REVIEW: BABYMETAL, WEMBLEY ARENA, LONDON, 02/04/2016
Since BABYMETAL exploded onto the scene in 2014 with their first ever UK show at the Forum, they have quickly become a unprecedented phenomenon, leading them to play Brixton Academy later that same year, and now in 2016, they’ve managed to pull off what many bands can only dream of- a packed show in one of London’s biggest and most prestigious arenas.
Taking to the historic Wembley Arena, which over the years has played host to the likes of The Beatles, Madonna and The Beach Boys, BABYMETAL cemented their place in music history with their biggest international one-man live performance to date, nearly hitting the venue’s capacity of 12,000.
Coinciding with the release of their 2nd LP METAL RESISTANCE the set-list was laced with a handful of new tracks including Awadama Fever, Yava!, and Amore -Sousei-, their latest internet sensations THE ONE and KARATE, as well as their first worldwide hits Doki Doki☆Morning, Megitsune and Gimme Chocolate!!.
Backed by the sounds of pure metal provided by a tight backing band delivering devastating breakdowns and breakneck solos, as well as an astounding stage set up reminiscent of a grittier Notre Dame, BABYMETAL united the crowd ranging from anime kids to old die hard metal heads hailing from across the globe (not to mention the further 10,000 odd watching at a live stream event in Tokyo) under one flag, leading the way in their ongoing metal resistance, which shows no sign of slowing down just yet.
If you haven’t seen these girls rule the stage before, there really isn’t a sight quite like it. Though the brief moment where “Death Vader” turned Yuimetal and Moametal to the dark side only to be saved by Su-metal did catch us off guard, to be honest, we’re still trying to get our heads round how 3 teens from the other side of the planet could leap the language barrier and take London (and the world) by storm to this extent to give it much thought.
It’s hard to see where BABYMETAL will go from this point; is this the peak for the notorious trio, or will they return bigger and better than ever after the remainder of their 2016 world tour starting in May. Only time will tell, but I think it’s safe to say their UK fans will always be by their side.
Words by Charles Shepherd