“Even on days like this, I’ll sing of our existence, no matter what.“
Half Idol group, half metalcore band HANABIE. brought their unique brand of Harijuku inspired aesthetics to London with Lake Malice in tow to open the show at a sold out Electric Brixton.
Words and photography by Anton Smeeton – contact Anton prior to any image use.
Lake Malice
It’s fitting that Lake Malice are opening tonight, their vibrant, anime inspired looks and genre-fluid take on modern metal has many of the same elements that work for tonight’s headliner and push them in different directions. Alice Guala and Blake Cornwall are hyperactive, hitting the stage running and barely stopping for breath through their blinding storm of strobe lights, dance beats and distortion. The energy is clearly infectious as the crowd throw the first surfers of the night hurtling towards the stage and eagerly follow every instruction to jump, dance and mosh their way along to the music.
Hanabie
Japanese pop culture has a unique ability to distil the familiar sounds and styles of western subcultures into far more concentrated, intense forms, with those new forms in turn being loved and appreciated across the globe. HANABIE. are one of a wave of bands that embody this sense of mutual appreciation. From humble beginnings as a tribute to cult J-Metal act Maximum the Hormone, to selling out venues on the other side of the world in less than a decade, it’s clear that there’s very real momentum behind them.
This momentum, however, did not come from nowhere. When you take their bombastic Decora aesthetics and Harijuku street style and let it collide with the relentless, fast and energetic melodic metalcore they deal out, the result is pure sensory overload. A total saturation of colour and sound that overwhelms a sold out Brixton Electric instantly. The affection their audience holds is made clear immediately as a wave of crowd surfers crashes over the barrier and has security fighting for their paychecks. Any possible barrier that language could have presented has simply been circumnavigated – the hooks and melodies are infectious regardless. With the experience of a year of massive festival appearances under their belt, it’s clear HANABIE. won’t be restrained to venues this size for much longer and only much bigger, brighter and louder things are coming.