BAND-MAID 'New Beginning' 2016 Tour Finale at Shimokitazawa LIVEHOLIC

All-girl rock band in maid costumes BAND-MAID® held the final show of their tour at Tokyo’s Shimokitazawa LIVEHOLIC on February 14th. It was already obvious that the scale of interest in the band already exceeded the venue’s 180 capacity. Prior to the final show, the band announced their American live performance debut would take place at Seattle's Sakura-Con in March 2016. Of course, all the tickets for the final show were instantly sold out. BAND-MAID®, who are in the third year of their career, are now ready to become a worldwide sensation.

Fans’ ovations filled the venue as the five members of the band appeared on the stage: vocalist SAIKI, guitarist and vocalist MIKU, guitarist KANAMI, bassist MISA, and drummer AKANE. The band started the show with hard rock number Don’t let me down. The two front women’s powerful vocals, heavy guitar sounds, and furious yet precise drum beats created a mosh pit from the start of the show.

During the show, SAIKI stirred fans to shout, fist pump, and head bang with her. In response, some excited fans crowd surfed. Later, KANAMI’s guitar riff generated even stronger heat on the song Don’t apply the brake, when she wowed fans with her relentless guitar strokes and spirited solo. The band’s attitude to live performances in that moment proved that five young women in cute maid costumes actually have strong rock spirits and excellent musical skills.

“Welcome home!” MIKU, with her twin tail hairstyle, greeted fans as if they walked into a maid café. However, instead of sweetness, the maids served their masters and ladies with heavy rock number Thrill, the music video of which has already attracted more than 1.6 million views on the band’s YouTube channel. During the song, MISA made fans fist pump and shout along with her bass solo. In fact, it was MISA and drummer AKANE’s ensemble that formed the strong core of the band’s performance. The performance fully lived up to the song title, as the two vocalists conveyed enormous passion from the stage while KANAMI’s sharp-edged guitar solo pierced fans’ hearts. Meanwhile, MIKU’s guitar playing balanced the band’s performance. The chemistry of the five strong personalities on the stage continued to rock the venue during the following Arcadia Girl and Price of Pride.

“Thank you! Let us play some of our old songs. Please find a different side of us,” MIKU said to fans. The band treated fans by performing a few numbers from their first album, MAID IN JAPAN. In contrast with the heavy rock songs the band played before, they entertained fans with pop rock songs such as Be OK and Yoake mae. Later, the band showed their vulnerability and warmth during Forward. The heartfelt vocals of the two vocalists elicited a singalong from fans while the clear guitar sounds of KANAMI put vivid colours on Forward, the anthem of dreamers. The different style of musically manifesting the band’s pureness unified the venue.

Later, the band yet again changed the atmosphere by playing the stone-cold hard rock song FREEZER. The band had resourceful ways to make fans happy as they suddenly went into a short Q&A session after the song. MIKU answered questions from fans on behalf of the band. One of the questions was which part a member would like to play if she could change her position in the band. SAIKI would stick with her position as a vocalist, while MIKU, MISA, and KANAMI would like to play drums. Laugher arose when MIKU said AKANE would like to be an idol. After the Q&A session, MIKU continued to entertain fans with her energetic vocals during Beauty and the beast. The song’s mixture of pop, hard rock and funk unleashed a mosh circle on the floor.

After, the roaring guitar riffs of KANAMI and bombarding drum beats of AKANE blew out of the stage during the following Shake That!!. The band’s explosive resonance was at its best during the song. SAKI stirred fans with her charismatic vocals, whilst alongside her KANAMI played shredding guitar throughout the song. In response, some excited fans literally hit the ceiling by going for a crowd surf. The five maids served their masters and ladies with the upward falling rock’n’roll song. Before the band played the last song, MIKU melted fans' hearts by giving them, with her charm, “Moe Moe Kyun!” Finally, the band closed the show with the driving hard rock song REAL EXISTENCE.

Fans’ calls for an encore filled the venue after the stage curtain fell. “There is no encore tonight, so go get yourselves some alcohol downstairs!” At SAIKI’s call from behind from the curtain, fans went to the bar on the lower floor. Actually, a special announcement from the band and performance of AKANE, aka DJ ACHI, was scheduled in the bar space from 9 PM, at which time the band’s new music video alone was played on the bar’s big screen. Later, the powerful drummer showed her different talent as a DJ. The two special presentations left fans with sure impressions that the band has so much more potential to be revealed in future.

Set list

01. Don’t let me down
02. Don’t apply the brake
03. Thrill(スリル)
04. Arcadia Girl
05. Price of Pride
06. Be OK
07. Yoake Mae
08. Forward
09. By My Tears
10. FREEZER
11. Beauty and the beast
12. Shake That!!
13. FREEDOM
14. REAL EXISTENCE

The music video for alone can be viewed below.