LIVE REVIEW: BABYMETAL @ Eventim Apollo, London
There’s nothing quite like a BABYMETAL show. A room full of moshers, cosplayers, J-pop fans and all kinds of people you’d never expect to see at a metal gig coming together to worship the Fox God. The level of dedication from BABYMETAL fans really is unmatched. And at this sold out show at the Eventim Apollo in London these fans were in for a treat.
First up though were CREEPER, who might not seem like the most obvious choice to open tonight but they do a fantastic job. Their goth punk tunes are still undeniably brilliant with the new songs Born Cold and Annabelle being great additions to the set. It takes a little while for the crowd to warm to them but CREEPER always seem to be a band who can win a crowd over. As soon as vocalist Will Gould calls for a circle pit at the start of Valentine the crowd wakes up and everyone starts having a lot more fun. He certainly plays up to the crowd a little more than usual but when it’s the sort of thing the BABYMETAL fans all enjoy. And of course there’s a small but dedicated section of the Creeper Cult in the crowd who still treat this like a wild punk show. This felt like a great way to kick off what is likely to be a big year for CREEPER.
Rating: 8/10
BABYMETAL certainly know how to deliver on spectacle. Backed by a huge screen that takes up the entire stage they make their dramatic entrance. First on comes the band greeted by cheers, but this is nothing compared to what happens once the three girls take to the stage. The cheers and screams are deafening. Opening with DA DA DANCE gets the crowd jumping and losing their minds, as the three main members perform their high energy dance routine on stage. It’s launching into their breakthrough hit Gimme Chocolate!! second, complete with fire erupting out of the stage that really kicks things up.
Over their three albums BABYMETAL have continued to find ways to keep their J-pop and metal fusion fresh and it certainly can no longer be seen as a gimmick now. Whether it’s the tracks that lean into heavier territory like Distortion or the completely ridiculous battle metal track Oh! MAJINAI, there is a nice level of variety to the set. It’s a bit of a shame the set only lasts an hour but then when every track has them performing an insanely high energy dance routine it’s understandable why it is a shorter set. Still by the time Road To Resistance closes things with a massive wall of death it’s clear no one was going home disappointed. They might still divide opinions among some metal fans but BABYMETAL remain one of the most ridiculously entertaining live bands around.
Rating: 8/10
Check out a selection of our best shots of the action in London from Adriana Vasile Photography here:
