Oh man, you’re looking in the wrong place if you think rock is dead…. It’s very much alive and kicking. There’s some INCREDIBLE music out at the moment. Look back through my videos if you don’t believe me!
Guitarist Kanami just became the first Japanese musician to get a signature model from PRS. Guitarist Miku has a signature model from Zemaitis, bassist Misa has a signature bass from Black Cloud and drummer Akane has signature sticks from Wincent.
Welcome to Band-Maid! The best hard rock band I have heard in my 58 years on this planet. While they don't class themselves as a metal band, 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 mayhem to ballads, instrumentals to acoustics they do it all. They can make you headbang, they can make you pogo, they can make you cry like a baby. They are also five of the nicest people in music, without a shred of ego. They are funny and fun and world class musicians to boot. They are currently into their 12th year with the original line up. And they are the best live band I have ever witnessed! You are fine reacting to official Band-Maid releases. They support reactors and even wath them. You won't get a block or a strike from them. All the songs you listened to were written by the band. Kanami, lead guitarist, is the main composer. "Memorable" wasn't for air play. It was a love letter to their fans about feeling loved by them. They have written a few love letters to their fans, others are "Smile" and "About Us". Btw, Miku the rhythm guitarist (red rose) formed the band. She had the idea of Band-Maid after working as a maid in Japanese maid cafe's. Her idea is a concept called "The Gap" - that is what you see (cute maids) is NOT what you get (Hard Rock/Punk/Metal). They take the maid café concept literally. They call their concerts "servings" and their fans "Masters and Princesses". Oh, and Miku is an 810 year old small pigeon. Welcome to the pigeon hole Po!
Thanks Davey, appreciate the back ground. Very likely that I’ll be listening to more on the channel! As I said, I think I really like the organic and live feeling of the band.
*Memorable* After 3 long years *BAND-MAID* returned back to the US for their October 2022 US tour, they were worried that fans would not remember them, since they performed in the states was back in 2019. But upon their return, they were pleasantly surprised at the reception they received. So surprised that *Kanami* was inspired to write a song on the tour bus, and later *Miku* and *Saiki* then began writing the lyrics, and on January 9th 2023 *BAND-MAID* presented to the fans at TOKYO GARDEN THEATER. Now it is presented to the rest of the world!
Having been to their Philly concert in October 2022, Memorable always hits a little different than the other 2 fan inspired songs Plus it's just a beautiful song! dbl ♥
Memorable was literally composed on a tour bus as they were driving between shows in the US. Kanami working out a melody and singing it to Saiki, the lead singer (both wearing masks at the time - because pandemic). They have over 130 songs now and you'll find they cover an incredibly wide range of styles, with Memorable and About Us being two of the most low key and emotional. Welcome to the Band-Maid club, you're in for a lot of discovery.
Glad you enjoyed them. Memorable did stick out, but I thought I should include one of their mid-tempo more ballady songs to give a complete picture of their catalog.
Thanks so much James, a thoroughly enjoyable selection of tunes! The second song with that bass and guitar interplay was my favourite, but they’re all great! Thanks again man, appreciate it!
@tasminoben686 Hiya Ben i'm ok thx. Things haven't been too good in London either. We had a two day storm over the weekend & it's rained most days since :(
@@JimNewstead Gary is an Institution. Maidiacs travel by swarm (pigeon references included) - always on the look out for someone new to first discover and react to the band - so they can hope to vicariously relive their own first discovery of it.
I am 55, I have seen Pink Floyd live. This is my favorite current band, not knowing very much Japanese, and what I do know I learned after hearing Japanese bands. Band-Maid is in my top three easily and as young as they are, they will be my top before long. I need to see these ladies live.
Yup, I saw Pink Floyd at Tampa Stadium in 1994 during the Division Bell/Pulse tour and the four times I’ve seen Band-Maid now are right up there with them.
I saw them in 1975 "Wish You Were Here" tour. For me, I have a hard time choosing between that and Band-Maids Yokohama show as the best I've ever seen/heard live. Different era's and style of music, but they both gave you an incredibly memorable experience.
Memorable is the 3rd of 3, possibly 4, songs they have written about how much they love/appreciate their fans. Due to the covid shutdowns they hadn't toured overseas since 2019 and for 2022 they had a large, long tour all over the US scheduled and were very unsure just what reception they would get. Their US fans surprised them with their passion for their music and so in the middle of the tour their songwriter, Kanami-lead guitarist, wrote the music for Memorable. The start of this was shown on a documentary of their 2022 tour that came with the special edition of their TGT concert video release. The MV was filmed in California when the returned for a short while to open for 3 shows by the Japanese "supergroup" "The Last Rock Stars." The other songs for their fans are "Smile," "About Us" which has an MV, and possibly the live performance of "Endless Story" which was the final song, of 33, of the final show, Yokohama Arena, of their 10th Anniversary tour. Hate? that you saw was also from that show as song number 27.
"Bestie" is another mid-tempo song by Band-Maid. There do have some beautiful ballads including "Daydreaming", "About Us", "Smile". Primarily, Band-Maid is a high energy hard rock band that defies any genre classification because they will utilize any sound associated with those genres in their music including multiple genres in one song. They are also one of the best live band in the world. I have attended two of their live concerts and can testify to that.
I recognize you from previous reactions and I'm so glad you reacted to my all time favorite band, Band Maid. You have listened to a variety of their styles but that's not all. These ladies have an amazing catalog. Trust me, you'll want to take a deep dive into them as nearly all their songs deserve an OMV but I suppose $$$ prevents that. Anyway, the point is they have a huge number of S-Tier songs that don't have videos. I hope you get a chance to react to those as well. And remember, live is best.
You're not wrong in that Memorable has a different feel as it was written for a different intent. Its not their best work by far but its held in high esteem by the Band-Maid Community because as mentioned its was written & composed on their tour bus between shows as a Love Letter to the Fans (Not Radio). In 2022 it had been about 3 years since they were last here in the US due to the Pandemic and they were concerned that they might have been forgotten. Having lost traction and the momentum they work so hard to achieve here. To their surprise they Sold Out across the country and were deeply moved by the crowd response and affection. Thus they were moved to write Memorable which is captured on their BTS US Tour Documentary.
The group uses various genres to create their sound. They do straight instrumentals, acoustic performances, and traditional rock fusion songs, as well as their outstanding live performances. Check out the 7-part biography by Ohrenje. Each member gets almost a half hour episode, with Miku Kobato having three episodes (the founder of the band). Their dedication to their craft, their fellow band members, and their fans is inspiring. How many bands last over a decade together, as productive today as they were a decade ago. Sought out for collaborations (recent release collaboration with the Mexican sisters band The Warning, for example). Honored by musical instrument manufacturers (PRS just released the Kanami Tōno sinature guitar, for example). Throw a dart at any one of their 130+ songs, and you are probably going to be amazed.
I think your comments on Memorable shows that you clearly have much to learn about the range, scope and scale of Band Maid and their music. Keep listening and learning, they truly are worth it.
@@gitterich And even better, there are friendships among some of the members and all 5 Lovebites members attend the Maids 10th Anniversary Okyuji at Yokohama Arena last November. Sisters in rock, indeed!! 🤘🏼🔥🎼🎸🥁🎤🌎🕊️☮️
Band Maid has a lot of pop sensibilities (like all the traditional stadium bands like Queen, Iron Maiden, Metallica, U2, Foo Fighters... - they will all go mushy with larger-than-life ballades). Though you got 3 straight rock songs, Band-Maid is often an under-cover prog-rock band, happily jumping into blues, punk-rock and punk-pop as Kanami is clearly genre-agnostic as a trained classical pianist, and this is before we mention their nemesis, a little-known cover-band called Band Maiko (playing rock with traditional Japanese instruments and folk-inspiration). A new song generally makes us all lift our arms and collectively exclaim "Ohhh keyyyy....they are doing this now - of course they are" 🤷🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️ One could easily think that this genre-agnosticism could make them sound inconsistent, yet they sound unmistakenly like Band Maid. The double-dropped "Manners" and "Black Hole" in an official live video is a good example. The two songs are what science defines as "not similar" but both sounds like Band-Maid doing Band-Maid things.
Band-Maid are probably #1 in the broad genre of Japanese female rock/metal. They have a lot of songs, turn their hands to many styles and types of song, and consistently knock it out of the park. Their live shows are brilliant in every respect, which is what makes them so repeatable. Visuals, variety, quality, consistency, talent, atmosphere, energy AND some truly great songs - they own it all.
Memorable was the most memorable song for me at their Charlotte show. I grew up on classic rock and metal, but there it is. It was beautifully done with the acoustic guitar, the vocals, everything was perfection. Hold your lighters high with a tear in your eye!
Hope you enjoyed Band Maid. Hoping for more Band Maid reactions from you. There is a LOT of catching up to do. Everything past everything now and everything in the future
Thanks for featuring us in the Independent Artist Of The Day slot! Hopefully this will help us (and the other bands) to get some more eyes and ears on our work.
What a WILD four song combination. What’s even wilder is none of these songs sit in the “comfort zone” of their core style. Not one of these would I choose as an introduction to Maids. (Except maybe “Puzzle”) And that’s one of the reasons Band Maid has such a passionate following. They have no boundaries or formulas. They write whatever feels “cool” at the moment. Here are a few titles from their more melodic, nostalgic songs. “DICE,” OMV “Don’t you tell ME,” OMV and/or LIVE “Choose Me,” OMV “secret My lips,” OMV Welcome to the wild world of the Maid 🌎
As the song goes, 🎵Music Mike do do do do do do. Music Mike do do do do do do do. Music Mike do do do do do do. Music Mike.🎵 It works just as well with "Baby shark" too.😁
I´d say "Hate?" live has become one of the go-to songs for new reactors now, maybe the most common. So yes, it probably is the introduction song to Band-Maid now. As it was "Domination" live before.
