The missing of the tutu: how I finally encounter Babymetal once again

1. The parting of ways

It's been two years since I saw Babymetal in Cologne. It was the fifth time I saw them live and I felt back then I had reached my saturation point. Traveling all the way to London in 2014 to witness the Brixton concert was a momentous event for me, but after no less than three concerts in the first half of 2016, my enthusiasm was spent. I had other things taking over my life at that point too. A lot has happened with me in the meantime, and my fandom quickly faded into the background. It took a little while before I got up to speed on the fact that they would be returning to Europe, but when I learned Utrecht would be one of their destinations I knew I had to be there.

To say I had been out of the loop would be an understatement. I didn't even know they finally had a new single out, or that they were touring without Yui. I had no idea about the costume change, or pretty much anything they'd been up to in the last two years. I stopped frequenting the subreddit quite a while ago, and had to rub my eyes for a bit when I saw the 14k subs that inhabit it now. And, I have to admit, I felt a bit estranged from the whole Babymetal phenomenon the moment I put on Distortion: it sounded awful to me on the first listen. The hardcore beats threw me of guard I think. I'm pretty open minded about music, but I really can't stand hardcore. It's less exciting concerts or deep emotional connection to me, and more bratty teenagers from the middle of nowhere getting drunk on a park bench.

Thankfully Distortion grew pretty quickly on me and I even quite liked the two other new songs I found live recordings of. But something bugged me about it. The darker tone of the new stuff, the change in costumes, something about it rubs me the wrong way. One has to understand that to me Babymetal has always and forever will be a Pop act. The whole discussion I remember about them either being or not being a legit metal group ranked pretty high on my list of things I didn't give a crap about. I wrote a way too long piece on why BM is good back then, but I can simply summerize their main appeal the same way everyone else has. Their dancing and cheerful high pitched singing infused the heavy riffs with tons of joy and positive energy. BM are good because they are just so much FUN. Or at least that's how it used to be. I get the uneasy feeling that the Fox God might steer BM straight into the mold of just another heavy metal act. And honestly, who wants that?

2. Old flames can warm you

All of these discoveries on my end happened the day before the concert. I'd almost forgotten I bought tickets two months ago. I would be going together with my sister again, but this time my fifty nine year old mother would be accompanying us as well, having been convinced by my constant chocolate pushing at last. Once again I set out from my home town of Groningen, but this time not to some far away foreign place. This time Miffy's city would be host to our encounter. It's a bit strange since I've become so used to associating BM concerts with travelling abroad, not to a city I visit literally every week. And travelling by train together with my mother... Let's just say it was difficult to feel like old times. We met my sister at Utrecht central station, after which we walked past the venue, seeing the line of waiting fans outside. We decided to grab something to eat before the show. At the place we walked in we noticed a little sign saying "Babymetal after". Something to remember...

My first time in Tivoli does not disappoint. The new building is quite spacious and beautiful, though the hall seemed packed. To our relief we do notice the air conditioning hard at work. Good, I have no desire to see another Cologne like fiasco, where the show had to be cut short because of the heat. I still remember the looks of suffering on the girls faces after dancing for an hour in that scorching heat. My mom and I decide to stay in the back this time. Who knows, maybe this will give me an entire new way of enjoying a BM gig. It's certainly easier to get a drink. After enjoying the supporting act, a British metal band called Dream state who are quite well received by most present, including me, my mom and I chat a bit about this and that. She assures me she can handle any kind of loud music after almost having her ears destroyed by the Ramones in 1979. And then the moment is finally there once again. Even though I know exactly what is going to happen there's still so much about it that catches me off guard. The old intros are gone, to be replaced by new ones. There's four dancers now of course, only two of which are familiar to me. And then there's the new costumes. The tutus were so quintessentially Babymetal I still can hardly believe they got rid of them, even though I'm seeing it with my own eyes. I really have trouble seeing Su and Moa in the figures appearing before me at first. But it's really them. As they start singing and dancing soon they look and sound as familiar as ever. As if my whole body has to readjust to the new situation. I may have changed in the meantime, but so have they. It's like meeting an old flame which you haven't seen in years. You first laugh and talk awkwardly with each other, but soon enough the old patterns emerge and it's like no time has passed at all.

I'm having a blast the whole evening, singing, dancing and jumping. That I decided to stand in the back this time does mean that I can't really see the girl's faces all that well, or all the little details that go on on stage. The show is as sparkling with joy and skill as it always is though. I still don't think the shape of that one wonderful night in Frankfurt in that tiny venue has been recaptured in this performance, but seeing them again after such a long time is magical in its own right. And the show certainly isn't shabby. Though there's of course not much in the way of special effects, but with four people and a couple more years under their belt the choreography seems to be only improved. The new songs are first, and while Distortion does sound a whole lot better live, Tattoo remains my favourite of the three new tracks. The rest of the evening is filled with the most beloved of the BM tracks from the old days. Moa performs GJ all alone, which I have to admit looks a bit weird. But getting to enjoy Karate and Megitsune again is an unfathomable pleasure. Gimme Chocolate gets a good response from everybody, especially my mom who really gets into it. And Su treats us to Akatsuki which still hasn't lost any of its power I'm happy to say. The set ends with the two big singalongs, Road of Resistance and The One, which for the first part is accompanied by just piano. While I'm a little unsure of that choice since it calls all the more attention to the, and let's be honest here for bit, not very impressive lyrics of that song, I'm too ecstatic by that point to care. I sing until I'm sore. And with that, after just an hour, the show ends. My mother and I look at each other, and start a salvo of "we want more". To our complete shock however we find ourselves alone, with everyone else starting to leave...

3. Homecoming

Flabbergasted would be a completely justified description of our reaction to all the other fans starting on their way for the exit, without even a peep regarding an encore. I remember BM always giving an encore when asked, except in Cologne, for obvious reasons. But that's apparently one of the things that changed when I wasn't paying attention. Still, my mom half jokingly remarks that not even asking for an encore was unheard of in her time, and I share her surprise over it completely. Eventually we have to admit defeat and leave the venue, appropriately drenched in sweat. We join the after party for a single cocktail. Of course I stay completely sober as always, though I suppose people who saw me running through the bar wouldn't think as much. While I'm a bit miffed over the abrupt ending to the show, not helped by my mom and sister both coming up with the same joke when I tell them each about Yui's mysterious absence ("Maybe she's pregnant"), the emotional residue of this evening is still overwhelmingly positive. The atmosphere in the bar is great, though I do feel my excess of energy fading after about half an hour. We can't stay too long anyway, since we still need to catch the last train back to Groningen.

