance.
And you now have the beginnings of the BEST LIVE HARD ROCK BAND in the WORLD!
ALL HAIL BAND MAID!!!!!
Now that we have the Full band, it was felt that there needed to be a second guitar. Saiki was like, "Not Me, No Way." So Miku said, "I'll do it.", at first that was literally all she did, was hold the guitar and mime playing it, until Akane said, if you are going to hold it, you NEED to learn to play it. And Miku said, "Ok.", and Kanami started to teach Miku how to play. The Ladies released their first album in 2014 "Maid in Japan" which failed to chart, but later after "Thrill" it was reissued and charted to #26 in Japan.
Then in 2015 they released "New Beginning"
On New Beginning was the song that changed Band Maid's entire existence. "Thrill"...
The band was getting ready to release their first music video and the choice was between "Love, Passion, Matador" and "Thrill" and the ladies chose Thrill. (Little known fact, Miku helped with the lyrics on Thrill but did not get credited)
This became the seminal moment of Band Maid. Because their second album charted at #64, the record company was seriously considering disbanding the Ladies and switching them to other projects. (In fact they had Kanami and Akane work with Mochi to Cheese thinking that when Band Maid cratered they could use them in another band. MISA had also just started working with Mochi to Cheese as well). However about 6 months after the video's release, a Facebook page "JRock Radio" posted the video to their timeline. And the video went viral. Having over a million views in just a few short weeks. The Ladies Twitter page got so many hits they thought their page had been hacked. Their TH-cam channel also started getting more and more subscribers and views to Thrill.
Now the ladies knew where their fans wanted them to go. Harder Rock, less pop. And history was Maid.
I and others are glad to help new listeners to Band-Maid find out about the Ladies, and to help them as they experience one of the best Hard Rock Bands currently touring.
They definitely have more than a little prog in them, especially their more recent stuff.
I think their most prog, from the same album, is Corallium. Its also one of my favorites.
Welcome to the Wonderful World of Band Maid !!!!!!! I have also been very fond of prog rock going back to the mid 1960's and still like it today, though the really good groups are hard to find. I'm 77 and have been following rock since the first time I saw Joey Dee and The Starlighters perform The Peppermint Twist in Jersey City, New Jersey. I remember Chubby Checker too, lol.
Band Maid is the best thing to happen to the rock genre in two decades. As @Davey-Boyd has noted below all of their sub-genres, there is no reason to repeat it. As you mentioned, these ladies are not kids anymore, lol. Drummer extraordinaire Akane Hirose a/k/a Gorilla is the oldest at 33. Next come the group's founder Miko Kobato a/k/a Kuruppo at rythym guitar and Kanami Tono a/k/a Mincho (Shorty), a Mozart quality composer who writes music every day and can shred with anyone else out there at present are 32. Next is wunderkind bassist MISA MISA MISA a/k/a The Barefoot Assassin (she figured if they were going to be maids she wanted to be an assassin maid) who is one of the best bassists out there today, male or female. And last, but definitely not least is lead vocalist Saiki Atsumi a/k/a The Fashionista a/k/a Ice Queen and rapidly approaching the top if the heap as a rock frontwoman today, is 30, the baby of the group, lol.
Just to show you the difference 10 years have made, react to their music video of "Thrill" from 2013, which launched them to where they are today, and the new live official video of "Don't You Tell Me", which dropped on 2/22/24 from the finale concert of their 10 Year Anniversary Tour from last November. THAT will show you how much the entire band has progressed to the point where they are in the top ranks of rock groups today. Their catalogue is voluminous to say the least and covers the entire spectrum of rock. We Maidiacs are fervent fans who love the group not just for the music, but for the amazing and beautiful personalities that make Band Maid who they are. I've seen them three times, twice in 2022 and once in 2023 and wish I could have seen them 3 or 4 more times. Band Maid is a dish best served LIVE !!!!!! I look forward to more reactions from you, as I'm now a sub.
