Will Marshall
First up is sole support Lake Malice, who’ve firmly cemented their place as one of the UK’s most exciting alternative acts, fusing glitchy hyperpop to caustic metalcore. With a full 45 minute set it feels like they’re given proper opportunity to spread their wings and really show what they can do, the opening duo of Magic Square and Power Game igniting a pit that barely lets up. It’s their final show of the tour and of the year, but there’s no signs of exhaustion or anything other than a trio having a blast. Guitarist Blake Cornwall pulls off enough split jumps to rival the Olympics as he whirls constantly around the stage, while vocalist Alice Guala makes just as much use of the space, always moving even during demanding vocal moments as she encourages the crowd to keep going wild for them. “This one goes out to every nepo baby,” she grins before Nobody Wants To Be You’s gyrating beat and excoriating takedown of the wealthy using that to entrench class divides further. The whole front of the room bounces for Stop The Party, a visibly overwhelming display for the band who’ve worked so hard to get here.
The cheers that greet Hanabie are uproarious, the band sprinting on one by one to thumping dance from the PA. It leads to a brightly coloured glitterbomb explosion; chaotic, unhinged metalcore fused to bubblegum pop and sugary melodies that whips the crowd to a frenzy. Vocalist Yukina summons some unholy growls amidst the cacophony, while gleefully grinning “Hey London!”. The band are a riot of bright colours, coupled with a lurid pink backdrop emblazoned with their logo it’s an eye-popping sight. Combine with their boundless energy, it’s a recipe for a truly ludicrous amount of fun. And that’s exactly what they bring; from the explosive opener Warning!! for an hour and change, stuffing fifteen songs into their time onstage. Spicy Queen barrels along with nu metal bounce, Yukina’s roars of “nobody can stop me” echoing back at the quartet, while Matsuri’s riff work on Meta-moru-phase! is a sight to behold. It can’t be understated how much people show up for Hanabie too; bar during their set, the merch queue snakes round the back of the venue, and this is their second ever headline show in London and is comfortably over twice the size of the first – and also sold out in mere minutes. It’s not just novelty either; there’s serious hooks and great songwriting that underpins the aural chaos, and the contrast with their appearance is entirely deliberate and a core part of the members’ own identities, drawing on Japanese pop culture and colliding it with the West. They’re in a celebratory mood too, bringing Alice from Lake Malice up for shots, of which several are knocked back in quick succession before Hanabie carry on without any visible or audible impact of the whiskey they’ve just necked. It’s impossible not to be swept up in the joyous chaos, heads banging right to the back and on the upstairs balcony while the front is a constantly seething mass. You can bet next time they’re back, it’ll be an even bigger venue yet again, and just as much fun.