When I started writing I was still on the train. Now I'm sitting behind my computer in the wee hours of the morning. I still have my reservations about where exactly Babymetal is heading. Where can they go, really? I do realise that evolution is both necessary and inevitable, but I'm worried for the future nonetheless. And I just miss those silly tutus, especially one of them... On the other hand: the concert was as as invigorating as ever. I felt right at home again after just a little adjusting on my part. For only the second time after visiting a BM gig I'll be sleeping at home again right afterwards. But I'll lay myself to rest safe in the knowledge that for the first time in years BM is not just a warm memory, but something that makes me feel excited for the future!

Spice Of Life: BABYMETAL On Fire In Cologne

When I join the queue in front of the Cologne Live Music, equipped with mountain climbing shoes instead of sandals but still dragging a huge Russian novel around, all it's been only two days since I saw BM move heaven and earth with their wonderful performance at Fortarock. I suspect the overwhelmingly positive welcome the Fortarock crowd gave BM was as much a surprise to them as it was to me, because from the moment they noticed it it seemed to invigorate them. I've never seen them do a show where they looked like they enjoyed it as much as they did there. So what happened in those two days? I don't know, but something must have.

It's nice to be able to finally tell you that my trip was without any incident. No sob stories about delays, misunderstandings or horrible misfortune, everything went smoothly for a change. Oh how variation is the spice of life. More good news was that the expected heavy rainfall was polite enough to wait until we were all inside. At one point I did see quite a few thunderbolts raining down on the city, an impressive sight to be sure, but not followed by the actual wet kind of rain. Good thing too, since I had planned to meet with /u/kapitan_memo right after I'd arrived and he was already at the venue. I decided to not tempt Murphy's law the way I had in London and book a hostel first, which I found right around the corner from the central station. My luck did hold up quite well, as I looked at my room number: third floor, room 303, bed number three, nice and easy to remember. I had a good feeling about the rest of the day.

So here we are waiting at the venue now, there being a small line already when I arrived at a little past three. I join kapitan_memo for the impending long wait, and we talk for hours about all kinds of stuff. We are joined occasionally by /u/leahmetal and /u/daneguy, who both queued behind us together with some companions. Meanwhile I feel tension about making it inside before the inevitable shower, as the line grows longer and longer and wraps itself around the block. I don't know how many people we should expect but given that the show was sold out it would indicate at least 1200 souls or more. When the gate opens we enter the quaint little courtyard next to the music hall and contrary to Batschkapp we can walk inside straight away. While my companion tries to get as close as he possibly can, I decide to stay in the back. This to avoid getting crushed on the one hand, but also because it turns out I have to pay for the cloakroom, and they only take cash, so no choice but to keep my coat and all my stuff with me.

I observe the place as I pace around a bit. It looks typical for a venue like this; barren and industrial, a bar in the back and on the side, some posters here an there of upcoming events and a merch stand. The ceiling is flat and not terribly high. I do see one airconditioner hanging from the ceiling straight in the middle of the hall, but I suspect it'll still be quite hot in here when the place is entirely filled up. Another reason to stay in the back somewhat. I don't know how late the concert was supposed to start, but I don't have long to worry about it since as soon as everyone is inside the doors close and the lights dim. The familiar scene ensues when the DEATH intro starts playing and we greet the white faced musicians entering the stage, followed by the hooded trio. It seems they brought the spirit from Forta with them because they immediately try to summon the same joy and connectedness with the audience they showed there, and only falling a little short. At least, at first.

I pick my favourite spot to stand, right behind the moshpit, although all the heavy junk I'm forced to carry with me prevents me from joining the mayhem at any point. Problem is that it's not quite clear where the moshpit begins and ends. I take no chances and cautiously hold my right foot back, it being still sore from two days ago. Meanwhile they follow DEATH with Gimme Chocolate, where I first notice the terrible sound mixing. It's been bad before at a few BM shows, but this one takes the cake with me barely being able to hear the vocals. Su has to struggle against the instrumentals constantly. Good thing here voice seems to be back in top condition. By the end of the second song they are already sweating all over. That can't be good. But my mind is put to rest by the performances that follow. Yes the heat puts a dampener on the enthusiasm of both the audience and the girls, but it's still a great show overal. I think I can now safely add Karate to the list of Doki Doki Morning and Catch Me If You Can; of songs which I don't think are all that special on record, but are among my favourites to hear live. The new audience participation part really adds something that the GC one never could. There must have been some prearrangement I missed because during the sing along a few people in front of me kneel down, while one person beckons the rest of the crowd to do the same. I sit down, hearing and following suit Su's whoawing. After that she tells us to jump along with the chorus and madness ensues as everyone on the floor takes a leap right into the air and then keeps jumping. That might be the highlight of the evening right there.

Another one occurs when after a song Moa and Yui stay on stage with their backs to us, and immediately I know. An unfamiliar intro sounds, but when the sample at the start of Sis Anger is heard throughout the hall a cheer follows. I have to admit my first time hearing this song live isn't what I'd hoped, not only because of hardly being able to hearing the duo's harmonising, but also because at this point they're starting to look a bit fatigued by the heat. Still, I'm very happy to have heard it, it being among my favourites on Metal Resistance. At one point I also see Moa reacting to something out of my sight, trying to hold in her laugh. Glad to see those antics continue unhindered. With that I slowly get the feeling that everything's going to be alright tonight. I feel the show moving towards its grand crescendo of a finale. I feel I'll have to sadly say goodbye again soon, happy that I was here to witness it and already looking forward to next time. Then Road of Resistance starts.