OPH Great reaction,you have to see these ladies live they are amazing,check out the latest release ,,HATE,, Live at yokahama,with the vocalist,best band on this rock we call home.
React to the music video and watch how they played
Some excellent neo-classical prog from Japan: "Angel of salvation" by Galneryus, "Faith and Decision" by Versailles, "Knight of sword" by Unlucky Mmorpheus, "Curse bride" by Tears of Tragedy. Unlucky Morpheus also does an impressive cover of Dream Theater's "Dance of eternity" in live and studio versions.
Welcome, Mr. Head ;-). You are embarking on (along with many others - over 190 million YT views plus over 40 million reactor plays!) an awesome, progressive, hard-rock journey with 5 incredible women. Here's my intro blurb for those who may be new to Band-Maid:
BAND-MAID’s songs and sound beat with the heart and soul of all rockers. But you’ll also hear heavy influences of Prog, Punk, Metal and Pop, with nice touches of Blues, Jazz, Funk and Grunge. Sometimes they use multiple genres within the same song. Their Composition, Execution, Joy of Playing, Consistency (130+ songs), Uniqueness, Charisma, Charm and, oh yeah, Cuteness factor, position them as becoming the hard rock Beatles of our time! In other words, they’re destined for mega-stardom.
Each member's personalities are super interesting and their musicianship among the best. Their writing, arrangements and overall sound, especially guitar tones and drums, are kick-ass! Having seen them LIVE, I can honestly say their performance, sound, stage appearance, and band synergy is off-the-rails spectacular!
Band-Maid is the only band in decades where I love nearly EVERY song they’ve done. I have over 70 favorites! "Thrill" (2014) is a great place to start: th-cam.com/video/Uds7g3M-4lQ/w-d-xo.html Their songs from albums Unleash, Unseen World, Conqueror, World Domination, Just Bring It, Brand New Maid, and New Beginning drive even more - Shambles, Warning, No God, Different, Black Hole, Rinne, Blooming, Moratorium, Domination, Clang, Dice, Spirit, Don’t You Tell Me, Turn Me On, Fate, Play, Hide-And-Seek, Secret My Lips, Puzzle, Choose Me, I Can’t Live Without You, and on and on.
But don’t miss out on their powerful, beautifully written, mid-tempo songs like Daydreaming, About Us, Memorable, Anemone, Endless Story, PAGE, At The Drop Of A Hat, Mirage and Smile... or more punky like After Life, Don’t Let Me Down and Screaming… or funky like Bubble… or bluesy like Manners and The Dragon Cries… or poppy like Start Over… or a bit jazzy like Wonderland… or progressive like No God, Giovanni, and Black Hole… or cultural like the Band-Maiko series… or instrumentals like From Now On, Don’t Be Long, Onset, Without Holding Back and Going Nuts… or their many acoustic versions like Catharsis and Sayonakidori... and last but not least, their Anime hits (AniMaid) like Sense, Glory and Unleash!!!!! (from their own Anime MV (series?)): th-cam.com/video/7LB_EPS48HE/w-d-xo.html)
And many songs are represented with over 50 well produced music videos. th-cam.com/users/BANDMAID
Most performances should be experienced from their LIVE audience & online OKYU-JI concerts:
ONLINE OKYU-JI (Feb. 11, 2021) “No God” th-cam.com/video/nAdWnIRjGak/w-d-xo.html
Tokyo's LINE CUBE SHIBUYA (February 14, 2020) “Domination” th-cam.com/video/QbyQCJn6rYg/w-d-xo.html
ZEPP 2018 “Real Existence” th-cam.com/video/-qQnKILR5u0/w-d-xo.html
Shinkiba Studio Coast 2017 and other full concerts are on bandmaidprime.tokyo, bili, and official Band-Maid’s DVD/BD/CD.