Thank you for reacting to our Maids, Jim! I think this is the first reaction I’ve seen out of at least 100 where the reactor didn’t even once mention the maid outfits! Good on you! It’s all about the music! (but I personally think the maid outfits are adorable!) These four tracks are great, but you haven’t even scratched the surface of what the Maids can deliver. Case in point: The OMV “From Now On” is not only amazing, to me it’s downright astonishing! I’m 68 years old, and I didn’t even know that music could DO that! Here’s some other great tracks from the Maids: PLAY (live) SHAMBLES (OMV) MANNERS (OMV) DOMINATION (live) ONSET (live) WITHOUT HOLDING BACK (OMV) REAL EXISTENCE (live) The Non-Fiction Days (OMV) THRILL (OMV) Don’t You Tell ME (live AND OMV) There are currently 45 songs in my top 10 list of favorite BAND-MAID songs, and it was really tough narrowing it down to those 45! Greeting from Dallas! More BAND-MAID please!
They do quite a variety of styles. They have such a good time, continuous smiles... they crowd around and make faces at the drummer to try and distract her. The fun in their performances is contagious...
🐦 *Jim Newstead* 🐦 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 / Piano *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 alone (Official Music Video) Choose me (Official Music Video) HATE? (Official Live Video) Blooming (Official Music Video) YOLO (Official Music Video) the non-fiction days (Official Music Video) 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…*
They are women...they have many different styles and moods...Band-Maid's Omaginai (magic) is, in part, that they have these varying styles, moods, motifs, and abilities. You know how Mom's food is always better than everyone elses? It's because it is made with 🫶, Po! 🕊️
Is that a Roger Dean coffee mug you sip from? Looks like a YES starship. Yeah, Band-Maid did the same for me when I first heard them. I settled in and almost five years later No other Japanese band does it for me. There are some that have some good songs but with Band-Maid every song is special in some way, I mean every single one. Stay with these girls because they are for real and after 11 years they just keep getting better. Theres a proper Chris Squire-esque bass feature in the instrumental "From Now On", and you listen to their latest "Forbidden Tale", it's a musical journey that's a blast. Cheers
Just a little about their writing process that goes to what you were saying about the songs feeling like they were jammed out by the band. kanami, the lead guitarist writes the songs and then takes them to the bassist and drummer and they work on the songs. I remember kanami saying once in an interview that she doesn't really write the bass parts because "MISA (bass player) will know what to do." Once the music is finished including the vocal melodies, the song goes to Miku (rhythm guitar, backing vocals) to write the lyrics. On occasion the lead singer (Saiki) will write the lyrics.
Damn Jim, that's some amazing analysis there, you were dead on pretty much everything. If you continue down the pigeon hole with Band-Maid... and I hope you will... when you come back to Memorable next time, it'll hit different. The song IS, in fact, sort of out of place, but that's because this is a band that will let their emotions during song-writing take them anywhere they feel like. Including occasionally melodramatic sappy pieces that are entirely heartfelt on their end. When they started out, they did have songwriters for them, but since about their third album, their catalogue is completely written by them (they even own their own management company now), and despite tending to have a hard rock sound, you'll find their music goes all over the place, incorporating whatever elements they feel like grabbing from any genre.
To be clear, these 4 songs are not cherry picked examples. You could throw darts at Band Maid song list and get equally fine songs. Fact is, there is no consensus about the top songs of Band Maid. A good quarter of their 130+ songs probably have strong support as top 5.
Memorable works as I had just seen them and I felt so emotional and so I had a real connection to this song when this song came out... There was so much love from the fans and they obviously felt it.
Glad you liked the ladies Jim. They are the real deal. Memorable is not representative of their discog. Super fun, talented hard rock band. Another band from Japan you will like is Glim Spanky - early 70's rock sound with modern twist and a vocalist and a half
Good stuff! First time reactions are my favorite. BAND-MAID have a nice blend of rock, metal, pop and a lot of other genre flourishes. Definitely check out other songs from them. They don't have a bad song in their 120+ catalog.
💜💛❤💙💚 Welcome to the Maidiacs Master Jim. Great reaction. HATE? was song #27 at a 33 song setlist. Yokohama Arena was their 10th anniversary tour final November last year. Puzzle is just perfection in my book.
@@sugaanessena3143 Master Jim has a great radio presenter voice. If he needs any more B-M suggestions then he only has to ask me cos i'm here. "Cooee Jim".🙂👋
You mentioned the energy they have..... Well, keep in mind that the song "Hate?" that you saw was song number 27 of a 33 song setlist at their 3 hour 45 minute 2023 tour Finale at Yokohama Arena. No opening act. No Encore. Just them! And they still had this much energy at the end!!!!
Band Maid very much write their own songs now. Lyrics can be interesting and written by Miku usually (red rose) with the odd exception that the singer Saiki writes a few including HATE? Kanami the guitarist writes the music but the band who are brilliant will suggest bits and improvements and the whole band who have been together for 12 years are very much a collaborative unit. They were always very good but yes they have improved and strived to improve. Glad you picked up on the chemistry. Their live concerts are a mixture of Maid Cafe call and response with the crowd to a comedy routine in the breaks where they literally enjoy talking with the audience. Music is pure Bad Maid. Rock, pop, metal, jazz funk. I have heard it called many things. If you are not a fan of one track don't worry another one you will love will come along. There is a nostalgic element to the music when as oldies used listen and enjoy music. We seem to have lost much of that in the West with just stale and dull noise. But Band Maid are very much the real deal. From acoustic concerts to small theatre venues to stadium sized theatres. They make everything feel very personal and enjoyable.
Yes and no…. I keep banging the same drum over and over again. The width and breadth of incredible new music is absolutely astonishing. You just have to work a bit harder to find it. Or watch my channel 😜
This was so well said that I'll just point here to express my own thoughts. :) I'll just add that since discovering this band some 4 years ago, I had never felt the urge to hear every single song a band had ever released. Then came this band, and 4 years later I've danced through their entire catalog multiple times, and have bought I think every available recording they've ever released. This has happened exactly once in my lifetime - with Band-Maid.
"Memorable" is a lovesong to their fans. After Covid, they were not sure if anyone was going to turn up to their concerts in North America. But they were sold out and the audiences gave them a very warm welcome. So "Memorable" is a ballad from the heart, not their normal hard rock. But Band-Maid is versatile. They can do fast and slow. They can play acoustic and hard rock. But hard rock is their natural element.
A small remark, Babymetal is not a band, it is a project, a show. It’s good, but there are seasonal musicians, and the songs are written by other composers under contract.
Like the Roger Dean cup, I have a huge Yes and related collection. Three bands totally permeated me, Yes, It's A Beautiful Day and now, Band Maid. Please do more Band Maid, they have a huge catalog and no bad songs. They can play any genre.
Best rock band on the planet. If you haven't been doing the lyrics please go back and get them. Watch NO GOD live if you really want to hear the bass. Great reaction.
@@waynebenedict4609 don't see how practice and dedication can make anyone that good. Same with concert pianists. No clue how they can get that skilled.
This is a really really interesting idea to explore further. I agree, a lot of practice and dedication can take you so far, but it’s the unquantifiable unknowable extra something that elevates some players above all else. Some call it talent, some call it a gift. I think it’s the willingness to break the rules and inject yourself into the performance. Innovation. Craziness. It’s a level of genius I guess!
@@JimNewstead many guitar players, who had been playing for many years, said they "threw away their guitar" after watching people like Alan Holdsworth, or Paco de Lucia, or Tommy Emmanuel, or Tina S. I will never understand how it's possible to get that good.
@@JimNewstead Kanami is considered a genius composer by many and has a relentless drive for perfection. She has surrounded herself with four other ladies that share that willingness to keep striving for excellence, as all five of them will say, "I will do my best!" and they mean it, not just words!
of their ballads i would have gone more with About Us or Endless Story for their rock ballads. Since 2016 they have been writing their own songs. The last one was a thank you note they did for the huge love they got from their fans when they did one of their US tours.
If the reaction of the Lovebites fans surprised you, well . . . 😆 BAND-MAID were my gateway to Japanese music, to be fair. I first heard them 5 years ago tomorrow, as it happens. My tastes have changed so much since then, though.
MISA! MISA! MISA! Since the mid 2010's Japanese Rock and Metal has been on the Rise. With the door that was opened by the ground breaking group Babymetal, who turned Western heads to the East, it was Band Maid that has taken greatest advantage of that open door and picked up the Mantel of Rock'n'Roll where the West has left it behind! And Kanami was just honored (last week) with her own PRS Limited Edition Guitar - "The Kanami Limited Edition Custom 24-08 guitar"!! More Band Maid Always!! Po!
Hey Jim! Finally feeling a little better since the surgery. Wanted to wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving!! God bless, love and light.👍🦃☮️❤️🌅😎
Welcome, Jim. You are embarking on (along with many others - 220 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 (144 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 80 favorites! "Thrill" (2014) is a great place to start: ruclips.net/video/Uds7g3M-4lQ/видео.html Their songs from albums Unleash, Unseen World, Conqueror, World Domination, Just Bring It, Brand New Maid, and New Beginning drive even more - Hate?, Shambles, Influencer, Warning, No God, Different, Black Hole, Rinne, Blooming, Moratorium, Domination, Clang, Dice, Spirit, Don’t You Tell Me, Turn Me On, Fate, Play, You, 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, The One, Bestie, 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 Protect You, Sense, Different, Glory and Unleash!!!!! (from their own Anime MV (series?)): ruclips.net/video/7LB_EPS48HE/видео.html) And many songs are represented with over 50 well produced music videos. ruclips.net/user/BANDMAID Most performances should be experienced from their LIVE audience & online OKYUJI concerts: 2023 Yokohama 10th Year Anniversary Concert “Endless Story” ruclips.net/video/Za1y-RRVd70/видео.html ONLINE OKYU-JI (Feb. 11, 2021) “No God” ruclips.net/video/nAdWnIRjGak/видео.html Tokyo's LINE CUBE SHIBUYA (February 14, 2020) “Domination” ruclips.net/video/QbyQCJn6rYg/видео.html ZEPP 2018 “Real Existence” ruclips.net/video/-qQnKILR5u0/видео.html Shinkiba Studio Coast 2017 and other full concerts are on bandmaidprime.tokyo, bili, and official Band-Maid’s DVD/BD/CD. And some of the better quality fan videos are excellent. Shot by Pat McKee from their 2023 US tour concert in Detroit: ruclips.net/video/DgxU-MVjta0/видео.html See the Maids 2023 Rockville Festival’s short-set perfection performance: ruclips.net/video/vjZkNeoGmhc/видео.html Great photo collage with older classic songs from P in D: www.youtube.com/@PinD-PANIC If you like Band-Maid, make sure to support them by purchasing some concert tickets, live streams, 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, Don’t Let Me Down, 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, 33 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, 33 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, 32 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. 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, as usual! 📢 Recent Announcements 📢 -- The Warning, a world-famous band from Mexico, and BAND-MAID recently completed their amazing 2-man, collab concert in Japan with the introduction of their new song and OMV, “Show Them.” -- BAND-MAID released a new OMV, "Forbidden Tales," from their new album "Epic Narratives" that dropped Sept. 25, 2024. It contains 14 songs: Memorable, Shambles, Bestie, Protect You, SHOW THEM (BAND-MAID with The Warning), Toi et Moi, Magie, Forbidden Tale, Go Easy, Brightest Star, The One, Letters To You, TAMAYA!, and Get To The Top. Order now at CDJapan for bonuses. The Maids are one of the hardest working supergroups 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!