The girls stroll in with their flags, staring into the air in front of them, trying to keep their composure as best they can. Moa and Yui manage still, probably falling back on the routine of their choreography which they must be able to dream by now. They both stay quiet when Su does her best to compel us into singing along with her. She's not smiling anymore. At one point she holds her head back and closes her eyes, looking so very, very tired. "Now Ben" I tell myself, "It's you who's tired. You've been tired for more than a week now. Are you sure you aren't projecting?" Yes that must be it. I put aside the thought and enjoy the the song as best I can. Next is The One. The girls once again enter the stage in the appropriate attire. Their hair is a mess, more than usual after a show I mean, which I only notice because it's so different from how we normally see them in public. They perform the song to which we all raise our arm skyward. Then, without saying a word, they leave again and the show abruptly ends.

I'm in shock and so is the rest of the audience. At first we refuse to believe it. When the lights go on and the doors open we keep calling for an encore. Even when the staff starts clearing the stage we won't leave. Finally I make my way forward to where kapitan_memo is standing. He suggests they may be taking a break. "I don't know man" I say, "I don't think it's happening". Outside we meet up with a few other people, daneguy and leahmetal among them. We're all clueless and speculating about what might be going on, but we all saw the girls didn't look good near the end. My mind goes back to that night in LA two years ago, when Moa was rushed to the hospital. I wasn't there of course, but from what I heard the scenario was eerily similar. Despite everything we spend the rest of the evening in high spirits. Despite my own fatigue I'm having a great time chatting and reminiscing. It's past twelve when I finally hit the sheets.

I've read a few things here and there since I came back home today, but I'm still largely in the dark. All I can say is: yes it was quite hot in there, but in my personal experience no hotter than it was in Brixton or Batschkapp. I suspect there must have been something else going on, something we'll never know. Which isn't to say the heat wasn't a real problem. That brings me to my next point: BM management have been booking all these venues that are normally populated by rock and metal acts, because that's how they want to sell themselves now. Apparently it didn't occur to them that most of those acts don't have dancers who have to go all out for 90 minutes or more. It always gets hot in there, but if you don't have to dance it's still doable. The BM format has this incredibly practical limitation of simply not being able to be performed under conditions like that. I hope they finally learned their lesson, but my mind is still plagued by all kinds of worries for present and future. When I post this the Stuttgart show will have already happened. I'm looking forward to reading how it went. In the meantime at the very least I can say the Cologne concert was a very unique experience. I'll just keep telling myself: it's the spice of life after all.

Music listened to while writing

Albums

• King Crimson - In The Court Of The Crimson King
• Neutral Milk Hotel - On Avery Island
• Metallica - Ride The Lightning

A One Show Festival: Forta Needs More Tutus

You know, going to a festival alone sucks. I wasn't planning to, but my prospect companions all decided they'd rather be elsewhere this weekend. So there I was in green shirt, as usual, and exhausted and way later than I had planned, also as usual. But this time the exhaustion was worse. I blame the heat of the past few nights. I arrived at the festival terrain at a little past four. There would be a meetup at one at the merch stand, but when I got there I didn't notice anything of the sort. Probably everyone is already at the tent, where BM would perform, or looking around the Goffert park. I see a BM shirt pass by here and there, but nowhere a group of them sitting together which I could join. I walk around a bit, its still two hours until the show, so I need to find something to do or be this bored out of my skull for the rest of the afternoon. I contemplate sitting down somewhere between the mayhem and festival buzz and read a book. Partly because I want to kill time, partly to convince myself I didn't bring a bible sized book like War And Peace all this way just to weigh down my bag. On the main stage some Swedish band is playing. They sound alright, but not enough to compel me to join the crowd. Finally I decide to just go to the tent.

As soon as I arrive another band enters the stage. The name on the banner behind them reads "Abbath". I can't say I really care that much for their music, but I'm nothing if not easy to please when it comes to live performances. I manage to get into it quite a bit, but I'm still glad when the show is over. As some of the audience leaves, I walk forward. Finally I'll get to talk with some fellow fans here. I wind up in a conversation with a guy who tells me he went all the way to Ozzfest especially to see BM there. When I respond by saying this is my fourth time seeing them, he looks shocked and in disbelief. He then starts bragging about all the other concerts he's been to, one of which he apparently paid 1200 euro for. When I don't act impressed enough, he starts questioning my choices in music. "That was Amon Amarth who just played, don't you know that?" he says while facepalming. I kindly remind him he's never heard of The Flaming Lips either. "I think I'm glad I haven't" he responds. Ah yes, this must be that fabled open mindedness among metal fans I've heard so much about. He brings up my three previous concert visits again, "You know two of them are underage right? You can't do them!" I explain I have no such desire. "Well that Suzuka Nakamoto, I'd totally do her." "Really, I mean, have you heard some of their interviews?" I counter, desperately trying to steer the conversation in a different direction. "It doesn't matter, I'd still do her." Right. Jezus fucking Christ, is it time yet?!

While this real life comedy sketch is unfolding I look back, over the heads of the crowd. It's quite full already, and I expect it to fill up even more after Megadeth finishes their set. I was afraid there would hardly be any fans, seeing as they are still pretty damn obscure in the Netherlands, or so I thought. It's a sign of how insulated the metal community is from the rest of society. Not only haven't most people outside of it heard of any of the bands playing here, but I had no idea how much attention BM had garnered within it. The stage in front of us is quite primitive and we can see some of the backstage area from where we stand. When I, and many other as well, notice the trio casually walking by with their backs towards us our hopes are raised. Not long after we see the kami band taking their starting positions and soon enough the show is underway.

One hope is soon crushed, namely being able to stand near the front row without being myself crushed for a change. Nope. Although this is a festival rather than a solo, I soon feel the familiar sensation caused by the elbows of some Japanese bloke in my back, fighting his way to the front of the crowd. I manage to restrain myself from grabbing him by his shirt and shouting a well deserved "Doe normaal man!" in his face. He wouldn't have understood it anyway. Eventually I capitulate and move further back where I'm safe. However, my trusty sandals may be a perfect match for the weather today, they're little good for a metal gig, as I find out when someone violently steps on my foot, ripping a hole in my sock and almost doing the same with my toenail. Although it's a bloody affair, thankfully the pain quickly subsides. At least, until the exact same thing happens again.