“P and D⁴” Photo Collage videos at www.youtube.com/@PinDakaPanic810
And some of the better quality fan videos are excellent. Here’s two of what it’s like to see Band-Maid LIVE at an intimate venue:
Shot by Pat McKee from their 2023 US tour concert in Detroit: th-cam.com/video/DgxU-MVjta0/w-d-xo.html
See the Maids 2023 Rockville Festival’s short-set perfection performance: th-cam.com/video/vjZkNeoGmhc/w-d-xo.html
If you like Band-Maid, make sure to support them by purchasing some concert tickets, CD, DVD/BD & Merch, etc. bandmaid.tokyo
Like most Band-Maid songs, I like them from the get-go but really start to appreciate them after more hearings and seeing their LIVE videos. I'll go back and see an older song like YOLO, Order, Shake That, Freezer, Before Yesterday, Real Existence, Non Fiction Days and Alone, etc. and realize there's no band that can consistently construct and play like Band-Maid.
For fun, check out:
"Mega Band-Maid Mix" by DJ Ray of some of their earlier stuff: facebook.com/djrayboston/videos/1004709499579009
Band-Maid MIDI covers: www.youtube.com/@DeanF_MIDI
Reimagined compositions of Band-Maid songs: www.youtube.com/@fxdxmusic
Band-Maid Members:
Saiki Atsumi (Sy-i-Key or Psyche) “StarQueen" - Lead vocals, arrangements and melodies. At 30 and the youngest, “Sensei” (Teacher) as band members call her, has the last word on many musical decisions. High-heels or sneakers, Sai-chan’s smile melts away her sometimes perceived, coldish persona. Saiki’s powerhouse performances, charisma, and voice focus the experience that’s driven her to the top echelon of hard rock frontwomen... or frontmen!
Miku Kobato (Me-Ku) "Small Pigeon" - Rhythm guitar, vocals, lyricist, 32 years old. “Koba”, as Saiki calls her, is the Band founder and a firecracker MC & PR SpokesPigeon, po! Her “Magic Spell Time” charm and energy ignite the room. Kuruppo! No, no, no… KURUPPO!!
Kanami Tono (Ka-Na-Me) “Princess” - Lead guitar, keyboards, 32 years old, is a prolific writer of most Band-Maid material. Kanami (translates “Song Wave”) is a possessed riff-slayer who’s so damn adorable it hurts. The only thing you want from Mincho is more!
Akane Hirose (A-Ka-Nay) "Gorilla" - Drums, 33 years old, band energizer & co-clown with MISA. Achi’s talents include massive consumption of noodles and bananas, of course, (even during performance!) while revolutionizing rock drumming with relentless drive, dynamics and the kick. This “DrumZilla” is the Party!
MISA (Me-Sa) "Barefoot Assassin" - Bass, 31 years old. An alluring free spirit driving her 5-string to rapturous low-ends while pulling off surprising counter leads with Kanami, off-stage MISA is the band’s goofball ballerina. Sometimes seen as the Mysterious One because she lets her instrument do the talking, the Assassin literally kills it… every note... uniting Band-Maid’s world-class rhythm section. A slug of JB, a slight grin, and let the slappin’ begin… MISA! MISA! MISA!
Maidiacs (Maid-e-acts) - Band-Maid’s crazed yet supportive, knowledgeable and loyal Super Fans.
[BAND-MAID NEWS]
BAND-MAID PRIME - Special Video Distribution Website. Along with nearly 50 great play-through’s by each member, concerts and skits, Band-Maid management / label(s) have included the Acoustic Christmas 2021, ZEPP 2018 and Shinkiba Studio Coast 2017 concerts! Fans can now see more than 50 great live performances with awesome audio, etc. like Fate, I Can't Live Without You and the great MISA / Kanami exchange in Don't You Tell Me. Those concerts are two of the best produced & performed concerts ever recorded, IMO. bandmaidprime.tokyo
The Maids SOLD OUT 2023 US & Mexico tour wrapped up and was a fantastic success. And so many great live fancams to watch! Their playing and antics were as fresh and fun to experience from first show to last. BRAVO Band-Maid!!!!! In addition, their Japan tour finished up with 13 concerts, AND they’re writing and recording for their new album. Their 10th Anniversary Tour concluded at Japan’s 17,000 seat Yokohama Arena on Nov. 26, 2023 and in Hong Kong Dec. 21! And their latest 10TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR SPIN OFF concert at KT ZEPP YOKOHAMA on February 22, 2024, where they played songs not performed at the 10th anniversary tour final at Yokohama Arena, was SOLD OUT!
