Five years later and Band-Maid just wrapped their Ten Year Anniversary Tour across Japan and North America. They capped the tour off with a marathon three and a half hour concert at Yokohama Arena in front of 10, 000+ fans. They still play "the old fashioned way", LIVE. They play to the click and use backing tracks, but produce their own backing tracks that augment their live play with MIDI orchestra, piano, synth, etc. I've seen them live twice in the past year: they are the real deal, a fireball of charisma every minute they're on stage. You will have fun every minute and leave the show with a huge smile on your face.
I was just about to suggest an analysis of Band-Maid by Fil, then came across this. My daughter has been a big fan of J-Rock & Band-Maid for the past 10 years, and introduced me to them. I had to agree with her that their musicianship is superb.
If it takes 5 beautiful phenomenally talented Japanese women, to Save Rock and Roll. Then let it be these five ladies, and I am all in ! You have to review so many more of their songs. That's the beauty of this group. Not only are the amazingly talented. But their songs are high quality. Also they incorporate what seems like a few different genres of music in each song. Hopefully these ladies will be blessing us with so much more music in the years to come !
Thank you for reacting to Band-Maid. If you want a long guitar solo, I would recommend Band-Maid's first track from their latest album UNLEASH, "From now on", it's a shred piece instrumental where they all shine technically. They are all great musicians, writers, lyricists and performers 🙂
World Domination is a remarkable album, like Robert says every song is fantastic, incredible feat of songwriting IMO. The song Dice just blows my mind.
Saw them on their final stop on the US tour in Chicago in November. They were excellent, the real deal. And, they seemed to be having the time of their lives. Check out the song “Thrill”. The music video is not live but it’s bare bones and straight forward rock and roll.
Well that's nonsense but this band is the best new hard rock band I've heard in about 30 years. But the best punk rock bands I've ever heard happen to be Western, and by a mile. The same for Motown and some other genres. It doesn't matter where you're from though, there's good and bad stuff throughout the world.
@@DS-xk6yr Band Maid is not really new...they've been around since 2013. There are other bands, one being Exist Trace, has been around since 2003. There have been a slew of all female rock bands in Japan for decades now, it's just that they're finally getting noticed. Japan has a rich and storied rock, metal and punk scene for at least 30 years. Why are they getting noticed now? UA-cam and the internet. I'm 58...I've seen hundreds of bands in the last 45 years... and Japanese rock/metal is refreshing after hearing the same ole corporate crap coming out of the US/UK and Europe. I can recommend a lot of great bands, all of them Japanese. I traveled to Japan in June, to go to a 2 day fest, that had 22 bands in 2 days... best $2500 bucks I've spent in a long time.
@@cookiemobers5650 Yeah sure, any recommendations appreciated. I know what you mean, I stopped bothering with a lot of the old British music and stuff a good while ago, it was just like yeah been there seen that. Same for some of the American stuff though there are exceptions. I don't go so far as to say all the stuff coming out of Japan is good or better, you still have to dig. Exist Trace, Aldious, Dollsbox, etc. really don't do it for me but bands like 「マシーン」チリヌルヲワカ ua-cam.com/video/c7ZeI5iwOyA/v-deo.html and Drop's ua-cam.com/video/SSezc2jhPcI/v-deo.html for example, really get my attention. I'm much more into great songwriting than technical musicianship, and the latter gets boring after a while. Band Maid have both in spades which is extremely rare. MTH do some interesting stuff too, especially for a death metal/NU metal type band. I used to see some good buskers in Japan. Somebody could organize a busker's fesitval.
I found Band Maid about a week ago and it’s official, I’m now a full fledged groupie. Just an incredible group of real, talented classy ladies ! ❤️from🇨🇦
@@wingsofpegasus my favorite Band Maid song is Thrill. It has a nice guitar riff . love the recording of her guitar on it. Whoever produced it .did a great job imo. Check it. You'll like it.
The lead guitarist Kanami writes the music and Miku (band founder, rhythm guitarist, vocals) does the lyrics. The drummer Akane is the band manager. Their gimmick is they dress like maids in contrast with their hard rock style. Miku worked in a maid cafe which gave her the idea. Their San Francisco concert was a blast.
@@Pengkui I really doubt the guitarist is writing all of this. It's produced and written to an extent where almost certainly management is writing this stuff.
@@SeveredLegs While this was true for their earlier albums, which have a more pop bend to them. They've taken more control of their music and do write the lyrics and music for the majority of the songs on their later albums. This started with the album "Just Bring It".
the drummer was beating the s*** out of that kit, and the bass guitarist was equally kicking the s*** out of it, these two musicians really know how to keep that whole song moving along! Fantastic beat and I have to admit to being impressed and the lead singer sounded to be Japanese with just a little bit of English thrown in now and again.
I suggest you just do a search for Japanese Rock or Japanese Metal... I think you'll be surprised and impressed... this is the music that's cutting edge these days. So much more fun than what's being put out in America.
Greetings Phil I just got to listen to them for the 1st time 3 hours ago. I am blown blown away!! My new favourite band and artists individually. Thanks Phil Rock on!
I had the same observation Fil. The language was irrelevant. It’s all about the music. They have clearly put in the years of work.. And they Rock! I’m a new fan for sure, Thanks you for putting them out there for us too see.
@Persnikitty Hear, hear. Could not have said it better. That's why rock and metal, if done right, are like no others IMO. The blending of harmonies and vocal melodies with this kind of music makes it the best IMO, regardless of what is being sung, or in what language.
Yeah, I love that the only thing on their sequenced track is stuff they can't or don't play: A bit of synth, sundry percussion, maybe some gang vocals or a production effect that's on the album like a reversed cymbal roll, etc. The track isn't used to coverup anyone's inability to play. (most times it's mixed so far back you'd hardly know there's anything else going on.) I enjoyed the analysis.
Once again I have to thank you - already told you that I discovered the band thx to you, now I saw them live two weeks ago and it was one of the best gigs of my (already long) life - and I saw thousand of bands! Those ladies are killing it live, I had huge expectations, and still it was better than expected! Didn't had so much fun for decades!
Thank you for the exceptional analysis and commentary that you've provided for your listeners (and for your kind words about Band Maid). Happy New Year!
You hit on something that I never was able to quite pin down about why I like BAND-MAID so much, and it's simply that they're an oldschool hard rock/heavy metal band. Everything is authentic, everything starts with the band.
I feel so proud of these ladies each and every time a musician gets to hear and enjoy them, that I feel like they are my daughters... Long live Band Maid, from a 59 y/o artist from Argentina.
Fil, not only is your analysis great, but because so many of us have come to trust your judgement and ability to make it interesting, we are getting introduced to a lot of music we'd never have sought out on our own. Thanks, man!
Never heard of these ladies. What a killer rhythm section. The girl on drums looks like she might weigh 95 lbs and she's absolutely killing it. Fil you nailed it (as usual) about the drum mics and live mix. That intro was worth the price of admission, but they were super tight throughout. Good on them. Hope they are a success everywhere. Edit: never realized YT live videos were "corrected". Autotune is the devil!!!!
I never in my life thought a band from Japan would be one of my favorites. I don't understand Japanese but I still love Band-Maid's songs and enjoy their albums. I would suggest checking out "Don't You Tell Me" or "Dice" as your next track.
You don't really need to understand the language to enjoy the music. I don't speak Japanese, but I know enough of the language to understand what's being said, and it's literally all I listen to anymore.
Howdee, Flying mate! Greetings from an old French/British-educated geezer in Shizuoka, Japan! Very refreshing and precise analysis! Was a pleasure to listen to you! No need to say more! Your are running into the danger of fallng in love with an alien language speaking group of beauties, though! Good luck and looking forward t more comments!
I think what i Love most about BANDMAID is that their music is interesting and familiar. Different without being just strange, love it! Hard rock with not screaming vocals for once. Drums are perfect! Guitar is all over the place but in a great way. Thank you for turning us on to this band.