Now you might think, reading all that, I had a terribly festival going experience, and for the most part you'd be right. But the thing is: this is BABYMETAL. I don't know how they do it, I really don't, but when the girls are on stage and the music's playing it's just impossible to stay unhappy for long. When their voices, which sound much more squeaky through the sound equipment than they do on recordings, go ooooh-ing full of joy I can't help but be affected. This is the fourth time I see them up close and by now that magical aura of the mysterious, exotic and intriguing surrounding them is gone. Their appearance and movements have become simply to familiar to me, although it may also have something to do with me not having to travel to a foreign land this time. In it's place has come a new appreciation of their talent, professionalism and on-stage charisma. All that is on full display this evening. Unlike at the Wembley arena the girls genuinely look like they're having fun here, with none of the reservedness displayed at that concert. From the moment they turn around during the DEATH opening, they look engaged with the audience. I guess this smaller crowd isn't as intimidating as the over ten thousand at Wembley. It also helps that they seem to hold this particular crowd in the palm of their hands. It's nuts!

To give an example: there are now much more interactions with the audience than there used to be. Gimme Chocolate is played, but the sing along part is skipped. Instead we are asked to sing along to Karate. At one point we are also asked to shout, then to jump, and so on. If you compare the response BM gets to that of the band that just left the stage, it's night and day. I'm surrounded by enthusiasm everywhere. This is especially encouraging when IDZ starts playing and, like in the olden days, the wall of death is executed too early. That tells me a lot of these people are new fans, or just people who came to see them out of curiosity and will leave this simmeringly hot tent as fans. I may be getting light in the head from exhaustion, but that thought brings a smile on my face nonetheless.

I don't think I've ever been sadder seeing them leave the stage for the final time. Of course it's a festival gig, so the set was short and the setlist was safe. The girls this time around show no sign of emotional disturbance whatsoever. Why should they: they absolutely nailed it! While this certainly wasn't the most enjoyable BM gig to me, it might just be the best performance I've ever seen them give with my own eyes. A quick see yuu sends them on their way. No attempt at speaking Dutch unfortunately, but you can't have everything. I feel tired and sad again as soon as I leave the tent, no after concert high this time. In the grass nearby sits someone who looks like /u/bouketenvoorde, but I'm not in the mood to go ask. In fact, I'm not in the mood for anything. I just want to go home now.

I have learned a few very important things today. First that I'm still not tired of BM concerts, which is good since I'm seeing them again this Tuesday. Second that that the metal concert experience might just not be for me. I have no trouble listening to some of it, after all my vinyl collection now includes Master Of Puppets and New Bermuda, something which would've been unthinkable before discovering BM. Most of the performances on display at the festival failed to seduce me though. Megadeth is playing in my home town in a few days, and while I considered going this experience convinced me I shouldn't. You see, I came there for one show and one show only, and that show involved tutus.

Arena Champions: A Wembley Experience

It's tempting, isn't it, to try and look into the heads of the BM girls during such a momentous occasion. The biggest concert ever outside of Japan, by far! What is going through their minds? I know I'm not supposed to care about it. These girls are messengers of the almighty Fox God, who acts through them, and their normal identities are forgotten and irrelevant as soon as they enter the stage. But still. I guess I'm just to down to earth to cling to a legend like that.

It's not very virtuous to speculate about the goings on in someone else's head, but I can speak for myself. I can say that I don't know how long I can keep telling myself that BM aren't my all time favourite act and still believe it. They made me come to London especially for them twice now, and I really don't like visiting London. It's too big, too crowded, dirty, rat infested, old and worn down, joyless and the air quality is so bad that my nose fills up with disgusting black soot during the day. You can walk around the governmental part of Westminster past all the large, pompous buildings and feel like, as my sister strikingly remarked, you're strolling through the Soviet Union rather than England. Speaking of England, visiting there has more general hassles for me as well. Not being able to pay with euros is annoying enough, but some places won't accept my debit card either, or have a lower limit on how much you have to spend with it. Cash withdrawal sometimes costs money too here. It's like going back in time! Even if you can pay for it, decent food can still be hard to come by. We looked around Wembley for a half decent restaurant for ages, finding only pubs and Fish 'n Chips. Not to mention the huge fatty breakfasts served here, which look disgusting to a guy who, at most, has two slices of bread with some Jam or cheese in the morning.

The trip itself was an awesome display of the power of Murphy's law before it even began. Really, this made the troubles on our trip to Frankfurt seem insignificant in comparison. Not signing on in time for the afterparty, due to a combination of personal stupidity and bad luck, was just one of the setbacks. Terrible flight delays also made sure we wouldn't be at the Holliday Inn in time for the reddit meetup, so tired and hungry we decided to walk into the first hotel we came across when exiting Wembley Park station. We even resorted to eating at McDonald's, again a horrifying experience to a guy who, when time is available, likes to spend six hours in the kitchen crafting the perfect curry.

The next day, after declining the English breakfast at our hotel and opting for a "continental" one instead, we at least don't have to walk very far to the Arena. The weather is quite nice and there is already a huge line in front of the merch stand. Japanese fans seem to be in the majority this early on, but that is soon about to change. We soon meet up with kapitan_memo, a friendly Polish bloke who bought one of my spare tickets (don't ask). We pick them up at the box office and I give one to him. We talk a bit about this and that, including the whole afterparty situation. It's a shame since I didn't get to go when I went to see BM at Brixton either. But hey, the main thing is that we're here and greatly looking forward to the show. We split ways as our Polish friend begins his three hour wait in line to buy a t-shirt. Not having the time or the inclination to do the same we start walking about. Under my my sweater I'm wearing the same bright green t-shirt I did in Frankfurt. It might look stupid (like that ever stopped me from doing anything) but, as I found out, it makes it much easier to spot yourself in footage later on. Plus I'm thinking of making this my personal BM concert tradition.

We return just before five to get in line, spending the time singing and joking. When a steward walks by and asks the crowd if we're excited I apparently react a bit too enthusiastically, because he feels the need to remind me I'm not at a football match. That enthusiasm does start to wear a bit as time goes on though. Sleep deprivation, hunger fatigue and general exhaustion slowly start taking their toll. At least Amaterasu seems to smile upon this concert for most of the afternoon. When we finally get inside we our tiredness only continues to increase. A few Australian folks behind us pass the time between the support act and the main event by inflating beach balls and sending them flying around the crowd, to our amusement. Then an inflatable kangaroo appears which cracks me up even more. Still our impatience grows until suddenly, finally, it begins.