The Maids are one of the hardest working super groups in the business! Their music, their sound, each of the Maids, and the love that permeates their live events is an experience not to be missed. Hope you can catch them LIVE!
Band-Maid refuses to be pigeon-holed or locked into any particular type of hard rock/metal music. They feel free to explore and combine many different types of genres and weave them all into a sonic tapestry of musical greatness. Band-Maid are elite artists and the music they write and play cooperatively is astonishingly refreshing and extraordinarily addictive. More Band-Maid please!
IMO their proggiest song is Giovanni, but there's a lot that have prog elements. They are at their core hard rock, and their singer(s) are also fantastic. They just dropped a new live video "Hate?" - I'd check it out, but come back to Giovanni for proggyness.
The MV is really good, too!
So what is Band Maid? Start with a foundation of some classic rock, add some modern metal, (even progressive metal), a pinch of neo-classical, some funk, jazz and emo, along with some anthemic hooks that stuck in your head, before executing it through a sort of post-punk filter. Their increased progginess isn't obvious but the experimentation is undeniable. You won't get any 8 minute tracks, but you might get a 4 minute track with twice the layers of craziness. Of course when live, all bets are off on what happens.
Saw them in ATL last year at a sold out show with 1800 of your new best friends. They just killed it like a tight, well oiled machine. I grew up on Rush, Yes and Genesis . To me, "From Now On" is their "La Villa Strangiato."
Out of 120 songs, they have four instrumental songs. You caught one of the four. The lead guitar player is a concert pianist. So, may hear some piano tracks at times. One of them also plays violin, I think it's the base player... so you may also hear some violin at times on a few tracks.
You aint seen nothing.Yeah, down the pigeon hole.You go enjoy the ride po
Watch the Music Videos. This is an Instrumental they have a few but they they do have an excellent singer. Enjoy, they are great.
Okay, names, pronunciation, nicknames, and roles, in order that they joined the band.
Miku Kobato - mee-koo - Kuruppo, the Little Pigeon, the Little Engine Who Will - band founder, backing (and occasionally lead) vocals, rhythm guitar, principal lyricist, tireless Spokespigeon and PR machine. Wielder of weapons grade cuteness. Poker shark and horse racing fanatic. So determined to see her band succeed that she fired herself as lead singer (she decided her voice wasn't strong enough for hard rock), then went looking for a replacement. Learned to play guitar after the band was formed. Definitely eccentric, possibly insane.
Kanami Tono - kah-nah-mee - Kanamincho or just Mincho - lead guitar, keyboards, principal composer and arranger. On stage, she's a savant mad riffer with a room temperature IQ and a huge crush on Saiki. In reality, she's a genius, and not just musically- she has a degree in economics with honors. A sweet, motherly woman who turns into a beast when you hand her a guitar.
Akane Hirose - ah-kah-neh - A-chan, the Gorilla - drums, sequencing, snacks, the leader the band doesn't have. What you see is what you get- a cheerful jock with a huge appetite who burns off the calories murdering her drums. Completely unflappable. Frequently snacks between songs. Has been known to sign her banana peels and throw them to the audience.
MISA - mee-sah - the Barefoot Assassin, MISA MISA MISA! - bass, booze, occasional wet work. Usually stone faced. Barely acknowledges the audience's existence. Always has a beer or a bottle of Jim Beam on her Orange amp. Originally, these were ways of coping with stage fright. These days, that's just how the assassin rolls.
Saiki Atsumi - sah-ee-kee (but Psyche is close enough) - the Ice Queen, Sensei, Sai-chan - lead vocals, some lyrics, the "We're done" girl. Fashionista and train nerd. Regards her band mates, especially Kanami and Miku, with bemused exasperation. In total command on stage; hides behind Miku off stage (she's actually kind of shy).
