4th September 2018



Barely a year had passed, and things looked a little different:



Mikio Fujioka, guitarist, had died following a cliff mishap.



Yui Mizuno (Yuimetal) had resigned from the band.



That

ended up being the penultimate show where both these band members were performing.



I was fortunate to witness that line-up that was, frankly, lightning in a bottle.



I had been watching the Five Fox Festivals 2017 performances with glee, seeing the energy and quality of the performances of a band that seemed like it was in a groove.



In contrast, I did not connect with any of the new songs that were released in 2018.



They seemed tedious (IN THE NAME OF), or polished and generic (

,

, Elevator Girl, & Tattoo).



Then came the announcement:



BABYMETAL was going to be performing in a Judas Priest gig in Singapore this December as a 'special guest.'

I was hesitant to go.



The Osaka show had everything I wanted and had hoped for; it was a great first experience after a long build-up.



With the changes to the line-up, they added something about the band moving to some dark lore.



The lore behind BABYMETAL was always my least favourite part, and it was a discombobulated mess.



I usually ignore all of it, but this meant more back-up dancers were brought in because Yuimetal was not around.



The make-up and clothes were changed to where the band members looked like morose wizards on stage.



The band had become a strange version of itself.







The positive part for all of this was logistics: it was a lot easier to get to this venue this time round, and there were no flights or accommodation to arrange.







There was also no lottery I needed to participate in, or a secondary marketplace, to purchase my ticket.



So on a whim, I bought a ticket online directly.







Part of me wondered about the impact of a non-headlining, non-Japan show with a different line-up and new songs I didn't immediately care for. I was certainly not there to see Judas Priest.



As the date approached, I also found out guitarist, Takayoshi Ohmura, was not going to be available for this show.





4th December 2018



It was in the late afternoon that I made my way to the venue, not really knowing what to expect.







Perhaps it was the adrenaline, but I had higher hopes for a good show than I had the previous few weeks.



I wanted to experience that loud brash sound again.



BABYMETAL was to start their set at 8:00pm; Judas Priest would be on stage at 9:25pm. I wondered how long the BABYMETAL setlist was.





As I was walking towards the venue entrance, I could see other fans of either band already milling around the merchandise booth and bar.







I wondered if anyone else was just there for the opener.



The venue had the lines set up: priority, standard, pen B, and VIP/hospitality.



I went to the priority lane, which was the longest line.







The fanbase of both bands were easy to tell between each group with the t-shirts they wore.



Sometime past 6:30pm the doors opened and the lines started to move to get through ticket and security checks.







Stepping into the hall was surprising. I had expected the venue to be larger. I also didn’t expect to be so close to the stage.







I chose a spot near the front and right of the stage and waited.







The punters were slowly streaming in, and I stayed put where I was, which was about the fourth person back from the barricade.







In the meantime, the pre-show music was playing. More screaming from the likes of High On Fire, Ghost, Tribulation, Mastadon, Gojira and Judas Priest themselves.



I don’t really understand this, but looking around I think I was in the minority who did not appreciate the music. It did help kill some time to use Shazam to find out about the music.



At 8:00pm sharp the lights turned red and the band stepped on the stage.







I recognised BOH the bassist and Hideki the drummer. I didn’t recognise both guitarists.



The three front women appeared with their masks for the opening of

.







When they dropped the masks, I could barely recognise Su and Moa with their hair pulled back. I spent the rest of the set wondering if it really was them.











The setlist was:







I took a few shots and just enjoyed the show. There was more crowd participation with the early material. People seemed to recognise

Distortion

as well. My favourite was

Meta Taro

.



The crowd seemed tepid. Perhaps it was the size, but I had expected people to lose their minds like it’s the only thing they know how to do. I saw that in Osaka.







It was a good performance: The band was tight; Suzuka's voice was strong; and Moa brought it with the energy and her trademark smile.



The highlight for me was when Moa looked straight at me at one point.







I'm glad I went. I had to see for myself where this band is at, and where they are going.







However, I felt there was something amiss.



Last year I remember the conversation outside a Family Mart with a fan after that Osaka-Jo Hall show.



He showed up to many BABYMETAL shows, even bringing his family to Osaka so he could attend.



He made a comment that there is a time limit for this band as three members would grow out of this particular magical configuration.



That line-up of the three girls at the front was so perfect, that losing one of them threw everything askew.



The Kami band had a great rhythm section, but their two most charismatic guitar players were missing.



Generic tunes, some weird lore and costume changes that shroud instead of enhancing individuals cannot replace members who are distinct personalities. I missed the presence of Yui, Mikio, and Ohmura in that gig.



In my heart of hearts, when I wish I went for that second night at Osaka-Jo Hall instead of this one in Singapore, I know it's time for me to bid farewell and move on.



I'm grateful to them for reigniting my interest in seeing a band live.



I will always think that BABYMETAL was at its peak for four years.



At least I got to see them twice.

