LIVE-GYM
LIVE-GYM refers to live concerts featuring B'z. Invented by the members as a combination of "live" and an abbreviation of the English word "gymnasium" due to the band wanting to perform with the high-energy that one would expect from a sports event, the word has become synonymous and interchangeable when referring to B'z concerts. The resulting shows featuring the band have been characterized by their consistent quality, cutting edge production value, and kinetic energy. LIVE-GYM concerts all over Japan are known to sell out no matter the size of the venue, with B'z routinely filling the nation's largest domes in record time.
Since the band's first tours that carried the title "LIVE-GYM", most that followed have been labeled as such as well, with the only exceptions being special events and SHOWCASE concerts. SHOWCASE events allow the band to take a break from large-scale venues and venture out to see fans at smaller, more intimate venues, where the setlists typically include a great many scarcely-performed songs. Generally, these are often played as warm-ups to larger LIVE-GYM concerts as well as a means of still touring for fans even when a major album promotion isn't in order, especially in areas of Japan that the band have not visited previously or have not visited in some time.
In addition to sold-out shows all over their home country, B'z has also performed internationally in the United States, Canada, Taipei, and Hong Kong.
Information
Show Format
A LIVE-GYM usually contains roughly 20 songs and lasts around two and a half hours. At virtually every show, generally immediately prior to the third song of a given setlist, a skit is generally played out on stage leading up to Koshi announcing "Welcome to the B'z LIVE-GYM" (B'z no LIVE-GYM ni yokoso). For SHOWCASE events, this may be changed to "Welcome to the B'z SHOWCASE" (B'z no SHOWCASE ni yokoso). Throughout the setlist, at specific intervals, Koshi and Tak will engage in MC sessions related to specific songs prior to performing them. Lastly, at the end of each show, Koshi customarily leads the band into a heave with the crowd replying by shouting "Otsukare" (Well done), a customary parting in Japanese culture following business transactions. Afterward, an "Ending SE" as it is known in Japan is played to the crowd over the speakers as the support members leave and Tak and Koshi wave and bow to the audience while roaming the stage for its duration. The "Ending SE" has generally been that of an unreleased song or instrumental at the time of its inclusion, usually ensuring its release in the near future as a B-side or album song.
Support Members
When performing live, B'z always tours with a full band filling the positions not occupied by the two primary members of Tak Matsumoto on guitar and Koshi Inaba on vocals. Typically, those touring with the band at a given time are also those providing their respective parts on the most recent recording efforts. This formation of touring and recording with the same team began in 1993 with one of the band's best-regarded albums, RUN.
B'z have most often toured with a bassist, drummer, and keyboardist, but in recent years added a backing guitarist and vocalist when Shinichirou Ohta toured with the band beginning in 2003 through 2008. The role went absent from the band's 2009 and 2010 tours, but would be again filled in 2011 by a friend of Tak's, Yoshinobu Ohga, who was featured as one of the fellow guitarists on his concept album Theatre of Strings in 2004.
Apart from the aforementioned primary support members, others have also filled various performance roles for the band over time due to varying circumstances, with drummers such as Masato Yamaguchi and GO from Japanese band SUNSOWL occasionally providing drums during the band's TV performances when Shane Gaalaas is not in Japan.
Most recently, since 2011, drums have been provided by Canadian drummer Shane Gaalaas, bass by American Barry Sparks, backing guitar by Yoshinobu Ohga, and keyboards by Takanobu Masuda.
Tickets & Merchandise
Tickets to B'z LIVE-GYM concerts are very in-demand in Japan. Until 2000, B'z tickets were all sold through general public ticket retailers, but due to this making it difficult for fans to acquire tickets in many cases, a new system was put into place that allows for priority purchases to fanclub members. While tickets to large LIVE-GYMs can be purchased with general ease with foresight, tickets to smaller offerings, such as SHOWCASE events, are extremely difficult to acquire due to the extremely high demand and limited availability. Tickets to said events are generally publicized only locally through newspaper advertisements and similar means.
At each show, fans are given the opportunity to acquire memorabilia specific to that tour and occasionally to that venue. Tour goods typically include a variety of T-shirts, wristbands, towels, keychains, a tour brochure, bags, and other tour-specific items. On offer are also all of the band's singles, albums, and home videos. Tour merchandise is routinely made available on the band's official store, B'z The Store, within a few weeks of the tour beginning.