Should have watched the official MV for this song. Way more enjoyable.
I heartily recommend their song 'Blooming'. Also, 'Manners', the live version that also contains the song 'Black Hole' is amazing.
And you didn't do the Official music video from their TH-cam channel why?
Check out Black Hole, which has a definite prog metal vibe. It's paired with Manners, which is more classic rock in conception and performance but still very worthwhile.
They are relaxed about copyright as long as what's being used is an official release for review purposes. The band themselves enjoy watching reaction videos and also encourage cover versions of their songs.
Welcome to the pigeonhole, po!
Best rock band on the planet!
I'm not sure why anyone would suggest an instrumental as an introduction, but it is a BA one. Also, there is an official MV for this one.
They just dropped some live videos from the 10 year anniversary tour, which I suggest you check out next.
Unleash!!!!!
Don't You Tell Me
Hate?🤘
Band Maid are incredibly talented - more in the hard rock genre but do mix things up
If you looking for more proggy band from Japan try Sokoninaru - this one is a good showcase of what they are about - th-cam.com/video/n7MyoBki9wk/w-d-xo.html
So sorry someone didn't point you to the official MV for this. 👍
🐦 *OPH Reacts* 🐦
Welcome to the world of *BAND-MAID* (2013 - Present) A group of 5 young ladies from Japan that will rock your world:
*Miku Kobato* (Kuruppo) = Lead Vocals / Rhythm Guitar *(Po!)*
*Saiki Atsumi* (Sai-Chan) = Lead Vocals
*Kanami Tono* (Kanamincho) = Lead Guitarist
*Akane Hirose* (A-Chan) = Drummer
*MISA* (MISA, MISA, MISA) = Bassist
If you wish to continue down this Pigeon Hole 😊 you will enjoy over 100+ great songs you will start saying to yourself “This is my favorite *BAND-MAID* song”. _(No joke Po!)_
Below is a list of songs that will get you started
*Blooming-2019*
*Dice-2018*
*Choose Me-2017*
*ONSET* (instrumental)
*Real Existence Live (Apr. 13th, 2018)*
I discovered *BAND-MAID* in 2019 and came to a realization that *BAND-MAID* more then just a rock band they are a band that does not have any boundaries and is willing experiment into different genre from (Blues, Rock, Punk and Jazz) and a lot of fans including me would say “you got to check out their live videos” from:
*2017-STUDIO COAST*
*2018-Zepp Tokyo*
*2020-LINE CUBE SHIBUYA*
*2021-BAND-MAID ONLINE ACOUSTIC*
In the end I realize that *BAND-MAID* more then just a band but a band that cares about each other and their fan base and in October of 2022 I had a fortune of experiencing them live and with that *BAND-MAID* cemented their Legacy into my heart. Rock On! 🤘
*100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back…*
May I ask why you didn't react to the official MV?
Domination LIVE music video should be next. BandMaid is technical and catchy. So they are far more engaged with the audience than being above it all. Riffs, hooks, and sing with section are hallmarks of BandMaid tunes. They in sing a mixture of Japanese and English. Anyway take care!
You should definitely check out Asterism "Church"
Currently they are in their early 30s.
Awe Dude, you want to hear Band-Maid at their Most Proggy? Their song "Wonderland" is the song you want to check out, for Real!
If you like prog, try Black Hole by Band Maid, Tenhero de Odoru by Sokoninaru, and Tales of the destinies by Babymetal.
Watch the video for this track. Just like that, without reaction. It will be better this way.
Ah you missed out on an atmospheric MV, worth a watch. Maybe try Different (MV), Without Holding Back….
I can’t believe you didn’t watch the MV.
Such a shame.
You want prog? The Japanese band Asterism.
Yeah, they're not kids. They're all around 30 years old. Another "proggy" instrumental of theirs is Onset.
Maid Cafe = Japanese hooters. When I say that Japanese people say that they aren't like hooters nothing happens there. It's just for middle aged men. So exactly like Hooters.
