Live at Budokan: Red Night & Black Night Apocalypse is the third live video release by the Japanese heavy metal band Babymetal. It contains two concerts performed at Nippon Budokan shortly after the release of the band's eponymous debut album, and was released on January 7, 2015, in a standard edition and a limited-edition box set exclusively for "The One" fanclub members.
Live at Budokan: Red Night & Black Night Apocalypse peaked at number one on the Oricon Blu-ray chart, making the band the youngest female act to top the chart.
Background The concerts at Nippon Budokan were first announced at the show Legend "1997" Su-metal Seitansai on December 21, 2013, in conjunction with the announcement of the band's eponymous debut album Babymetal. Ticket were made available until December 24, 2013 on the band's official website and the "Babymetal Apocalypse Web" fansite. Tickets to the first show were delivered along with corsets, approximately 10,000 fans attended the first concert.
On November 10, 2014, audio and releases for the shows were announced in several formats: 2-DVD and Blu-ray releases of both shows, a CD release of the first show, and a "The One" fanclub-exclusive box set "Budo-can" bundled with the video and a CD release of the second show. All formats were set for release on January 7, 2015. A trailer was posted on YouTube on December 19, 2014, containing footage from the shows.
Development
The venue consisted of an octagonal stage at the center of the Budokan, with television monitors hanging down from the ceiling. Surrounding the stage were four circular stages connected to the main stage with runways.
For the first show, audience members were handed neck corsets for the Corset Festival and told not to take them off during the show, and the audience were only able to stand during the performance. For the second show, the performance appears to be more theatrical, contrasting the more straightforward show of the first day.
After the accident during the performance of "Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!" on the first day, where Yuimetal fell off a stage runway during the bridge, an update was posted to Twitter confirming Yuimetal was fine. The stage for the second day remained mostly the same, but with added barriers along the runways leading to the stage.
Content The performance on March 1, subtitled Red Night, begins with the stage darkening. The band's manager Kobametal appears on the screen above the stage, declaring "This live performance will have no MC or encore. It begins when you wear your corsets." as the members of the Kami Band appear on stage, performing all the music live. He also clarifies that the show was different from the band's Legend "Corset Festival" performed at Meguro Rock May Kan the previous year, calling the current show Legend "Corset Festival Extra". At the end of the narration, the line "kitsune kitsune" is looped repeatedly. The three band members ascend to the main stage in three circular stages, which transitions to the first song, "Megitsune". During the performances of "Doki Doki ☆ Morning" and "Gimme Chocolate!!", the audience proceed to form moshing circles. "Iine!" is accompanied with laser lights, Sumetal shouting "Budokan" at the bridge, and a collaborative headbang at the breakdown. "Catch Me If You Can" is preceded by Kami Band solos, and "Uki Uki ★ Midnight" is followed by Su-metal's solo "Rondo of Nightmare". Next, Black Babymetal perform their songs "Onedari Daisakusen" and "Song 4", which is followed up by Su-metal shouting "Akatsuki da!" for "Akatsuki". "Babymetal Death" plays next, which leaves the arena chanting "Death!". During the performance of "Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!", however, Yuimetal remained out of view after the bridge of the song. Afterwards, the venue goes dark for a few minutes, transitioning to the final song, "Ijime, Dame, Zettai", during which Yuimetal has returned, but Moametal slipped and fell while running around the circumference of the stage. The show ends with the three members shouting "We are!", as the audience responds "Babymetal!".
The March 2 performance, subtitled Black Night, begins with a video prologue narrating the beginning of Legend "Doomsday", as the band begins the concert with "Babymetal Death". At the bridge of "Iine!", Su-metal shows the word "Doomsday". Next the band performs "Kimi to Anime Ga Mitai – Answer for Animation With You", where the three members dance at high-speed throughout the stage. Following the Black Babymetal songs "Onedari Daisakusen" and "Song 4", narration tells the story of a girl, which is followed by Su-metal performing the ballad "No Rain, No Rainbow" as well as "Akatsuki". Next, the band performs "Catch Me If You Can" all the way to "Ijime, Dame, Zettai". As the band finished the latter song, the stage darkens for a while, until the band members begin performing "Doki Doki ☆ Morning", which has been interpreted as the band returning to its roots. At the end of the final song "Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!", Su-metal rings a gong, and an audio epilogue explains that Episode I of the Metal Resistance in Japan has concluded, and the band would continue to perform overseas. On the stage, the members are called by name, guided into their individual coffins, and ascending into the sky, as the screen promotes the concerts Legend "Y" and Legend "M" in Europe, for birthday concerts dedicated to Mizuno and Kikuchi, respectively.
Reception Live at Budokan: Red Night & Black Night Apocalypse debuted at number three and one on the Oricon weekly DVD and Blu-ray charts, respectively, for the week of January 19, 2015, with first-week sales of approximately 17,000 Blu-ray copies. In addition to the band having their first number-one Blu-ray release, the three members became the youngest female artists (average age 15.7) to top the chart, surpassing Momoiro Clover Z's Momoiro Christmas 2011: Saitama Super Arena Taikai in 2012 (age 16.6). The video also charted in the same positions for the music video sub-charts the same week.
Track listing
Notes "Mischiefs of Metal Gods" is not listed in the track listings.