These girls are all amazing. One of the best Guitarists around as well as top bass player and drummer. These girls Rock. They are all very down to earth humble ladies with awesome talent. Just a suggestion, give a band called Rolling Quartz from South Korea a go. Also very cute and talented.
Band-Maid are truly original, and they have well over 100 songs in their back catalogue. Most of their early songs were written by independent song writers, but since the album Just Bring It (2017) almost all the songs they have released were written and arranged by the band.
11 years and 130+ songs of pure greatness. Was working 30 years in rockbusiness, seen few thousand gigs, all the major ones multiple times and NEVER seen or heard BETTER band than Band-Maid. They have it all..Passion Work Heart Talent Groove. Magical band, amazing musicians, best friends. For ne..Greatest Band of our time 🔥❤️ Greets from Finland 🇫🇮😊
You won't find a community quite like the Band-Maid community. As you can see by your comments, Band-Maid inspires the best in people. Everyone is nice and appreciative of each other. And in my opinion, I think this is due to the band. They are warm hearted. The have fun making music and performing. They have low to no ego. They give each other the time to shine. And they love, interact with, and show appreciation to their fans. This has rubbed off on us and melted our metal hearts over the years. I won't speak for everyone in the community but for me, I became a fan of the band because of their raw talent. When I first listened to one of their songs I thought to myself "That guitarist is pretty good." Then I thought "That drummer is pretty good, too." Then I thought "That bassist is freaking amazing." And finally, I couldn't help but think the vocals and harmonies were well crafted. Even though I could only understood a little bit of the lyrics, I could still feel the emotion and get the gist of what the band was trying to get through. In a sense, Band-Maid is like a well made graphic novel. You should be able to visualize what's going on based on the story. Just like you should be able to understand the story from the illustrations. Band-Maid exemplifies this to their fans. Anyway, I'm starting to ramble. Thanks for giving Band-Maid a try!
Memorable is a graduate-level offering, more suitable for a seasoned fan. It was a love letter to the fans, who they didn't know would show up to their shows in the US soon after the "so-called pandemic" allowed for regular travel. Majority of the shows were soldout! No marketing ploy at all, Po! In fact, Kanami (lead G., main composer) composed the music while trekking across the US on their "Black Cat" luxury double decker tour bus. Welcome aboard, Sir! 🦍🍌
Welcome & thanks from Japan 有難う💛。 Two days ago I went to see Band-Maid's last concert of this year 😄. I saw the lead guitarist play a newly released her own signature model, PRS "Kanami" Limited Edition. I was in bliss 😍. 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.(BABYMETAL, Lovebites are other examples) 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 😄
Kanami-san, the lead guitarist, has been the main music composer since 2017. So all of the band's music output has her imprints all over. She writes up the main demo, sends it to MISA, the bassist and MISA-san writes her part. Next, Kanami-san sends it to the drummer, Akane-san for her to write her part and lastly to the vocalists Saiki-san and Kobato-san, the 2nd vocalist and rhythm guitarist. The rhythm guitar parts are written last by Kanami-san and she does the recording for it in the studio as well. But now, most likely, Kobato-san records the rhythm guitar on her own but I'm not sure about that.
Band Maid has written all their own music since their second album, it is true they can at times sound more “pop” melody-wise but it’s all done to what fits the song. Each member is very talented and they all work together extremely well, with each one adding their own touches to the composition. I think if you check out more of their catalog you will see how they bend and blend genres, styles and motifs. Great reaction and review.
love this format of reaction and appreciate your honesty and your john entwistle reference went down a treat for this ol bloke! just one quibble- i know it is alot to absorb in one go but what a shame you did not click on the cc option as the lyrics are also superb in this miracle of a band (not least in their playful interweaving of japanese and english lyrics). kanami is the composing genius (lead guitarist) and miku kobato (rhythm guitarist and second vocalist) is main lyricist although saiki atsumi (the lead vocalist) has recently begun to shine as a lyricist also - her lyrics for Hate? are hilarious and deadly serious also - check them out... this is a very sophisticated, smart and cohesive band - sui generis.
Rock Me Band-Maid. Most prolific, talented rock band in the world today. Awesome music and they go mostly unknown due to a language barrier. Love this band.
Kanami writes the framework, and the band fills the canvas. Bassist Misa fills the void left behind by Squire, Entwistle and Geddy Lee. She is currently rock’s bass savior…
I'm so happy that you have found Band Maid, and judging by your smile you also like them, I found them in 2016 while wandering the music desert 🏜️, finally an oasis 🏝️ after decades of garbage 🗑️, and because of my discovery I have never been happier musically in 64 years, you will never be disappointed in Band Maid, as far as memorable goes being different, that's right in their wheel house, they are their own genre, and if you do yourself a favor and listen to them more, you will definitely find them out also, happy listening 🎧.
Great reaction and very illuminating.....Memorable was born on a tour bus while the ladies were touring the US back in 2022. It was more of a thank you song to their American fans. Not every song by BM is a banger...:). Since you've just heard Puzzle live, i highly reccomend their accoustic version of Puzzle.
For the ballad Memorable, you really need the back story. When they embarked upon their first real tour since Covid, they really didn't quite know what to expect from the crowds in the US. I actually saw them in San Diego, and let me tell you - I actually had to use ear protection as much from the crowd as from them. The outpouring of love from the crowd do them was overwhelming. This song was their thank you to the fans for this enthusiastic response, and if you watch it knowing this with the subtitles on it's very moving. Just thought I'd give you the background.
One thing to point out about Hate... that was song 27 of a 33 song set list, in a concert that was over 3 hours long. The best thing about Band Maid, is they all have moments where they shine. Misa, the Bassist, if you listen to them more, you will see that she plays a lot of complicated bass melodies, and often gets solos. Kanami, the lead guitarist, is the main composer, Miku, the rhythm guitarist, and Saiki, the lead singer, are the main song writers. Akane, the drummer keeps everyone in check. Huge catalogue of music to choose from, with instrumentals as well. They can also play acoustic. They are very much involved with the crowd, and are very humble. They are also touring monsters. They haven't really stopped since the pandemic restrictions were lifted. 11 shows from October 12-29, went back to Japan, toured with GnR, and had their own tour going on for their 10th anniversary that ended with the Yokohama show that included Dice that you watched. And as of September of this year, has gone Independent. Memorable, will hold a place in every fans heart who saw them during that 2022 US tour because it was written for us, as a thank you for the love we showed them. There was another one that they wrote for ALL of their fans during the Pandemic, called About Us. It was written to give us hopes for future shows and how they missed performing for us.
Welcome Home, Jim!!🕊️ Congratulations on improving your life immensely today! Finding the Maids can be a life-changing experience of pure JOY! 🤩 The Maids are a remarkable collection of extraordinarily talented musicians who excel at every aspect of modern Rock music creation: Composition, Arrangement, Songwriting, Orchestration, Instrumentation, Recording, Production, Playing and Performance. If you stick with the journey, you’ll see it’s true. They just released a new album “Epic Narratives” that’s absolutely glorious! They pull in fans from all rock genres - pop-punk, emo, modern rock, classic rock, grunge, heavy metal; because the Maids are so talented and versatile with songs using elements of every rock style and genre imaginable! Many of there biggest fans are us old geezers who grew up with Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, RUSH, YES, The Who, etc and we find many of those same qualities in the Maids music. We like to say the Maids are their own genre. They are in fact on the (back) cover of the Japanese Rolling Stone magazine this month. They have a goal of (peaceful) World Domination through music; and are on their way. They’ve toured Europe and North America before; they’ve stayed in Japan for 2024, but expect them to make a tour stop near you in 2025! As for more songs; 😂. It’s a bit of a joke with us Masters & Princesses (or Maidiacs, if you prefer), because, literally, the Maids are probably the single most PROLIFIC band at writing great song after great song - EVER. They have songs across the rock music genre spectrum - we say they are their own genre. 🤷🏻♂️ Seriously, I’m not kidding - you’ll easily get 50-75 different song suggestions from 100 different people. And there’s a saying in the community; “Your favorite Band-Maid” song is the next one you listen to. 🤷🏻♂️ My contributions for next cover a diverse set of songs. First, you must see these recent live releases: - “Magie” - OLV - from new album - “Don’t You Tell Me” - OLV - “Unleash!!!!!” - OLV - “Hate?” - OLV - guitar/bass epic-ness! - “Endless Story” - OLV (Show closer - tears)😭 Then dozens more… High energy Anime songs from new Epic Narratives album? - “Shambles” - OMV - “Protect You” - OMV More Classic Rock style - “Manners” - OMV - Then, “Manners / Black Hole” - official online live video - “Dice” - OMV - “Turn Me On” - OLV - “Moratorium” - OLV - Puzzle - OLV Did you say instrumentals? - “From Now On” - OMV - “Onset” - OLV - “Without Holding Back” - MV Modern/Progressive? - “Influencer” - OMV - “Why, Why, Why” - OLV - “Youth” - OLV - “Bubble” - OMV - “Corallium” - OLV Tender & Beautiful? - “Wonderland” - official live video - “Daydreaming” - OMV - “Memorable” - OMV - “About Us” - OLV - “Bestie” - OMV (all English) from new album! Acoustic? - “Catharsis” - OLV - (Christmas show) - “Sayonakidori” - OLV - “Puzzle” (acoustic special) - OLV And Where it all began: - “Thrill” - OMV - the video that saved them. Then dozens and dozens more from our special Maids. Their most recent release is a real Thrill Ride (pun intended), with lots of different motifs in the song. You should check it out - “Forbidden Tale” - OMV In fact, lead guitarist Kanami Tono just became the first Japanese artist with a PRS Limited Edition model, personally handed to her by Paul Reed Smth at a ceremony in Tokyo this past weekend. They’ve also recently released a collaboration for the new album between The Maids and the Mexican Villarreal sisters, The Warning. Do you know The Warning? If not, that’s whole other rabbit hole to go down, too! - “Show Them” - OMV (all English) Then check out The Warning - “Automatic Sun” - OMV It’s a special moment for both bands!! The Warning have released a Behind-the -Scenes which is fantastic! You see a bit of the worked together despite the language difficulties. - The Warning First Trip to Japan with BAND-MAID. Enjoy the journey down the “Pigeon” hole! Take care and rock on! 🤘🏼🔥🎸🥁🎤🎹🎶😎✌🏼
BabyMetal are just a Label Vehicle for SuMetal. And LOVEBITES are just a Noodle Meister Show off band with the Best Noodle Meister Bassist in the world and they don't let her show off. BAND-MAID aren't just The Best Band In The World, they are also the most balanced band in the world. Each member serves a vital purpose in the group, just like every part they play in every song. And they do it all, from out right Bangers to soft acoustic ballads and everything in between. The show that 'Hate?' came from was 3 1/2 Hours long. They have boundless energy. But they do it with restraint and taste and aplomb that puts other bands to shame. These four songs don't even scratch the surface of the 10 years and well over 100 songs of BAND-MAID.
