TokyoGirls'Update

Report on BABYMETAL’s Jam-packed London Concert

photo by Ai mtsuuRa

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The 7th of July: the night of Tanabata, and also of BABYMETAL’s concert in the long-established concert hall ‘Forum’. Even though this was their first performance in London, tickets were sold out almost as soon as they went on sale. Allow me to describe the performance, which was so hotly anticipated as to necessitate a venue change, from a first-hand on-scene perspective.

７月７日七夕の夜、BABYMETALがロンドンの老舗ライブハウスForumでライブを行った。初のロンドン公演にも関わらず、チケットは発売後すぐにSOLDOUT。一度会場が変更されるほど前評判高かった本公演の様子を、現場からのリアルな目線でお伝えしていく。

On the day of the concert, in spite of the curtain rising at 8PM, from midday there were already hundreds of concert-goers gathering at the venue. The venue, for their part, had not prepared anything such as distribution of reference numbers, and so the fans themselves lined up and formed neat queues as they wrote numbers down. This was one scene that told a story of fierce bonds between fans of different countries that go beyond borders. Regarding the fans themselves, though there were die-hard Japanese fans, there were also metalheads wearing T-shirts they went to the lengths of importing all the way from Japan to wear on this day, or groups of girls clad in homemade costumes, and these assembled locals showed the same zeal for the band as their Japanese fans. As we continued our coverage, a middle-aged man who lives close to the venue had this to say: ‘I’ve been living here for 40 years, and I’ve never seen a queue like that’.

ライブ当日、20時開演にも関わらず、正午過ぎには既に数百人の観客が会場に集まっていた。会場側が整理番号を配るというようなことはしておらず、そのため自分たちで並んでいる順に手に整理番号を書いてきちんと列を作っている姿は、ファン同士の国境を越えた熱い繋がりを物語っているワンシーンだった。観客については、日本から参加している熱狂的なファンも多くいる一方、わざわざこの日のために日本から輸入したオフィシャルTシャツを着たメタル好きや自作した衣装を身にまとう女性グループなど、日本のファンと変わらない「熱」を持った現地ファンが多く集結していた。さらに取材を続けていると、会場近くに住んでいる中年男性が話しかけてきて、「ここに40年住んでいるけど、こんな行列は初めてだ」と語ってくれた。

And at 8PM, BABYMETAL finally took the London stage. From the moment they opened with ‘BABYMETAL Death’, the excitement in the concert hall reached a zenith, and even though it was an instrumental track, the local fans wasted no time in starting a mosh pit. In addition to the banner expressing thanks for the full house, the rampaging fans and their red-hot enthusiasm made the venue interior into something more like a sauna. As the concert went on, the number of raised fists thrusting into the air that gradually grew in number and in strength were a real highlight. It was a scene by which you could imagine BABYMETAL going on to conquer the world. The final songs, ‘Gimme Chocolate!!’ and ‘Head Bangya!!’ brought a level of energy that made steam rise inside the arena, and the fans greeted the finale of ‘Ijime Dame Zettai’ with a huge chorus that sounded almost like an angry roar. The endless ringing out of cheering and applause told the story of the day’s successes.

そして20時、ついにベビーメタルがロンドンの地に降り立った。「BABYMETAL Death」 で幕を明けた瞬間から会場のテンションは最高潮。インスト曲にも関わらず、早速モッシュを始める現地ファンの姿も。満員御礼の会場に加え、暴れ回る観客の熱気で会場内はまるでサウナのような状態に。ライブが進むに連れて、突き上げる拳の数が、次第に多く、そして強くなっていく姿はまさに圧巻。これからBABYMETALが世界を制していく姿を予見しているような光景だった。終盤の「ギミチョコ!!」からの「ヘドバンギャー!!」ではアリーナから湯気が見えるほどの盛り上がりを見せ、最後の「イジメ・ダメ・ゼッタイ」では怒号にも似た大合唱とともにフィナーレを迎えた。鳴り止まない拍手と大歓声の中がこの日の成功を物語っていた。

text by Shotaro Tsuda / photo by Ai mtsuuRa

SET LIST:

1. Babymetal Death

2. Iine!

3. Uki Uki ★ Midnight

4. Kami Band Performance

5. Akumu no Rondo

6. Onedari Daisakusen

7. Catch Me If You Can

8. Akatsuki

9. Song 4

10. Megitsune

11. Doki Doki ☆ Morning

12. Gimme Chocolate!!

Encore:

13. Head Bangya!!

14. Ijime Dame Zettai

Fans at ‘Forum’ London

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Author TokyoGirls'Update We bring the latest news of Japanese girls' culture from Japan to all over the world! Here are hot topics about KyaryPamyuPamyu, AKB48, Hello!Project, and other cute Jpop artists. Everybody wanna be KAWAii, and wotaku in whole world, cheeeeeeeer UP!

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