Gone is our fatigue the instance the Death choir sounds. The crowd burst into applause, as electrified as we are. Here it is, at last! The album that came out on april fools day is about to make it's live début. Maybe it's fitting then that the concert opens by pranking us. All eyes are fixed on the white figures atop the stairs, amidst the beautiful decor. The white figures we recognize from the Karate video, and we know who's behind those masks. Then suddenly we realise they are are only projections as the the girls appear right next to us on the central platform. April fools! Death opens with a bang and from that moment the show is on. We deliberately kept some distance from the stage to avoid being crushed, but now that the girls are on the platform the crowd squeezes towards them. Oh well, at least I can see them up close from here and get a good look at their faces. Something seems... off. I don't know if I'm projecting my fatigue onto them or if they are nervous about something, or what, but they seem more reserved than usual.

This isn't even close to their biggest concert ever. However, there is something about going to a strange, foreign land so far away from home that's just different. To be in front of such a crowd in Europe must be far more nerve wrecking than a similar crowd of more like minded people. I can feel a certain distance between us as they perform. I suspect there must also be more going on, maybe they're jet lagged, because they did not bring their A-game. Frankfurt was BM at the top of their capabilities, a flawless show. This isn't that. Especially Su is struggling. She regularly fails to hit the high notes throughout the show and it gets worse the further in we get. Now, of course she can have an off day, every singer has one now and again. It's just a pity that it had to be today. What would go through her head right now?

What do we take away from this? Most importantly that BM at their best is earth shatteringly awesome, and BM at their less than best... is still completely awesome! I'm having such a great time. I don't feel how tired I am, don't feel how sore my throat gets from singing along, not for a second. After Death we get Awadama Fever, Iine and then YAVA! We continue having a bit of trouble getting squeezed together, but a few mosh pits quickly solve that problem. By the time Doki Doki Morning rolls around we have plenty of space to dance along, which is good, because despite how goofy that song is I must confess to liking more every time I hear it live. But there are so many great moments. Yon no Uta is so much more fun with a big stage and platform like this one rather than the tiny stage in Frankfurt or the sizeable but still modest one at Brixton. The new songs are greeted with a bit more uncertainty by us than the old ones, not knowing the choreography and the proper audience responses to them yet. But they all sound great live. To my great disappointment we don't get to hear From Dusk Till Dawn or Sis Anger. Tales Of The Destinies and No Rain No Rainbow are also absent, but seeing as Su is barely managing her solos perhaps that last one is for the best.

By the time The One starts up we feel the end approaching. I could have stayed here, listened, danced and sang along for another hour at least. When the girls appear atop the stairs this time they aren't projections, but living flesh and blood. Moa is still all smiles, she having been the most like her normal self all evening. But when the camera zooms in on Yui's face it startles me a bit. She is obviously not coping well. A thought flashes through my mind:  "Girl, you okay?" I can't imagine she is happy about the way tonight went. Don't get me wrong, most of it was still amazing high level artistry, but you could feel the strain. Even as The One starts, would it be too far fetched to suppose that a critically minded artist would ask herself at this moment: did we blow it? Su voice barely holds out through the song. Then the la's start, as does the turning mechanism of the platform they stand on, and they finally have an opportunity to quietly observe the Arena. As planned beforehand, a few people display their national flags at this moment, showing where they travelled from to come and see BM here. The girls themselves seem a bit surprised by this. Just for a moment it looks like they let their guard down. Once again I look at Su's eyes. The audience cheering and singing, the flags from all different corners of the world, the images coming in from Japan so far away of people just as excited as we are, she seems to be overwhelmed by emotion for a few seconds, only to regain her composure shortly after.

If they were worried about their performance tonight this must have been a sight for sore eyes. To be assured that we had an experience to never forget regardless. They stumbled but never fell down. The encore is Road of Resistance and by this point Su just can't hit the notes any more. Maybe the amazing moment we just witnessed was too much for her, who knows. Likely nobody will ever know the full story behind this evening. We are all sad when we're told they'll have to go back to Japan now. After the usual greeting BM leaves the stage for the final time. As we walk out we look deceptively calm, but underneath that exterior we are ecstatic. On the way back to our crappy motel we decide we just have to see them again when they come back to Europe in June. We're hooked!

Two days later we sit in a Thai restaurant once again, by accident rather than by design. After dispelling the hunger fatigue with a nice full English breakfast this morning we spent the day visiting the British museum, which is heaven for a lover of history like myself, spotting a few fellow kitsunes in there as well, and looking around Soho. This part of London is actually quite inviting. It's the first time we've felt the charm and personality that England has to offer, we confess towards each other as we sit down during the afternoon in a quaint little Italian coffee shop. Now we're enjoying one of the tastiest meals I've ever had, at a very reasonable price for our standards. You know, I might actually feel sad leaving this city behind tomorrow morning. My sister ask what time it is and I get my phone to check. To my surprise I discover my phone is switched off. Then I remember: I didn't have a charger that fits English power outlets (another thing about this country), so I decided to save power and turn it off after the concert. After pressing the power switch I discover I have a message from kapitan_memo. He asks if I'm coming to the pub for the afterparty, since apparently there is no guest list and I could probably get in if I wanted................ well dammit. Next time, I promise, next time.

Shock and Awe - A Fan's Perspective On Metal Resistance

I feel like writing this is a bit pointless. If you want opinions on the new BM album, Metal Resistance, there is certainly no shortage of that. If you want reviews written by people who are much better at it than I am because it's their job, those are easy to come by too. I just have to do this. You see, in hindsight I made a grave error in my previous post. I said BM would either have to shock the way  they did before, which I thought impossible, or they would have to to the same thing again only much better. I sit here dumbfounded, because, despite everything, BM have managed to do both!

I'm really not being hyperbolic. Despite BM being the first act I can call myself a fan of in the truest sense of the word, I've always tried to approach them as objectively as possibly when writing these. That's going to be very hard this time but I'll try my best. The idea that this album is just the same thing again but way better holds pretty well with the first third or so. I can easily see Karate as this album's version of Megitsune (soya!) Awadama Fever as this album's Gimme Chocolate, YAVA, the successor to Iine and Amore would pass as the new Akatsuki. But the only song that doesn't blow it's début counterpart out of the water completely is Karate, and that's only because Megitsune was that album's strongest track (in my humble opinion). For the other three it's absolutely no competition.

