Babymetal brings the Metalverse down-under for their first ever Australian headline tour. On Sunday June 11th from 7pm, undeterred by the cold, thousands of fans eagerly lined up awaiting Babymetal’s first live performance in Australia since 2018. Rising above language barriers with fans spanning from all generations; Babymetal knows how to draw in a crowd.
Sydney’s own Reliqa opened the show, their charm winning the crowd over instantly. Each member has a distinctive style, just as captivating as the other. Reliqa performs’ the entirety of their 2022 EP “I Don’t know What I am”, as well as some old favourites. Playing hits that’ll get your head banging to the emotionally charged “Mr Magic”, that showcases powerful lyrics. Greeting the audience like an old friend, Reliqa’s infectious energy had no trouble moving the audience to clap, jump and headbang along. After an impressive 40-minute set, it’s safe to say their goal to warm up the crowd succeeded.
Babymetal opens with a powerful spoken word introduction accompanied by visual imagery, relaying the story of the three metal spirits summoned by the Fox God to the Metalverse. The spirit of heavy metal traversing the world in an infinite loop, (that’ll continue living on indefinitely). The stadium is awash in red lights and smoke, as the Metal spirits Su-Metal, Moametal, and Momometal, dressed in black with colourful reflective accents; take the stage to a deafening crowd eagerly awaiting their arrival. Babymetal performed a non-stop 70-minute set of singing and synchronised choreography, playing a selection of 12 songs from all four of their albums. Their repertoire a blend of old favourites, and releases from their newest album “The Other One”.
“BxMxC” was a crowd favourite, evident by their instant recognition and reaction. The crowd were actively involved during the number, and respectfully silent during the lead singer’s (Su-Metal) solo acapella section. For “Monochrome”, audience participation was encouraged resulting in the crowd lighting up the arena with their phone flashlights, while they were singing in alternation with the band. The energy brought by “Distortion” resulted in the highest level of frenzy from the mosh pit for the night, creating a whirlpool of movement that was visible from anywhere in the arena. Their vibrant high-energy performance resulted in loud cheers after every song. Never once letting the energy dip, the crowd was enthusiastically involved from beginning to end.
The band was so well received, loud cheers and chants from the crowd, showed they were not ready to call it a night. After a short break, a verbal and visual message was projected onscreen, culminating with the words “No more bullying, forever”. Babymetal returned for their 2-piece encore, “Metal Kingdom” and “Ijime, Dame, Zettai”, bringing the total concert time to 80 minutes.
Babymetal delivers a live experience I highly recommend seeing if you get a chance. Like many other attendees, I thoroughly enjoyed their performance; particularly, their impressive live vocals and energetic choreography.
Review by Bella Italiano – Photos by Vidic Images
With thanks to Dallas Does PR for the media access
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Babymetal
Reqila