I also could not get into Baby Metal. I'm very impressed by Band-Maid, especially the bass and drums...excellent! I look forward to checking out more of their music.
Well for the people who didn't like that song and video Fil did. Don't judge Babymetal on that. You would be missing out on some music you might enjoy. Imo. I mean if you like guitar . IDZ , Amore, tales of destiny are guitar masterpieces. Anyways. Take care all.
Hi Phil ,it is so nice to come across a reactor who actually knows music & can give his viewers a proper breakdown of what’s going on in the music ,,,I love Band Maid ,,they are gaining a huge following around the globe ,,I hope you have the chance to do some more of their recent songs ,,thanks again robby aus❤️❤️❤️.
also Jimmy page asked Akane ( the drummer) for a photo after seeing her on stage ,he said that her drumming is really good ( I don't know if someone said it before)
Yes so cool I seen the photo ,,How happy would Akane be to have a legend like jimmy page not only going to see them but to ask for a photo ,,that is just GOLD ..Robby Aus ❤️❤️❤️ Love to Band Maid
thissailor, Akane is a amazing drummer, she makes the other girls better, but Bonham was named the best drummer of ALL generations - thru the history of Rock; also because of his death, Led Zeppelin disbanded for 10 years.
IMO these ladies are one of the best rock bands around today. I first started listening to them maybe 3 years ago. As far as musicianship and songwriting they just keep getting better and better with every album. Their first couple of albums they didn't write but as their career developed they started writing more and more. The last album was written almost entirely by the band members. Kanami, the lead guitarist is the primary writer with contributions from Misa on bass and Akiane on drums. Miku, the rhythm guitarist writes all the lyrics.
There are so many reaction videos out there, but this one really stands out in terms of background knowledge and insight. Knowledgeable content is so rare nowadays, hence I'm indeed delighted to have found this channel. Thank you!
When Akane discovered the drummer from Maximum the Hormone was a girl, that settled it, if a girl can play that VIOLENTLY (her word translated to English) THAT was what she wanted to do with her life! (google "akane benjo sandal dance")
The rhythm section of B M is one of the key differentiating (and qualifying) factors; so rare to see a competent one in a rock band, and one that is not shy to groove when it's time I'm not surprised that they do rather well in the west; it's difficult to get the word around, but once it happens they tend to win over almost everyone
@@wingsofpegasus The drums and bass are about all I can hear. The whole right channel, which contains the lead guitar, is absent in this upload. Technical problem?
Great review from someone with playing / recording knowledge. Band-Maid is the hottest hard rock band today. They are destine for mega-stardom. They're the only band in decades where I love EVERY song they’ve done. I have over 50 favorites! "Play" is great with awesome syncopation and structure - but no big Kanami solos from the riff-master. Checkout YOLO! Their newer songs drive even more like Clang, Domination, Moratorium (not new), Spirit, Turn Me On, Fate and dozens more! And their ballads like Daydreaming and Anemone are sooo damn good. Each member's personalities are super interesting and their musicianship and sound are among the best, especially their writing and arrangements. They are the real deal. No relatively new act (4 years, really) does it better! Enjoy these two live concerts before the vids are taken down. (Their live performance exceed the commercial vids, if that's even possible): LIVE at STUDIO COAST ua-cam.com/video/ON3qOUvZBBQ/v-deo.html ; and ZEPP TOKYO ua-cam.com/video/Ezc6p3RpQIo/v-deo.html
I've seen Band-Maid live four times now. They are totally worth the price of admission (and the price I paid to fly from Atlanta to California/Japan to see them). If you get a chance to see them live, don't miss it.
I got turned on to this band about a month ago and I've become a major fan. As always, Fil, your analyses are spot on and I always look forward to hearing your view. The thing I most enjoy about this band is the fact that they ARE playing their instruments at a top level, as you said and their music simply ROCKS! I tend to favor their more groove-oriented stuff like their songs "Thrill" and "Manners".
They are spectacular. It blew my mind when I first listened to them a while ago and got hooked immediately. At first I was doubting my own ears, not going to lie.
Confess the first time I saw their photo I wrote them off as some J-pop dance band probably getting by on their looks and choreography. Man, was I wrong.
Great analysis and review! This particular video clip also was the clip that introduced myself to this great band. I do believe this is a truly special band that has incorporated the best elements of Hard Rock, Metal, Punk, Funk and Pop to craft a signature that is distinctly their own. They are truly World Class Songwriters which tastefully highlights their talent as musicians without causing damage to the song by overplaying due to being too good at their respective instruments and it appears they lack the destructive ego that usually comes when one possesses such attributes. With that said the one understated element that I believe is a huge catalyst is the tone produced by each individual instrument and how it compliments each other collectively to produce their overall sound. This appears that they have focused the same diligence in crafting their tone as they have in their development as musicians. May I suggest a few of my favorite tracks to consider for any future review: Puzzle (Live), Moratorium (Live), Daydreaming (MV or Live), Real Existence (Live or MV), Dice (MV), Secret My Lips (MV or Live), Alone (MV), Blooming (MV), Don't You Tell (Live), Rinne (MV), Manners (MV), Non-Fiction Days (Live or MV) I better stop there otherwise I will list all of their tracks.
Misa their bassist is an absolute monster (I mean that in the best way possible), all of these girls are genuinely proficient on their respective instruments. All the studio, AND LIVE stuff I've seen/heard of them is all mixed super well; everything has enough room to breathe. The bass isn't being trampled by the guitars or drums, the guitar isn't crowding the vocals, the bass isn't trying to push out the drums...everything is right where it should be in terms of mix. I'm sure there's some sort of talent agency backing them (which is suuuper common when it comes to Japanese acts) but at the same time they still seem to be a pretty "independent" act so props to them for that. It's rare to see acts that aren't over-produced even in a live setting. That's what I REALLY think makes this group so special. Thet were also all "friend's of friend's" or acquainted with eachother before they even formed the band...which usually helps with regards to creativity and chemistry.
New record out this April on their new label Revolver Records. New representation from Live Nation. These ladies are poised to do what his Majesty Emperor Hirohito and the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy could not do back in the 30's and 40's and that is World Domination.
I have gotten to see them perform live and I didn't know anything about them and they were awesome the real deal! They are really good at what they do.
I'll never thank you enough for making me discover Band-Maid a few weeks ago - completely hooked since then, bought the records and wait for a new european tour. And I've seen most of the best bands since 1976 though!
Kickin it on those drums n bass.........must agree ......live stuff gets the gold in my book.....its that rawness that grabs me.......always loved that garage band kinda sound........just makes it more vibrant and real for me.........happiest holidaze Fil and all who as I love this channel.
These girls have been playing for five years, and even though they play a lot of concerts, maybe they take a break of two, three months a year, they still enjoy it, they still like to play with the audience, including various tomfoolery on the stage. Welcome to fans of Band Maid, a band that deserves the biggest stages and festivals. Next you should listen to "Secret my lips" live and YOLO ", probably their two best tracks in terms of music and arrangement, and of course" Dice ", their last, slightly darker, heavier music side. And if you want to hear their instrumental skills, that first of all "Don`t tell me" live including bass vs. guitar battle, and if you are looking for more Kanami solos - instrumental "Onset" and "Puzzle" where she actually plays the whole set of mini solos, offering us so many riffs that another band would have enough for 2-3 songs. PS And as a curiosity, probably the best amateur recording from their concert, 100% without any postproducing, audio is focused on the bass and rhythm guitar, but it's worth listening to, and watching :) - ua-cam.com/video/BDIWJwU1nsw/v-deo.html BTW You are not the first Brit who appreciated drummer Akane. This is a photo from 2016 and was made at the request of a guy standing next to her - i.pinimg.com/originals/bd/77/fc/bd77fc89c366872dfb74131dd00b5dee.jpg
I 'discovered' Band-Maid the first time in 2019 after watching this while I was browsing some of your Prince videos. Have been a big B-M fan since, (have always been a Prince fan). Thank you Wings of Pegasus! Would be interesting to heard more of your views on more B-M songs if you are going to cover them again! cheers.