But then Meta Taro happens and the album goes completely of the rails into wacky town. I now kind of understand what people who were into metal sung by big hairy men felt when they listened to the first album. I might not have had much expectations about what metal is supposed to sound like in those day, but I know big strong Vikings and little Japanese girls are polar opposites. After that the album touches the ground with its feet from time to time, only to float of again. The BBM tracks sound somewhat reminiscent of 4 no Uta and Onedari Daisakusen, but I don't think that's a great comparison. Apart from being much better, they have a much rougher, punky edge to them. Moa and Yui's vocal parts sound forceful and almost a bit shouty compared to their gentle handling of 4 no Uta, while still being quite cute. It's nice to see the dichotomy seep into the vocals as well. The second to last track meanwhile, called Tales of the Destinies in the best of Engrish traditions, gave me flashbacks to being fourteen again and fighting the final boss of Golden Sun 2. It's the most frantic and jarring thing they ever recorded, easily outdoing Iine. Brilliant.

In fact, compared to this the entire first album now seems tame in every aspect, even in weirdness. The shock from two years ago mainly had to do with what BM itself was, not the music. Because the album wasn't that much stranger than, say, Ariel Pink's Pom Pom or Swans' The Seer. No this, this sounds weird! It also sounds heavier, more engaging, more mature, more refined and all round superior to the first album. Another thing about that: when I heard Koba say that he wanted to make a real studio album, not the glorified compilation cd that the last one was, I thought something along the lines of: "Sure Koba, I haven't forgotten that you work for a talent agency with marketability as their number one concern. This album is going to be full of self contained, compact, singlable (not a word, but I don't care) ditties than can each on their own be representative of the image BM is supposed to project, like the last one was." Well, I hereby officially give Koba permission to slap me across the face with his dick, because once again I was wrong. The song most indicative of this is From Dusk Till Dawn, an otherworldly electronic mood piece that hardly has any lyrics. This would never have been on the début. I haven't heard Syncopation yet, but I already feel sorry for the Japanese fans that they didn't get this track. I'm so glad it got included here.

It must be fun writing music for BM, because more and more you get the sense that the sky is the limit. I can't stop listening to Metal Resistance. Never In my wildest dream did I think it would shock me even more than the first album, but it did. I fucking love it.

Music listened to while writing:

• Take a wild guess...

A Karate Punch To Old Expectations

It's funny Isn't it, how your views can change in hindsight, even about yourself? By that I mean I thought I was pretty confident about BM's upcoming album. I was really looking forward to it, counting the days. I immediately pre-ordered it the first chance I got, bought tickets for Wembley and jumped on any hint of new information. And yet, looking back I must admit I was a bit worried if my expectations, whatever they were, could be met.

The thing with BM is that they are a new phenomenon. Yes yes, I know their formation in 2010 has always served as a good comeback to people complaining that they were just a gimmick, a flash in the pan that would fade as quickly as they rose. But let's be brutally honest. One thing we know for sure is that almost every act, be it pop, indie, metal or whatever, runs out of creative juice. Some acts manage to reinvent themselves, a mark of undiluted quality and talent that not many possess. Another thing we know, something much more scary to consider in this context, is that it's hard to be successful, but even harder to follow up success. The plethora of one hit wonders testifies to that, but there are also plenty of one album wonders. Following up an amazing, game changing album has driven some to near insanity.

I became a fan only in the summer of 2014, when their album was already out. For me albums are what counts though, so that they had a string of successful singles before that didn't ease my mind. There is of course a clear evolution apparent in their songs, but that can be interpreted in different ways as well. Sure they have shown signs of evolution, but I wouldn't have expected their sound to not mature at least a bit from the quirky, not yet very committed to the whole metal thing and, lets be honest, gimmicky Doki Doki Morning. But in doing so BM songwriters have raised the bar for themselves time and time again. How easy it would have been to drift of and get stuck in the swamp of trying to top Megitsune (for instance) over and over again?

Now, that doesn't have to happen if you have people in charge who know what they're doing, But in the music industry that includes far from everyone if the stories are to be believed. On top of that is this simple truth: BM couldn't rely on being a one trick pony. The first album was such a shock to the system. That partly explains why it was so well received. I think I made my case sufficiently before that there's more to it than novelty, but that was a big part of it. No follow up album was ever going to match that. So for it to succeed it needed to do one of two things: BM needed to reinvent themselves and produce something just as fresh and shocking, or they needed to up their game and present something that was just miles above what they did before in terms of quality. It was very clear early on that they weren't going to do the first, and for good reason I think. BM may have a core of loyal fans, but they aren't well established enough to suddenly switch gears. So the best we could hope for is that the myriad of songwriters at BM's disposal would come up with some honest to God great music. And that's what they did.

My reaction to KARATE is somewhat hard to describe. It was excitement, fulfilment, followed by my usual intensive listening sessions, trying to unravel all the creative thoughts that went into the songs, and finally relieve. That last one was a surprise, but it allowed me to  realise and put into words all my doubts and worries about the next album, which I didn't even know I had. I'm sure there are plenty of people around more adapt at explaining why KARATE is good. Suffice to say it is. That doesn't automatically mean the rest of the album will be cut of the same cloth, but it reassures me people over there know what they're doing, and the creative juice is far from running out. They will keep on fighting as we will keep on listening and cheering. Osu!

Music listened to while writing:

Albums:

• The Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I
• The Who - Tommy

Individual tracks:

• Sia - Sweet Potato
• BABYMETAL - KARATE

Babymetal: the big questions!

We live in exciting times, don't we? A new album has been announced, as well as the biggest gig our beloved queens of metal have ever done: Tokyo Dome, capacity: 55.000. So right now might be a good time to take a step back and (try to) answer some fundamental questions that need answering. And no I'm not talking about whether or not they are actually metal. To be honest I find that question so uninteresting it's not even funny. I hope you're just as anxious to discuss these questions as I am, and will join me in my journey of pointless speculation. If not, then I apologise for wasting your time.

Question 1: So why all the hate?

