I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: October 26, 2022] Band-Maid

I’m not exactly sure how I heard about Band-Maid, but I’d only heard of them very recently.  It seemed like a joke: a Japanese metal band made up of women who dressed like Japanese maids.  Like Babymetal had gotten popular with a gimmick, so they’d try it too.

But evidently that’s not the case.  Turns out that in 2013 Guitarist/singer Miku Kobato, formerly an employee of a Japanese maid café, envisioned forming a band that juxtaposed the maid image with rock music.  She found lead guitarist Kanami Tōno after an Internet search. Tōno suggested her occasional backing drummer Akane Hirose for the new band. Hirose knew about bassist Misa from music school.  Originially Miku was going to sing, but they decided to get another singer and so they audtioned and hired Saiki Atsumi.

And while Babymetal existed in 2013, they didn’t really take off until late in that year.  So we can stop the comparisons now.

Band-Maid’s first album was kind of pop metal, but they soon added a much heavier tone on New Beginning.  And they have only gotten heavier since, with Unleash sounding especially heavy.

For this tour, in addition to playing at TLA, they were also playing at the Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park in East Rutherford, NJ.  This certainly sapped some of their cred, I felt.  And yet some other well established bands have also played there.  So I guess good for them.  I would have happily gone there is I could find anything about what the venue is like.  Is it in the mall?  How is the sound?  No idea.

So I bought a ticket to TLA which had not yet sold out.  It had sold out by the day of the show.  Like with Metric I coudln’t find out if there was an opening band.  It turned out that there was not.

So when I arrived at five to eight, the place was packed.  I had hoped to get kind of close, but i was about as far back as you can be (fortunately TLA is not a big place).  Interestingly, while I was standing there at least three men walked by in full maid costume.  And standing next to me was another man in full whit maid costume.  I really wanted to ask him if he made it or bought it or what, but then the lights dimmed.

And one by one each member of the band came out and the crowd went berserk.

Now I was there out of curiosity, but this show sold out because people really like them.  A lot.  People (mostly men, judging by the deep voices) sang along (mostly to the oh ohs, since the words are in Japanese, but they knew exactly when they went).

After an orchestral intro the band ripped into “Sense,” their new single.  And holy cow, it was intense.  There were screaming guitar solos (I was bummed that I couldn’t really see Tōno because she kind of hunches when she solos, but she sounded amazing.  Even more so, Miku was fantastic on bass–playing little solos and slapping.  This was even more evident on “Play” where there were little breaks and she played some intense little riffs.

I was also blown away by drummer Akane Hirose who pounded the drums and played some really impressive fills and complex patterns.  She also did a drum solo (!) during “FREEDOM.”  It wasn’t long or tedious–just really highlighted what she could do back there.  Tōno also had a few shredding moments during this song.

The two leaders of the band are clearly Miku and Saiki Atsumi who were both more brightly lit than the other three (this may have been a stage issue, rather than intentional).  Saiki was dressed in black (it was a little hard to see the maid part of her outfit, but then I’m no expert) and had a great voice.  Miku is striking in her white maid outfit (with black trim).  She played a wicked guitar (some serious riffage in 2020’s “Different” and sang a few songs as well–in fact she hits some really high notes a few times.

She was also the main communicator.  She talked about being happy t o finally be in Philadelphia.  I THINK this was their first time playing Philly.  She brought the house down by saying they all went for cheesesteaks.  Do you like cheesesteaks?

Saiki left the stage and the band launched into “Onset” a great instrumental that showcased how great all four musicians were.  With heavy chords, grooving bass and Tōno’s finger tapping solos I could have listened to this for the whole show.  They followed that with yet another instrumental, “from now on” which opens their new EP Unleash.  This one feels more operatic in scope–but is no less heavy–with soaring solos.

Things slowed down briefly for the ballad “Sayonakidori.”  It’s a lovely song sung by Miku.  And works as a transition to the stage craft to come.

Because the middle of the set is full of what I gather are improvised set pieces.  For instance, there is Misa’s “opening ceremony.”  She opens a can of beer and proceeds to chug most of it.  “Misa likes beer.  You like beer?” [indeed we do replies the crowd].  Miku has an “Omajinai” Magic Spell Time in which she has the crowd chant along with promised world domination. and even a chant of cheesesteak!

Later, Akane devoured an entire banana in the spirit of her “Gorilla” moniker.  And when the crowd started chanting “banana” Miku asked uncertainly, you want the banana?  So Akane signed the peel and threw it to the crowd.  Tōno and Saika also gave a Japanese lesson. She taught us 大丈夫でしょう[Daijōbudeshou] which means “It will be ok.”

“Choose me” is an older single.  You can certainly hear the way the band has evolved over the years.  It was followed by “Endless Story” yet another song with a catchy sing along.   “Daydreaming” starts off like another ballad, but it quickly rips away that quiet intro with a catchy riff (and a clap along).

That was it for the older songs for a bit as they played the newish song “Influencer.”   This song features lyrics in English, rapping and some wicked bass solo work.  “After Life” comes from their last LP and is one of the heaviest songs of the set.  “Unleash!!!” from the new EP also has some English lyrics and is heavy as anything.

After about half way through the set, people stopped videoing everything and I was able to get a few decent pictures–especially when they stood on the monitors.

The final two songs “NO GOD” (which features a wicked guitar solo, a slapping bass solo and a Woah oh oh oh sing along part and even a melodramatic quiet moment just before the end) and “DOMINATION” kept up the intensity as the show came to a satisfying end.

It was a super fun hour and forty-five minutes.  The mood in the place was one of a delightful party.  There was no moshing that I could see (even though Philly crowds will mosh to anything), but there was dancing and bouncing and clapping.  There were more people in cosplay and a group of people in the back who were waving bright orange lights around (no idea).

And while I am usually all about supporting the opening band, it was pretty nice that they didn’t have one.  And I was back on the road by 10PM.

I came to the show not really knowing what to expect.  And I’ll say that I would absolutely see them again in East Rutherford if I was free.  The show was that good.

1. Sense Ω
2. Play Ø
3. Don’t you tell ME √
4. FREEDOM ß
5. Different §
6. alone ß
7. onset [instrumental bonus from ©]
8. from now on Ω
9. Sayonakidori ∞
10. Choose me §§
11. endless Story ©
12. Daydreaming Ø
13. influencer Ω
14. After Life ∞
15. Unleash!!!!! Ω
16. NO GOD ∞
17. DOMINATION Ø