BAND-MAID, performers of the ending theme song for the 2nd season of the "Kengan Ashura" anime, have made huge waves with their first ever performance at "Lollapalooza Chicago"!
/World-renowned girl band "BAND-MAID" has garnered attention from all around the world following their performance at "Lollapalooza Chicago," one of the largest rock festivals in the world.
"Lollapalooza Chicago," a festival held on 9 stages over 4 days from August 3rd to August 6th, 2023, saw over 400,000 visitors, and is said to be one of America's major three outdoor festivals alongside Coachella and Bonnaroo.
BAND-MAID is the first Japanese band since X JAPAN 13 years ago to perform at such a well known festival where artists from all over the world eagerly awaited their appearance. We will deliver a live report on these girls who have had the attention of many since even before their performance, like being chosen by local media as "12 Artists to See At Lollapalooza" along with K-pop group New Jeans.
The audience waited impatiently in the blazing sun for nearly an hour before BAND-MAID's show. They performed 13 songs over the course of an hour from 1:45 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. on August 4th (US local time), the 2nd day of the festival. The Japanese girls rock band left a deep impression at America's largest music festival.
Kobato Miku (guitar and vocals), KANAMI (guitar), MISA (bass), and AKANE (drums) gallantly took to the Coinbase Stage, beginning the day's maid service (live show) with an instrumental song, "from now on". When the petite girls wearing maid outfits suddenly began playing rock music with technical instrumentals, the audience, full of people who were likely seeing them for the first time, couldn't hide their astonishment at the disconnect between the band's heavy music and their cute appearance. SAIKI (vocals) joined in for the next song, "DOMINATION," and powerfully belted out lyrics expressing the girls' ambitions for "world domination".
The highlights of the show were the session parts during the interludes of "Don't you tell ME" and "HATE?" KANAMI and MISA alternated back and forth with guitar and bass solos, as though holding an exquisite dialogue conveyed entirely through their sound. These two girls were able to bring out more than 20,000 people during just their 2022 tour of America. They've already performed in three United States festivals in 2023, and their ceaseless efforts have only further refined their individual performance skills. With SAIKI watching over the powerhouse duo with a big smile, and AKANE and Kobato Miku supporting the overall rhythm cozying up to the two's session, the band's sense of unity is more apparent than ever after 10 years following its formation.
BAND-MAID trucked on with brutal hard rock pieces, followed sometimes by lighter songs like "Daydreaming" that showcased SAIKI's calmer singing voice. The finale was "endless Story", and with it came the crowd singalong typical of festivals. SAIKI left the stage with a huge smile, saying to the roughly 20,000 people gathered there, "Thank you Lollapalooza! We're BAND-MAID from Japan! Thank you so much!"
BAND-MAID is currently holding a tour of the United States and Mexico, beginning with their appearance at "Lollapalooza Chicago." They'll tour Japan in Sepetmber and October, after which they'll prepare a show at Kanagawa's Yokohama Arena in November in a triumphant return performance and finale to their 10th anniversary tour. Tickets are currently available for pre-order, so be on the lookout.
Additionally, on the day of their "Lollapalooze Chicago" perforamance, BAND-MAID released their new single, "Shambles," the ending theme song for the 2nd season of "Kengan Ashura" anime. We've already received a mass of comments from around the world from people who can't take their eyes of BAND-MAID, who are engulfed in a wave of enthusiasm both at home and abroad.
Photo and Text by FG5
August 4, 2023 Lollapalooza Chicago setlist
1 from now on
2 DOMINATION
3 Choose me
4 Don't you tell ME -session-
5 alone
6 After Life
7 NO GOD
8 Daydreaming
9 DICE
10 HATE?-session-
11 FREEDOM
12 Manners
13 endless Story