4 of the Maids play piano
Band Maid... best served Live... too bad you missed this MV but you can fire up Puzzle, No God, Domination.. pretty much any Live version is going to be great.. its not all prog but it is all awesome ....
While I dearly love Band-Maid a more proggy Japanese band would be Sokoninaru. Check out "soumonka" th-cam.com/video/58xLZso3lhs/w-d-xo.html
Cross is a good prog one for ya
BAND-MAID can play anything they want and often do. This is a good example for you, but not a full song. Try 'Puzzle'. But if you like instrumentals try 'Without Holding Back'. But where's the video? BAND-MAID are very visual. If you want more traffic from the Maidiacs you're going to want that video on there. And , though they have a few songs where the OMV is the superior version, they are best experienced LIVE! All keyboards were played by band composer and lead guitarist, Kanami. When they play LIVE that's on a backing track.
Wonderland has in a way something of prog rock .
These days any song over three minutes us considered a long song.
The Maidiacs welcome you! You’ve fallen down a rabbit hole or as we refer to it as “The Pigeon Hole.” I get that you went with the audio only video to assess the band without the visuals but you should have checked out the official video of this song th-cam.com/video/a6ZSvmnkS00/w-d-xo.htmlsi=0Y_lbpYRaU7z54R7
I mean no disrespect, just constructive criticism. They are just as good with the visual experience. It’s always entertaining to watch a newbie discover Band Maid for the first time.
All the Maids are in their 30s
Nice t-shirt👍
These girls are very talented, but I think the influence of prog on their compositions is very little, thank God (no offense).
Kanami, her guitarist and main songwriter, is very fond of fast rhythms and using a lot of riffs, but I wouldn't exactly call their music "progressive".
I think their ages currently ranges between thirty and thirty-three years old.😉
I would say that some of Band-Maid's music would fall into the prog rock category. Definitely not as progy as Yes, Rush, Kansas, etc... They call themselves a hard rock band. You should check out something live by them to get the full effect of Band-Maid. Some of their heavier songs are Moratorium, No God, and Rinne among others. The double bass drum on No God and Rinne is incredible.
Newer stuff would be considered more "prog". The example below is two blended songs Manners and Black Hole.
th-cam.com/video/iaf94nNSRGE/w-d-xo.html
You know there is an official MV for this song. Typical.
Welcome & thanks from Japan 有難う💛。 Band-Maid is one of the best bands in our country, especially in live performance. We say "Japan is the country obsessed by Rock Music". The history is very long and the obsession started in 1966 when Beatles visited Japan and held 5 concerts at Budokan. Speaking of hard rock / heavy metal music, a number of bands started to come to Japan since as early as 1970s : Led Zeppelin / Grand Funk Railroad (1971), Deep Purple (1972), Queen (1975), Kiss (1977), Cheap Trick / Van Halen / Scorpions (1978), Judas Priest (1978/79) and so on. Now, any type of rock can be enjoyed here, especially by many all-female or women-fronted bands. They are daughters of American / European rock, for sure. (Many are grand-daughters in terms of age.)
Uh-oh, we also say "Japan is the country obsessed by Jazz". It had started earlier than rock 😄
Band maid probably the best female talent in Japan...but since your already here definitely check out BABYMETAL definitely one where the Kami band is shown like "Rondo of Nightmare with Mischiefs of God intro Budokan live" or just go straight to their best song "BMTH Kingslayer ft BabyMetal live in Tokyo" (P.S. don't let gimme chocolate be your first experience haha)
🕳🐇
not even the music video? weak...and..., I love it when old western metal farts like me (59} talk about gimic in non-western bands...The words 'manga' or 'anime' are also often used for Asian bands. apropo gimic's...the whole gimic of 'kiss' with the painted faces...AC/DC's gimic with the guitarist dressed like a schoolboy...slipnot with the gimic with their masks...but lots of rock/metal bands use the gimic with the long hair, leather rivets and boots clothes. gimic's? paah!😜