Additionally, for each large-scale LIVE-GYM the band carries out, members of the fan-club B'z PARTY are given the opportunity to win exclusive passes to a very limited Meet & Greet with the band before the show. One such Meet & Greet event can be witnessed in the band's 2002 concert documentary film a BEAUTIFUL REEL. B'z LIVE-GYM 2002 GREEN ~GO★FIGHT★WIN~.
Setlists
A B'z setlist generally amounts to roughly 20 songs, with a spread of high-energy rock songs and a select few ballads filling the remaining slots. Generally, B'z ends shows with very high-energy numbers and reserves middle slots for ballads, as is often the case with popular choices such as "OCEAN" and "TIME". At SHOWCASE concerts, B'z frequently take the opportunity to play obscure tracks and fan-favorites that are not generally suitable for their mainstream LIVE-GYM tours, where longtime fans and newcomers converge. While B'z have played a great many of their hundreds of songs live on multiple occasions, there are still a few dozen songs that have never been given the live treatment.
When touring overseas, B'z frequently include a large number of their English songs. The band's English-language tracks come both as reversions of their Japanese hits with all-new English lyrics as well as brand new songs that have no Japanese counterpart.
Venues
Depending on the type of tour, B'z will perform in venues of both immense capacity and smaller, much more intimate and limited venues. Larger tours, such as album tours, have been split in recent years between hall and dome legs. The hall tours take place at various music halls around Japan, with seating capacities allowing for only a few thousand fans. Later, the tours expand to Japan's largest domes and stadiums, with the amount of seats generally ranging between 50,000 and 70,000. For SHOWCASE events and smaller shows of a similar vein, venues with capacities under 2,000 are often used and thus make gaining tickets extremely difficult.
Inaugural Performances
On a number of occasions over the yeras, a B'z LIVE-GYM has served as the inaugural event for venues all over Japan. In many of the cases, the band returned to perform at the arenas for years to come on future tours.
- Sendai Sun Plaza (1991) — B'z LIVE-GYM "Pleasure'91"
- Nagoya Dome (1997) — B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure'97 "FIREBALL"
- Nissan Stadium (1999) — B'z LIVE-GYM '99 "Brotherhood"
- Sapporo Dome (2001) — B'z LIVE-GYM 2001 "ELEVEN"
- Hiroshima Big Arch (2002) — B'z LIVE-GYM 2002 "GREEN ~GO★FIGHT★WIN~"
- Niigata Stadium (2002) — B'z LIVE-GYM 2002 "GREEN ~GO★FIGHT★WIN~"
- Oita Sports Park Stadium (2002) — B'z LIVE-GYM 2002 "GREEN ~GO★FIGHT★WIN~"
- Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium (2008) — B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2008 -GLORY DAYS-
- EX Theater Roppongi (2013) — B'z SPECIAL LIVE
Types of B'z Tours
After more than a quarter century of performing, B'z has amassed a varied history of live concerts that have come in a number of different types. These tours typically fall into one of three categories:
Album Tours
The most common LIVE-GYM tours by the band, carried out in support of their then-latest studio album, such as B'z LIVE-GYM 2006 "MONSTER'S GARAGE" and their 2006 studio album, MONSTER. These shows typically result in a setlist that blends about 75-80% of the titular album's songs with a selection of the band's past hits and gems.
Pleasure Tours
Beginning in 1991 with B'z LIVE-GYM "Pleasure'91", B'z began touring occasional "Pleasure" LIVE-GYMs that were not tied to an album or similar source. Instead, they were more of a celebration of the band's entire catalogue and as such can be seen as "greatest hits" shows instead. Singles and special songs released on albums contemporary with a given tour can usually be found in the setlist in question. For example, the bonus songs included on B'z The Best "ULTRA Treasure" in 2008 ("Glory Days" and "Itsuka Mata Koko de") were also performed during B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2008 -GLORY DAYS- the same year.
SHOWCASE Tours
SHOWCASE events are generally one-off warm-ups that take place at smaller, more intimate settings in front of local crowds. Occasionally, these will feature a handful of performances at various dates that may or may not be tied to larger tours by the band. Often, B'z use SHOWCASE events to play obscure fan-favorites and crowd-pleasers from older albums and other releases that are rarely played live.
Home Video Releases
Prior to the advent of DVD and the widespread adoption of the home video market, B'z were very selective about home video releases. Releases generally came once every two to three years, often covering major, hallmark tours. Although not every tour has been released in full, B'z is known to have amassed an archive of recordings for every tour they have undertaken. Over the years, these performances have been selectively sampled in various compilation releases and documentaries.
