I was there. 'Live'. In person. VIP section. Weird, as the people who paid the most got to stand right in front of the stage where, in Shakespeare's time, the poorest people would have been standing. And the VIPs then would have been comfortably seated at the back, where today, the cheapest tickets are.
Unfortunately, this was the best shot I could get of the three in one frame. While SU and MOA are relatively clear, MOMO is blurred out due to movement. Photographs are literally shots in the dark, when lots of factors have to precisely align: Lighting, moments of stillness (which are far and few as they move around constantly without any signs of fatigue), and no random 'fox signs' or other mobile phones obstructing the view.
MOMO (Edit: nope, that's MOA. I didn't notice the dimples earlier) at least gets one good shot here, and probably my best one for the night. And what a night! Well worth the 6 hour bus ride up north, well worth the 90 minutes I spent on my feet waiting for the show to start, well worth cramming shoulder-to-shoulder in a crowd of 2000+ other BM fans (a.k.a. The One) when standing so close to people actually makes me uncomfortable.
The show comprised 14 songs, altogether lasting about an hour and a half. Each song was performed exactly the way it was always performed in their official and unofficial 'live' shows on YouTube, so perfectly coordinated, rehearsed, practiced, and polished. The only difference being that I. Was. There.
I even survived a couple of impromptu moshes. My research into metal concerts indicated that waivers had to be signed if I wanted to participate in a mosh pit, but no documents had been presented to me for my autograph. Yet, I knew that where I was standing was prime location for a wall of death, but as the crowd was well behaved, I thought nothing of staying where I was. But when 'Gimme Chocolate' came on, that's when the pushing and shoving began, without warning. So I leaned into it, nearly getting knocked off my feet a couple of times, but leaning on other people kept me upright as I carefully edged my way out of the pit. It may not have been my intention to get involved -- considering my age -- but I got what I paid for and consider surviving the experience a bonus. So I knew well enough to stay at the periphery during 'Road of Resistance' and the closing number, 'IDZ' during which moshing was expected.
I really admire these three women who brought so much life, talent, energy and joy to this small KL performance, when they've been performing almost every other night in a different city each time around Europe and Asia, and they have yet to start on their US leg before returning to Europe to close out the year. Just look at their tour schedule for 2023 alone!
The souvenirs I'm bringing home include a lanyard with VIP pass, an official promo poster, and an official bandana used for audience participation during 'Pa Pa Ya!' which I believe is the most fun song in the entire repertoire.
Finally, I can't believe I saw BABYMETAL in person. Yes, anyone can see them in person as long as they have a ticket. What I mean is that I found something that I really wanted to do, and I didn't let my laziness, inertia, excuses, apprehensions, and doubts stop me from planning out this little trip and seeing it through to the end. Not often I can say this to myself, but 'mission accomplished'!
