BACK TO THE UK/USA

I have been so excited to get to this one! Their second pro-shot in the UK. The two filmed UK shows are notable, because while BABYMETAL have two other foreign pro-shots (London's Wembley Arena in 2016 and LA's The Forum in 2019) those are both arena shows. It makes sense to film those -- it's a big deal to fill a stadium at all, but especially outside of your own country. But these two are just in regular venues, so they're a bit more representative of what going to an actual tour show would have been like. Plus, there's a surprise at the end!

Thoughts During:

• And we're in London again! You can tell because the BABYMETAL logo has the Union Jack
• Again, to prove we're in England, we have shots of the long queue in the rain



• As well as the sign outside the venue announcing that the show is SOLD OUT
• Lore states that "all heavy metal roads lead to the UK" and I felt like an American whose state has just been mentioned. We're number one!
• This gig is shot really well! Lots of longer shots, often zooming in or out, so you can get a good look at the choreo
• They're not at all nervous like last time! They know how much the crowd loves them, so they seem very confident and happy right from the start



• I like that in Mischief of the Metal Gods the other Kamis all kneel for the drum solo
• The pre-Catch Me If You Can Kami solo is a single shot!!!! I love stuff like this -- just holding on the same shot for a while really hammers home that this is being done live in a single take, if that makes sense, which is always so impressive to me
• Ijime Dame Zettai has close ups of multiple crowdsurfers crossing the barriers directly into security's arms. This geniunely happens at least five times
• Oooh, it's the beginning of a new metal resistance apparently
• New lore character! The Fox Mother, mother of the Fox God!!!!!
• We have a gong for the end of Headbanger!!!! I love the gong. I hope I get to see them hit a gong one day



• I can't believe they've written going viral into the lore
• Ooh, new logo!
• NEW SONG!!! Road of Resistance!!!!!!



• With flags!
• Su is leading us in our first whoa whoas! She leads the crowd, and then the music cuts out, and then even Su stops, so it's just the crowd singing. It makes me feel emotional every time it happens, and I'd forgotten that they do that right from the first performance



• Also, once the music starts up for the whoa whoas, Moa and Yui pick up their flags again, and their whoas are echoing Su's, which is cool, but different to how it will sound going forward
• And finally, the whole speech they make at the end is wonderful! Their English is so good! We make Moa sooooo happy!

Thoughts After

What an encore! Headbanger and then debuting Road of Resistance?!?! Inspired. It's their most commonly used closing song to this day for good reason and I love it.

Number of times I've now said X

• She's/They're so talented! x14
• That fucking baseline x2
• Takayoshi my beloved x2
• Fire near the children! x3
• Why do they make announcements like this? x4

Setlist:

• BABYMETAL DEATH
• Iine!
• Uki Uki Midnight
• Mischiefs of the Metal Gods
• Rondo of Nightmare
• 4 no Uta
• Catch Me If You Can (with Kami solo)
• Akatsuki
• Onedari Daisakusen
• Megitsune
• Doki Doki Morning
• Gimme Chocolate!!
• Ijime, Dame, Zettai
• Headbanger!!!!
• Road of Resistance

Kami Band lineup:

• Ohmura Takayoshi -- Guitar
• Leda Cygnus -- Guitar
• BOH -- Bass
• Yuya Maeta -- Drums