Fil, I'm glad you're finally checking out my favorite band. They've really got the spirit of rock music in them, and if you find a live video of them that isn't great it's going to be because it was recorded on a potato-phone. :) I recommend "Onset", "Moratorium" and "Choose Me" as your next live tracks.
they actually wrote their own song...have so many good song, my personal favorite would be choose me,dice and domination...would recommend anyone to check them out, you wont be dissapointed
Time for you to do a voice analysis on Saiki Atsumi, lead vocalist for Band-Maid. I would suggest the live performance of Smile here on UA-cam. The band will be doing a major tour of the US this year. All Covid restrictions were lifted last night here in California. Both Coachella and Stagecoach Music Festivals announced yesterday that admission to the festivals are open to one and all. No need for vaccination or testing. About time. Cannot wait to see them again. Sacramento loves Band-Maid.
Not long discovered this awesome band - spent a week sucking YT dry of every video ;) - very impressed with their talent and live performances. *Just a note on your audio/video capture here - you can't hear Kanami's lead-guitar audio for most of the song (aside from intro) - just getting the rhythm guitar, like a left-right split maybe? It's definitely in the mix on other videos of this recording here on YT.
Merry Christmas mate ! I'll say one of the first things I noticed was that stage production? Has some money vested in it for as young as they are. And kudos to the band for actually playing their instruments. \m/✌🎄🍻
Wow, you never know what wild and crazy stuff is going to come out of Japan! The concept is strange but these young women have some serious chops! Thanks for the video Fil and Happy Christmas to you! Cheers!
I absolutely love this band. You've nailed it perfectly about "live". I play guitar, bass and drums myself so I watch and listen to it all. Live is live. Period. Live with all of its imperfections is where it should be. It's what gives it character. Love your channel.
So glad this popped into my recommended. Been a huge BAND-MAID fan for a while now, seeing you breakdown their live performance just makes me appreciate them more. Really thorough analysis too, I'm glad to see you're a reaction channel that adds a lot of your own content rather than letting the original vid be most of your video. Great commentary, your voice is really clear and easy to listen to, and if you're looking for a BAND-MAID song with more solo guitar, Onset live is such a banger (unreleased instrumental but I don't remember where I found it).
This band's playing stands out not just because of their skill but because of their maturity -- it never devolves into mindless wanking and they keep things memorable and very catchy. If you ARE up for something a bit more technically indulgent, check out their live performance of their instrumental "Onset". Might also want to look at their live performance of "Don't Tell Me" where the bassist and lead guitar have a full-on shred-off. For something heavier, check out their videos for "Domination" or "Dice".
You nailed it. Theses songs are composed as songs and the musicianship is there to serve those songs. In my experience lots of bands with stellar musicians lose it when they construct the song as only a vehicle to showcase the technical skill. That's fine for a few minutes but imho it gets old fast. But these girls aren't just riffing, they're coming up with some truly brilliant songs and arrangements. The cool thing here is that punks, metal-heads, rockers, pop fans, prog fans, alternative fans, even country and jazz and classical fans are into these girls and most of us don't have a clue what they're singing most of the time. Now THAT'S powerful music.
Wow, I only discovered this band a few months ago. My usual preference is Zeppelin and 70s bands. But the talent of these girls is incredible. I am amazed that I am so drawn into the performance even when I have no idea of what they are saying . I have searched the net for them and they deliver every time. The rhythm section is so tight . I never thought music of this style would appeal to me... wow 😮
I started practicing the electric guitar last year at 26 because of this live performance. I didn't know the difference between a normal 6 strong and a bass so I bought a normal guitar as opposed to the bass. It was ironic considering the bass intro was the final domino in finally making the first step into playing guitar.
You have nailed one of the things that I love about this band. They play live (actually play and sing) and it's amazing. Live (internet streamed) show coming up on 10th May for Maids Day/Day of Maid.
Thanks for reviewing them. I believe you know what you're talking about when you're giving your analysis. So I was very interested in what you would think of them. I'm glad you liked them. Onset is a good one to watch if you're just wanting instruments. People call it Saiki's pee break.
Hey Fil. You win! I just stumbled into these guys as youtube KEPT bugging the hell outta me with suggestions. However, not your video.. which is messed up as there's a TON of them from this year. You were at least a year ahead AND one of only about three-four that actually gave professional reviews why these ladies are standing out. Thanks mate. Im going to see if you have more on them now and sorry to drag you back to old content ... for YOU! Im really interested about Mikus rhythm playing in the new stuff. I have a bunch to say about it and especially on Onset. Im sure you noticed. Cheers
Regarding Kmuda Oscarfish's song structure below: I could go on for a while about Band-Maid's song structure. There is an overriding "formula" (hate to use that word when they're so creative) they (largely Kanami initially) employ regarding intro - setup - verse - bridge - chorus -middle 8 - setup-to-solo - solo - repeats and ending. But one that's really great about they're composition is the use of tempo change and dynamics. No other band does it as often or better than Band-Maid. One more big plus is that, probably because of their schooling and advisers, each member has a distinct, well written-out part played with extreme consistency and discipline (go MISA). I mean, I used to start their studio recordings synced with live fan phone recordings. They played everything live exactly the same as the professional recording - which is good for adding in pre-recorded embellishment tracts, like the start of YOLO, etc. With respect to Band-Maid song creation… I suspect the process is like with most bands: Kanami brings in a main idea or theme with worked out riffs and chord structure and soft melody. She jams it out with the group for them to feel it out. Then Miku and Saiki get stronger melody ideas and some words to compliment the theme. If they all like it, they make a simple recording to work on privately. Once it starts to jell, they let a producer / arranger hear it in live session or rough recording. If it feels good, they play it over and over refining the parts. Miku brings more lyrics and works with Saiki on melody while Mincho makes up Miku’s guitar parts to teach her. Misa probably writes most of her own bass lines, Akane adds more fills and peddle work behind her established main driving beat. And if everyone is excited by the new song, pull it together each adding more of their own ideas in final structure, dynamics, feel and sound. This can all happen in days or weeks, but some tunes / ideas burn on for months or years. I’ll bet they have some great people and mentors to lean on, especially with getting the right sound on all the instruments, mixes and recordings. Since I’ve been following Band-Maid closely (or as close as one can without much meaningful personal / studio public exposure) for more than three years, I can really enjoy their growth and evolving process - not to mention their awesome music and talent. But in some ways they have not changed much over the years. Their early playing, song choices and arrangements were sooo damn good! And their personalities remain remarkably consistent. But now that their confidence is much stronger - you wouldn’t known it via interviews (language block) - I believe they’re ready for the big time. Come on Management… catch up!!! Let ‘em fly! (Po)
It's actually a simple thing but that makes it no less brilliant. Listen to Moratorium: ua-cam.com/video/N7BQCkUb4SI/v-deo.html . At the 2:19 mark they go into one of those tempo and riff changes, a song within the song really. Misa (bass) is playing the main riff, emphasizing (supporting) Kanami's guitar. At 2:33, Kanami starts her solo. Misa jumps from supporting Kanami, to supporting Akane (drums). Listen to the sync on the double-bass kick, Misa changing her bass line to emphasis Akane's double-kick drum. Simple, but brilliant. She's still supporting (emphasizing) the main riff, which Miku is (kind of :) ) carrying forward, while also supporting (emphasizing) Akane on drums. It's not rocket science, but damn is it effective. The norm for a "Rhythm Section" is for the drummer and bass player to support each layer, laying down a "rhythm" for the rest of the band to follow. Hence the name "Rhythm Section". One of the things that made Led Zeppelin was they somewhat broke that formula. Jon Bonham spent most of his time supporting Jimmy Page's guitar, not John Paul Jones' bass. in essence, playing guitar riffs on his drums, With Band-Maid, this is occurring between bass and guitar, guitar and drums, drums and bass, flawlessly moving from one to the other. You cannot identify Misa as a melodic bass player, a rhythm bass player, or even a funky bass player. She's all of these things, all within the same song, from one moment to another. The same can be said for Akane. It is the rhythm section of Band-Maid that makes them what they are.