Direct comparison with Lovebites doesn't work for a number of reasons - difference in genre being the main one. Band-Maid also haven't changed the lineup since formation, two years before Lovebites. They also only have one lead guitarist. But the bands are friendly with each other.
@@JimNewstead 😭 Oh well...if you want to hear their Prog leanings, try "Dystopia Symphony". It's only an audio track, but it's about Beethoven's turmoil as he lost his hearing.
Eleven yrs and over140 songs they are their own genre. You have only uncovered the tip of an immense iceberg. Memorable is for our ears more than for radio play if there is such a thing. Absolutely organically formed band. BandMaid is listed as the composer of the tunes so a very collaborative group. MISA the Barefoot Assassin ain't channeling the Great John Entwistle. Entwistle was foreshadowing the advent of MISA! BANDMAID is the greatest proper rock and roll band of the 21st century IMHO. It's a crazy statement. Was Mozart the world's greatest composer of his era? He'll yeah! The farther we get away from that time the more clearly we see the immensity of his talent. Few would argue with the above assessment. Everytime I write "IMHO" after BandMaid is the greatest proper rock and roll band of the 21st century I feel like a liar. IMHO my ass! IMHO water is wet. BandMaid rules right now. The future will prove us right.
Memorable sounds out of place after listening to heavy side of Band-Maid. Fact is, they write many different types of songs. Some may sound more approachable and easily digestable. They have many slower breathers as well. If you go to their live, those mid-tempo, highly emotional songs also come alive. There are quite a few songs that I didn't pay too much attention when they came out, then turned into some of my favourites after them performing the songs live. Or when you listen to the song when you are in the right mood, the song may resonate with you.
5 well trained, educated, practiced, talented women who drive, support and genuinely push each other to perfection. Puzzle has a live, and MV and an acoustic version.. The 4th song seems out of place is because it's written just for the die hard fans. Like About Us and Memorable It grows on you and we love it. Blooming, Dice, Real Existance, these are great hard rock songs where as Different, Black Hole and Rinne are more over the top (metal?) They have so many magical moments to show you. ENjoy
Jim -- Band-Maid has over 140 awesome songs. And you say Memorable doesn't work because it's mid-tempo, or has a different "feel, like it was written for them?" The lead guitarist and main songwriter, Kanami, wrote it on the bus while touring the USA. You'll discover every B-M song will be different... a feat not seen to this extent with rock bands... or any band, for that matter!
Pawn Hearts is a great album by Van der Graaf Generator. Just saying. That's why I like Band-Maid- much of their music is unpredictable and multi genre. The maid walking in the desert was our beautiful "Small Pigeon" Miku- Founder of the band, Lyrics, Vocals, Rhythm Guitar. The song "Memorable" was a heartfelt thank you to US fans for their sold out tour- by band members- Kanami- music with Lyrics by Miku, so not a regular type of song for them, although they do a full acoustic set of their electric songs.
James gave you some great Japanese band suggestions. One he didn't give you was Nemophila. I suggest you start with their first song "Oiran." There's a live studio version and 2 live concert versions. I say start with the studio, or "RUclips" version.
Great reaction, Jim. I think all-female japanese bands are conquering the world with ease now. Fresh styles with some classic feel. Band Maid is pretty progressive. They don't hang on one style. Every song is unique. Hope you react to another bunch of japanese artists in the future too.
Lead Guitarist Kanami Töno wrote "Memorable" on Band-Maid's tour bus while travelling across the US in the Fall of 2023. Rhythm guitarist, backing vocalist Miku Kobato and vocalist Saiki Atsumi collaborated on the lyrics. X Japan drummer-pianist Yoshiki asked Band-Maid to open for his supergroup 'The Last Rock Stars' in January of 2024 in New York and a week later in Los Angeles. During the week between concerts, Band-Maid were guests at Yoshiki's house in LA. It was during that week that Miku Kobato participated in the shoot for the desert scenes in the video. The live footage was gleaned from their 2024 kick-off concert at Tokyo Garden Theater where "Puzzle" was performed. Nine times out of ten, Band-Maid delivers face melting hard rock, and they are very consistent at it, but it's those one out of ten gentle, sweet songs they drop into their set list that surprises you and helps set Band-Maid above the commonplace. I've seen them live twice: they are awesome!
Memorable doesn’t fit with the others certainly, but one thing you would learn over the course of Band-Maid’s discography is that their diversity in rock sub-genres. They are more akin to Queen in terms of musical diversity than their contemporaries. They have a unique song for every combination of rock, punk, metal and pop you can think of. Some songs swap genres halfway through but make it work. They can play prog songs in 4 minutes. You should keep listening. I’ll steer you back on track with some thunderous live performances though: check out No God Live Tokyo Garden Theater, Unleash Live, Moratorium live zepp tokyo (not on their channel but professional production) and Domination live (NOT the MV). If you want proper head-banging rock those are four top choices.
Thank you for your reaction. Memorable is indeed written by Band Maid and is kind of an odd one among Band Maid songs, though it makes my Maidiac eyes tears with it specific message to the fans. I would have maybe suggested the song Manners, MV or online live (with Black Hole) instead but if you have 4 songs, Memorable still gives a good spread of what the band can do. It would be interesting to see you react to Band Maiko but I will not push that! ;) Have fun! :)
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
I'm an old rocker, Jim, and until I found Band-Maid, I thought rock was dead !
😏❤️🎙🎸🥁😎🤘
Oh man, you’re looking in the wrong place if you think rock is dead…. It’s very much alive and kicking. There’s some INCREDIBLE music out at the moment. Look back through my videos if you don’t believe me!
@@JimNewstead I know, but this band more than any other, scratches that itch......new but familiar 🤔 tickling my soul and making me smile.😀
@@lonniekramlich6241 same here. 65 yr old metal head. ❤️ BM
Guitarist Kanami just became the first Japanese musician to get a signature model from PRS. Guitarist Miku has a signature model from Zemaitis, bassist Misa has a signature bass from Black Cloud and drummer Akane has signature sticks from Wincent.
@@PurpleDracos Singer Saiki can have her signature on my heart 😁❤🔥🤘
Welcome to Band-Maid! The best hard rock band I have heard in my 58 years on this planet. While they don't class themselves as a metal band, 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 mayhem to ballads, instrumentals to acoustics they do it all. They can make you headbang, they can make you pogo, they can make you cry like a baby. They are also five of the nicest people in music, without a shred of ego. They are funny and fun and world class musicians to boot. They are currently into their 12th year with the original line up. And they are the best live band I have ever witnessed!
You are fine reacting to official Band-Maid releases. They support reactors and even wath them. You won't get a block or a strike from them. All the songs you listened to were written by the band. Kanami, lead guitarist, is the main composer.
"Memorable" wasn't for air play. It was a love letter to their fans about feeling loved by them. They have written a few love letters to their fans, others are "Smile" and "About Us".
Btw, Miku the rhythm guitarist (red rose) formed the band. She had the idea of Band-Maid after working as a maid in Japanese maid cafe's. Her idea is a concept called "The Gap" - that is what you see (cute maids) is NOT what you get (Hard Rock/Punk/Metal). They take the maid café concept literally. They call their concerts "servings" and their fans "Masters and Princesses". Oh, and Miku is an 810 year old small pigeon. Welcome to the pigeon hole Po!
What a great reaction format this was, Kawaii Davey.😁
@@GaryHolloway-810 Yeah, I really enjoyed it!
@@GaryHolloway-810😂
@@Davey-Boyd and I enjoy, you’re Comment! Thank you and greetings Po!❤😊
Thanks Davey, appreciate the back ground. Very likely that I’ll be listening to more on the channel! As I said, I think I really like the organic and live feeling of the band.
*Memorable*
After 3 long years *BAND-MAID* returned back to the US for their October 2022 US tour, they were worried that fans would not remember them, since they performed in the states was back in 2019. But upon their return, they were pleasantly surprised at the reception they received. So surprised that *Kanami* was inspired to write a song on the tour bus, and later *Miku* and *Saiki* then began writing the lyrics, and on January 9th 2023 *BAND-MAID* presented to the fans at TOKYO GARDEN THEATER.
Now it is presented to the rest of the world!
Having been to their Philly concert in October 2022, Memorable always hits a little different than the other 2 fan inspired songs
Plus it's just a beautiful song! dbl ♥
The solo guitarist writes all the melodies.
The rhythm guitarist writes the lyrics. Except for the second song, the lead singer wrote the lyrics.
Memorable was literally composed on a tour bus as they were driving between shows in the US. Kanami working out a melody and singing it to Saiki, the lead singer (both wearing masks at the time - because pandemic). They have over 130 songs now and you'll find they cover an incredibly wide range of styles, with Memorable and About Us being two of the most low key and emotional. Welcome to the Band-Maid club, you're in for a lot of discovery.