It is not enough to simply say that that's what some people will just do in response to something that challenges the status quo, not even when referring to metalheads. Sure, a lot of them see themselves as part of a culture, a group identity. It's a badge of honour worn proudly. That tends to make you feel confident to decide what or who should be part of your scene. Who do those girls think they are to just prance in here, dancing around and acting like this isn't something to be taken super serious?

There's more to it than that though. After all, BM isn't the first to come under fire from these people. It's just the fire was rarely this intense or long lasting. No, reaching the next layer in our explanation requires our hazardous spelunking expedition to the depths of these nigh impenetrable minds to touch upon that contentious word: weeaboo. Let's not kid ourselves, despite all the efforts of Japanese media and government agencies, if there's one thing Japan still isn't, it's cool. Being a fan of Japanese pop culture is decidedly uncool. Though we live in an age where it's much more socially acceptable to be uncool, don't think that doesn't still have an effect on some people. Few things are as typical of Japanese pop culture (to the western mind at least) as the idol: a sort of cross between a role model, a pop star and a salesperson, dipt in a sauce of overwhelming sweetness. If you're the kind of person who looks down on that, the people praising it might as well be recommending tentacle hentai to you. To you all Japanese media falls roughly in the same category.

If you're offended by that (and I'm talking to the real you now, not the hypothetical one of a few moments ago), because of how obviously wrong this is, I would urge you to consider that you might have similar views on other groups of people. Perhaps you think of all football fans as violence prone. Perhaps science fiction fans are, to you, awkward and nerdy, and the media they consume no less so. Perhaps you feel a certain way about bikers, or, as I've often had to endure myself, anthroposophists. It's quite a normal human reaction to the unknown to view it as monolithic, even if that isn't something to be proud of.

So that gives the haters a reason to be cocky and dismissive, but why the anger? Here too I must confess a certain empathy with these people. The rage they feel is one I recognize all too well. Often these people will list bands they feel as more deserving of coverage than BM. So, could it be that their anger actually comes from a good place, a place of love? I remember being dumbstruck time after time at which acts got their time in the sun over the ones I like. Sometimes it's an artist which I just don't get (I still don't understand what people see in Taylor Swift). At other times I'll see artists I positively loathe bathe in adoration. When I try to share the music I like it's often greeted with bemusement: "yes, yes, you go do your little thing over there while we'll hang out with the popular music". That can only happen to you so many times before you start to get mad. Your love for your music is genuine, why don't they see in it what you see? So you start looking for people to blame and an easily identified bunch of villains are those big corporations with their devious marketing strategies.

Of course the real reasons for the dichotomy between popular and niche music are a lot more complicated. I'm glad I've gotten myself out of that pattern of thought, you hurt no one but yourself with it. For some within the metal community though, BM probably wears the smell of corporate marketing. Maybe their initial dislike comes from prejudice, maybe not. But seeing an act they don't like being hailed by the media strikes a very familiar nerve with them. Then they find out the group was put together by a talent agency and they didn't even know what metal was before that, and that seals the deal.

Question 2: Can BM serve as a gateway to new genres?

I remember a dark room many years back. It's late at night, and my sister and I are sitting behind my dad's computer browsing this brand new website called "youtube" for interesting stuff. Then we come across a fragment of a Japanese entertainment program, featuring young women in overly cutesy, brightly coloured clothes, complete with short skirts and ribbons, dancing in front of an equally hideously coloured decor. The music they perform is poppy and sung with high pitched, cute voices. It was unlike anything I'd ever seen before, and I seldom laughed as hard as I did then.

I've certainly come a long way since then. In my defence, I was kind of in shock at the time that something I thought was just a made up stereotype turned out to really exist. At one time I also couldn't imagine valley girls to be real. So when I now see how much milder and more open minded I've become towards idol music, it's really something. Okay, I shouldn't exaggerate. I still think Momoiro Clover Z is only mildly entertaining and hugely exhausting to listen to for an entire album. I'm also appalled that a group as popular as AKB48 can be so while delivering music that's this bad. In fact, Sturgeon's law holds in idol music world just as it does in any other industry.

Nice song, terrible video.

On the other hand I did find a few songs that pleasantly surprised me, in Japanese pop as well as Asian pop in general. Sure I can admit to humming that little saxophone riff in that one Juice=Juice song when I'm in a good mood (even if it's possibly the most boring music video I ever saw). Sure I will admit to having Momoiro Clover Z on my iPod, sitting comfortably between Modest Mouse and My Bloody Valentine. Looking at K-pop for a second, even though Girls' Generation is responsible for the existence of the worst album I ever heard (thanks TJ) I will admit to finding the pop version of Pavement's Gold Soundz in their first single Gee. In other words: I adore it.

Then there is of course Sakura Gakuin, spawning ground of the metal wonder. As I mentioned before I listened to all the albums and I can't deny they all have a certain appeal. The first is filled with nicely paced, sparkling, uptempo pop goodness with an experimental streak to it. The second significantly ups that experimental aspect. It also confirms my belief that the person responsible for the production of the later single version of Iine dropped the ball, because this album's version is definitely superior. Still, both are kind of hit and miss. It's the third album that really grabbed me, the first of them that felt like more than the sum of its parts. It features a slightly more traditional sound, compensated by a return to melodic focus rather than experimental fluff. The result is something that goes beyond the simplicity of pop songs sung by young girls, invoking as it does a kind of nostalgia to my own childhood. These are girls having fun indulging in the theme of discovery, woven throughout the album, while sometimes looking over their shoulder in a fit of melancholy like they're telling me: "Don't you wish you were here again?". It really does give me that sense of childhood wonder that Daft Punk's Discovery was so good at summoning, though that did it without getting childish at the same time. My Generation (as the third SG album is called) doesn't quite manage that and admittedly it can be a bit boring at times. But for what it is, it's very good.

The best part of this entire revelation? It's all thanks to BM. They're the reason I gave all these groups a chance to begin with, and they sort of softened me up to be able to appreciate them for what they were. There are two things to note here however. First: I may not be representative of most listeners. Not everyone is as hungrily searching for new music all the time. There have been quite a number of threads about this on the sub, and most people say they have only been minimally affected one way or another. And that's assuming these are the hardcore BM fans that visit the sub. What about all the more casual listeners? To this my answer is: just give it time. With me it's been a slow process that's still far from finished, why should it be any different with anyone else? I think there has been a small but significant shift with every single BM fan in the way they listen to music, be it concious or not.