Great observations, Kmuda! It may be a “simple” concept - each player supporting each other’s parts and rhythms - but super complex to execute well. Things like Kanami / Akane sync-ups (Domination) to Sakai’s cadence with everyone else (every song) is flawless. BTW - One reason why it may be hard for them (Miku) to write more in English is to get that phrasing, rhyming and syncopation in melody using English words. But I love Saiki’s rock phrasing even though I don’t know what she’s saying most of the time. Her moves and charisma make up for some pitching, falling-off notes, tone and other difficulties with her much improved voice. All the things we and others have been commenting on shows why they must be one of the hardest bands to copy. They’re music is “simply” complex!
@Tom Clark You said a mouthful. The last band that wrote their own music and utilitized such dramatic tempo and time changes was the Beatles. Band-Maid is the best straight up Rock band in the world today. Period.
Last time I commented that Band-Maid -- if their next album or two is as innovative and solid as their last two -- could be the Hard Rock Beatles of the 21st century, it drew some nasty comments - mostly from this Circle-Jerk guy that hates Miku... or whatever his name is. But you are right... they are the best and sooo under recognized. When's THAT going to change! BTW - there have been and always will be better bands in their own lanes, from Rush, Foo Fighters to dozens of others. But no other band, I believe, puts so many compelling elements together in such a mind-numbing, rockin' way.
They rip Fil! Really tight and melodic! Totally enjoyed watching them....first time I’ve seen this band! Really accomplished musician with a lot of stage presence! Smokin! Great analysis Fil! Cheers Mario!😀😀🤘🤘🤘
i got into Japanese music pretty much recently, Band-Maid is one those groups i'm listening to. i'm glad you like them ! my fav Japanese band (and second favorite band in general, after Muse) is the GazettE. they're truely insane, and they definitely play live, they really pull out a big show, they work really hard on it, sometimes we would even tell it's millimetric, but they're human, so of course there's still spontaneity, thankfully. they indeed use some backing tracks sometimes, but you can tell it, and it's only to "complete" the live performances. for instance, Ruki (the singer) usually doubles his vocal lines, with harmonies, and 75 % of the time it's a backing track, or some effects, such as dubstep effects they don't/can't reproduce live. but the rest is 100 % live ! they've got soooo many great songs, we can call their discography a flawless one, that's impressive. so choosing a song to advice you is a bit hard haha. sooo i can advice you... maybe Dripping Insanity. if possible, try to find the performance at Saitama Super Arena in 2013. if you want to check heavier stuff, try Uragiru Bero, from their latest live DVD, shot at Yokohama Arena in late 2019. enjoy !
I've been a fan of this band for 5 years now.....they are amazing and the language barrier is no problem....it's the music that is worth listening to! Try Puzzle, Onset (instrumental), Dice, Domination, Yolo, Awkward, Trill, and for the fun of it do both Secret my lips and their April Fool's version Secret Maiko Lips.....what band produces an April Fools video just for the fun of it and for their fans....you got to love it! Nice reaction and analysis of the band....like your screen format too....nice look of the video playing and your reaction...thanks!
I totally agree that the younger generation has no clue what true live music sounds like and I just hand it to these ladies for doing it the right way even myself in the studio I record everything in analog 2-inch tape and only mix to digital cuz i think it just gives a much richer warmer sound and plus when you record on tape you have to play and you have to play good because any mistake is caught.. love these ladies keep rocking the way it's supposed to be!!
Appreciate your in depth analysis of this band, their performance and other aspects of live performance. It's great coming a person like yourself who is a musician. I think you're on point with everything you said. As a pro musician of 38 years in many styles from classical to rock I too appreciate the truest live performance and not secondary produced sound.
There are two kinds of people...Those that love Band Maid....and those that have never heard Band Maid.
😂👍
X2
Ditto!
Exactly!
Best band in a long time,and i have been into rock/metal since day one.
Five years later and Band-Maid just wrapped their Ten Year Anniversary Tour across Japan and North America. They capped the tour off with a marathon three and a half hour concert at Yokohama Arena in front of 10, 000+ fans. They still play "the old fashioned way", LIVE. They play to the click and use backing tracks, but produce their own backing tracks that augment their live play with MIDI orchestra, piano, synth, etc.
I've seen them live twice in the past year: they are the real deal, a fireball of charisma every minute they're on stage. You will have fun every minute and leave the show with a huge smile on your face.
I was just about to suggest an analysis of Band-Maid by Fil, then came across this. My daughter has been a big fan of J-Rock & Band-Maid for the past 10 years, and introduced me to them. I had to agree with her that their musicianship is superb.
I can't believe I never saw this before! Please, check out some more recent releases from BAND-MAID!
Thanks for your excitement content🤘
I just discovered this band today and I am SO angry with myself for not finding them years ago. They are incredible!!
better late than never!
If it takes 5 beautiful phenomenally talented Japanese women, to Save Rock and Roll. Then let it be these five ladies, and I am all in ! You have to review so many more of their songs. That's the beauty of this group. Not only are the amazingly talented. But their songs are high quality. Also they incorporate what seems like a few different genres of music in each song. Hopefully these ladies will be blessing us with so much more music in the years to come !
Hear, hear!!!
@@goldeneagle8144 Agree 100% The world need to hear this band, I haven't been as excited about a band since the Beatle and Zeppelin days!
Thank you for reacting to Band-Maid. If you want a long guitar solo, I would recommend Band-Maid's first track from their latest album UNLEASH, "From now on", it's a shred piece instrumental where they all shine technically. They are all great musicians, writers, lyricists and performers 🙂
...and Misa has a bass solo, too!
The entire World Domination album. There is not one song that isn't absolutely stunning.
Cool!
World Domination is a remarkable album, like Robert says every song is fantastic, incredible feat of songwriting IMO. The song Dice just blows my mind.
I have New Beginning. Outstanding album. Will look into World Domination next. Thanks.
@@MichaelDBauer Just Bring It is also an exceptional album. It's the album that got me into BAND-MAID.
Yes World Domination album really kick it up a notch in their sound. My favorite songs are Carry On Living and I Can't Live Without You.
Saw them on their final stop on the US tour in Chicago in November. They were excellent, the real deal. And, they seemed to be having the time of their lives.
Check out the song “Thrill”. The music video is not live but it’s bare bones and straight forward rock and roll.
That young lady was destroying that bass! Love that sound.
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MISA!
@@rickwagner- MISA MISA MISA (flashback to San Francisco... sorry LOL)
@@rickwagner- MISA MISA MISA MISA
@@rickwagner- MISA MISA MISA MISA MISA (memories from Mexico City)
What's the lesson here folks? No matter how good you are, there's always some Asian kid somewhere in world that's better than you!
Awesome video!!!
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Check out the 9 yr old drummer Yoyoka... she's insanely amazing... She's doing covers right now...but shit, she's 9.
Well that's nonsense but this band is the best new hard rock band I've heard in about 30 years. But the best punk rock bands I've ever heard happen to be Western, and by a mile. The same for Motown and some other genres. It doesn't matter where you're from though, there's good and bad stuff throughout the world.
@@DS-xk6yr Band Maid is not really new...they've been around since 2013. There are other bands, one being Exist Trace, has been around since 2003. There have been a slew of all female rock bands in Japan for decades now, it's just that they're finally getting noticed. Japan has a rich and storied rock, metal and punk scene for at least 30 years. Why are they getting noticed now? UA-cam and the internet. I'm 58...I've seen hundreds of bands in the last 45 years... and Japanese rock/metal is refreshing after hearing the same ole corporate crap coming out of the US/UK and Europe. I can recommend a lot of great bands, all of them Japanese. I traveled to Japan in June, to go to a 2 day fest, that had 22 bands in 2 days... best $2500 bucks I've spent in a long time.
