PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
No matter how hard you try, you just can’t get away from Babymetal right now, especially in the UK. We’ve seen them destroy audiences, draw tens of thousands of people at festivals, split opinions across the board and next April they’ll take on Wembley Arena, in what will be only their seventh ever appearance on these shores. Oh, and now they have their own Pop Vinyl range. The Fox God has probably never been so proud…
Last Friday saw the band release two live DVDs: LIVE AT BUDOKAN: Red Night & Black Night Apocalypse and LIVE IN LONDON: Babymetal World Tour 2014. Sticking with Britain for now, the latter of the DVDs consists of the band’s two non-festival UK dates they’ve played so far: at London’s Kentish Town Forum and Brixton Academy. Both were sold out affairs, with the Forum show actually upgraded from the Electric Ballroom due to unprecedented demand. On a grand scale, there isn’t a huge amount of difference between the two shows: they have near-identical setlists and the girls are faultless in terms of performance and choreography. In fact, the major change is the stage setups and use of pyro and special effects. That said, the reaction they get from both shows is just as electric, just as loud and just as intense, especially on the bigger hits like Megitsune, BABYMETAL DEATH and Gimme Choco!!. Plus, the Kami band could well be the most technically-gifted quartet on the planet right now, such is their dexterity.
However, put them in their home country’s biggest venue and it’s even more brilliant. They’re so big in Japan they now sell out the Budokan (with a capacity the same as London’s O2 Arena) quicker than One Direction, and the two shows filmed there as Red Night & Black Night Apocalypse are something to behold. Playing in the round, the girls feed off the energy of their adoring fans superbly and are absolutely faultless, save for the second half of Headbanger!! on Red Night when Yuimetal accidentally fell off the stage and didn’t appear again until the final song. The stage show is also ridiculous – lasers for Iine!, extra dancers for Onedari Daisakusen and all performed in the round with an intensity and bounce that’s simply unrivalled. If they’re bringing any of that over here in April, we’re in for an absolute treat and a half.
Babymetal
Su-metal – vocals, dance
Moametal – scream, dance
Yuimetal – scream, dance
Kami band (rotating members)
Takayoshi Ohmura – guitar
Leda – Guitar
Mikio Fujioka – Guitar
Boh – Bass
Hideki Aoyama – Drums
Yuya Maeta – Drums
Links
http://en.babymetal.jp
http://www.facebook.com/BABYMETAL.jp
http://www.twitter.com/BABYMETAL_JAPAN
- £12.99
