Tag Archives: Seimei/Still Alive

News

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.

News

It has just been announced that in two weeks, on Christmas Day, B’z will be performing on CDTV Special! Christmas Music Festival 2017. The nearly four-hour program will feature a variety of artists including not only B’z but BoA, Kana Nishino, and Back Number with more to be announced soon. The band will be showcasing their seminal Christmas classic “Itsuka no Merry Christmas” and recent single “Still Alive“.

The seasonal classic has been performed on television numerous times in the past—its last televised showing coming in 2005—and may be looking at an inclusion on this month’s B’z LIVE-GYM 2017-2018 “LIVE DINOSAUR”.

News

B’z have just wrapped up their appearance on the 2017 FNS Music Festival aired on Fuji TV in Japan. The event, which will continue with a second day next week, sees artists perform more than once over the course of the evening. B’z first appeared on the stage to perform the modern megahit “Ichibu to Zenbu”. The song, despite being released in 2009, was first performed on television as part of Music Station SUPER LIVE 2012 and later on LIVE MONSTER in 2015.

Later in the show, B’z returned to perform their most recent single “Still Alive” from earlier this summer.

Images courtesy of @mahime1091783 & @orange0799

News

B’z have just wrapped up their appearance on Nippon TV’s Best Artist 2017 program with the debut television performance of “Still Alive“. The appearance comes on the eve of the release for their twentieth studio album DINOSAUR. The band appeared for a brief interview beforehand prior to a video package being run featuring footage from ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL 2017. The band were supported by Barry Sparks on bass and Shane Gaalaas on drums.

Tak also brought back his first ever Gibson signature guitar: the 1999 Gibson Les Paul Tak Matsumoto Signature model in Canary Yellow. This is the guitar’s first appearance on a live stage in sixteen years after last being seen for B’z LIVE-GYM 2001 “ELEVEN”. The guitar was supplanted later by the Tak Burst model before he segued to his Double Cutaway models beginning in 2004. Given the band’s thirtieth anniversary is coming next year, it’s possible Tak will be revisiting many of his older guitars for the upcoming tours.

Tak performing the finger tap solo for “Still Alive” with his original signature guitar

News

UPDATE (6/19): The official Music Station website has been updated with the songs each artist will be performing. B’z will almost certainly be performing at the end of the show as is custom and will be performing “Seimei” and “ultra soul“.

It has just been announced that B’z will be appearing on Music Station Ultra FES 2017 as part of the massive lineup that includes AKB48, Maki Ohguro, Sekai no Owari, Tokio, Hey! Say! Jump, Morning Musume ’17, Momoiro Clover Z, and Yoshiki of X-Japan alongside most other prominent Japanese music acts of the modern era.

It is unknown what exactly B’z will perform as part of their appearance. Their last showings on television came in late 2014 and early 2015 as part of promotions for their then-latest single “Uchouten“. On occasions when the band have no recent release to promote, they often bring songs from the back catalogue such as with their appearance on Music Station SUPER LIVE 2012 where they performed “Ichibu to Zenbu” in its TV debut three years after release. It was paired with their most-performed television song “Ai no Bakudan” in its tenth showing.

The program will air on Monday, September 18, on TV Asahi.

News

The summer touring for B’z has only just come to an end, and we first bring you news on their appearances at RISING SUN ROCK FESTIVAL 2017 in EZO and the ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL 2017. As expected, the setlist used for both shows were truncated for the abbreviated stage time compared to earlier dates for B’z SHOWCASE 2017 -B’z In Your Town-.

Given the shows have already completed, the setlist is preserved below:

B’z Summer 2017 Festival Appearance Setlists
[August 5 & 11, 2017]

1. Samayoeru Aoi Dangan
2. Liar! Liar!
3. Sayonara Kizu Darake no Hibi yo
4. Uchouten
5. Hadashi no Megami
6. Ichibu to Zenbu
7. Still Alive
8. Shoudou
9. juice
10. girigiri chop
11. ultra soul

It is not uncommon for B’z to include recent singles that would appeal specifically to festival-goers as well as their perennial hits for such occasions, as opposed to the fan-centric SHOWCASE outings. The band’s appearance for SUMMER SONIC 09, for example, spanned thirteen songs—all thirteen of which were singles.