@@cookiemobers5650 Yeah sure, any recommendations appreciated. I know what you mean, I stopped bothering with a lot of the old British music and stuff a good while ago, it was just like yeah been there seen that. Same for some of the American stuff though there are exceptions. I don't go so far as to say all the stuff coming out of Japan is good or better, you still have to dig. Exist Trace, Aldious, Dollsbox, etc. really don't do it for me but bands like 「マシーン」チリヌルヲワカ ua-cam.com/video/c7ZeI5iwOyA/v-deo.html and Drop's ua-cam.com/video/SSezc2jhPcI/v-deo.html for example, really get my attention. I'm much more into great songwriting than technical musicianship, and the latter gets boring after a while. Band Maid have both in spades which is extremely rare. MTH do some interesting stuff too, especially for a death metal/NU metal type band. I used to see some good buskers in Japan. Somebody could organize a busker's fesitval.
I found Band Maid about a week ago and it’s official, I’m now a full fledged groupie.
Just an incredible group of real, talented classy ladies !
❤️from🇨🇦
The guitar player Kanami makes really good guitar solos that fit the songs just right. Love her style
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@@wingsofpegasus my favorite Band Maid song is Thrill. It has a nice guitar riff . love the recording of her guitar on it. Whoever produced it .did a great job imo. Check it. You'll like it.
The solos in Alone and Daydreaming. Damn.
The lead guitarist Kanami writes the music and Miku (band founder, rhythm guitarist, vocals) does the lyrics. The drummer Akane is the band manager. Their gimmick is they dress like maids in contrast with their hard rock style. Miku worked in a maid cafe which gave her the idea.
Their San Francisco concert was a blast.
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Akane was the band leader, not manager.
@@Pengkui I really doubt the guitarist is writing all of this. It's produced and written to an extent where almost certainly management is writing this stuff.
@@SeveredLegs While this was true for their earlier albums, which have a more pop bend to them. They've taken more control of their music and do write the lyrics and music for the majority of the songs on their later albums. This started with the album "Just Bring It".
@@gregb8095 I really doubt it though. Songs like the type of thing they would SAY is happening, but isn't happening.
the drummer was beating the s*** out of that kit, and the bass guitarist was equally kicking the s*** out of it, these two musicians really know how to keep that whole song moving along! Fantastic beat and I have to admit to being impressed and the lead singer sounded to be Japanese with just a little bit of English thrown in now and again.
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I'd never heard of this band before and had no idea what to expect, but wow, they're wonderfully intense on many levels!
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welcome to the cult
I suggest you just do a search for Japanese Rock or Japanese Metal... I think you'll be surprised and impressed... this is the music that's cutting edge these days. So much more fun than what's being put out in America.
Greetings Phil
I just got to listen to them for the 1st time 3 hours ago. I am blown blown away!! My new favourite band and artists individually. Thanks Phil
Rock on!
I had the same observation Fil. The language was irrelevant. It’s all about the music. They have clearly put in the years of work.. And they Rock! I’m a new fan for sure, Thanks you for putting them out there for us too see.
Try to listen band maid - dice.
No problem!
You should also check out japanese band aphasia.
If we are giving out Japanese band suggestions, 人間椅子 (Ningen Isu), and 打首獄門同好会 (Uchikubi Gokumon Doukoukai) Two awesome bands.
@Persnikitty Hear, hear. Could not have said it better. That's why rock and metal, if done right, are like no others IMO. The blending of harmonies and vocal melodies with this kind of music makes it the best IMO, regardless of what is being sung, or in what language.
Yeah, I love that the only thing on their sequenced track is stuff they can't or don't play: A bit of synth, sundry percussion, maybe some gang vocals or a production effect that's on the album like a reversed cymbal roll, etc. The track isn't used to coverup anyone's inability to play. (most times it's mixed so far back you'd hardly know there's anything else going on.) I enjoyed the analysis.
Saw your original reaction in 2018- changed my life. Been a Madiac ever since- seen them live. Genius, genius, genius music.
Once again I have to thank you - already told you that I discovered the band thx to you, now I saw them live two weeks ago and it was one of the best gigs of my (already long) life - and I saw thousand of bands! Those ladies are killing it live, I had huge expectations, and still it was better than expected! Didn't had so much fun for decades!
Thank you for the exceptional analysis and commentary that you've provided for your listeners (and for your kind words about Band Maid). Happy New Year!
You hit on something that I never was able to quite pin down about why I like BAND-MAID so much, and it's simply that they're an oldschool hard rock/heavy metal band. Everything is authentic, everything starts with the band.
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Best band I've ever seen.
I agree.
I feel so proud of these ladies each and every time a musician gets to hear and enjoy them, that I feel like they are my daughters... Long live Band Maid, from a 59 y/o artist from Argentina.
She's rocking that bass, wow
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Fil, not only is your analysis great, but because so many of us have come to trust your judgement and ability to make it interesting, we are getting introduced to a lot of music we'd never have sought out on our own. Thanks, man!
No problem!
Never heard of these ladies. What a killer rhythm section. The girl on drums looks like she might weigh 95 lbs and she's absolutely killing it. Fil you nailed it (as usual) about the drum mics and live mix. That intro was worth the price of admission, but they were super tight throughout. Good on them. Hope they are a success everywhere.
Edit: never realized YT live videos were "corrected". Autotune is the devil!!!!
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To be fair, Akane is half gorilla after all.
So she’s got that going for her.
I never in my life thought a band from Japan would be one of my favorites. I don't understand Japanese but I still love Band-Maid's songs and enjoy their albums. I would suggest checking out "Don't You Tell Me" or "Dice" as your next track.
Thanks!
You don't really need to understand the language to enjoy the music. I don't speak Japanese, but I know enough of the language to understand what's being said, and it's literally all I listen to anymore.
Howdee, Flying mate!
Greetings from an old French/British-educated geezer in Shizuoka, Japan!
Very refreshing and precise analysis!
Was a pleasure to listen to you! No need to say more!
Your are running into the danger of fallng in love with an alien language speaking group of beauties, though!
Good luck and looking forward t more comments!
I think what i Love most about BANDMAID is that their music is interesting and familiar. Different without being just strange, love it! Hard rock with not screaming vocals for once. Drums are perfect! Guitar is all over the place but in a great way. Thank you for turning us on to this band.
No problem!
Baby Metal was a no from me. Band-Maid is a HELL YES! Never thought I would say that about this style of music!
Hell yes!
I also could not get into Baby Metal. I'm very impressed by Band-Maid, especially the bass and drums...excellent! I look forward to checking out more of their music.
@@pbracey1 Band maid is a deep rabbit hole...have fun :)
Cool!
Well for the people who didn't like that song and video Fil did. Don't judge Babymetal on that. You would be missing out on some music you might enjoy. Imo. I mean if you like guitar . IDZ , Amore, tales of destiny are guitar masterpieces. Anyways. Take care all.
Hi Phil ,it is so nice to come across a reactor who actually knows music & can give his viewers a proper breakdown of what’s going on in the music ,,,I love Band Maid ,,they are gaining a huge following around the globe ,,I hope you have the chance to do some more of their recent songs ,,thanks again robby aus❤️❤️❤️.
also Jimmy page asked Akane ( the drummer) for a photo after seeing her on stage ,he said that her drumming is really good ( I don't know if someone said it before)
Yes so cool I seen the photo ,,How happy would Akane be to have a legend like jimmy page not only going to see them but to ask for a photo ,,that is just GOLD ..Robby Aus ❤️❤️❤️ Love to Band Maid
He played with one of the best drummers, so he should know greatness when he heard one😉
John Bonham was name Best Drummer in rock n roll by RollingStone magazine.