Beginning in 2006 with B'z LIVE-GYM 2006 "MONSTER'S GARAGE" , B'z have released all of their major tours on home video within a year of the tour's conclusion. With the introduction of Blu-ray technology in latter years, B'z began releasing all of their recent LIVE-GYMs on both DVD and Blu-ray simultaneously, with select older tours filmed in high definition also being re-issued on Blu-ray. To date, every B'z home video is available on DVD apart from the first two, FILM RISKY and JUST ANOTHER LIFE—the latter of which covers B'z LIVE-GYM "Pleasure'91"—which were available only on VHS and LaserDisc and are now considered out of print.
Although home video releases are typically of major LIVE-GYM events, there are occasions in which smaller, more intimate showings have received the full home video treatment as well, such as with B'z LIVE in Namba 2006 and B'z SHOWCASE 2007 -19- at Zepp Tokyo.
Compilation Videos
While very few of the oldest tours have been released in full on home video, excerpt footage can be found on a number of compilation releases. B'z LIVE-GYM Hidden Pleasure ~Typhoon No.20~ was a three-disc, three-hour home video compilation issued on DVD in 2008, the band's 20th anniversary year. The compilation features full performances and special bonuses from LIVE-GYM tours that had not been released in full on their own. Additionally, a companion disc much in the same vein was made available as part of the limited edition for B'z The Best "ULTRA Pleasure" the same year. Similarly, this Premium Live DVD featured ten assorted performances that had not previously been released.
For tours not featured on the aforementioned compilation releases, most of them can be glimpsed on the two B'z PARTY fanclub home videos B'z OFFICIAL BOOTLEG and B'z Official Bootleg Hidden Treasure ~Typhoon No.20~, which contain performance excerpts as well as exclusive behind-the-scenes interviews and recording footage.
List of B'z LIVE-GYMs
Listed here are LIVE-GYM tours held by B'z. Preview shows and SHOWCASE events that were used as warm-ups and openings to larger tours are not highlighted here, instead being mentioned in the corresponding Concurrent Events section for each tour. Additionally, festival appearances and related events are included in the same vain outside of special exceptions.
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The band's 25th anniversary tour. The tour was preceded by SHOWCASE 2013 -Pleasure75- and began shortly after the release of the B'z The Best XXV collections. New songs "Q&A", "Utopia" and "Kakushin" from the albums all received their LIVE-GYM debuts. Several obscure album songs were revived for the hall portion of the tour, with the dome leg featuring the likes of "LOVE PHANTOM", "C'mon", "Ichibu to Zenbu", a revival of "Aikawarazu na Bokura", classics such as "RUN", "ALONE", and "TIME", and the debut of a new song: "Endless Summer". Concurrent Events: B'z SHOWCASE 2013 -Pleasure75-, Aerosonic |
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The band's fourth foray into North America and their largest international tour to date, with seven dates in the United States and Canada. For the first time, B'z toured both the east and west coasts of the U.S., where they had previously only journeyed into the west. The tour came in support of the band's debut English album, released worldwide the previous July. Highlights of the tour included a new English version of "Ai no Bakudan" titled "Love Bomb" and an English rendition of "ultra soul", the LIVE-GYM debut of "GO FOR IT, BABY -Kioku no Sanmyaku-", and "Easy Come, Easy Go!" receiving a special performance in New York City, where the song was recorded 22 years earlier in 1990. The tour finale in Los Angeles was streamed in full worldwide on the internet at no charge. Concurrent Events: Pepsi NEX presents B'z PREMIUM LIVE, B'z LIVE-GYM 2012 -Into Free- EXTRA |
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The band's 2011 Japanese tour in support of their then-latest studio album, C'mon. The tour was split into dome and hall portions, with the setlists remaining relatively the same throughout. For the dome portion, classic ballad "Itsuka no Merry Christmas" was added to the encore of the setlist, and later received its home video debut when the band's showing at Osaka Dome on December 18, 2011 was released the following May on both DVD and Blu-ray. The English version of "SPLASH!" premiered earlier in the summer during the band's 2011 North American tour was retained and performed on all dates of the tour and likewise received its home video debut. Concurrent Events: Pepsi NEX presents B'z 1DAY LIVE, TV Asahi Dream Festival 2011 |