Glad you enjoyed them. Memorable did stick out, but I thought I should include one of their mid-tempo more ballady songs to give a complete picture of their catalog.
🍺🥴🤘🏻🕊️
Great recommendations James!
@@jamessharp2725 Cheers James.😁👍
Thanks so much James, a thoroughly enjoyable selection of tunes! The second song with that bass and guitar interplay was my favourite, but they’re all great! Thanks again man, appreciate it!
Good selections!!!!👍😉
After more than a decade together BAND-MAID are still providing us with awesome music for the future whilst giving us sounds from the past :)
@@GaryHolloway-810 moin, Gary, are you okay Po! Greetings from Hamburg in very Bad weather! Ben Po😟
@tasminoben686 Hiya Ben i'm ok thx. Things haven't been too good in London either. We had a two day storm over the weekend & it's rained most days since :(
@@GaryHolloway-810 maybe the Storm Welcome tomorrowus! Actually it’s Raining, Cats and Dogs Outside
I get the feeling everyone knows everyone here in the comments! 🤣
@@JimNewstead Gary is an Institution.
Maidiacs travel by swarm (pigeon references included) - always on the look out for someone new to first discover and react to the band - so they can hope to vicariously relive their own first discovery of it.
They are rock and roll guardian angels and the best hard rock band on this planet🤘Keep an eye on them!!
I am 55, I have seen Pink Floyd live. This is my favorite current band, not knowing very much Japanese, and what I do know I learned after hearing Japanese bands. Band-Maid is in my top three easily and as young as they are, they will be my top before long. I need to see these ladies live.
Yup, I saw Pink Floyd at Tampa Stadium in 1994 during the Division Bell/Pulse tour and the four times I’ve seen Band-Maid now are right up there with them.
Yes, I need to see them live, also! I also saw Pink Floyd - on the earlier Delicate Sound of Thunder Tour of 1986. What a moment I can still recall!
I saw them in 1975 "Wish You Were Here" tour. For me, I have a hard time choosing between that and Band-Maids Yokohama show as the best I've ever seen/heard live. Different era's and style of music, but they both gave you an incredibly memorable experience.
@
Yup, very different, but equally impressive.
Memorable is the 3rd of 3, possibly 4, songs they have written about how much they love/appreciate their fans. Due to the covid shutdowns they hadn't toured overseas since 2019 and for 2022 they had a large, long tour all over the US scheduled and were very unsure just what reception they would get.
Their US fans surprised them with their passion for their music and so in the middle of the tour their songwriter, Kanami-lead guitarist, wrote the music for Memorable. The start of this was shown on a documentary of their 2022 tour that came with the special edition of their TGT concert video release. The MV was filmed in California when the returned for a short while to open for 3 shows by the Japanese "supergroup" "The Last Rock Stars."
The other songs for their fans are "Smile," "About Us" which has an MV, and possibly the live performance of "Endless Story" which was the final song, of 33, of the final show, Yokohama Arena, of their 10th Anniversary tour. Hate? that you saw was also from that show as song number 27.
"Bestie" is another mid-tempo song by Band-Maid. There do have some beautiful ballads including "Daydreaming", "About Us", "Smile". Primarily, Band-Maid is a high energy hard rock band that defies any genre classification because they will utilize any sound associated with those genres in their music including multiple genres in one song. They are also one of the best live band in the world. I have attended two of their live concerts and can testify to that.
I recognize you from previous reactions and I'm so glad you reacted to my all time favorite band, Band Maid. You have listened to a variety of their styles but that's not all. These ladies have an amazing catalog. Trust me, you'll want to take a deep dive into them as nearly all their songs deserve an OMV but I suppose $$$ prevents that. Anyway, the point is they have a huge number of S-Tier songs that don't have videos. I hope you get a chance to react to those as well. And remember, live is best.
@@JayDavisAtHome How could you recognise me, Jay, i've never done any reacti...Ohhh, you meant Jim.🤦♂️
You're not wrong in that Memorable has a different feel as it was written for a different intent.
Its not their best work by far but its held in high esteem by the Band-Maid Community because as mentioned its was written & composed on their tour bus between shows as a Love Letter to the Fans (Not Radio).
In 2022 it had been about 3 years since they were last here in the US due to the Pandemic and they were concerned that they might have been forgotten. Having lost traction and the momentum they work so hard to achieve here. To their surprise they Sold Out across the country and were deeply moved by the crowd response and affection. Thus they were moved to write Memorable which is captured on their BTS US Tour Documentary.
I’m learning!
The group uses various genres to create their sound. They do straight instrumentals, acoustic performances, and traditional rock fusion songs, as well as their outstanding live performances. Check out the 7-part biography by Ohrenje. Each member gets almost a half hour episode, with Miku Kobato having three episodes (the founder of the band). Their dedication to their craft, their fellow band members, and their fans is inspiring. How many bands last over a decade together, as productive today as they were a decade ago. Sought out for collaborations (recent release collaboration with the Mexican sisters band The Warning, for example). Honored by musical instrument manufacturers (PRS just released the Kanami Tōno sinature guitar, for example). Throw a dart at any one of their 130+ songs, and you are probably going to be amazed.
I think your comments on Memorable shows that you clearly have much to learn about the range, scope and scale of Band Maid and their music. Keep listening and learning, they truly are worth it.
I’m sure I do. First time ever hearing!
Band Maid and Lovebites : The dissimilar twins and still they are sisters in the spirit of Rock N Roll as we all love it.🤘🤘
@@gitterich And even better, there are friendships among some of the members and all 5 Lovebites members attend the Maids 10th Anniversary Okyuji at Yokohama Arena last November. Sisters in rock, indeed!! 🤘🏼🔥🎼🎸🥁🎤🌎🕊️☮️
Such an under appreciated band. A hidden gem of talent. The 1st band to make my full album playlists in over 20 years.
Band Maid has a lot of pop sensibilities (like all the traditional stadium bands like Queen, Iron Maiden, Metallica, U2, Foo Fighters... - they will all go mushy with larger-than-life ballades). Though you got 3 straight rock songs, Band-Maid is often an under-cover prog-rock band, happily jumping into blues, punk-rock and punk-pop as Kanami is clearly genre-agnostic as a trained classical pianist, and this is before we mention their nemesis, a little-known cover-band called Band Maiko (playing rock with traditional Japanese instruments and folk-inspiration).
A new song generally makes us all lift our arms and collectively exclaim "Ohhh keyyyy....they are doing this now - of course they are" 🤷🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️
One could easily think that this genre-agnosticism could make them sound inconsistent, yet they sound unmistakenly like Band Maid. The double-dropped "Manners" and "Black Hole" in an official live video is a good example. The two songs are what science defines as "not similar" but both sounds like Band-Maid doing Band-Maid things.
I can’t think of ANY pop sensibilities or “mushiness” with a single Maiden track. And I’ve listened to them since 1982.
Please name me one real ballad from Iron Maiden with "pop sensibilities" 🤔
Just BAND-MAID doing BAND-MAID things.
Band-Maid are probably #1 in the broad genre of Japanese female rock/metal. They have a lot of songs, turn their hands to many styles and types of song, and consistently knock it out of the park. Their live shows are brilliant in every respect, which is what makes them so repeatable. Visuals, variety, quality, consistency, talent, atmosphere, energy AND some truly great songs - they own it all.
Memorable was the most memorable song for me at their Charlotte show. I grew up on classic rock and metal, but there it is. It was beautifully done with the acoustic guitar, the vocals, everything was perfection.
Hold your lighters high with a tear in your eye!
Hope you enjoyed Band Maid. Hoping for more Band Maid reactions from you. There is a LOT of catching up to do. Everything past everything now and everything in the future
Thanks for featuring us in the Independent Artist Of The Day slot! Hopefully this will help us (and the other bands) to get some more eyes and ears on our work.
My absolute pleasure…. Anything I can do to help grass roots music is a no brainier!
What a WILD four song combination. What’s even wilder is none of these songs sit in the “comfort zone” of their core style. Not one of these would I choose as an introduction to Maids. (Except maybe “Puzzle”)
And that’s one of the reasons Band Maid has such a passionate following. They have no boundaries or formulas. They write whatever feels “cool” at the moment.
Here are a few titles from their more melodic, nostalgic songs.
“DICE,” OMV
“Don’t you tell ME,” OMV and/or LIVE
“Choose Me,” OMV
“secret My lips,” OMV
Welcome to the wild world of the Maid 🌎
As the song goes, 🎵Music Mike do do do do do do. Music Mike do do do do do do do. Music Mike do do do do do do. Music Mike.🎵
It works just as well with "Baby shark" too.😁
Sounds good to me!
I´d say "Hate?" live has become one of the go-to songs for new reactors now, maybe the most common. So yes, it probably is the introduction song to Band-Maid now. As it was "Domination" live before.
@@GaryHolloway-810 🦈 ❤️
Thank you for reacting to our Maids, Jim! I think this is the first reaction I’ve seen out of at least 100 where the reactor didn’t even once mention the maid outfits! Good on you! It’s all about the music! (but I personally think the maid outfits are adorable!)
These four tracks are great, but you haven’t even scratched the surface of what the Maids can deliver.
Case in point: The OMV “From Now On” is not only amazing, to me it’s downright astonishing! I’m 68 years old, and I didn’t even know that music could DO that!
Here’s some other great tracks from the Maids:
PLAY (live)
SHAMBLES (OMV)
MANNERS (OMV)
DOMINATION (live)
ONSET (live)
WITHOUT HOLDING BACK (OMV)
REAL EXISTENCE (live)
The Non-Fiction Days (OMV)
THRILL (OMV)
Don’t You Tell ME (live AND OMV)
There are currently 45 songs in my top 10 list of favorite BAND-MAID songs, and it was really tough narrowing it down to those 45!
Greeting from Dallas! More BAND-MAID please!
They do quite a variety of styles. They have such a good time, continuous smiles... they crowd around and make faces at the drummer to try and distract her. The fun in their performances is contagious...
🐦 *Jim Newstead* 🐦
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 / Piano
*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
alone (Official Music Video)
Choose me (Official Music Video)
HATE? (Official Live Video)
Blooming (Official Music Video)
YOLO (Official Music Video)
the non-fiction days (Official Music Video)
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…*
Arigato Vambot.😌👍
❤ Po!
