Words: Iris Beek | Photos: Sacha Renaud

The fusion of ‘kawaii’ and ‘heavy metal’ might seem like an odd combination. But when the Japanese trio BABYMETAL take to the stage for two nights at The Roundhouse in London, they prove it’s a powerful pairing. Members Su-Metal, Moametal, and Momometal make up a one-of-a-kind band, as Iris Beek happily reports.

On a chilly Tuesday evening, the frigid air loses its bite when you approach The Roundhouse in Camden as a sea of fans queues up. “Who is playing tonight?”‘ I hear a girl asking someone in the line. “BABYMETAL!,” they answer enthusiastically. It’s clear that the fans of BABYMETAL are very excited about the second London show for their BABYMETAL WORLD TOUR 2023 EU & UK.

Following an impressive performance by support act VUKOVI, who not only warmed up the crowd but also ignited the first mosh pit of the night, the highly anticipated moment finally arrived: the entrance of none other than ‘BABY F*CKING METAL’ (in the words of Janine Shilstone, the singer of VUKOVI). Precisely at 9 PM, they’re kicking off with ‘BABYMETAL DEATH’ – where the crowd shouts each letter of the song title, it’s amazing to see how dedicated the fans of this trio are.

The band KAMI lends their support with the instruments. BABYMETAL immediately shows how authentic they are with their unique but skilled choreography in their bespoke outfits. After the first song, it’s time for hit ‘Gimme Chocolate!!’ and that’s really where the show starts, following up by another highlight of the night, ‘PA PA YA!!’, with the crowd animatedly swinging their arms in the air.

It’s captivating to witness the vibrant and diverse energy within the fanbase. BABYMETAL truly serves as a welcoming haven for metal enthusiasts of all ages. However, Su-metal mentions a few times how happy they are to be in London, waving to everyone including on the balcony with Moametal and Momometal. Seated up here rather than being in the stalls, you do wonder if you miss the interaction with the crowd below, but then you have a bird’s eye view of the stage which is a true light spectacle. (The crowd below probably didn’t even notice though as they’re too busy in the mosh pit or are crowdsurfing to the stage!)

The girls are very energetic and it’s clear that they’re giving it all during their performance. The huge screen behind them is a great add-on for the visuals throughout the night. During the last song ‘Road of Resistance’, they come up on stage with the BABYMETAL flag, the perfect ending of a one-hour show full of energy and dynamic stage theatrics. Whilst everyone is walking off the stage, there is only one question left for the audience: ‘Are you ready to headbang?’ And the lights turn on again for one more rousing track.

Until the trio returns to London, we’ll need to find our own thrash metal fixes closer to home but one thing is for sure, everyone seemed to have an unforgettable night.

Highlights: Gimme Chocolate!!, PA PA YA!!, Road of Resistance

BABYMETAL will be back in Europe for next summer’s Hellfest 2024 in Clisson, France, alongside Avenged Sevenfold, Metallica and the Foo Fighters.