It’s been 11 years since BABYMETAL first touched down on these shores. Having first planted their flag within the UK on the primary stage of the much-missed Sonisphere pageant (a slot that was upgraded as a consequence of overwhelming curiosity) again in 2014, the kawaii-metal warriors have since reworked from chocolate-loving web curios to a globe-straddling juggernaut that also reveals no indicators of slowing down.
Virtually two years after their pageant debut they headlined Wembley Area, breaking the venue’s merchandise gross sales document within the course of, and that feverish fandom has solely continued to develop, with queues snaking inside and outdoors of The O2 lengthy earlier than the doorways have opened.
There’s an unmistakable buzz of anticipation and exhilaration within the air, for tonight isn’t simply BABYMETAL’s biggest-ever UK present (and offered out, after all), nevertheless it’s the primary time we’ll witness the brand new METAL FORTH period in all of its shimmering, kaleidoscopic glory.
Earlier than that although, there’s one thing a lot darker descending on London. With their very metallic emblem plastered throughout the enormoscreen above the stage, Bambie Thug emerges with two comrades, sporting leather-based masks with dreadlocks in ‘Arm The Gays’ and ‘Arm The Dolls’ shirts, to unleash some bass-heavy bedlam on the already impressively-full crowd. Fixed touring has turned the Bambie Thug expertise right into a well-oiled, choreographed and fairly menacing machine, as they energy by way of hex so heavy and Egregore, though does really feel barely swamped by the scale of the stage with out a dwell band.
Bringing a particular edge to the evening with the likes of Bye Boy (you’re not going catch BABYMETAL singing about ketamine), the Irish enigma is all perspective – even their post-song guffawing feels like their plotting one thing. Introducing the bombastic blast of Crimson Rum Rave (bolstered by a Nookie-esque bounce) as “a music for change and a music for riot” Bambie and their entourage elevate trans satisfaction and Palestinian flags to a enormous ovation, earlier than unleashing Doomsday Blue – full with slow-motion dancing that leads to Bambie seemingly possessing and killing certainly one of their dancers – and the gabber-like depth of Tsunami (11:11). Clearly leaving Eurovision within the rearview, it’s a quick however sinister glimpse into the subsequent part of everybody’s favorite witch.
“Hello, shall we start?” comes the disembodied voice as Poppy’s spiky-knuckleduster emblem seems overhead. Like Bambie Thug earlier than her, it appears neither help can use the screens or big walkway to their benefit (which, it should be stated, lessens the impression of each units), however Poppy takes all of it in her stride as she bounds onstage to tear by way of have you ever had sufficient?. Along with her masked band lurking within the shadows, there’s a roaring heaviness that whirrs the primary pits of the evening into motion, which present no indicators of abating. A singer that after existed on their very own genreless island, Poppy has since turn into probably the most in-demand artists in various music, working with the likes of Knocked Free, HEALTH and Dangerous Omens, the latter of which she salutes tonight with the glitching cacophony of V.A.N., and a Meshuggah-level light-show solely including to the sensory onslaught.
Breakthrough hit I Disagree takes issues up a notch, and as Poppy asks “are you able to give me a circle pit for this subsequent music?” three immediately erupt throughout the ground for cute-yet-crushing Concrete. Taking the physicality additional nonetheless by orchestrating two partitions of dying to new approach out, Poppy is really a commanding presence, however abruptly it’s throughout, like we’d simply hit high pace solely to slam the brakes on. As Poppy skips away into the blackness, there’s confusion and disappointment because the set by no means correctly capitalises on the crescendo, however like they are saying, all the time go away them wanting extra…
And if you’d like extra, BABYMETAL gives you extra. Extra of every thing, it appears, as no expense has been spared to deliver this spectacular manufacturing to London for the ultimate evening of their European tour. Big screens. Elevated levels. Laser beams. A raging inferno. Precision-perfect dance routines. That is BABYMETAL and it’s bloody sensible.
Because the Star Wars-like intro video beams out throughout the world, taking us again to a heavy metallic galaxy far-off, the lore of the Fox God continues to broaden with METAL FORTH. After which it begins. SU-METAL, MOAMETAL and MOMOMETAL emerge from the smoke as hundreds of vulpine disciples throw their kitunes to the sky for the pummelling BABYMETAL DEATH. Pyro and jets of fireside explode throughout the stage however the trio don’t even flinch, as de facto chief SU-METAL stoically surveys her kingdom. For the subsequent 90 minutes, this enviornment belongs to them.
With Megitsune and PA PA YA!! lifting everybody to their ft, hundreds are positively misplaced within the second, mesmerised and enraptured by probably the most distinctive and completely joyous dwell reveals they’ve ever seen. Did we point out how a lot hearth there is?
Now a decade and a half into their careers, BABYMETAL have made some well-known mates alongside the way in which, who seem onscreen all through the evening to lend a serving to hand, from Tom Morello’s shredding abilities in METAL!! to Bloodywood lending a hand on vocals for Kon! Kon!, to the legit banger RATATATA with Electrical Callboy. All including distinct flavours however conserving issues unashamedly BABYMETAL, depth ranges by no means dip beneath most, with the pummelling Kami band belting out bulldozer heaviness alongside SU-METAL’s hovering vocals. Bringing issues into the METAL FORTH period, the epic Sundown Kiss receives its world premiere, and just-released Tune 3 is just pulverising, with towering flames blasting down the runway because the band depend to a few – you don’t get that on Sesame Road.
By the point OG hit Gimme Chocolate!! Rolls round, it feels nearly quaint by comparability, contemplating what BABYMETAL at the moment are succesful. Naturally it’s nonetheless a large singalong, however acts as a mark of celebration and reflection on simply how far the band have come since going viral on YouTube all these years in the past. One of the crucial unlikely success tales in metallic it might be, however equally, how may they not turn into superstars?
New bestie Poppy joins the band onstage for a barbarous from me to u, to kick off the confetti-filled encore of Ijime, Dame, Zettai, Street Of Resistance and maybe their greatest music, KARATE. As they return with branded flags on the climax, SU-METAL addresses London straight, and the bond that exists between the band and the UK. “Thanks a lot in your continued religion in BABYMETAL,” she enthuses, with enormous smiles plastered throughout the faces of everybody onstage and the hundreds in attendance, all sharing this second of triumph collectively. 15 years in the past, these fox-worshipping troopers began the combat for heavy metallic, and all this time later, there’s nonetheless nothing fairly prefer it. The place will they go subsequent? Just one individual is aware of for positive…
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Posted on Might thirty first 2025, 6:00p.m.
