B'z FAQ

This page is a repository for frequently asked questions regarding B'z and their sizable catalogue of work as well as serving to offer some direction for navigating the B'z Wiki.

General

Who are the members of B'z?

• B'z was formed in 1988 by guitarist-composer Tak Matsumoto and vocalist-lyricist Koshi Inaba. The band has only ever been comprised of two members, though hundreds of support members have filled numerous instrumental and production roles along the way.

Where can I purchase B'z music internationally?

• All B'z releases may be purchased new from the usual retailers of CDJapan and Amazon Japan. The former offers very fast but costly shipping on all products while the latter allows very affordable international shipping and a fully English website as well. Both services allow for pre-orders of new releases.
• Additionally, 2012 English digital single "Into Free -Dangan-" is still available for purchase worldwide on iTunes.
• Used B'z albums and items can be found worldwide on eBay and similar auction sites.

Where can I purchase B'z tour merchandise and T-shirts?

• Apart from attending an event in person and purchasing there, B'z The Store is the official hub for B'z merchandise and is operated by their staff, offering leftover merchandise such as T-shirts, trinkets, and tour pamphlets at the original prices. However, the store does not itself ship internationally. For overseas fans, the use of a proxy service in order to arrange a Japanese delivery address is recommended for obtaining desired merchandise. A guide for making international orders directly can be found here, while you may arrange for a service to make the order and receive items for you through a proxy shopping service such as this one that is confirmed to handle B'z The Store orders perfectly.

Live events

What is a "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.

What is a "SHOWCASE"?

• 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.

What is a "Pleasure LIVE-GYM"?

• 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. The original concept behind the Pleasure tours was to focus on album songs and B-sides which haven't been performed live before. Initially there were no plans to start a separate series of non-album LIVE-GYMs, but due to the positive response from fans, the band decided to turn it into a tour which takes place every few years. The Pleasure series has since gradually shifted from focusing on lesser known tracks to a celebration of the band's entire catalogue and as such can be seen as "greatest hits" shows instead.

What is the most performed B'z song?

• The song B'z has performed the most at LIVE-GYM events is their 1992 single "ZERO". An early fan-favorite, it has amassed over 500 performances as of B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2018 -HINOTORI-. An updated list of the top twenty-five most-played songs can always be found here.

What was the longest show B'z ever performed?

• The longest show performed by B'z was the finale to their 1999 tour B'z LIVE-GYM '99 "Brotherhood". A massive twenty-seven songs were performed at the September 25 date for Kyoto Kaikan which included virtually all of the songs performed for the tour and culminated in a five-song encore. The show itself ran for over three hours.

Unreleased works

Why can I not find FILM RISKY and JUST ANOTHER LIFE on DVD?

• This is likely due to both being sourced from very early in the band's career and being somewhat dated by today's standards—at least with regard for individual release. Neither have been announced for re-issue as of this writing, having only ever been released in full on LaserDisc and VHS. However, despite neither receiving full re-releases, the performances of "Dakara Sono Te wo Hanashite", "Taiyou no Komachi Angel", and "Easy Come, Easy Go!" from JUST ANOTHER LIFE have been included variously as bonuses accompanying B'z The Best XXV 1988-1998 and B'z COMPLETE SINGLE BOX.