Two of the most powerful bands from the “BanG Dream!” family (franchise) have once again joined forces, but this time for their very first livestream concert together!

The juggernaut show that took place on December 12 was audienceless and fully decorated in such a way to be enjoyed through the screen. And naturally, packed with material to provide goosebumps to make sure to live up to the concert title, “Rausch und/and Craziness -interlude-“ (Excitement and Craziness -interlude-).

RAISE A SUILEN – The “Craziness”

RAISE A SUILEN: Kurachi Reo, Natsume, Raychell, Tsumugi Risa, Kohara Riko.

After previously being a support band, RAISE A SUILEN is—as of recently—finally a core part of the BanG Dream! family. One of the biggest effects from this compared to last year’s “Rausch und/and Craziness” is that they were able to perform original songs rather than covers, allowing them to shape a more solid identity.

Considering how extremely wild the songs are from the first full-length album ERA, the show appropriately reflected that energy. Opening with “EXPOSE ‘Burn out!!!’”, an exhilarating piece of work—as you might have guessed by the three exclamation marks. This synth-filled song while energetic is structurally well balanced too. Lots of build-ups and high points to perfectly distribute one’s enthusiastic energy.

The five performers took a lot of opportunities to coordinately headbang, not only to the previously mentioned song but throughout the entire set such as the next two songs “HELL! or HELL?“ and “A DECLARATION OF xxx”. This raw style of performance was for sure something that was missing from the BanG Dream! line-up, so I really enjoyed this aspect.

An aura of professionalism and solidness was clearly emanating from the members too through their intense and fast-paced performance, making even the tiniest mundane chord or stroke a joy to watch.

Guitarist Kohara Riko’s dance and amazing footwork while playing the guitar was my personal highlight, but all of the performers had their own distinct way of shining. Keyboardist Kurachi Reo’s elegant play, drummer Natsume’s genuine and always cheerful expressions, bassist and vocalist Raychell’s strong and confident stance, and of course, DJ Tsumugi Risa’s incredibly lively spirit!

All of these traits together managed to create a crazy show even for an audience behind the screen!

Roselia – The “Rausch” (Excitement)

Roselia: Haruka Kudo, Megu Sakuragawa, Aina Aiba, Yuki Nakashima, Kanon Shizaki.

Roselia is a band that takes a more thematic direction, following a gothic and perfectionist approach. As such, the camera work was a lot more cinematic, a stark contrast from RAISE A SUILEN’s raw performance.

With the atmosphere turned to a mysterious and absorbing setting, it didn’t take long for Roselia to burst it with excitement. The first song “FIRE BIRD” offered a calm intro but it quickly shifted to its true nature, revealing the band’s mighty essence that was extended through fire-spitting pyrotechnics!

FIRE BIRD was without a doubt their most amazing performance from the set! I was in awe and mesmerized by how the cameras and the giant backdrop LED screen was utilized. Together with vocalist Aina Aiba’s dramatic moves, the three parts worked in synergy to create an illusion of an actual immersive music video—even though it was a livestream performance.

A perfect example of such synergy was when Aina Aiba lifted her hand up, and at her command, the backdrop behind displayed a bursting flame animation while the camera crane smoothly and slowly backed away to reveal the redly-lit stage—as if Aina Aiba had set it on fire.

The band continued this type of captivating and cinematic stage with other songs like “Avant-garde HISTORY”, and “Neo-Aspect”, just to mention a few, creating an immersive experience that was hard to beat.

While flames were one of the major standouts, it was quite beautiful to see them utilize their tools in an enchanting way too. Filling the stage with smoke that covered the floor while displaying imagery of skies and clouds, shimmering glass, kaleidoscope, and the vast space.

Following Roselia’s concept, each member acted and performed on point to their fictional counterpart, with minor space for divergence and adlib.

Conclusion

The level of this livestream was simply incredible, going to a length that I absolutely did not expect. For starters, the camera work offered shots you normally wouldn’t see on live DVDs, because those would obstruct the audience’s view. However, since there was no in-person audience, the bands took great advantage of this to get some unique angles.

It was amazing to see how focused both bands were despite being shotgun with a dozen cameras as opposed to cheering fans.

You might also have noticed that the show includes “interlude” in its title “Rausch und/and Craziness -interlude-”, just as it implies, the livestream was merely a big teaser to what we can expect from the upcoming joint concert on February 22, 2021. Unlike the interlude, the next show “Rausch und/and Craziness II” will actually serve an in-person audience!

All the members from RAISE A SUILEN and Roselia take the stage at the encore.

Setlist

RAISE A SUILEN

  1. EXPOSE ‘Burn out!!!’
  2. HELL! or HELL?
  3. A DECLARATION OF xxx
  4. UNSTOPPABLE
  5. Takin’ my Heart
  6. Beautiful Birthday
  7. BRING IT ON (劣等上等, Rettou Joutou)
  8. !NVADE SHOW!
  9. SOUL SOLDIER
  10. DRIVE US CRAZY

Roselia

  1. FIRE BIRD
  2. Neo-Aspect
  3. Avant-garde HISTORY
  4. Charles (シャルル)
  5. Medley of songs: Ringing Bloom, Sunkissed Rhodonite (陽だまりロードナイト), Determination Symphony
  6. Our Path (軌跡, Kiseki)
  7. Promise (約束, Yakusoku)
  8. R
  9. Break your desire
  10. Song I am.

Encore

  1. 1. R・I・O・T (RAISE A SUILEN with Roselia)
  2. 2. BLACK SHOUT (Roselia with RAISE A SUILEN)

Photos: ©BanG Dream! Project ©Craft Egg Inc. ©bushiroad All Rights Reserved.

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Stream
CD
  1. Invincible Fighter
    Invincible Fighter
  2. A DECLARATION OF xxx
    A DECLARATION OF ×××
  3. SOUL SOLDIER
    SOUL SOLDIER
  4. UNSTOPPABLE
    UNSTOPPABLE
  5. HELL! or HELL?
    HELL! or HELL?
  6. Beautiful Birthday
    Beautiful Birthday
  7. Takin' my Heart
    Takin' my Heart
  8. DRIVE US CRAZY
    DRIVE US CRAZY
  9. !NVADE SHOW!
    !NVADE SHOW!
  10. REIGNING
    REIGNING
  11. EXPOSE 'Burn out!!!'
    EXPOSE 'Burn out!!!'
  12. R・I・O・T
    R・I・O・T
CD
  1. R
    R
  2. BRAVE JEWEL
    BRAVE JEWEL
  3. Determination Symphony
    Determination Symphony
  4. FIRE BIRD
    FIRE BIRD
  5. Safe and Sound
    Safe and Sound
  6. Avant-garde HISTORY
    Avant-garde HISTORY
  7. Break your desire
    Break your desire
  8. Re:birth day
    Re:birth day
  9. Neo-Aspect
    Neo-Aspect
  10. Promise
    約束
  11. “UNIONS” Road
    “UNIONS” Road
  12. Song I am.
    Song I am.
RAISE A SUILEN:
Twitter Raychell
Twitter Riko Koharu
Twitter Natsume
Twitter Reo Kurachi
Twitter Risa Tsumugi
Roselia:
Twitter Aina Aiba
Twitter Haruka Kudo
Twitter Yuki Nakashima
Twitter Megu Sakuragawa
Twitter Kanon Shizaki
Instagram Aina Aiba
Instagram Haruka Kudo