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Tak Matsumoto’s latest solo endeavour takes a different turn compared to his last solo album 「New Horizon」 which was inspired by his previous work with Larry Carlton. His new album 「enigma」 is the product of Tak’s self-reflection regarding his career and his musicianship. Even now, it remains a mystery to him if he has become the musician he is supposed to be. An enigma. On this tour, titled 「The Voyage」, Tak Matsumoto takes the audience on a journey through his career, supported by lighting effects and videos.

This is the first time for me to go to one of Tak’s solo shows, and I was very excited to see what kind of performance Tak has got in store for a big venue such as Nippon Budokan! I am used to instrumental guitar performances by the likes of Steve Vai and Joe Satriani. However, not in such a huge venue.

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Over two years have passed since the home video release of B’z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2013 ENDLESS SUMMER -XXV BEST-. The band has had their share of singles, albums, and solo works in the interim, but it is with the recently-released B’z LIVE-GYM 2015 -EPIC NIGHT- that the band makes their big return to the live stage on DVD and Blu-ray.

Today, we have for you an exhaustive review and report on the band’s latest release. Please be advised that this review is written to be mostly as spoiler-free as possible with regard to the specific surprises of the show, but the song inclusions and beat-by-beat moments are discussed at length. Additionally, translations and summaries of Koshi’s dialogue with the band and the audience are included for those seeking clarification.

Read on to see exactly what awaits in the band’s latest home video offering and feel free to offer your own thoughts as well.

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At the recent 58th Annual Grammy Awards held in Los Angeles, Tak Matsumoto appeared during Japanese broadcaster WOWOW’s live coverage of the event as a guest. Actor-musician Johnny Depp and Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry appeared in the preceding segment to promote their supergroup Hollywood Vampires and were photographed by the staff with Tak as he emerges for the interview.

Today, the full ten minute interview is now available to be viewed below, complete with subtitles.

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All sample videos contained in this article are publicly sourced and are reproduced here only for accessibility.

With the dawn of the new year came word that B’z The Best “Pleasure II” had already sold over one million copies since its release at the end of November 2005. The band would soon begin a new chapter in its live shows, with the addition of several new staff members behind the scenes in order to push the band into a new era with as fresh a perspective as possible.

On January 25, the band would release its fortieth single, “Shoudou“. Shortly before it made its way to shelves, the title song began serving as the opening theme to the Detective Conan anime series. B’z would make a great deal of television appearances in the year 2006, beginning with a performance of their then most recent single on MUSIC FIGHTER five days prior to its release. A couple of weeks later, the B-side “Kesshou” would be performed on Utawara HOT Hit 10. Aside from this appearance, the song has never been played live. Upon release, the single ranked at number one and became the band’s thirty-sixth consecutive to do so.

The year would prove to be one in which B’z were frequently requested to utilize their prowess for the benefit of younger artists. In March, the single “Real Face” by Japanese pop group KAT-TUN, for which Tak Matsumoto wrote the music, was released. The single would go on to sell over one million copies the year of its release and would be the highest seller of the year. An album titled Best of KAT-TUN released the same month featured a rock-centric reversion of the song titled “Real Face #1”, for which the arrangement was also credited to Tak and longtime B’z support member Akihito Tokunaga.

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All sample videos contained in this article are publicly sourced and are reproduced here only for accessibility.

Hot off the previous year’s multiple tours, the band began 2004 in the studio recording new material. While the year would yield no new B’z studio album, both Koshi and Tak would embark on respective solo projects that were yet unprecedented for both musicians.

The year’s first release, however, came in the form of home video Typhoon No.15 ~B’z LIVE-GYM The Final Pleasure “IT’S SHOWTIME!!” in Nagisaen~ on February 25, 2004. Released on DVD and VHS simultaneously, the set offered full coverage of the band’s 15th anniversary concert at Nagisaen—the very site where they had previously performed their only other open-air concert: B’z LIVE-GYM Pleasure’93 “JAP THE RIPPER”. The release also came bundled with the documentary The Days of Pleasure, documenting the hall tour and rehearsals leading up to the finale show on the band’s anniversary, along with footage of the band recording the year’s studio album BIG MACHINE.

Prior to fully committing the year to solo projects, a new single entitled “BANZAI” from the earlier sessions was released on May 5, 2004. The song proved to be an immediate hit on the live stage in the years that followed, with repeated performances at various LIVE-GYMs, including 2005’s “CIRCLE OF ROCK” and 2008’s 25th anniversary tour GLORY DAYS.