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The third North American tour for B'z, coming eight years since their 2003 LIVE-GYM touring the continent. English versions of "Samayoeru Aoi Dangan", "juice", "SPLASH!", and "Brotherhood" were premiered on the tour, with the first three of which receiving official releases the next year on the band's debut English album and subsequent tour. The tour finale in Los Angeles was again streamed in full over the internet, as has been the case with previous North American tours. Concurrent Events: Music for Relief's Secret Show for Japan |
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The tour supporting the 2009 studio album MAGIC. Modern hits "OCEAN" and "ultra soul" were joined by revivals of 1994 The 7th Blues opener "LOVE IS DEAD" and 1996's "MOVE", along with a special performance of "Ichibu to Zenbu" that blended the ballad version of the song with the original. The show was released in full as B'z LIVE-GYM 2010 "Ain't No Magic" at TOKYO DOME on July 28, 2010. |
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The eight-date tour had B'z touring smaller areans all over Japan, with a great many scarcely-performed songs seeing all new revivals. These include album songs "Crazy Rendezvous", "VAMPIRE WOMAN", "MY SAD LOVE", "THE GAMBLER", and "Blue Sunshine", along with singles and "Calling" and "Shoudou". The tour was never released in full on home video, but it was selectively highlighted on the DVD included in limited edition copies of MAGIC, released later in the year. Concurrent Events: SUMMER SONIC 09 |
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The band's 20th anniversary tour, culminating with a 70,000 fan performance at Nissan Stadium on September 21st, 2008, the six shows served as a full exploration of the band's catalogue and work to date. The setlist contained 26 performances, which is among the most the band has ever performed in a single showing, and included both their best-regarded singles and many of their most beloved gems. The songs performed include singles "LOVE PHANTOM", "ZERO", "juice", "Ai no Bakudan", "ultra soul", "BANZAI", "BLOWIN'", "Konya Tsuki no Mieru Oka ni", and "Hadashi no Megami", along with perennial classic "BAD COMMUNICATION", which was joined by gems "Koi-Gokoro (KOI-GOKORO)", "ONE", "Mou Ichido Kiss Shitakatta", "Kodoku no Runaway", and "NATIVE DANCE". Additionally, the middle of the show was marked by a special retrospective featuring the band's earliest TV appearances, Koshi and Tak performing their first song "Dakara Sono Te wo Hanashite" for the crowd with just the two of them, and a cover of "Oh! Darling" by The Beatles, which was one of the songs the duo played together when they first met. The resulting home video release is considered by many as the best the band has released, receiving the DVD treatment in 2009 before being issued on Blu-ray in 2010. |
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Tour information Concurrent Events: B'z SHOWCASE 2008 -Kiyotake ACTION- |
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Tour information Concurrent Events: SUMMER SONIC 07 |
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Tour information Concurrent Events: B'z SHOWCASE 2006 "Yokosuka MONSTER" |
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Tour information Concurrent Events: B'z SHOWCASE 2005 "Abashiri EXTRA Edition" |
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Tour information Concurrent Events: B'z SHOWCASE 2003 "BIG MACHINE" |
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Tour information Concurrent Events: B'z SHOWCASE 2003 "IT'S SHOWCASE!!" |
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Tour information Concurrent Events: B'z LIVE-GYM 2002 "Rock n' California Roll in Tokyo" |
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Tour information Concurrent Events: 2002 FIFA World Cup International Day Concert, B'z SHOWCASE "SAPPORO DEVIL", B'z LIVE-GYM 2002 "GREEN ~GO★FIGHT★WIN~" -Preview- |
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Tour information Concurrent Events: B'z SHOWCASE "Kobushi wo Nigire" |
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Tour information Concurrent Events: B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2000 "juice" -Preview-, "juice" PV Shoot Guerrilla Live |
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Tour information Concurrent Events: B'z LIVE-GYM '99 -Brotherhood- SHOWCASE "B'zepp", B'z LIVE-GYM '99 "Brotherhood" -Intermission-, B'z LIVE-GYM '99 "Brotherhood" -Extra- |
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Tour information Concurrent Events: B'z SHOWCASE "GO! GO! HEAVEN", B'z LIVE-GYM '98 "SURVIVE" -Preview- |
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Tour information Concurrent Events: B'z LIVE-GYM '96 "Spirit LOOSE" SHOWCASE |
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Tour information Concurrent Events: Merry X'Mas SECRET GIG |
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Tour information Concurrent Events: B'z LIVE-GYM #00 "OFF THE LOCK", B'z BAD-CLUB GYM, B'z CAMPUS-GYM "OFF THE LOCK" |
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International Tours
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