{"id":16351,"date":"2017-06-19T15:27:30","date_gmt":"2017-06-19T22:27:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/metalassault.com\/gig_reviews\/?p=16351"},"modified":"2017-06-19T15:27:30","modified_gmt":"2017-06-19T22:27:30","slug":"a-spectacular-gateway-into-metal-babymetal-plays-sold-out-hollywood-palladium-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/metalassault.com\/gig_reviews\/2017\/06\/19\/a-spectacular-gateway-into-metal-babymetal-plays-sold-out-hollywood-palladium-show\/","title":{"rendered":"A Spectacular Gateway into Metal: Babymetal plays Sold-Out Hollywood Palladium show"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Andrew Bansal<\/strong>
\n(photos by Brad Worsham)<\/em><\/p>\n

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Babymetal<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

June 16th 2017, The Palladium, Hollywood<\/strong> CA:\u00a0<\/strong>Japanese novelty act Babymetal has gained much fame and notoriety in their seven-year\u00a0existence thus far. Combining the worlds of heavy metal and the Japanese “idol” genre, Babymetal has its fair share of fans and critics. Three teenage girls singing and dancing in front of a backing band that plays metal is perhaps not everyone’s idea of entertainment. But love them or hate them, their rapid rise in popularity in the American live entertainment market is undeniable, and from playing their first ever U.S. show at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood in 2014 to now, they have garnered a large fan-following. Prior to joining up as a support act for a handful of dates on Korn’s stadium summer tour, Babymetal\u00a0returned to Hollywood for a headline show of their own, last Friday June 16th, with Hellyeah as opening act. The iconic, historic 3700-capacity ballroom was completely sold out, and while fans’ excitement was palpable, first-timers\u00a0entered the event with curiosity and caution.<\/p>\n

Doors opened as early as 6:30, and the insanely long queue of ticket holders gradually trickled in through the TSA scanners placed at the entry point of the Palladium. But the line to purchase Babymetal merchandise was almost as long, even with two merch booths in the building. It was certainly the longest merch line we’ve ever seen for any band at the Palladium. As expected, it was a very young crowd, and generally a family atmosphere, as parents treated their kids to this Babymetal experience, and many teenage girls dressed exactly like the members of the band. It was undoubtedly one of the more colorful and cheerful crowds the Palladium has seen, at least for metal shows.<\/p>\n

Before the headline act took the stage,\u00a0Hellyeah<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>arrived at 8 PM\u00a0in an attempt to warm up the audience with their 60-minute set. They definitely brought their own set of fans to this event, as many Hellyeah shirts were seen, and several devil horns (trademark pending) were raised throughout the band’s set. But they most likely did not win\u00a0any first-timers \/ Babymetal fans over, because the\u00a0set was bland and devoid of any excitement. This may be more to do with the song selection and the general radio-friendly metal direction they’re moving towards with their music, rather than the actual performance itself, because all five band members, vocalist Chad Gray and drummer Vinnie Paul in particular, surely tried their best to get the crowd going, which is all you could ask from an opening act. A sizable portion of the audience was seen roaming the lobbies and indulging in other activities instead of watching Hellyeah. The band ended their set in signature style with their eponymous song, and did not leave the stage until everyone was chanting\u00a0their name.\u00a0 On the whole, a performance\u00a0that was, in every aspect, in stark contrast to what followed.<\/p>\n

Hellyeah remaining headline dates:<\/strong>
\n06\/20\/2017 \u2013 Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre
\n06\/21\/2017 \u2013 Albuquerque, NM @ El Rey Theatre<\/p>\n

Hellyeah photos:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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