"Don't think, feel" - why I enjoy every show

BABYMETAL blew my mind when I finally saw them perform for the first time in Taiwan back in 2023. Since then, I've been lucky enough to see them several times (always in Japan), and each show has been memorable for different reasons.

But burnout is always possible even for the best of things, and I've seen some fans talk about various aspects that are understandably disappointing, from less than ideal setlist, to not getting barrier, to the crowd not being hyped enough... the list of reasons can be endless if you want it to be.

When they announced a return to Taiwan for the first time in 2 years, I of course immediately went for VIP without hesitation, but in the back of my mind, I did wonder if I'd feel that same sense of magic. I already knew what the setlist would be (more or less). I knew what to expect overall, particularly since the venue was the same as 2023. Would it still be a show I'd remember for the rest of my life like the first time I saw them, or would it suffer from unrealistic expectations? Metalverse getting cut from opening certainly didn't help matters, considering how much I'd been looking forward to seeing them again for the first time since FOX_FEST.

Well, I'm happy to report that the show was the best ever (at least until the next time I see them!). If anything, I had an even better experience! Sure, getting barrier for the first time was probably part of it, but over the past few days as the post-concert high gradually fades, I've been thinking about what makes a show "good", and whether it's all down to external factors, or if your attitude can make or break the experience. If it's the latter, that's actually good news, because that means it's theoretically possible to enjoy every show to its fullest, right?

So what was my mindset, how may that have helped, and is it possible to learn this power?

In short, I'd say I enjoyed the show for what it is and what we *made* it to be, rather than what I wish it could be.

There's no place like a "home" show in Japan; you're never going to find the same number of amazing artists or cosplayers around. But you *can* set up a little booth near the entrance, put up a home-made flag and encourage people to sign it (which later makes its way up to the stage into Su's hands where she happily waves it around at the end of the show), and get 6-7 artists to share their gifts freely together. This time around, I spent the money I would have spent on a new T-shirt on making fan merch instead, and seeing the excited smiles on people's faces as they enjoyed this part of the culture for the first time was the greatest reward. You can get together and dance to the amusement (or horror) of randoms that were just passing through on the way to the movie theater next door.

You *could* keep thinking about how the setlist could be less repetitive and how "Megitsune" is so much better than "Song 3" and it's a travesty how the former is gone and the latter is played at every damn show nowadays. Or you could just vibe with whatever comes. I mentioned this in the 2023 show report, but for me, when I'm on the floor with the music blasting me and the crowd jumping around screaming and ohmygod Moa just waved at me and definitely not the little girl jumping excitedly right next to me... all the discussions about "weak setlist" or "Su sounds a bit shaky" fly out the window.

After the show, you *could* start scrolling Twitter for pictures and fancams and get jealous of other fans who got cooler interactions or responses from the members than you did. Or you could realize that comparison is the thief of joy, and just remember how much of a good time you had in the moment, before you knew that someone else was theoretically having a "better" time.

All this may sound pretty corny or new age or whatever, and I totally understand if it doesn't really strike a chord with everyone. It's just how *I* personally approach shows, and it hasn't failed me yet.

Their concerts in different places each have their own appeal. For spectacle, hyped crowd living in the moment (no phones), and fan gift exchanges, nothing beats Japan. It's just a more "professional" feeling for better and for worse. For more fan interactions between the crowd and the members, overseas shows tend to be better due to smaller venue and maybe a more relaxed atmosphere due to the shows not being pro-shot.

I've argued that Taiwan is a mix of the two styles, and for me, it's still the best place to see BABYMETAL overall! It's reasonably easy to get tickets because the band is still fairly niche here. Fans are welcoming and generous with fan gifts and cool art (if I say so myself), and filming isn't prohibited so we get nice fancams (ex: Moa vs flag in 2023) but very few people have their phones out the entire time, so the view isn't obstructed and people cheer and shout and run around, living in the moment. The venue is small, located in a nice air conditioned shopping mall, and close to good clean public transportation. And with the lottery system there's no need (or hack, depending on how you see it) to queue all day.

All this is to say, 5 years since I first found out about this weird little group, that magic is still there. I don't know if it'll last forever, so I'm determined to cherish it for what it is, for as long as it'll last. I brought two friends to see BABYMETAL for the first time, and it absolutely blew their minds; hearing them excitedly try to put it into words and somehow make sense of what had just happened was really fun. Seeing them reminded me of my first time, and there's no better feeling than reliving that magic organically rather than trying to force it. Hopefully this will be of use to you whether you're seeing them for the 1st or 100th time, but at the end of the day, the most important thing is to do what gives you the most enjoyment!