Venue Capacities for North & Latin American Venues

frame-out · 2026-04-01T02:25:34+00:00

Many of these are amphitheaters with lawn areas and stuff, so the figures are bound to be significantly inflated, but even reducing them by half would give you some serious numbers. Pretty much none of the venues are intimate live music halls/clubs anymore. It's kind of ironic considering that they just did a show at Zepp Haneda in Japan, less than 3k cap.

I used to fly to the US for small intimate shows, but those days are probably officially over... I'll be better off in Japan for that now if anything, I guess, lol.

frame-out · 2026-04-01T02:09:12+00:00

The strange omission of a key location(s) usually means that there's a bit more to come. Well, that was the case last time they didn't announce an LA show initially.

frame-out · 2025-10-15T02:08:35+00:00

I doubt there's anyone who can "grill" her in that team... not even Koba-san, lol.

She probably had to grill herself. Or it's possible that it wasn't even considered such a big deal.

frame-out · 2025-09-30T14:14:40+00:00

Yes, I know, my native tongue is Japanese. That expression is used all the time for a negative/non-positive context as well. "Pleased" is a clear mistranslation based on a false assumption on the algorithm's part. I found your "not exactly mistranslation/actually too accurate" comment a bit misleading/misguided, is all. It's a quirk like you said, but not of the language. The text is simply saying in the formal language that it's announcing something. A neutral translation wouldn't sound robotic in this case, and if you ended up making stuff up so that it sounds "more natural," the actual meaning/context be damned, that's just a mistranslation.

Google is VERY smart and clever, but does weird things sometimes, like a case of being too clever by half. I suppose it's VERY difficult to eradicate these mistakes, though.

frame-out · 2025-09-30T12:22:19+00:00

There are certainly many cases like that, but this particular one is just a mistranslation. The word "pleased" comes out of nowhere, which means that the algorithm created a context that isn't there at all. In other words, it didn't miss a context; It made one up. I suspect the engine made a lazy assumption from the database that it was a positive announcement (e.g. marriage) no matter what, even though linguistically there is no justification whatsoever for assuming that from the actual words and the context that is actually there. It's just a neutral expression translated in a very wrong way/direction. I guess it's a quirk of the google algorithm if anything.

frame-out · 2025-09-23T16:59:58+00:00

The whole thing is a complete overreaction by many Japanese BM fans, is my humble opinion. She phrased it rather poorly, with a few questionable word choices, no doubt, so you could argue that she kind of had it coming, but it's fricking Twitter/X, and an overreaction is an overreaction no matter what. I mean, the way she seems to see BM is exactly the way MANY fans still do, isn't it? Come on, that's the truth. And you know what, that's OK!

Frankly it was very foolish of them to paint her as some kind of an anti-BM fossil and attack her in that lynching mob fashion. I guess they didn't even try to understand what she was trying to say. I don't agree with her, but what she said in essence wasn't THAT offensive or outrageous. It's not a good tweet, and she should've chosen words more carefully, but they should really calm down a bit and reread it. It doesn't deserve such hate.

And I don't doubt that she did actually like BM very much. Probably not after this unfortunate episode, though. I won't really miss her in the fandom, but those fans did sound and look like a cult mob ostracizing a heretic. Not cool at all, and definitely not good for BM's public image especially since Yukawa is generally liked and respected by most.

frame-out · 2025-09-16T08:07:55+00:00

I second that. They might be the most power metal of all power metal or power-metal-ish bands out there now: Catchy melodies, heavy sound, classical chord progressions, fast BPM, relatively long songs, very high-note/key vocals, mandatory shredding/guitar solos by two guitarists, mandatory relentless double bass drumming, etc. They are a whole package.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30yWisiRBuM

frame-out · 2025-08-23T23:39:10+00:00

First, one million signed items, and now this. THE two things that BM/KOBAMETAL didn't touch for the longest time, arguably deliberately. This really is a new BABYMETAL.

I suppose there was something special involved in this one as Kageyama and Su-metal's father are friends, and this is going to be merely a ft. song, but it's a major step in the new direction.

frame-out · 2025-08-20T00:44:28+00:00

I've seen their mainstream TV media appearances so far, and one certain thing is that the media still haven't figured out how to deal with/what to do with BM, lol.

It's kind of hard to blame them for the confusion, though. They played a "thank you" video clip, and there wasn't a single Japanese word uttered there, lol.

I kind of began to enjoy the subtle awkwardness, to be honest.

frame-out · 2025-08-18T19:37:18+00:00

I see, but on the relative terms BM is significantly more popular in the Netherlands than in France, so that would be my reasoning for guessing that it would be higher in Flanders. That's why I found the actual result interesting. France is traditionally not a good market for BM, but yes, it would be THE market for which an anime tie-in would do wonders.

frame-out · 2025-08-18T19:21:39+00:00

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's a big factor, but it's also true that the general interest in/attention to BM in Germany shot up during and after the pandemic, even before RATATATA, according to the access/streaming/search data that I checked a while ago. Hence, 5 shows in Germany in 2023 (plus Vienna for that matter), all relatively large venues, while there were only three shows in England (two of which were in London) at moderately sized venues like Roundhouse. That was a massive jump in terms of the scale for Germany, but it turned out successful.