@@lakenneth374 did they know about Akane?!.... That might change if they do.
thissailor, Akane is a amazing drummer, she makes the other girls better, but Bonham was named the best drummer of ALL generations - thru the history of Rock; also because of his death, Led Zeppelin disbanded for 10 years.
Good to see you featuring the ladies in your videos. I love the energy of this band, its great to see rock from Japan.
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IMO these ladies are one of the best rock bands around today. I first started listening to them maybe 3 years ago. As far as musicianship and songwriting they just keep getting better and better with every album. Their first couple of albums they didn't write but as their career developed they started writing more and more. The last album was written almost entirely by the band members. Kanami, the lead guitarist is the primary writer with contributions from Misa on bass and Akiane on drums. Miku, the rhythm guitarist writes all the lyrics.
Thanks!
There are so many reaction videos out there, but this one really stands out in terms of background knowledge and insight. Knowledgeable content is so rare nowadays, hence I'm indeed delighted to have found this channel. Thank you!
Thanks! No problem!
I very much like the aggressive drums and the bass crushes it as well.
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When Akane discovered the drummer from Maximum the Hormone was a girl, that settled it, if a girl can play that VIOLENTLY (her word translated to English) THAT was what she wanted to do with her life! (google "akane benjo sandal dance")
The rhythm section of B M is one of the key differentiating (and qualifying) factors; so rare to see a competent one in a rock band, and one that is not shy to groove when it's time
I'm not surprised that they do rather well in the west; it's difficult to get the word around, but once it happens they tend to win over almost everyone
Misa the bass player has great fingers, great tone and great skills
The drums and bass steal the show on this one. That both🤘
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@@wingsofpegasus The drums and bass are about all I can hear. The whole right channel, which contains the lead guitar, is absent in this upload. Technical problem?
@@johnmatthew102 It's not just me then!
This band is so unbelievably good live. They are just perfect,, they should really be a must see for anybody who likes music of any kind
Great review from someone with playing / recording knowledge. Band-Maid is the hottest hard rock band today. They are destine for mega-stardom. They're the only band in decades where I love EVERY song they’ve done. I have over 50 favorites!
"Play" is great with awesome syncopation and structure - but no big Kanami solos from the riff-master. Checkout YOLO! Their newer songs drive even more like Clang, Domination, Moratorium (not new), Spirit, Turn Me On, Fate and dozens more! And their ballads like Daydreaming and Anemone are sooo damn good. Each member's personalities are super interesting and their musicianship and sound are among the best, especially their writing and arrangements. They are the real deal. No relatively new act (4 years, really) does it better!
Enjoy these two live concerts before the vids are taken down. (Their live performance exceed the commercial vids, if that's even possible): LIVE at STUDIO COAST ua-cam.com/video/ON3qOUvZBBQ/v-deo.html ; and ZEPP TOKYO ua-cam.com/video/Ezc6p3RpQIo/v-deo.html
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I've seen Band-Maid live four times now. They are totally worth the price of admission (and the price I paid to fly from Atlanta to California/Japan to see them). If you get a chance to see them live, don't miss it.
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Glad to see one of my favorite new bands getting some love! All of their releases are spot on.
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Kanami is hands down my favorite guitarist. I know she kicks some serious ass and I'm still blown away every time I see her play live
I got turned on to this band about a month ago and I've become a major fan. As always, Fil, your analyses are spot on and I always look forward to hearing your view. The thing I most enjoy about this band is the fact that they ARE playing their instruments at a top level, as you said and their music simply ROCKS! I tend to favor their more groove-oriented stuff like their songs "Thrill" and "Manners".
They are spectacular. It blew my mind when I first listened to them a while ago and got hooked immediately. At first I was doubting my own ears, not going to lie.
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Confess the first time I saw their photo I wrote them off as some J-pop dance band probably getting by on their looks and choreography. Man, was I wrong.
Thank you for covering Band-Maid. These ladies are amazing and deserve to be world famous.
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You wanna get destroyed? ONSET(Live) at Zepp!!!
Great analysis and review! This particular video clip also was the clip that introduced myself to this great band. I do believe this is a truly special band that has incorporated the best elements of Hard Rock, Metal, Punk, Funk and Pop to craft a signature that is distinctly their own. They are truly World Class Songwriters which tastefully highlights their talent as musicians without causing damage to the song by overplaying due to being too good at their respective instruments and it appears they lack the destructive ego that usually comes when one possesses such attributes. With that said the one understated element that I believe is a huge catalyst is the tone produced by each individual instrument and how it compliments each other collectively to produce their overall sound. This appears that they have focused the same diligence in crafting their tone as they have in their development as musicians.
May I suggest a few of my favorite tracks to consider for any future review: Puzzle (Live), Moratorium (Live), Daydreaming (MV or Live), Real Existence (Live or MV), Dice (MV), Secret My Lips (MV or Live), Alone (MV), Blooming (MV), Don't You Tell (Live), Rinne (MV), Manners (MV), Non-Fiction Days (Live or MV) I better stop there otherwise I will list all of their tracks.
Misa their bassist is an absolute monster (I mean that in the best way possible), all of these girls are genuinely proficient on their respective instruments.
All the studio, AND LIVE stuff I've seen/heard of them is all mixed super well; everything has enough room to breathe. The bass isn't being trampled by the guitars or drums, the guitar isn't crowding the vocals, the bass isn't trying to push out the drums...everything is right where it should be in terms of mix.
I'm sure there's some sort of talent agency backing them (which is suuuper common when it comes to Japanese acts) but at the same time they still seem to be a pretty "independent" act so props to them for that.
It's rare to see acts that aren't over-produced even in a live setting. That's what I REALLY think makes this group so special.
Thet were also all "friend's of friend's" or acquainted with eachother before they even formed the band...which usually helps with regards to creativity and chemistry.
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They've been doing it the 'old school' way - doing their own 'roadie' work in small clubs and venues as they developed their fan base.
Love this band! Well done Fil, thank you. Rock! 🤘
Bass player looks like a reincarnated Getty Lee 👍👍👍
Drums are spectacular. I gotta listen to more these guys , girls.
Great find, thanks
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sorry Joe...Geddy Lee is still alive lol...but I agree with you her sound is reminiscent of Geddy's...cheers mate.
You are correct, Dong
Call it, Getty ‘s Japanese sister ☺️
Their music has always a good food service to feed your ears.
I saw them in Amsterdam, and they blew me a away! A great LIVE band.
Cool!
New record out this April on their new label Revolver Records. New representation from Live Nation. These ladies are poised to do what his Majesty Emperor Hirohito and the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy could not do back in the 30's and 40's and that is World Domination.
Thanks, that was quite an enjoyable surprise.
No problem!
Holy CRAP.... tell me that bass doesn’t remind you of Flea, I dare you, it’s got that Flea funk... that’s so dope! Bass DESTRUCTION... unreal
Yeh well Flea just copied people like Stanley Clarke, Ron Carter or Abraham Laboriel
BAND-MAID is so awesome. Thrill rocks!
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Wow those girls really kicks asses. Real talent. Great video Fil🤘🤘🤘
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I have gotten to see them perform live and I didn't know anything about them and they were awesome the real deal! They are really good at what they do.
I'll never thank you enough for making me discover Band-Maid a few weeks ago - completely hooked since then, bought the records and wait for a new european tour. And I've seen most of the best bands since 1976 though!
Cool!
They are in london on the 22nd of june if you're interested?
@@chopperweasle1 The concert was Beyond Awesomeness!
Kickin it on those drums n bass.........must agree ......live stuff gets the gold in my book.....its that rawness that grabs me.......always loved that garage band kinda sound........just makes it more vibrant and real for me.........happiest holidaze Fil and all who as I love this channel.
Thanks Stephen, you too!
