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It has just been announced that B’z SHOWCASE 2018 -The Wall Of Rock- will serve as the warmup to the upcoming thirtieth anniversary tour! The show will take place on the island of Ishigaki at Ishigaki City Hall and, as is typically the case with SHOWCASE events, is an area not frequented by the band given its population of less than 50,000 people. As is the stated mission of a SHOWCASE, the show scheduled for July 2 will be both a warmup and a means of playing for fans that otherwise don’t have ready access to B’z shows.

B’z will embark on B’z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2018 -HINOTORI- five days later on July 7 at the Okinawa Convention Center and run through September 21 and 22 at Ajinomoto Stadium. A home video release should reasonably follow in January or February of 2019.

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B’z have just posted a video entitled “Thank you all for coming to B’z 30th Year Exhibition” which features a preview of new song “HINOTORI”! The song, whose title serves as the basis to B’z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2018 -HINOTORI-, is being unveiled in the video for the first time.

As part of the exhibit dubbed “SCENES”, preliminary lyrics and the first sheet of music were on display. In the audio guided tour, the band revealed the song is actually a sequel to 1995 single “LOVE PHANTOM“—thus explaining it being referred to as the song’s second opus on the sheet of music in Tak’s handwriting. The opening in the video when played backwards should sound appropriately familiar as a result. Too, the font used in the tour logo should appear similar when compared to the original single’s cover. Lastly, in the audio guide, it was mentioned that the song will be framed from the original female character’s point of view.

The committee in charge of the exhibition also posted on the official website a statement as part of the exhibition’s closing, which ended by concluding that while “SCENES” as an event has ended:

“Of course, this is not the end. B’z will continue into the future, in search of new scenery no one has yet seen.”

B’z will embark on their thirtieth anniversary tour B’z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2018 -HINOTORI- on July 7 at the Okinawa Convention Center and run through September 21 and 22 at Ajinomoto Stadium. A home video release should reasonably follow in January or February of 2019.

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B’z have just released the logo proper for the upcoming thirtieth anniversary tour B’z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2018 -HINOTORI-. As expected due to its translation of “Phoenix”, the motif of the song is present in the image that will form the tone of the show and its tour goods which will be unveiled within the week prior to the first show. The tour begins on July 7 at the Okinawa Convention Center and runs through September 21 and 22 at Ajinomoto Stadium. A home video release should reasonably follow in January or February of 2019.

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As part of the band’s 30th anniversary exhibition, “SCENES“, fans were given the opportunity to attend screenings of two presentations: B’z SHOWCASE 2017 -B’z In Home Town- and Behind the Scene: The 29th Year. The former tracks Tak and Koshi as they perform in both of their hometowns as part of B’z SHOWCASE 2017 -B’z In Your Town-. The latter recounts the recording of DINOSAUR and acts as a backstage pass to their time during B’z LIVE-GYM 2017-2018 “LIVE DINOSAUR”.

Each feature was set to be available only as part of the exhibit but due to its pre-sale tickets for screenings selling out long before it opened, the band has decided to do a double feature in Japanese theaters, nationwide, from June 15 to September 22. Participating theaters and screening dates can be viewed on the official website.

Though no announcement has yet been made, we expect a home video release that likely will combine the two and possibly arrive in November or December. Upcoming 30th anniversary tour B’z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2018 -HINOTORI- should likewise receive a home release in January or February of 2019. Naturally, it is possible all three could be collected into a single package around the same time instead.

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On March 12, 2008, coinciding with their twentieth anniversary year, B’z were awarded a Guinness World Record for “Best selling album act in Japan” bearing the commendation:

The best selling album act in Japan is a hard rock duo B’z (Japan) who has sold more than 42 million albums by 2008. They have also sold more than 34 million singles which makes them the best selling music act in Japan overall.

Presently, with the release of late 2017 effort DINOSAUR, the band have sold over 46,000,000 albums. As noted in the Guinness record, this makes them the best sold act in Japanese history when combined with single sales. The album record is set to stand for some time as most contemporary acts combined are not within contention.

Other sales records held by B’z at this time include the most number one singles (49), most consecutive number one singles (49), longest streak of number one singles (49), total weeks singles were at number one (66), longest consecutive period with a single at number one (20 Years), most singles in the top 10 concurrently (9), the most million-selling albums (19), most number-one albums (26), total CD shipments (100,000,000), total CD sales (81,500,000), and the only artist in history to lead all six major categories tracked by Oricon. On November 19, 2007, B’z also became the first Asian artists to be inducted to Hollywood’s RockWalk.

News

Some five months after the close of the tour, we finally have confirmation of the first release for the B’z 30th year commemoration: B’z LIVE-GYM 2017-2018 “LIVE DINOSAUR” on DVD & Blu-ray! Their most recent tour, the eighteen-date stand featured all but one song from the titular twentieth studio album DINOSAUR alongside a slew of classics including “ultra soul“, “BANZAI“, and “MOTEL“.

Recent double A-side single tracks “Seimei” and “Still Alive” were likewise joined by the long-awaited return of 1997 single “FIREBALL” after lying dormant for fifteen years. The 1994 album ballad “Akai Kawa” from The 7th Blues receives similar treatment as it not only makes its home video debut but also is performed for the first time in twenty-three years!

As previously reported, the taping was done at the Saitama Super Arena.on January 13 and 14. Both the two-disc DVD and single disc Blu-ray packages will be available on July 4, 2018, for a price of 6,800 Yen ($61.28 USD) with 21 songs performed in all—thirteen of which are making their home video debuts!

B’z LIVE-GYM 2017-2018 “LIVE DINOSAUR” on DVD & Blu-ray
Release: July 4, 2018 (6800 Yen)

Pre-order DVD Edition: CDJapan / Amazon.co.jp

Pre-order Blu-ray Edition: CDJapan / Amazon.co.jp

1. Seimei ★
2. CHAMP ★
3. Kodoku no Runaway
4. Haruka ★
5. Rooftop ★
6. FIREBALL
7. MOTEL
8. Akai Kawa ★
9. SKYROCKET ★
10. Sore Demo Yappari ★
11. Itoshiki Yuurei ★
12. Yowai Otoko ★
13. Purple Pink Orange ★
14. Ichibu to Zenbu
15. DIVE
16. Dinosaur ★
17. King Of The Street ★
18. Fukiarenasai ★
19. Still Alive
20. ultra soul
21. BANZAI

★ Denotes a song receiving its home video debut

B’z will again be touring later this year for B’z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2018 -HINOTORI- with the first date coming three days after the release of today’s home video package. The tour will run through a two-night event at
Ajinomoto Stadium where B’z famously performed with American rock legends Aerosmith in 2002.