News

The second proper night (third including the SHOWCASE of the SHOWCASE) of B’z SHOWCASE 2017 -B’z In Your Town- is here with the best possible setlist when it comes to pairing the gems these shows are known for!

The full setlist is posted below to avoid spoilers for those attending the shows.

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With the impending release of B’z COMPLETE SINGLE BOX and its massive 53-disc set on the horizon, it seemed only fitting that we take a look back at the very first time that B’z attempted such a collection, all the way back in 2005.

Apple’s iTunes service has long been known as the for-bearer and industry leader in the digital marketplace for music, television, and movies. The innovation of the iPod brought with it a revolution in how we listen to music and was undoubtedly the catalyst for many abandoning physical media in favor of the convenience and capacity allowed by digital. At the time, iTunes had already captured 80% of the U.S. and UK digital markets with 1.8 million songs being purchased per day. As one of the world’s most dependably successful music markets, rumors swirled as to when Japan would enter the fray—especially given the country had long solidified its reputation for being on the cutting edge of most types of technology. It seemed only natural they, too, would get a similar push as did the rest of the world. And on August 4, 2005, they did.

One of the hot topics leading into the event in Tokyo that August was song pricing. Convincing the Japanese record labels to adopt the standard pricing of roughly $1 USD per song had not been easy given the profit margins they enjoyed on physical sales. Indeed, Japan was and remains one of the few markets in which physical singles still move hundreds of thousands of copies every week. Jeopardizing that meant cutting into their marketing machines, so their trepidation was understandable. Despite its technologically-advanced reputation, most Japanese artists had not placed their back catalogues online in digital form just yet and there was no guarantee that many were exactly lining up to do so. After all, their physical albums and singles were still selling at a rate disproportionate with the rest of the world and changing that seemed unnecessarily risky. Thus, when Apple co-founder Steve Jobs took the stage that day, there was a great deal of curiosity in Japan about the long-term ramifications of such a prospect.

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The official kickoff of B’z SHOWCASE 2017 -B’z In Your Town- is upon us, and already a song that has never been performed live can be marked off the list! In case you missed it, the band already performed one show in Hioki two days ago, which featured a slightly different setlist you can check out here.

The full setlist is posted below to avoid spoilers for those attending the shows.

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With a career spanning three decades as of next year and nearly 350 of their own songs released to date, B’z have had a long career in music by any measure. Their long-term success has led to its vocalist Koshi Inaba and guitarist Tak Matsumoto to occasionally be propositioned to create songs for other artists—many of whom were beginning their careers.

Kodoku no Runaway

The first of these collaborations was “Kodoku no RUNAWAY” (Lonely Runaway, 孤独のRUNAWAY). The artist in question was female guitarist Ataka Miharu who would soon be best known as the guitarist of girl rock duo KIX-S. Although not explicitly advertised as much, this version of the song actually features B’z outright. For the sessions, Tak wrote all-new music and Koshi provides chorus vocals that are now familiar to any long-time B’z fan.

One year later, B’z would do a self-cover of the song and develop it into the one that would become an early live staple for the band: “Kodoku no Runaway” from their third mini album MARS. Many of the same guitar licks and vocal hooks are present, but it is expanded into a vocal showcase for Koshi. The most prominent showing for the song was in a featured slot for B’z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2008 -GLORY DAYS-, when it was played more in its revised, hard rock “Mixture style” reversion from B’z The “Mixture”.

News

Two years following the close of their last outing for B’z LIVE-GYM 2015 -EPIC NIGHT-, B’z have finally returned to the live stage! While B’z SHOWCASE 2017 -B’z In Your Town- kicks off properly tomorrow, the opening SHOWCASE in Hioki has just wrapped up and it’s shaping up to be a memorable outing already!

The full setlist is posted below to avoid spoilers for those attending the shows.

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News

B’z rehearsing for SHOWCASE 2017 (Source: B’z Official Instagram)

The first B’z tour since 2015’s EPIC NIGHT will kick off in Japan next week under the banner B’z SHOWCASE 2017 -B’z In Your Town- and today, the band have announced the tour goods that will be available. As is usually the case, the items will be made available on B’z The Store at a later date.

Most interestingly, a “SHOWCASE of the SHOWCASE” showing has been added prior to the tour start proper. This added show will take place two days early as B’z SHOWCASE 2017 -Hissatsu Hiokinin-, which combines “person of Hioki” with “knockout blow”.

A venue-specific shirt is also being prepared for the B’z SHOWCASE 2017 -Hissatsu Hioki-nin- showing, which will be available on the official web store at a later date:

Those that purchase over 3,000 yen worth will receive a service bag, and those that spend 5,000 yen will receive both the service bag and a sticker decal:

At each venue, fans that purchase “Seimei/Still Alive” will receive a B2-sized poster, Sticker Sheet, or Black Memo Pad. Those that decide to reserve B’z COMPLETE SINGLE BOX‘s “Black Edition” will receive a breakout mobile phone battery:

The tour itself will run from July 13 to August 9. We will post the first, and hopefully not only, setlist next week. Be sure to check back for the latest news!