Tag: J-Rock

Japan’s Best, Headlines Visual Kei Music Festival in October

VisualJapanSummitLogoBy James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)

We are less than three months away from one of Japan’s most exciting rock concerts of the year. Announced four days ago on their official site, j-rock group Glay along with groups X Japan and Luna Sea will be performing on day 1 of the Visual Japan Summit 2016 Powered by Rakuten. Visual Japan Summit is a visual kei music festival to be held indoors at the Makuhari Messe International Exhibition Hall 9-11 in Chiba Prefecture. This event takes place October 14-16, just one week apart from events like the Nihonmatsu Lantern festival (October 4-6) and the Kurama Fire Festival (October 22).

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Band Maid Announces First European Tour!

BrandNewMaidBy James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)

Japanese group Band-Maid whose appearance in cute, maid aesthetics while serving skillfully played powerful music onstage, is continuing their world domination. In the past year alone they have appeared at Sakura-Con in Seattle, MCM London Comic Con in England and had multiple videos go viral (“Thrill” hit 2 million views within the first two weeks). Now in a global push Band-Maid announced a European tour to coincide after their Latin America debut in Mexico City on October 9th.

The dates are to promote their first international album “Brand New Maid” that saw release June 17, 2016. Brand New Maid is available across the UK and Europe through JPU Records. The CD version contains an exclusive bonus track as well as an extra booklet containing lyric translations and transliterations into English.

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Sakura-Con Brings Japan’s Band-Maid To the American Masses

Band Maid - Maid in Japan Album CoverSomeone at Sakura-Con has good taste in music or they know the next best thing when they see it. It wasn’t just a coincidence that Sakura had pre-fame J-pop band Scandal as guests in 2008. Now Sakura may have history repeating itself when Japanese rock group Band-Maid perform their first concert Stateside this March.

Band-Maid was formed in July, 2013 and consists of members Saiki Atsumi (vocals), Miku Kobato (guitar, vocals), Kanami Touno (guitar), Akane Hirose (drums), and Misa (bass). Known for their maid outfits commonly worn by hostesses of Japan’s Maid Cafés, their look was a concept born from the experiences of founding member Miku who worked at Noodol Cafe in Tokyo‘s Akihabara district.

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