Great Live JRock Shows to Watch Online

It feels like the world of live JRock is coming to a standstill. We’ve talked before about how anime have been impacted by the epidemic, but the impact has been felt at live events as well. Conventions are cancelled. Retailers are struggling to fill orders due to breakdowns in manufacturing chains. Concerts and festivals are closing up shop. With Japan extending their stay at home order until the end of May, it can be slim pickings on the entertainment front.

But its not all bad news. All around the world, bands are putting live shows previously exclusive to DVD on YouTube under the tag of #StayHome to help fans who are missing the live music experience. With Friday upon us and the weekend looming, here are some of the available Live JRock performances from some of our favourite bands to scratch that itch for you.

Live JRock on Offer this Weekend

BABYMETAL

They may have recently cancelled their European tour, including a performance at Download Festival in June, but if you’re craving the kind of high quality metal that only a band of Japanese women can provide, here is a taste of their performance from the 2018 Download Festival.

And, if that’s not enough, Sunday at 3pm BST, they’ll be premiering their performance at Wembley in 2016 as well. If you’ve never seen them live, you’re missing one of the best shows on the planet, so don’t miss the chance to see not one but two performances from the hardest working band in metal.

Bradio

I recently talked about how much I adore this band, but despite their success in Japan, this funky crew seldom travel overseas, so when they posted their performance from their 10^th anniversary tour in January, it instantly went to the top of my To Watch list. Bradio brings such a positive, joyous energy to their shows that makes it hard not to bop along with them as they dance in their bright suits. 

Originally posted in late April, this performance from the NHK Hall in Tokyo was meant to come down this week, but with the lockdown extended the band has decided to keep it up until the end of May so don’t miss this chance to check it out.

Aya Uchida

Anime fans are likely familiar with Aya Uchida. Her career as a voice actress has included shows like Black Clover, Danganronpa, and Love Live: School Idol Project. She’s also an accomplished singer and performer. Her single Sign was featured as the ending song to one of my favourite shows from last year, The Quintessential Quintuplets.

As part of Golden Week, Aya Uchida put one of her 2016 concerts up on YouTube. Looks like it will stay there until Sunday the 10^th May, so you’ve only got a few days left to check out this high energy 3+ hour live show for free worldwide.

Bonus Track: Band-Maid

Band-Maid haven’t put out a full live concert yet, but they have released a live performance of their single Choose Me from their show at Line Cube Shibuya. I adore this band for their undeniable talent combined with their commitment to the maid cafe aesthetic, so I caught this song when it was first put online and haven’t stopped listening to it since. Originally from Valentines Day 2020, this is a great taste of what this group can do live. It definitely has me looking forward to when they bring their powerful riffs and unique style to Europe, hopefully very soon.

Other big names like Flow and Uverworld have taken part in YouTube’s Music Week event, though their performances were taken down just after their premier, so I couldn’t say if we’ll be able to catch them again. The longer the lockdown goes on, the more bands we’re likely to see making their content available, so stay tuned!

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Trent Cannon

Trent is a fan of anything that doesn't take itself too seriously. He is frequently hilarious and adorable. If 240 character takes on gaming, anime, or rat pictures are your thing, follow him on Twitter.

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