BAND-MAID -- Thrill

 

I've mentioned this adventure in a past article so allow me to repeat myself here. I've been to a few maid cafés during my life in Japan and then when I returned for those two visits in the 2010s. But my very first time was when my very genki student-turned-friend had some of us accompany her to Akihabara to go inside a maid café that was considered to be an "entry-level" version. I'd had no idea that there was a training hierarchy for customers.😮  The café was bare-bones to be sure, no fantastical interior décor (a lot of the wiring and piping was exposed) . Plus, although the waitresses were dressed up as maids, the service was polite if not effervescently friendly. But at least, they were not the tsundere variety which treats customers like dung and then turn on the charm only when the patrons head out the door.

So in a way, the rock/heavy-metal band BAND-MAID has reminded me of that very first maid café experience. The members are all business with none of that "goshuujin-sama" stuff. Maybe they are dressed up as maids but musically, they go hard.

I first heard about the band through their leader, Miku Kobato（小鳩ミク）, who I'd covered via her solo project cluppo and her song "PEACE & LOVE". As I mentioned in that article, Kobato had been employed as a maid in a café (and that is also where my entry-level experience was given its initial writing) and decided that she can put together a band but a band of hard-rocking music instead of the saccharine aidoru stuff. And thus BAND-MAID was born in 2013...so, congratulations on their 10th anniversary. Along with Kobato, there is co-vocalist Saiki, guitarist Kanami, drummer Akane and bassist Misa. 

In November 2015, BAND-MAID released their 2nd album "New Beginning" and the lead track there is "Thrill", written and composed by singer-musician Kentaro Akutsu（阿久津健太郎）. The lyrics, which have been given an English translation via the CC, go into the rock-friendly theme of bashing down barriers and walls to make a new life for oneself. No more of the conventional...just blast into a new age without needing anyone's permission or approval. The album peaked at No. 64 on Oricon. My compliments especially to Misa on the bass.