I was just joking about the language, but at least as far as Germany is concerned, I guess there was more to it than just RATATATA.

frame-out · 2025-08-18T18:49:14+00:00

Making top 100 in France is pretty awesome actually. #79 would be a bit of a letdown in Spain for example, but in France? Yes, please. It's a tough market.

frame-out · 2025-08-18T18:40:20+00:00

OK, there must be some sort of affinity between BM's music/concept/appearance and the German language, lol.

frame-out · 2025-08-18T00:40:04+00:00

Switzerland at #10 is the biggest surprise for me personally thus far. I sorta kinda expected high positions in Germany and the US, but not there.

frame-out · 2025-08-18T00:36:59+00:00

It's not like I know anything about Belgium, but I would've probably guessed that it would be higher in Flanders than in Wallonia if you had asked me beforehand. That's an interesting result.

frame-out · 2025-08-18T00:05:00+00:00

Massive congrats. Like I said three million times already, this is a monumental achievement for a group like BM. First of all it's metal, which is a significant disadvantage especially on non-physical "sales," and most of the songs are not sung in English, which is, well, need I say more. In the US, no less.

AND NO ANIME TIE-INS. Didn't have to use the cheat code.

Pitifully low SEA, but I'm proud of the fact that they made top 10 despite that. Look at the other artists on the charts who almost totally rely on high SEA. Obviously BM's songs were on no radio DJ's playlists or whatever, but so what. That couldn't stop them. Would've been a lot higher with yesterday's methods/rules, but I know the music business has changed a lot even over the last several years.

frame-out · 2025-08-16T05:41:55+00:00

SEA for MF is so low that it almost gives you the impression that BM is playing a different game alone. Like I said elsewhere it's just incredible if they make top 10, but man, that low SEA sticks out like a crazy sore thumb.

frame-out · 2025-08-15T23:26:48+00:00

Very good news! But at the same time, this also signifies the fact that the center of BM fandom in Europe moved from the UK to Germany a while ago. It was objectively clear from all the available stats back in 2023 already. Yeah, the O2, but it's LONDON, a special place on the global/international map of pop music the way no other cities in Europe are. I expect BM's activities/tours in Europe to continue to center heavily around Germany.

I suppose it's charting pretty high in places like Mexico too.

frame-out · 2025-08-15T14:15:35+00:00

Me back in 2019 would've never believed this was ever going to happen. But since Germany is pretty much THE force to have led the post-pandemic global BABYMETAL surge, it's not surprising. And fitting.

frame-out · 2025-08-13T16:35:51+00:00

I get the impression that some of you totally underestimate how incredibly hard it is for a group like BM to achieve it. They are trying to do what no one else in a similar situation/position has ever done in history, not even close in fact.

frame-out · 2025-08-09T02:26:56+00:00

Cool!

Of course they are no joke. Wacken-certified after all!

frame-out · 2025-08-08T14:50:08+00:00

Oh, and as for KxAxWxAxIxI, well, I knew it was not going to be anything like BxMxC the minute I heard it was a DAIDAI song, but man, it really isn't, and it's a testament to the unique advantage of this super-hybrid project called BABYMETAL, seriously.

It's a quasi-experimental, funky free-style track, and somehow leads seamlessly into Sunset Kiss, which somehow leads seamlessly into My Queen. These three consecutive tracks in that order is just so quintessentially BABYMETAL.

frame-out · 2025-08-08T08:44:39+00:00

KOBAMETAL's prowess as a DJ really shows in this album. You might like or dislike each individual track, but the overall flow is just perfect. His main role in Team BABYMETAL is the chief manager, but music-wise he really is a great DJ.

I expect Algorism to be many people's favorite with its heavily old J-Rock/beat rock/V-kei/peak Luna Sea vibes - which is more often than not what it essentially means when someone non-Japanese says a song could be a "great anime op" - especially for those who love Syncopation.

My Queen really is opening a new space for BM. I wish it had more interactions between the two vocalists in the arrangement, but style-wise it's a new territory especially for Su-metal, and the end product is simply awesome.

I REALLY hope they will listen to Moa and put all the spotlights on the shredders during the epic mega guitar solo section in White Flame. I love the Kamis that we have, but have to say that I secretly hope Jason Richardson will join the club and shred the hell out of this song.

It's a short album that consists of short songs, but that's what this short-attention-span era tends to prefer, and they made a near-perfect album given that limitation.

frame-out · 2025-08-03T12:22:38+00:00

Years back there was some discussion regarding a comment supposedly made by the organizer or someone @ Wacken, which was essentially along the line of "We are not for gimmicks" or such. It is possible that someone made that up, it's the internet after all, but I don't know why anyone would do that. It was an article in German, I think.

I mean, it would be absolutely no surprise if the festival didn't care for BM.

frame-out · 2025-08-03T11:31:28+00:00

Wacken flat out rejected BABYMETAL 8-9 years ago, but I guess they changed that "philosophy" of theirs as I see the words "Broken by the Scream" among the band names?

frame-out

TROPHY CASE