They are women...they have many different styles and moods...Band-Maid's Omaginai (magic) is, in part, that they have these varying styles, moods, motifs, and abilities. You know how Mom's food is always better than everyone elses? It's because it is made with 🫶, Po! 🕊️
Is that a Roger Dean coffee mug you sip from? Looks like a YES starship.
Yeah, Band-Maid did the same for me when I first heard them. I settled in and almost five years later No other Japanese band does it for me. There are some that have some good songs but with Band-Maid every song is special in some way, I mean every single one. Stay with these girls because they are for real and after 11 years they just keep getting better. Theres a proper Chris Squire-esque bass feature in the instrumental "From Now On", and you listen to their latest "Forbidden Tale", it's a musical journey that's a blast. Cheers
Well done. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Nice reaction greeting from germany
Just a little about their writing process that goes to what you were saying about the songs feeling like they were jammed out by the band. kanami, the lead guitarist writes the songs and then takes them to the bassist and drummer and they work on the songs. I remember kanami saying once in an interview that she doesn't really write the bass parts because "MISA (bass player) will know what to do." Once the music is finished including the vocal melodies, the song goes to Miku (rhythm guitar, backing vocals) to write the lyrics. On occasion the lead singer (Saiki) will write the lyrics.
Thanks 👍🏼
Damn Jim, that's some amazing analysis there, you were dead on pretty much everything. If you continue down the pigeon hole with Band-Maid... and I hope you will... when you come back to Memorable next time, it'll hit different. The song IS, in fact, sort of out of place, but that's because this is a band that will let their emotions during song-writing take them anywhere they feel like. Including occasionally melodramatic sappy pieces that are entirely heartfelt on their end. When they started out, they did have songwriters for them, but since about their third album, their catalogue is completely written by them (they even own their own management company now), and despite tending to have a hard rock sound, you'll find their music goes all over the place, incorporating whatever elements they feel like grabbing from any genre.
Thanks for reacting to the greatest band in the world!
Welcome to our worldwide club of masters and princesses! Please do carry on!
To be clear, these 4 songs are not cherry picked examples. You could throw darts at Band Maid song list and get equally fine songs. Fact is, there is no consensus about the top songs of Band Maid. A good quarter of their 130+ songs probably have strong support as top 5.
Yup, the best part about this band is that everyone's top 10 list will be drastically different.
Memorable works as I had just seen them and I felt so emotional and so I had a real connection to this song when this song came out... There was so much love from the fans and they obviously felt it.
Glad you liked the ladies Jim. They are the real deal. Memorable is not representative of their discog. Super fun, talented hard rock band.
Another band from Japan you will like is Glim Spanky - early 70's rock sound with modern twist and a vocalist and a half
Coolio!
Poncedeleon will never sound the same to me again.🤭
@@GaryHolloway-810 Well it has been said "never meet your heroes" 😂😂😂
@@poncedeleon759 Lol. Well it's one occasion i'm glad i did, Mayto wasn't too bad either.😏
@@GaryHolloway-810 Beauty and the Beast 🤣🤣You make your mind up who is who🤣🤣
I have been waiting for this moment for years.
Good stuff! First time reactions are my favorite. BAND-MAID have a nice blend of rock, metal, pop and a lot of other genre flourishes. Definitely check out other songs from them. They don't have a bad song in their 120+ catalog.
Hej Jim Newstead,
welcome to the world of Band-Maid.
Glad to have you on this journey !
Welcome to BAND-MAID!!! Thanks and have a good day!!!
💜💛❤💙💚
Welcome to the Maidiacs Master Jim. Great reaction.
HATE? was song #27 at a 33 song setlist. Yokohama Arena was their 10th anniversary tour final November last year.
Puzzle is just perfection in my book.
@@sugaanessena3143 Master Jim has a great radio presenter voice. If he needs any more B-M suggestions then he only has to ask me cos i'm here. "Cooee Jim".🙂👋
@@GaryHolloway-810 And when Gary suggest something, I know to listen. ...probably😉
@@GaryHolloway-810 Entered the lottery for 3 Okyu-Ji's😁
Ah, Puzzle!!! Yes indeed.
Yoo hoo 👋👋
You mentioned the energy they have..... Well, keep in mind that the song "Hate?" that you saw was song number 27 of a 33 song setlist at their 3 hour 45 minute 2023 tour Finale at Yokohama Arena. No opening act. No Encore. Just them! And they still had this much energy at the end!!!!
Band Maid very much write their own songs now. Lyrics can be interesting and written by Miku usually (red rose) with the odd exception that the singer Saiki writes a few including HATE? Kanami the guitarist writes the music but the band who are brilliant will suggest bits and improvements and the whole band who have been together for 12 years are very much a collaborative unit. They were always very good but yes they have improved and strived to improve. Glad you picked up on the chemistry. Their live concerts are a mixture of Maid Cafe call and response with the crowd to a comedy routine in the breaks where they literally enjoy talking with the audience. Music is pure Bad Maid. Rock, pop, metal, jazz funk. I have heard it called many things. If you are not a fan of one track don't worry another one you will love will come along. There is a nostalgic element to the music when as oldies used listen and enjoy music. We seem to have lost much of that in the West with just stale and dull noise. But Band Maid are very much the real deal. From acoustic concerts to small theatre venues to stadium sized theatres. They make everything feel very personal and enjoyable.
Yes and no…. I keep banging the same drum over and over again. The width and breadth of incredible new music is absolutely astonishing. You just have to work a bit harder to find it. Or watch my channel 😜
This was so well said that I'll just point here to express my own thoughts. :)
I'll just add that since discovering this band some 4 years ago, I had never felt the urge to hear every single song a band had ever released. Then came this band, and 4 years later I've danced through their entire catalog multiple times, and have bought I think every available recording they've ever released. This has happened exactly once in my lifetime - with Band-Maid.
"Memorable" is a lovesong to their fans. After Covid, they were not sure if anyone was going to turn up to their concerts in North America. But they were sold out and the audiences gave them a very warm welcome. So "Memorable" is a ballad from the heart, not their normal hard rock. But Band-Maid is versatile. They can do fast and slow. They can play acoustic and hard rock. But hard rock is their natural element.
A small remark, Babymetal is not a band, it is a project, a show. It’s good, but there are seasonal musicians, and the songs are written by other composers under contract.
Babymetal are a spectacular rock show. Very different in my opinion
Like the Roger Dean cup, I have a huge Yes and related collection. Three bands totally permeated me, Yes, It's A Beautiful Day and now, Band Maid. Please do more Band Maid, they have a huge catalog and no bad songs. They can play any genre.
That was a present from one of my subs, and is a prized possession.
Best rock band on the planet. If you haven't been doing the lyrics please go back and get them. Watch NO GOD live if you really want to hear the bass. Great reaction.
Thanks so much nice reaction!
They make me happy every day!
Watch “Freedom” live for some of the best of Band Maid’s chemistry as a group.
You’d more than likely enjoy their acoustic catalogue of songs
I will never understand how people can get this good at an instrument.
@@Lightmane It's called practice and dedication!
@@waynebenedict4609 don't see how practice and dedication can make anyone that good. Same with concert pianists. No clue how they can get that skilled.
This is a really really interesting idea to explore further. I agree, a lot of practice and dedication can take you so far, but it’s the unquantifiable unknowable extra something that elevates some players above all else. Some call it talent, some call it a gift. I think it’s the willingness to break the rules and inject yourself into the performance. Innovation. Craziness. It’s a level of genius I guess!
@@JimNewstead many guitar players, who had been playing for many years, said they "threw away their guitar" after watching people like Alan Holdsworth, or Paco de Lucia, or Tommy Emmanuel, or Tina S.
I will never understand how it's possible to get that good.
@@JimNewstead Kanami is considered a genius composer by many and has a relentless drive for perfection. She has surrounded herself with four other ladies that share that willingness to keep striving for excellence, as all five of them will say, "I will do my best!" and they mean it, not just words!
of their ballads i would have gone more with About Us or Endless Story for their rock ballads. Since 2016 they have been writing their own songs. The last one was a thank you note they did for the huge love they got from their fans when they did one of their US tours.
If the reaction of the Lovebites fans surprised you, well . . . 😆
BAND-MAID were my gateway to Japanese music, to be fair. I first heard them 5 years ago tomorrow, as it happens. My tastes have changed so much since then, though.
I’m prepared!
I would have left out memorable and put in Onset or Moratorium, but awesome band. Band-Maid and Lovebites are the best from Japan. Imo.
Over the years that I've been a maidiac I've found that "I was not prepared" is a very common reaction! 🤘😎
MISA! MISA! MISA!
Since the mid 2010's Japanese Rock and Metal has been on the Rise. With the door that was opened by the ground breaking group Babymetal, who turned Western heads to the East, it was Band Maid that has taken greatest advantage of that open door and picked up the Mantel of Rock'n'Roll where the West has left it behind!
And Kanami was just honored (last week) with her own PRS Limited Edition Guitar - "The Kanami Limited Edition Custom 24-08 guitar"!!
More Band Maid Always!!
Po!
Hey Jim! Finally feeling a little better since the surgery. Wanted to wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving!! God bless, love and light.👍🦃☮️❤️🌅😎
🤘🤘One of the top touring rock bands in the business today
Welcome, Jim. You are embarking on (along with many others - 220 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 (144 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 80 favorites! "Thrill" (2014) is a great place to start: ruclips.net/video/Uds7g3M-4lQ/видео.html Their songs from albums Unleash, Unseen World, Conqueror, World Domination, Just Bring It, Brand New Maid, and New Beginning drive even more - Hate?, Shambles, Influencer, Warning, No God, Different, Black Hole, Rinne, Blooming, Moratorium, Domination, Clang, Dice, Spirit, Don’t You Tell Me, Turn Me On, Fate, Play, You, 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, The One, Bestie, 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 Protect You, Sense, Different, Glory and Unleash!!!!! (from their own Anime MV (series?)): ruclips.net/video/7LB_EPS48HE/видео.html)
And many songs are represented with over 50 well produced music videos. ruclips.net/user/BANDMAID
Most performances should be experienced from their LIVE audience & online OKYUJI concerts:
2023 Yokohama 10th Year Anniversary Concert “Endless Story” ruclips.net/video/Za1y-RRVd70/видео.html
ONLINE OKYU-JI (Feb. 11, 2021) “No God” ruclips.net/video/nAdWnIRjGak/видео.html
Tokyo's LINE CUBE SHIBUYA (February 14, 2020) “Domination” ruclips.net/video/QbyQCJn6rYg/видео.html
ZEPP 2018 “Real Existence” ruclips.net/video/-qQnKILR5u0/видео.html
Shinkiba Studio Coast 2017 and other full concerts are on bandmaidprime.tokyo, bili, and official Band-Maid’s DVD/BD/CD.