Second thing to note: Koba didn't really set out to convert people like me to J-pop when he created BM. He wanted to conquer the metal scene of course, but he was also hoping to bring metal to the masses of pop fans. If we are to believe Metal Hammer and certain Japanese news reports he's making good progress in that direction in Japan. Over here it's a different story. BM may be making headlines in the world of metal, outside it they are still virtual unknowns. This varies from country to country of course, but, with one exception, everyone I know that knows about BM had to hear it from me. If this will change in the future remains to be seen. It all depends on if BM can succeed in their mission of world domination. More on that later.

As for myself, I never had the hostility towards metal I had towards idol music. I just kind of viewed it with disinterest. If there's one thing that definitely changed it's that disinterest. I want to get more into metal music, I just feel I don't know quite yet where to continue from here. I revisited some of my old crushes like Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple, tried some songs here and there, but just haven't found the right vibe yet. Iron Maiden seems like the obvious next thing to explore, having their song Paschendale stuck on repeat for times on end, though that is just as much because of my love for history as the song itself (and yes, I know about Sabaton, don't much care for them unfortunately).

Shall I....?

So my answer to if BM can open the way to new genres is: yes... but. Yes, but it will not happen over night, it will only happen to people who let it happen, and for many it will only happen if BM continues their march to the top, like they have been for these past few years, and manage to capture the mainstream consciousness as wel as that of the metal scene. I do hope people open their minds for something new, it makes life so much more enjoyable. It doesn't have to tarnish your identity or whatever. For me the album of the year is still Currents by Tame Impala. My focus hasn't shifted, it has merely expanded.

Question 3: Really now, what makes BM good?

Believe it or not, this is by far the hardest question to answer. You wouldn't think it would be, right? With all the reviews and all the street interviews with fans, surely we have figured out by now what is so likeable about our girls and their music? And yet I've had incredibly difficulty explaining why I like them so much. It's like the vocabulary I normally use to analyse music isn't sufficient any more. So let's take a look at some common motifs in other people's praises of them.

First thing you hear often is that they're "bonkers". They're weird, strange, freaky, you get the point. Does that also make them good though? I'd say no. They're weird all right, but there are plenty of weird things that are nothing but cringe worthy. Next thing you'll hear is that they're "new" and "fresh". Also true but ultimately misleading. If that's all there was to them they would've faded away long ago. Because of course they haven't been new for a while now. They were formed in 2010, went years as a mere sub-unit before finally getting some considerable attention in Japan in 2013 and had their first big break in the west in early 2014. That's almost two years ago now. I'm not saying that these aren't contributing factors, especially for new fans, but I wouldn't have stayed with them all this time if that was all there was to it, and I have a feeling the same goes for a lot of fans.

So what about the traditional ways that idol groups ensnare their fanbases? By that I mean flaunting cute and pretty girls before their mostly male audience to arouse their instincts. These needn't necessarily be sexual, although there are idol groups out there who don't make any secret of the fact that that's what they're going for. Looking at the BM subreddit and the Facebook groups will quickly leave no doubt that for many fans the girls' cuteness is an important part of their enjoyment too. But BM is hardly unique in this, and yet they are the first to capture this kind of audience. That they are the first to do metal (the first to do it right anyway) may account for some of that, but not all.

There has to be something we can point to in their music. Most I usually hear in this vain are vague comments like "I like the way they mix metal and pop" or "it's exciting the way they manage to mix different styles and genres". That puts us on the right track. Is BM style over substance? It most certainly is! But as a guy you might have heard of once said "Quantity has a quality all its own" so do I think that an abundance of great style has a substance all its own. It's true that the way they mix different styles that on first glance shouldn't go together creates a very appealing and unique style of their own. But it goes further still. Their style has an unparalleled richness to it that I don't think even most fans are aware of. The kawaii image is certainly part of it, indispensable even, but they've managed, seemingly effortless, to absorb so many styles of metal and non-metal, it's marvellous.

Now we come to the crux of the matter. Many have alluded to this before, but I don't recall anyone ever connecting all the dots and describing the big picture. It's all a matter of balance. Cuteness can be fun but too much of it, like idol groups tend to do, is probably only fun if the rest of your daily life plays out in a dreary office job in Japan. BM doesn't downplay their cuteness in any way, but it never saturates us because of the metal side of their style. It's one curtailing the other so that, no matter how much we absorb of either one, it's always offset, never too much. In other words: BM have found a way to be both outrageously over the top on one hand and restrained and subtle on the other. They can be theatrical and magnificent in their presentation, they can be overwhelming, making you enjoy things you didn't even know you needed in your life, all while seemingly never going to far in any direction, because it's all balanced out. They can make you dance to Doki Doki Morning one moment and moshing your way through Gimme Chocolate the next. They look like they could do it with anything too, gobbling up any interesting musical genre into their ever expanding new style.

Not holding back on the kawaii

Some people don't like it. Perhaps they just don't get it. I know what that's like. It seems strange to me now but I distinctly remember listening to OK Computer for the first time many years ago and not liking it. Much of it has to do with mindset. What are you listening for, what are you expecting, what do you want from your music? It also has to do with growing accustomed to a certain type of sound, training your ears if you will. Let's hope BM will stay around long enough for people to get across that barrier. I think they will find something to like in the rich stew that is their music.

Stuff at the end

All three previous questions feed back into what is probably the ultimate question: Will they succeed in their mission? Are they good enough to pull it off, will they convert the world to metal once again, and if they do, will there be a generation of purist metalheads that remembers them with fondness rather than disgust? That's something unfortunately even I can't answer. I do think I took a decent stab at the other ones though, so everyone can stop worrying about it now. With all the arguments this undoubtedly prevents, I'll be expecting my Nobel peace prize in the mail soon. In the unlikely event that you have anything to add or discuss though, I look forward to hearing from you. Cheers ;)

Music listened to while writing:

Albums:

• Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
• Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
• Panda Bear - Person Pitch
• Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights
• R.E.M. - Murmur

Individual Tracks:

• Pavement - Gold Soundz
• Juice=Juice - 私が言う前に抱きしめなきゃね
• Iron Maiden - Paschendale