These girls have been playing for five years, and even though they play a lot of concerts, maybe they take a break of two, three months a year, they still enjoy it, they still like to play with the audience, including various tomfoolery on the stage. Welcome to fans of Band Maid, a band that deserves the biggest stages and festivals. Next you should listen to "Secret my lips" live and YOLO ", probably their two best tracks in terms of music and arrangement, and of course" Dice ", their last, slightly darker, heavier music side. And if you want to hear their instrumental skills, that first of all "Don`t tell me" live including bass vs. guitar battle, and if you are looking for more Kanami solos - instrumental "Onset" and "Puzzle" where she actually plays the whole set of mini solos, offering us so many riffs that another band would have enough for 2-3 songs. PS And as a curiosity, probably the best amateur recording from their concert, 100% without any postproducing, audio is focused on the bass and rhythm guitar, but it's worth listening to, and watching :) - ua-cam.com/video/BDIWJwU1nsw/v-deo.html BTW You are not the first Brit who appreciated drummer Akane. This is a photo from 2016 and was made at the request of a guy standing next to her - i.pinimg.com/originals/bd/77/fc/bd77fc89c366872dfb74131dd00b5dee.jpg
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So glad you critiqued this monster band. When you get to hear Kanami's playing I think you will be amazed.
Well Done Ladies... That was an excellent performance 👏👏 Brovo Fil for all the info
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Suprisingly satisfying. Perfect for those 1am summer cruises. Heavy Rock? Fun analysis! Fil🤘Rock
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The melody rocks!! This is such a great band!! They just rock hard!!!
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Great bass & drums! Starts great and gets chaotic!
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Faaarck now I've seen it all! They are actually real good!
i found this band last week, it is my new favourite thing. :D
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Welcome to the band maid train,hop on.
Akane (the Beast) Hirose : Drums Band Leader
Miku (Little Pigeon) Kobato : Rhythm, Backing Vocals, Vocals, Founder and Lyricist
Kanami (Minco) Tono : Lead guitarist and Composer
MISA (Assassin Maid) : Bass and Scotch or Bourbon
Saiki ( the Queen) Atsumi : Vocals, Backing Vocals
I like the Nicknames. They really do fit the girls.
@@omneil Have to admit their nicknames come from comments made by others, not my own
I like the nickname kkkkkk
Thanks!
I 'discovered' Band-Maid the first time in 2019 after watching this while I was browsing some of your Prince videos. Have been a big B-M fan since, (have always been a Prince fan). Thank you Wings of Pegasus! Would be interesting to heard more of your views on more B-M songs if you are going to cover them again! cheers.
Fil, I'm glad you're finally checking out my favorite band. They've really got the spirit of rock music in them, and if you find a live video of them that isn't great it's going to be because it was recorded on a potato-phone. :) I recommend "Onset", "Moratorium" and "Choose Me" as your next live tracks.
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If you want to see guitarist featured, find "BAND-MAID ⁄ Onset (Instrument) [ZEPP TOKYO] "
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Great choice also to see the band interaction Don't you tell me and Moratorium live are excellent choices
Choose me is actually my favorite song with the lead guitarist going ham
@@MisakaMikotoLuv Well you get two solos with Choose Me.
Yep. ONESET is a perfect instrumental song for making a analysis.
they actually wrote their own song...have so many good song, my personal favorite would be choose me,dice and domination...would recommend anyone to check them out, you wont be dissapointed
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Holy cow, they are awesome!
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Time for you to do a voice analysis on Saiki Atsumi, lead vocalist for Band-Maid. I would suggest the live performance of Smile here on UA-cam. The band will be doing a major tour of the US this year. All Covid restrictions were lifted last night here in California. Both Coachella and Stagecoach Music Festivals announced yesterday that admission to the festivals are open to one and all. No need for vaccination or testing. About time. Cannot wait to see them again. Sacramento loves Band-Maid.
Not long discovered this awesome band - spent a week sucking YT dry of every video ;) - very impressed with their talent and live performances.
*Just a note on your audio/video capture here - you can't hear Kanami's lead-guitar audio for most of the song (aside from intro) - just getting the rhythm guitar, like a left-right split maybe? It's definitely in the mix on other videos of this recording here on YT.
Yeah my interface was malfunctioning at the time, it's been replaced since!
Merry Christmas mate ! I'll say one of the first things I noticed was that stage production? Has some money vested in it for as young as they are. And kudos to the band for actually playing their instruments. \m/✌🎄🍻
Thanks Mark! You too!
THey arent as young as you might think lol
band maid the best hard working rock band around ! amazing live ! roll on the next tour and cd !
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Great assessment! So good to see you emphasizing the appreciation for the live performance vs. studio track! Thank you!
Wow, you never know what wild and crazy stuff is going to come out of Japan! The concept is strange but these young women have some serious chops! Thanks for the video Fil and Happy Christmas to you! Cheers!
Thanks Juliet, you too!
@@wingsofpegasus : Yes, Merry Christmas to you, Fil, and to all of goodwill.
I absolutely love this band. You've nailed it perfectly about "live". I play guitar, bass and drums myself so I watch and listen to it all. Live is live. Period. Live with all of its imperfections is where it should be. It's what gives it character. Love your channel.
Thanks!
I don’t understand a word of Japanese, but Band Maids song writing is so good it doesn’t matter
Band Maid has saved Rock n Roll
So glad this popped into my recommended. Been a huge BAND-MAID fan for a while now, seeing you breakdown their live performance just makes me appreciate them more. Really thorough analysis too, I'm glad to see you're a reaction channel that adds a lot of your own content rather than letting the original vid be most of your video.
Great commentary, your voice is really clear and easy to listen to, and if you're looking for a BAND-MAID song with more solo guitar, Onset live is such a banger (unreleased instrumental but I don't remember where I found it).
Thanks Josh!
This band's playing stands out not just because of their skill but because of their maturity -- it never devolves into mindless wanking and they keep things memorable and very catchy.
If you ARE up for something a bit more technically indulgent, check out their live performance of their instrumental "Onset". Might also want to look at their live performance of "Don't Tell Me" where the bassist and lead guitar have a full-on shred-off.
For something heavier, check out their videos for "Domination" or "Dice".
Thanks!
You nailed it. Theses songs are composed as songs and the musicianship is there to serve those songs. In my experience lots of bands with stellar musicians lose it when they construct the song as only a vehicle to showcase the technical skill. That's fine for a few minutes but imho it gets old fast. But these girls aren't just riffing, they're coming up with some truly brilliant songs and arrangements. The cool thing here is that punks, metal-heads, rockers, pop fans, prog fans, alternative fans, even country and jazz and classical fans are into these girls and most of us don't have a clue what they're singing most of the time. Now THAT'S powerful music.
Wow, I only discovered this band a few months ago. My usual preference is Zeppelin and 70s bands. But the talent of these girls is incredible. I am amazed that I am so drawn into the performance even when I have no idea of what they are saying . I have searched the net for them and they deliver every time. The rhythm section is so tight . I never thought music of this style would appeal to me... wow 😮
I started practicing the electric guitar last year at 26 because of this live performance. I didn't know the difference between a normal 6 strong and a bass so I bought a normal guitar as opposed to the bass. It was ironic considering the bass intro was the final domino in finally making the first step into playing guitar.
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You have nailed one of the things that I love about this band. They play live (actually play and sing) and it's amazing. Live (internet streamed) show coming up on 10th May for Maids Day/Day of Maid.
Thanks for reviewing them. I believe you know what you're talking about when you're giving your analysis. So I was very interested in what you would think of them. I'm glad you liked them. Onset is a good one to watch if you're just wanting instruments. People call it Saiki's pee break.
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These girls R O C K. Saw them live in 2017. Fantabulous.
Cool!
Hey Fil. You win! I just stumbled into these guys as youtube KEPT bugging the hell outta me with suggestions. However, not your video.. which is messed up as there's a TON of them from this year. You were at least a year ahead AND one of only about three-four that actually gave professional reviews why these ladies are standing out. Thanks mate. Im going to see if you have more on them now and sorry to drag you back to old content ... for YOU! Im really interested about Mikus rhythm playing in the new stuff. I have a bunch to say about it and especially on Onset. Im sure you noticed. Cheers
Band Maid are an amalgam of new and tradition of their country - fantastic band with major buzz and they are fun!