And some of the better quality fan videos are excellent.
Shot by Pat McKee from their 2023 US tour concert in Detroit: ruclips.net/video/DgxU-MVjta0/видео.html
See the Maids 2023 Rockville Festival’s short-set perfection performance: ruclips.net/video/vjZkNeoGmhc/видео.html
Great photo collage with older classic songs from P in D: www.youtube.com/@PinD-PANIC
If you like Band-Maid, make sure to support them by purchasing some concert tickets, live streams, 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, Don’t Let Me Down, 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, 33 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, 33 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, 32 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. 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, as usual!
📢 Recent Announcements 📢
-- The Warning, a world-famous band from Mexico, and BAND-MAID recently completed their amazing 2-man, collab concert in Japan with the introduction of their new song and OMV, “Show Them.”
-- BAND-MAID released a new OMV, "Forbidden Tales," from their new album "Epic Narratives" that dropped Sept. 25, 2024. It contains 14 songs: Memorable, Shambles, Bestie, Protect You, SHOW THEM (BAND-MAID with The Warning), Toi et Moi, Magie, Forbidden Tale, Go Easy, Brightest Star, The One, Letters To You, TAMAYA!, and Get To The Top. Order now at CDJapan for bonuses.
The Maids are one of the hardest working supergroups 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!
These girls are all amazing. One of the best Guitarists around as well as top bass player and drummer. These girls Rock. They are all very down to earth humble ladies with awesome talent.
Just a suggestion, give a band called Rolling Quartz from South Korea a go. Also very cute and talented.
Band-Maid are truly original, and they have well over 100 songs in their back catalogue. Most of their early songs were written by independent song writers, but since the album Just Bring It (2017) almost all the songs they have released were written and arranged by the band.
11 years and 130+ songs of pure greatness. Was working 30 years in rockbusiness, seen few thousand gigs, all the major ones multiple times and NEVER seen or heard BETTER band than Band-Maid. They have it all..Passion Work Heart Talent Groove. Magical band, amazing musicians, best friends. For ne..Greatest Band of our time 🔥❤️ Greets from Finland 🇫🇮😊
Not familiar with Lovebites then? 😜
@ Yeah, that’s just what we needed..comparing 🙈 Bye Bye..
You won't find a community quite like the Band-Maid community. As you can see by your comments, Band-Maid inspires the best in people. Everyone is nice and appreciative of each other. And in my opinion, I think this is due to the band. They are warm hearted. The have fun making music and performing. They have low to no ego. They give each other the time to shine. And they love, interact with, and show appreciation to their fans. This has rubbed off on us and melted our metal hearts over the years.
I won't speak for everyone in the community but for me, I became a fan of the band because of their raw talent. When I first listened to one of their songs I thought to myself "That guitarist is pretty good." Then I thought "That drummer is pretty good, too." Then I thought "That bassist is freaking amazing." And finally, I couldn't help but think the vocals and harmonies were well crafted. Even though I could only understood a little bit of the lyrics, I could still feel the emotion and get the gist of what the band was trying to get through. In a sense, Band-Maid is like a well made graphic novel. You should be able to visualize what's going on based on the story. Just like you should be able to understand the story from the illustrations. Band-Maid exemplifies this to their fans.
Anyway, I'm starting to ramble. Thanks for giving Band-Maid a try!
Memorable is a graduate-level offering, more suitable for a seasoned fan. It was a love letter to the fans, who they didn't know would show up to their shows in the US soon after the "so-called pandemic" allowed for regular travel. Majority of the shows were soldout! No marketing ploy at all, Po! In fact, Kanami (lead G., main composer) composed the music while trekking across the US on their "Black Cat" luxury double decker tour bus. Welcome aboard, Sir! 🦍🍌
Because band maid dont just do hard rock..thier range is big
Welcome & thanks from Japan 有難う💛。 Two days ago I went to see Band-Maid's last concert of this year 😄. I saw the lead guitarist play a newly released her own signature model, PRS "Kanami" Limited Edition. I was in bliss 😍.
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.(BABYMETAL, Lovebites are other examples) 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 😄
Jim , Welcome to BAND-MAID enjoy your journey down the Pigeon hole , MISA !!! MISA !!! MISA !!! the Barefoot Bass Assassin.
Just a curiosity, at this Hate? concert, there were 3 members of Lovebites in the audience watching.
Haha! Cool 👍🏼
I think it´s confirmed that all 5 of them were there.
@@UltraHD.7 I don't know if all 5 were there, I saw photos of 3 of them together at the show
@@UltraHD.7 I‘ve been there. All 5 were there Miyako and Fami showed up a bit later just at the beginning.
Kanami-san, the lead guitarist, has been the main music composer since 2017. So all of the band's music output has her imprints all over. She writes up the main demo, sends it to MISA, the bassist and MISA-san writes her part. Next, Kanami-san sends it to the drummer, Akane-san for her to write her part and lastly to the vocalists Saiki-san and Kobato-san, the 2nd vocalist and rhythm guitarist. The rhythm guitar parts are written last by Kanami-san and she does the recording for it in the studio as well. But now, most likely, Kobato-san records the rhythm guitar on her own but I'm not sure about that.
Band Maid has written all their own music since their second album, it is true they can at times sound more “pop” melody-wise but it’s all done to what fits the song. Each member is very talented and they all work together extremely well, with each one adding their own touches to the composition. I think if you check out more of their catalog you will see how they bend and blend genres, styles and motifs. Great reaction and review.
love this format of reaction and appreciate your honesty and your john entwistle reference went down a treat for this ol bloke! just one quibble- i know it is alot to absorb in one go but what a shame you did not click on the cc option as the lyrics are also superb in this miracle of a band (not least in their playful interweaving of japanese and english lyrics). kanami is the composing genius (lead guitarist) and miku kobato (rhythm guitarist and second vocalist) is main lyricist although saiki atsumi (the lead vocalist) has recently begun to shine as a lyricist also - her lyrics for Hate? are hilarious and deadly serious also - check them out... this is a very sophisticated, smart and cohesive band - sui generis.
I've been studying Japan for a couple of years now, and I've counted about a hundred guitar groups, and they're all pretty virtuosic.
Good job, you did 4 songs, more than 120 to go ;) Enjoy the ride :)
And their style is very broad, from Pop rock to classic rock to Prog Rock.
Rock Me Band-Maid. Most prolific, talented rock band in the world today. Awesome music and they go mostly unknown due to a language barrier. Love this band.
Most prolific? Nah. Best at what they do? Probably.
A talented and prolific band for sure. There is no best. 😁
@@Pigeonholed-Po most prolific is KGLW
26 albums since 2012… only 1 this year though…. They’re slacking!
BAND-MAID is my current favorite band, but they're definitely not the most prolific. I'd say that honor goes to King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard.
New subscriber. I always enjoy watching people reacting to Band-Maid
Kanami writes the framework, and the band fills the canvas. Bassist Misa fills the void left behind by Squire, Entwistle and Geddy Lee. She is currently rock’s bass savior…
very nice your statement
Excellent statement!
When I think of bass in rock I think of MISA first
I'm so happy that you have found Band Maid, and judging by your smile you also like them, I found them in 2016 while wandering the music desert 🏜️, finally an oasis 🏝️ after decades of garbage 🗑️, and because of my discovery I have never been happier musically in 64 years, you will never be disappointed in Band Maid, as far as memorable goes being different, that's right in their wheel house, they are their own genre, and if you do yourself a favor and listen to them more, you will definitely find them out also, happy listening 🎧.
Great reaction and very illuminating.....Memorable was born on a tour bus while the ladies were touring the US back in 2022. It was more of a thank you song to their American fans. Not every song by BM is a banger...:). Since you've just heard Puzzle live, i highly reccomend their accoustic version of Puzzle.
For the ballad Memorable, you really need the back story. When they embarked upon their first real tour since Covid, they really didn't quite know what to expect from the crowds in the US. I actually saw them in San Diego, and let me tell you - I actually had to use ear protection as much from the crowd as from them. The outpouring of love from the crowd do them was overwhelming. This song was their thank you to the fans for this enthusiastic response, and if you watch it knowing this with the subtitles on it's very moving. Just thought I'd give you the background.
One thing to point out about Hate... that was song 27 of a 33 song set list, in a concert that was over 3 hours long. The best thing about Band Maid, is they all have moments where they shine. Misa, the Bassist, if you listen to them more, you will see that she plays a lot of complicated bass melodies, and often gets solos. Kanami, the lead guitarist, is the main composer, Miku, the rhythm guitarist, and Saiki, the lead singer, are the main song writers. Akane, the drummer keeps everyone in check. Huge catalogue of music to choose from, with instrumentals as well. They can also play acoustic. They are very much involved with the crowd, and are very humble. They are also touring monsters. They haven't really stopped since the pandemic restrictions were lifted. 11 shows from October 12-29, went back to Japan, toured with GnR, and had their own tour going on for their 10th anniversary that ended with the Yokohama show that included Dice that you watched. And as of September of this year, has gone Independent. Memorable, will hold a place in every fans heart who saw them during that 2022 US tour because it was written for us, as a thank you for the love we showed them. There was another one that they wrote for ALL of their fans during the Pandemic, called About Us. It was written to give us hopes for future shows and how they missed performing for us.
Band Maid and Otoboke Beaver is about all I listen to anymore but Band Maid is my go to everyday, all day.
Welcome Home, Jim!!🕊️
Congratulations on improving your life immensely today! Finding the Maids can be a life-changing experience of pure JOY! 🤩
The Maids are a remarkable collection of extraordinarily talented musicians who excel at every aspect of modern Rock music creation: Composition, Arrangement, Songwriting, Orchestration, Instrumentation, Recording, Production, Playing and Performance. If you stick with the journey, you’ll see it’s true.
