Fun Facts

Legend 1999 It's another birthday show! This time, it's a joint celebration for both Yui and Moa, since their birthdays are only two weeks apart. Yui's birthday was ten days before this show, and Moa's was four days after. That means it's one of the few shows where they're different ages, as Yui is 14 and Moa is still 13.
Also, because we're celebrating them, both Moa and Yui get their own solos! They're both performing songs that were hits in 1999, with Babybones backup dancers.

Thoughts During:

• I laughed pretty loud at the "666" on the screen at the beginning turning around so it becomes "999", ie 1999
• Silhouette again! But this time, Su is regular sized and it's Moa and Yui who are giant
• There are two cross-bearing babybones
• Great cheeky smile from Moa
• And big smiles from Yui!
• Lore before each solo includes baby pictures
• Yui's solo is so good

• I know I say this every gig, but Moa is so charismatic for a (still just) 13-year-old
• Furbies in the lore, this is not a drill, Furbies are canonical to the lore of BABYMETAL
• Moa's solo is also great

• Lore says Moa and Yui are responsible for the fall of man
• They are also trapped in wax
• There's a lovely shot of Su in the wings, waiting to go on for her solo
• Speaking of a Su solo -- the Kami Band have arrived for the debut of No Rain, No Rainbow! It's wild to me that this was performed so early, given it's an album track from the second album, performed for the first time before they'd even released their debut album
• Halfway through the song the still frozen Moa and Yui rise out from the stage, wearing neck corsets
• Su frees them from wax!! She takes their hands to lead them down the stairs, and then they flutter like little fairies to the crystal piano (there's a crystal piano on the stage now, don't even worry about it)
• And then they play the piano together for the rest of the song!! It's such a lovely way to incorporate them into a Su solo, without them having to do a lot of exhausting choreo
• That being said, I am now getting slight children's piano recital vibes. I guess the auteur drama teacher is back
• Speaking of solos, it feels very weird to go into Catch Me If You Can without a Kami solo
• But the difference a live band makes! You can feel the change in the audience as well
• Moa is talking to audience members during IDZ
• Speaking of, IDZ is so exhausting
• For the encore -- Akatsuki da! First time with the Kamis, so we also get Leda and Takayoshi, my beloved, coming to the front of the stage for the guitar solos
• Headbanger closer and my god, I love that siren in the chorus. If there's one thing BABYMETAL has taught me, it's that I like my music to have a sense of urgency, and what's more urgent than a fucking siren?
• Moi and Yui have fire extinguishers! They were doing this during festival performances etc, but this is the first time we've seen them in a pro-shot.
• And I must say -- Moa should not be given this much power, she’s aiming directly at the audience and having the time of her life
• Oh, you thought Headbanger was the closer? Just because I said that to you with my human voice? Pysch, it's Ave Maria
• Yes. They end this show by playing Ave Maria
• Fittingly, there's now a GIANT statue of the Virgin Mary onstage
• The Babybones are back, but this time they're in hooded robes, carrying candles
• They hold the candles out to bow to the Virgin Mary, and then do the same to the audience, then leave the stage
• And then the girls awaken from their post-Headbanger collapse, and surrounded by smoke, they walk up the stairs towards the blinding light obscuring Mary and, presumably, ascend to Heaven
• And then the screen tells us that there will be another gig -- Legend 1997, Su-Metal's 16th birthday show!
• Wow, that statue is such an elaborate prop just for the last three minutes of the gig, I wonder if they'll use it again?
• Foreshadowing is a literary device --

Thoughts After:

This is very fun This is the longest stretch of time with the Kami Band performing so far, at 7 songs, or half the gig. By this point, they'd been touring with BABYMETAL, so they're familar with the songs. I know I mentioned it already, but it makes such a difference having a live band -- it's what makes it feel like a metal gig, rather than an idol show. And the Kamis are all incredibly talented musicians.
I really do love birthday shows -- it's so nice to celebrate a specific member of the group, and it's a great way to do one-off stuff.

Firsts:

• No Rain, No Rainbow
• Fire extinguishers!

Number of times I've said X

• She's/They're so talented! x8
• That fucking baseline x1
• Takayoshi my beloved x1
• Fire near the children! x2
• Why do they make announcements like this? x2

Setlist:

• Iine!
• Kimi to Anime Ga Mitai
• Uki Uki Midnight
• Chokotto LOVE Big Time Changes ver. (Yui solo)
• LOVE Machine From Hell With Love ver. (Moa solo)
• Onedari Daisakusen
• No Rain, No Rainbow
• Catch Me If You Can
• Doki Doki Morning
• Megitsune
• Ijime, Dame, Zettai
• Akatsuki
• Headbanger!!!!
• Ave Maria

Kami Band lineup:

• Ohmura Takayoshi -- Guitar
• Leda Cygnus -- Guitar
• BOH -- Bass
• Aoyama Hideki -- Drums