BAND-MAID!!!

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As I was reveling in the glory of BABYMETAL music, my being (meaning my mind, body, and soul) wanted more Japanese female metallers in my life. And then God gifted me with BAND-MAID.

To be honest, I’m not sure how I found Band-Maid or when I first found them. Records on my computer indicate early 2017. I know on February 10, 2017, I bought the album New Beginnings on iTunes. On June 23rd, 2017, I created an account on Band-Maid’s online store. Looks like the first time I wrote anything about Band-Maid on Reddit was 5 years ago, which again, would be 2017. The first time I stumbled upon Band-Maid was on YouTube, and I believe the first video I was was for the song “Thrill.”

I had been searching around for Japanese metal bands, and I was indeed finding some. Destrose, Doll$Boxx, Yousei Teikoku, Mary’s Blood… And you can bet I will mention them in future articles, but this article is about Band-Maid.

Right now, Band-Maid is my 2nd most favorite band after Babymetal. There are some obvious differences between the two. Band-Maid is more prolific, they seem to almost constantly churn out great songs, great EPs, and great LPs. They have quite the midas touch. This is another band where you’re not going to get an unbiased opinion about them from me. I love them. And just like Babymetal, these women are beautiful.

So some of the differences between Babymetal and Band-Maid. When driving around town, I prefer to listen to Band-Maid. When I’m on the freeway, I prefer to listen to Babymetal. Band-Maid tends to pivot between hard-rock and heavy metal, and they definitely throw in strong doses of thrash and aggression.

One of the things my Japanese tutor has asked me more than once, “Which girl do you like the best in Band-Maid?” Her second favorite question is, “Which girl do you think has the prettiest face in Band-Maid?” These are rough and tough questions. Generally, I have to say, “Well, first of all Su-Metal from Babymetal comes first.” But then if you subtract Babymetal from the equation, I don’t know.

It’s possible that part of my issue is I know how to play bass, guitar, and drums, and I’ve also song in different bands. So I feel like I can relate to all of the girls in the band based on their respective instruments and position in the band. If God gave me the chance to date each one of them and get to know each one of them a little bit, I could make a better decision. Alas, life doesn’t always work that way. I can make some armchair psychology guesses as to what these ladies might be like.

  • Saiki – lead singer. She might be the most “psychological” woman in the band. She is beautiful, but she might tear you apart.
  • Miku – singer and guitarist. She seems to be the creative mastermind behind the band. She also seems to be immersed in art and music and might have the busiest life-schedule.
  • Kanami – lead guitarist. She appears to be the shortest girl in the band. She’s a fantastic guitarist, very kawaii, and seems playful.
  • Misa – bassist. She is the most mysterious woman in the band. She seems shy, but alluring, so of course you’re going to want to get to know her. She is the only one who seems to like the occasional beer. She is also fond of playing barefoot on stage.
  • Akane – drummer. For a girly girl who smiles a lot, this woman shreds the drums the way metal fans love their drums shredded.

The ladies are so into producing music, they even made an even more Japanese version of their songs with a Geisha/Maiko style and re-recorded a number of their songs and released them under the name Band-Maiko. (In Japanese Geisha culture, a woman is a Maiko before becoming a Geisha.)

Don’t worry, if you’re more into cars and fire, Band-Maid has that too.

What about a day at the beach?

Did I mention Miku is immersed in art and music? Yes, she also started another band called “cluppo.”

I have seen Band-Maid three times. November 9, 2018, at the Lodge Room in LA. And twice at the Echoplex in LA September 30th and October 1st, 2019. Each time I bought VIP meet-and-greet tickets. Because, of course! And yes, I was “star-struck” every time. *Sigh* And of course, yes, I joined their fan club.

Funny thing… Band-Maid is clearly a band that should easily generate mosh pits. And yet, there wasn’t one for the 2018 show. And it wasn’t until towards the end of their October 1st show in 2019 that A) a mosh pit happened, B) I was in it, lol! In fact, I bet my friend at the show $2 that a mosh pit would happen. When I saw it, I was like: “Dude! Fuck yeah! Let’s go!” Good times.

This October, I will be seeing Band-Maid on the 15th at the Belasco in LA, and on the 17th at the House of Blues in San Diego. It’s going to be awesome! As of this writing, Band-Maid has just unleashed an EP called Unleash. Stoked!

Much can be said about Band-Maid. But one of the purposes of this article is to inform you-the-reader, that I have 7 major bands that have impacted me and that I bookmark my life with, and Band-Maid is the 7th band. Who knows what I will write about on this site next, but I can now say I have completed the main musical foundation. Stay tuned, and thank you for reading!