Personnel Credits adapted from Live at Budokan: Red Night & Black Night Apocalypse booklet. Su-metal (Suzuka Nakamoto) – lead and background vocals, dance Yuimetal (Yui Mizuno) – lead and background vocals (credited as "scream"), dance Moametal (Moa Kikuchi) – lead and background vocals (credited as "scream"), dance
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (2015) Peakposition Japanese DVD (Oricon) 3 Japanese Music DVD (Oricon) 3 Japanese Blu-ray (Oricon) 1 Japanese Music Blu-ray (Oricon) 1
Daily charts Chart (2015) Peakposition Japanese DVD (Oricon) Alt URL 2 Japanese Music DVD (Oricon) 2 Japanese Blu-ray (Oricon) 1
Release history Region Date Format Label Edition(s) Catalog Japan Standard TFBQ-18161TFXQ-78119 "Budo-can" limited PPTF-8074 Worldwide Digital download Amuse, Inc. Standard (Red Night Apocalypse and Black Night Apocalypse) rowspan="2" Streaming Europe earMusic Standard EMU0210724EMU0210725
Live at Budokan: Red Night
Live at Budokan: Red Night is the first live album by Babymetal. The album was released in Japan on January 7, 2015 by BMD Fox Records and Toy's Factory, and in Europe on October 30, 2015 by earMusic, featuring audio from the first live performance at Nippon Budokan on March 1, 2014.
Background Live at Budokan: Red Night was announced alongside the video release Live at Budokan: Red Night & Black Night Apocalypse on November 10, 2014. The album contains audio taken from the band's headlining show Red Night – Legend "Corset Festival Extra" Tenkaichi Metal Budokai Final on March 1, 2014 at Nippon Budokan. The album was mastered by Grammy Award winner Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, NYC. Jensen wanted to produce it in a way as to enjoy the presence and live feeling of being at the venue.
In Japan, pre-orders for first-press limited editions of the album received a music card with a code to download the song "Road of Resistance" from the iTunes Store or Recochoku for free. The song was first premiered at a show in London, and was later announced as a collaboration with DragonForce guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman. The album would later be released in several formats to Europe and the United Kingdom on October 30, 2015, including a limited edition bundle that came with a DVD of Live at Budokan: Red Night Apocalypse, and a vinyl format on August 25, 2021 to commemorate the band's tenth anniversary.
Reception Live at Budokan: Red Night was positively reviewed by Billboard Japan, stating that the work emphasized the talent of the performers over the idol appeal prominent on Babymetal. The album was praised for the "live" sound of the guitars and drums, and the vocal performance of the three members, particularly lead singer Nakamoto, commenting that although some parts of the work had shaky vocals, it was made up by the strong performance in the rest of the album. Jensen's contribution to the album was also reviewed positively, suggesting that the band's production team's appointment of high-profile musicians prioritizes the quality of the music. The album was also described as a potential success as both a live metal album and a pop album.
In Japan, Live at Budokan: Red Night debuted at number three on the Oricon Weekly Albums chart for the week of January 19, 2015, selling approximately 24,000 copies in the first week, and charting higher than the band's eponymous debut album. This marked the first time in eleven years that a live album by a girl group charted in the top three positions since the Twelve Girls Band live album Kiseki in 2003. The album also peaked at number three on the Billboard Japan Hot Albums chart.
With its international digital release, Live at Budokan: Red Night charted at number 21 on the Heatseekers Albums chart in the United States, and number 18 on the Independent Albums Breakers chart in the United Kingdom. The album also topped the iTunes Metal charts in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Germany.
Track listing
Personnel Credits adapted from Live at Budokan: Red Night booklet. Su-metal (Suzuka Nakamoto) – lead and background vocals Yuimetal (Yui Mizuno) – lead and background vocals (credited as "scream") Moametal (Moa Kikuchi) – lead and background vocals (credited as "scream") Ted Jensen – mastering
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (2015–2021) Peakposition Japanese Albums (Oricon) 3 Japanese Albums (Billboard) 3 UK Independent Albums Breakers (OCC) 18 US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) 21 US World Albums (Billboard) 3
Daily charts Chart (2015) Peakposition Japanese Albums (Oricon) 2
Monthly charts Chart (2015) Peakposition Japanese Albums (Oricon) 13
Release history Region Date Format Label Edition(s) Catalog Worldwide Digital download Amuse, Inc. Standard Japan CD TFCC-86503 Limited TFCC-86502 Europe CD, DVD earMusic EMU0210723 Digital download Standard rowspan="6" Japan Streaming Amuse, Inc. Taiwan Hong Kong Singapore Malaysia Japan LP TFJC-38071/2
Budo-can
The Budo-can is a member-exclusive box set by Babymetal. It was released on January 7, 2015 in Japan, in limited quantities to "The One" fanclub members, and contained either a DVD or Blu-ray release of Live at Budokan: Red Night & Black Night Apocalypse, and the exclusive live album Live at Budokan: Black Night (stylized as LIVE AT BUDOKAN 〜BLACK NIGHT〜), which contained audio from the second show at Nippon Budokan, excluding the songs "Kimi to Anime Ga Mitai – Answer for Animation With You" and "No Rain, No Rainbow".
Live at Budokan: Black Night is set to re-released on October 10, 2021 as a "The One" fanclub exclusive in vinyl format.
Notes "Mischiefs of Metal Gods" is stylized as "Mischiefs of metal gods".
Notes
References
External links News - Babymetal official website
Limited Edition Regular Edition