Being the first Japanese act to ever play The SSE Arena, Wembley, expectations ran high for
BABYMETAL. On April 2nd, the trio of teenage girls kicked off their 2016 World Tour at the arena, pulling off theatrical workings of fire displays, flag parading and extravagant costume changes, much to the amazement of the 10,000 people jam-packed into the venue.
To start off the night, an animated video was shown. It stated that "in a heavy metal galaxy far, far away,"
BABYMETAL's destinies were sealed by the Fox God in "that there is only one path left for
BABYMETAL, and that is the path to let go of their past selves." After which, the stage was brought to life with the familiar metal beginnings of the song
BABYMETAL DEATH. Much to the cheering of the crowd, three masked, white-robed figures appeared onstage behind the
Kami Band. Then, with an abrupt loud noise going off, the white-robed figures vanished, only to have the real
BABYMETAL members appear on the circular platform at the end of the walkway.
(C) Amuse Inc.
This ecstatic high stayed constant throughout the following songs
Awadama Fever,
line! and
YAVA!. The trio's well-choreographed dance moves and strong vocals really excited the crowd, but it was during the song
Akatsuki where
SU-METAL took solo stage and showcased her empowering singing abilities to the slower ballad that really brought the house down. Whilst donning a black cape,
SU-METAL ran down the walkway to the timings of the first fire display of the night. At this point, the cheers were almost deafening before quieting down again as the fans marvelled at her voice.
The tone of the night was brought right back up as
YUIMETAL and
MOAMETAL took to centre stage with
GJ!. This was then followed by the
Kami Band's instrumental intro of
Catch Me If You Can, each member having his own spotlight to showcase his skills on his instrument. The
BABYMETAL trio then appeared on the platform behind the band members and proceeded to perform the next song
Doki Doki☆Morning, one of the crowd's favourites, which was met with rapturous response from the deep recesses of the mosh pits. The military-like anthem of
Meta Taro then followed.
photo by Taku Fujii
Next, another animated video was shown, in the style of a "Star Wars" sequence. It stated that
YUIMETAL and
MOAMETAL had been "pulled into the dark side by DEATH VADER", and that "by the supreme power of the 4th, the two were finally awakened." The animation continued to show "DEATH VADER" with a light saber shaped into the number four, saying, "Goodbye, Father. We will never ask you for a favour again. May the 4th be with you." This was met with some laughter from the audience and the video ended, stating that this was the start of a new story. The stage was then enclosed in darkness as the hissing-like intro of
4 no uta began to fill the arena.
MOAMETAL and
YUIMETAL appeared once again on the platform above the
Kami Band and walked down the stairs to perform the song at centre stage.
It was during the live premier of
Amore from
BABYMETAL's new album
METAL RESISTANCE that the mosh pits really started to ignite and cheers become more prominent. This high stayed throughout the next few songs
Megitsune,
Karate and
Ijime, dame, zettai, especially since there were more fire displays during the songs
Karate and
Ijime, dame, zettai, exciting the crowd further. After which, the stage was once again enclosed in darkness as the familiar whispers of the intro to
Gimme Chocolate!! began, reigniting the excitement and cheers of the fans.
A third video charting the journey of
BABYMETAL as they performed throughout the UK in recent years and the awards they have won was shown, leaving fans with an encouraging message of the trio's "always being on our side." Video clips of crowds that had gathered in Japan to watch the concert through a live stream were shown, solidifying the idea of unity of all fans across the world through
BABYMETAL. This really added to the atmosphere as the slowed intro of
THE ONE began playing, the trio all clad in black, shiny cloaks.
SU-METAL sang an English version of the song and the stage was filled with fog.
As the trio descended into the circular platform at the end of the walkway, they were shortly met with many screams for an encore from fans, which was of course happily obliged by the members. The final animated video of the night was shown, stating that "uncharted roads, is the path to overcoming the past," referring to
BABYMETAL's destiny in the heavy metal galaxy.
photo by Taku Fujii
The slowed guitar intro of
Road Of Resistance could then be heard, and all
BABYMETAL members held flags with the
BABYMETAL logo on them. With a final fire display and
SU-METAL's roaring vocals, the night ended with
SU-METAL banging a gong that set off fireworks. Following that, the trio took a moment to thank the fans.
YUIMETAL was the first to speak, saying, "You are all so precious to me. I love you!"
MOAMETAL was next, saying, "It is thanks to you that we are here today. We love you, London!" Finally,
SU-METAL said, "You guys are amazing! We are going back to Japan but remember we are always on your side." The screens then changed, showing the words "See you in the next METAL RESISTANCE" as the members walked off stage.
Set list
01. BABYMETAL DEATH
02. Awadama Fever
03. line!
04. YAVA!
05. Akatsuki
06. GJ! (Live premiere)
07. Catch Me If You Can (With Kami Band instrumental intro)
08. Doki Doki☆Morning
09. Meta Taro (Live premiere)
10. 4 no uta
11. Amore (Live premiere)
12. Megitsune
13. KARATE
14. Ijime, dame, zettai
15. Gimme Chocolate!!
16. THE ONE (English version)
Encore
01. Road of Resistance