Regarding Kmuda Oscarfish's song structure below:
I could go on for a while about Band-Maid's song structure. There is an overriding "formula" (hate to use that word when they're so creative) they (largely Kanami initially) employ regarding intro - setup - verse - bridge - chorus -middle 8 - setup-to-solo - solo - repeats and ending. But one that's really great about they're composition is the use of tempo change and dynamics. No other band does it as often or better than Band-Maid.
One more big plus is that, probably because of their schooling and advisers, each member has a distinct, well written-out part played with extreme consistency and discipline (go MISA). I mean, I used to start their studio recordings synced with live fan phone recordings. They played everything live exactly the same as the professional recording - which is good for adding in pre-recorded embellishment tracts, like the start of YOLO, etc.
With respect to Band-Maid song creation… I suspect the process is like with most bands: Kanami brings in a main idea or theme with worked out riffs and chord structure and soft melody. She jams it out with the group for them to feel it out. Then Miku and Saiki get stronger melody ideas and some words to compliment the theme. If they all like it, they make a simple recording to work on privately. Once it starts to jell, they let a producer / arranger hear it in live session or rough recording. If it feels good, they play it over and over refining the parts. Miku brings more lyrics and works with Saiki on melody while Mincho makes up Miku’s guitar parts to teach her.
Misa probably writes most of her own bass lines, Akane adds more fills and peddle work behind her established main driving beat. And if everyone is excited by the new song, pull it together each adding more of their own ideas in final structure, dynamics, feel and sound. This can all happen in days or weeks, but some tunes / ideas burn on for months or years. I’ll bet they have some great people and mentors to lean on, especially with getting the right sound on all the instruments, mixes and recordings.
Since I’ve been following Band-Maid closely (or as close as one can without much meaningful personal / studio public exposure) for more than three years, I can really enjoy their growth and evolving process - not to mention their awesome music and talent. But in some ways they have not changed much over the years. Their early playing, song choices and arrangements were sooo damn good! And their personalities remain remarkably consistent. But now that their confidence is much stronger - you wouldn’t known it via interviews (language block) - I believe they’re ready for the big time. Come on Management… catch up!!! Let ‘em fly! (Po)
Yeah!
It's actually a simple thing but that makes it no less brilliant. Listen to Moratorium: ua-cam.com/video/N7BQCkUb4SI/v-deo.html . At the 2:19 mark they go into one of those tempo and riff changes, a song within the song really. Misa (bass) is playing the main riff, emphasizing (supporting) Kanami's guitar. At 2:33, Kanami starts her solo. Misa jumps from supporting Kanami, to supporting Akane (drums). Listen to the sync on the double-bass kick, Misa changing her bass line to emphasis Akane's double-kick drum. Simple, but brilliant. She's still supporting (emphasizing) the main riff, which Miku is (kind of :) ) carrying forward, while also supporting (emphasizing) Akane on drums. It's not rocket science, but damn is it effective. The norm for a "Rhythm Section" is for the drummer and bass player to support each layer, laying down a "rhythm" for the rest of the band to follow. Hence the name "Rhythm Section". One of the things that made Led Zeppelin was they somewhat broke that formula. Jon Bonham spent most of his time supporting Jimmy Page's guitar, not John Paul Jones' bass. in essence, playing guitar riffs on his drums, With Band-Maid, this is occurring between bass and guitar, guitar and drums, drums and bass, flawlessly moving from one to the other. You cannot identify Misa as a melodic bass player, a rhythm bass player, or even a funky bass player. She's all of these things, all within the same song, from one moment to another. The same can be said for Akane. It is the rhythm section of Band-Maid that makes them what they are.
Great observations, Kmuda! It may be a “simple” concept - each player supporting each other’s parts and rhythms - but super complex to execute well. Things like Kanami / Akane sync-ups (Domination) to Sakai’s cadence with everyone else (every song) is flawless. BTW - One reason why it may be hard for them (Miku) to write more in English is to get that phrasing, rhyming and syncopation in melody using English words. But I love Saiki’s rock phrasing even though I don’t know what she’s saying most of the time. Her moves and charisma make up for some pitching, falling-off notes, tone and other difficulties with her much improved voice. All the things we and others have been commenting on shows why they must be one of the hardest bands to copy. They’re music is “simply” complex!
@Tom Clark
You said a mouthful. The last band that wrote their own music and utilitized such dramatic tempo and time changes was the Beatles. Band-Maid is the best straight up Rock band in the world today. Period.
Last time I commented that Band-Maid -- if their next album or two is as innovative and solid as their last two -- could be the Hard Rock Beatles of the 21st century, it drew some nasty comments - mostly from this Circle-Jerk guy that hates Miku... or whatever his name is. But you are right... they are the best and sooo under recognized. When's THAT going to change! BTW - there have been and always will be better bands in their own lanes, from Rush, Foo Fighters to dozens of others. But no other band, I believe, puts so many compelling elements together in such a mind-numbing, rockin' way.
I always appreciate your technical comments. Thanks for this and your other reactions.
They rip Fil! Really tight and melodic! Totally enjoyed watching them....first time I’ve seen this band! Really accomplished musician with a lot of stage presence! Smokin! Great analysis Fil! Cheers Mario!😀😀🤘🤘🤘
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i got into Japanese music pretty much recently, Band-Maid is one those groups i'm listening to. i'm glad you like them !
my fav Japanese band (and second favorite band in general, after Muse) is the GazettE. they're truely insane, and they definitely play live, they really pull out a big show, they work really hard on it, sometimes we would even tell it's millimetric, but they're human, so of course there's still spontaneity, thankfully. they indeed use some backing tracks sometimes, but you can tell it, and it's only to "complete" the live performances. for instance, Ruki (the singer) usually doubles his vocal lines, with harmonies, and 75 % of the time it's a backing track, or some effects, such as dubstep effects they don't/can't reproduce live. but the rest is 100 % live !
they've got soooo many great songs, we can call their discography a flawless one, that's impressive. so choosing a song to advice you is a bit hard haha. sooo i can advice you... maybe Dripping Insanity. if possible, try to find the performance at Saitama Super Arena in 2013. if you want to check heavier stuff, try Uragiru Bero, from their latest live DVD, shot at Yokohama Arena in late 2019. enjoy !
I've been a fan of this band for 5 years now.....they are amazing and the language barrier is no problem....it's the music that is worth listening to!
Try Puzzle, Onset (instrumental), Dice, Domination, Yolo, Awkward, Trill, and for the fun of it do both Secret my lips and their April Fool's version Secret Maiko Lips.....what band produces an April Fools video just for the fun of it and for their fans....you got to love it!
Nice reaction and analysis of the band....like your screen format too....nice look of the video playing and your reaction...thanks!
Thanks!
I totally agree that the younger generation has no clue what true live music sounds like and I just hand it to these ladies for doing it the right way even myself in the studio I record everything in analog 2-inch tape and only mix to digital cuz i think it just gives a much richer warmer sound and plus when you record on tape you have to play and you have to play good because any mistake is caught.. love these ladies keep rocking the way it's supposed to be!!
Just wanna say this video is the start of my Band Maid obsession
Oh my.....you are in for quite a ride. Warning...there is no cure :)
@@stimproid
i know all about it coz it's been 3 weeks now. i even started guitar lesson. there's no going back
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@@rustygear447 Awesome! Good luck on the Guitar! :-)
Appreciate your in depth analysis of this band, their performance and other aspects of live performance. It's great coming a person like yourself who is a musician. I think you're on point with everything you said. As a pro musician of 38 years in many styles from classical to rock I too appreciate the truest live performance and not secondary produced sound.
Cool! Thanks!