They just released a new album “Epic Narratives” that’s absolutely glorious!
They pull in fans from all rock genres - pop-punk, emo, modern rock, classic rock, grunge, heavy metal; because the Maids are so talented and versatile with songs using elements of every rock style and genre imaginable! Many of there biggest fans are us old geezers who grew up with Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, RUSH, YES, The Who, etc and we find many of those same qualities in the Maids music.
We like to say the Maids are their own genre. They are in fact on the (back) cover of the Japanese Rolling Stone magazine this month. They have a goal of (peaceful) World Domination through music; and are on their way. They’ve toured Europe and North America before; they’ve stayed in Japan for 2024, but expect them to make a tour stop near you in 2025!
As for more songs; 😂. It’s a bit of a joke with us Masters & Princesses (or Maidiacs, if you prefer), because, literally, the Maids are probably the single most PROLIFIC band at writing great song after great song - EVER. They have songs across the rock music genre spectrum - we say they are their own genre. 🤷🏻♂️
Seriously, I’m not kidding - you’ll easily get 50-75 different song suggestions from 100 different people. And there’s a saying in the community; “Your favorite Band-Maid” song is the next one you listen to. 🤷🏻♂️
My contributions for next cover a diverse set of songs. First, you must see these recent live releases:
- “Magie” - OLV - from new album
- “Don’t You Tell Me” - OLV
- “Unleash!!!!!” - OLV
- “Hate?” - OLV - guitar/bass epic-ness!
- “Endless Story” - OLV (Show closer - tears)😭
Then dozens more…
High energy Anime songs from new Epic Narratives album?
- “Shambles” - OMV
- “Protect You” - OMV
More Classic Rock style
- “Manners” - OMV
- Then, “Manners / Black Hole” - official online live video
- “Dice” - OMV
- “Turn Me On” - OLV
- “Moratorium” - OLV
- Puzzle - OLV
Did you say instrumentals?
- “From Now On” - OMV
- “Onset” - OLV
- “Without Holding Back” - MV
Modern/Progressive?
- “Influencer” - OMV
- “Why, Why, Why” - OLV
- “Youth” - OLV
- “Bubble” - OMV
- “Corallium” - OLV
Tender & Beautiful?
- “Wonderland” - official live video
- “Daydreaming” - OMV
- “Memorable” - OMV
- “About Us” - OLV
- “Bestie” - OMV (all English) from new album!
Acoustic?
- “Catharsis” - OLV - (Christmas show)
- “Sayonakidori” - OLV
- “Puzzle” (acoustic special) - OLV
And Where it all began:
- “Thrill” - OMV - the video that saved them.
Then dozens and dozens more from our special Maids.
Their most recent release is a real Thrill Ride (pun intended), with lots of different motifs in the song.
You should check it out
- “Forbidden Tale” - OMV
In fact, lead guitarist Kanami Tono just became the first Japanese artist with a PRS Limited Edition model, personally handed to her by Paul Reed Smth at a ceremony in Tokyo this past weekend.
They’ve also recently released a collaboration for the new album between The Maids and the Mexican Villarreal sisters, The Warning. Do you know The Warning? If not, that’s whole other rabbit hole to go down, too!
- “Show Them” - OMV (all English)
Then check out The Warning
- “Automatic Sun” - OMV
It’s a special moment for both bands!!
The Warning have released a Behind-the -Scenes which is fantastic! You see a bit of the worked together despite the language difficulties.
- The Warning First Trip to Japan with BAND-MAID.
Enjoy the journey down the “Pigeon” hole! Take care and rock on! 🤘🏼🔥🎸🥁🎤🎹🎶😎✌🏼
BabyMetal are just a Label Vehicle for SuMetal. And LOVEBITES are just a Noodle Meister Show off band with the Best Noodle Meister Bassist in the world and they don't let her show off. BAND-MAID aren't just The Best Band In The World, they are also the most balanced band in the world. Each member serves a vital purpose in the group, just like every part they play in every song. And they do it all, from out right Bangers to soft acoustic ballads and everything in between. The show that 'Hate?' came from was 3 1/2 Hours long. They have boundless energy. But they do it with restraint and taste and aplomb that puts other bands to shame. These four songs don't even scratch the surface of the 10 years and well over 100 songs of BAND-MAID.
Direct comparison with Lovebites doesn't work for a number of reasons - difference in genre being the main one. Band-Maid also haven't changed the lineup since formation, two years before Lovebites. They also only have one lead guitarist. But the bands are friendly with each other.
Yeah, fair enough. It wasn’t meant to be a direct comparison in that way, but of the 3 Japanese female rock bands, I liked Band Maid the most.
@@JimNewstead 😭 Oh well...if you want to hear their Prog leanings, try "Dystopia Symphony". It's only an audio track, but it's about Beethoven's turmoil as he lost his hearing.
Seeing their acoustic stuff gives you a true appreciation of their artistry. All original since "Alone".
🤘🤘🤘🤘
Eleven yrs and over140 songs they are their own genre. You have only uncovered the tip of an immense iceberg.
Memorable is for our ears more than for radio play if there is such a thing.
Absolutely organically formed band. BandMaid is listed as the composer of the tunes so a very collaborative group.
MISA the Barefoot Assassin ain't channeling the Great John Entwistle. Entwistle was foreshadowing the advent of MISA! BANDMAID is the greatest proper rock and roll band of the 21st century IMHO. It's a crazy statement.
Was Mozart the world's greatest composer of his era? He'll yeah! The farther we get away from that time the more clearly we see the immensity of his talent. Few would argue with the above assessment.
Everytime I write "IMHO" after BandMaid is the greatest proper rock and roll band of the 21st century I feel like a liar. IMHO my ass! IMHO water is wet. BandMaid rules right now. The future will prove us right.
Memorable sounds out of place after listening to heavy side of Band-Maid. Fact is, they write many different types of songs. Some may sound more approachable and easily digestable. They have many slower breathers as well. If you go to their live, those mid-tempo, highly emotional songs also come alive. There are quite a few songs that I didn't pay too much attention when they came out, then turned into some of my favourites after them performing the songs live. Or when you listen to the song when you are in the right mood, the song may resonate with you.
I think you would enjoy Endless Story live over Memorable as there is more context. Band-Maid ROCKS!!! World Domination!
5 well trained, educated, practiced, talented women who drive, support and genuinely push each other to perfection. Puzzle has a live, and MV and an acoustic version.. The 4th song seems out of place is because it's written just for the die hard fans. Like About Us and Memorable It grows on you and we love it. Blooming, Dice, Real Existance, these are great hard rock songs where as Different, Black Hole and Rinne are more over the top (metal?) They have so many magical moments to show you. ENjoy
Jim -- Band-Maid has over 140 awesome songs. And you say Memorable doesn't work because it's mid-tempo, or has a different "feel, like it was written for them?" The lead guitarist and main songwriter, Kanami, wrote it on the bus while touring the USA. You'll discover every B-M song will be different... a feat not seen to this extent with rock bands... or any band, for that matter!
Pawn Hearts is a great album by Van der Graaf Generator. Just saying. That's why I like Band-Maid- much of their music is unpredictable and multi genre. The maid walking in the desert was our beautiful "Small Pigeon" Miku- Founder of the band, Lyrics, Vocals, Rhythm Guitar. The song "Memorable" was a heartfelt thank you to US fans for their sold out tour- by band members- Kanami- music with Lyrics by Miku, so not a regular type of song for them, although they do a full acoustic set of their electric songs.
Pawn Hearts is a hard slog, but rewarding!
James gave you some great Japanese band suggestions. One he didn't give you was Nemophila. I suggest you start with their first song "Oiran." There's a live studio version and 2 live concert versions. I say start with the studio, or "RUclips" version.
Nemophila…. Great name!
@@JimNewstead And great band
Great reaction, Jim.
I think all-female japanese bands are conquering the world with ease now.
Fresh styles with some classic feel.
Band Maid is pretty progressive. They don't hang on one style.
Every song is unique.
Hope you react to another bunch of japanese artists in the future too.
Lead Guitarist Kanami Töno wrote "Memorable" on Band-Maid's tour bus while travelling across the US in the Fall of 2023. Rhythm guitarist, backing vocalist Miku Kobato and vocalist Saiki Atsumi collaborated on the lyrics.
X Japan drummer-pianist Yoshiki asked Band-Maid to open for his supergroup 'The Last Rock Stars' in January of 2024 in New York and a week later in Los Angeles. During the week between concerts, Band-Maid were guests at Yoshiki's house in LA. It was during that week that Miku Kobato participated in the shoot for the desert scenes in the video. The live footage was gleaned from their 2024 kick-off concert at Tokyo Garden Theater where "Puzzle" was performed.
Nine times out of ten, Band-Maid delivers face melting hard rock, and they are very consistent at it, but it's those one out of ten gentle, sweet songs they drop into their set list that surprises you and helps set Band-Maid above the commonplace. I've seen them live twice: they are awesome!
Memorable doesn’t fit with the others certainly, but one thing you would learn over the course of Band-Maid’s discography is that their diversity in rock sub-genres. They are more akin to Queen in terms of musical diversity than their contemporaries. They have a unique song for every combination of rock, punk, metal and pop you can think of. Some songs swap genres halfway through but make it work. They can play prog songs in 4 minutes. You should keep listening. I’ll steer you back on track with some thunderous live performances though: check out No God Live Tokyo Garden Theater, Unleash Live, Moratorium live zepp tokyo (not on their channel but professional production) and Domination live (NOT the MV). If you want proper head-banging rock those are four top choices.
Thank you for your reaction. Memorable is indeed written by Band Maid and is kind of an odd one among Band Maid songs, though it makes my Maidiac eyes tears with it specific message to the fans. I would have maybe suggested the song Manners, MV or online live (with Black Hole) instead but if you have 4 songs, Memorable still gives a good spread of what the band can do. It would be interesting to see you react to Band Maiko but I will not push that! ;) Have fun! :)
曲の途中で止めないあなたが好きです(￣ー￣)ｂ
Thanks! The music doesn’t have stops or breaks, so why would I stop it? I hate it when reaction channels do that. 🤣