Smashing It Out Of The Park With BABYBEARD

Interview by Kris PetersHeavy Metal and J-Pop are two genres which, for all intents and purposes, should not be joined in sonic matrimony, but try telling that to Australian-born Japanese sensation Ladybeard and the two girls who make up Babybeard.Since 2020, the powerful trio has existed in some form or another, spearheaded throughout by wrestler turned DJ turned vocalist Ladybeard, who brings not only a sense of danger to the group, but also an abundance of energy and fun that has seen their music transcend barriers the world over. Children who have never liked metal before suddenly think it's cool because Babybeard do it, and on the other side of the fence, metalheads who would have previously been embarrassed for anyone to witness them listening to J-Pop now have a legitimate reason due to the two worlds colliding.It is a brand of music that unites genres and defies expectations, all wrapped in a pretty pink bow and pigtails. Sound strange? Well, take a listen and tell me I'm wrong…After decimating Australian audiences in 2024 with their Adorable Assault On Australia tour, Babybeard return to reclaim their throne with a special one-off performance at SMASH Convention 2025 in Sydney over July 12 and 13. Spread over the weekend, Babybeard will be doing a showcase performance as well as a meet and greet question time, along the way ushering in brand new trainee member Mizuki, who is not only performing with Babybeard for the first time in Australia, will also be making her international performing debut of any kind.As long-time friends of HEAVY, when we found out Babybeard were coming Down Under once more, we harassed Ladybeard until he agreed to an interview, with the effervescent frontman once again providing a plethora of delights."There's something for everybody," Ladybeard promised. "There's drama, there's tragedy, there's comedy, there's no romance. But, you know, apart from that, there's something for absolutely everyone."When talk turns to last year's tour, Ladybeard reveals something totally unexpected."Last year in Sydney - for the first time ever - we had a wall of death at one of our shows," he laughed. "It was awesome. It was our first show in Sydney, again, it was a weeknight, so it was not the biggest show that we had. But we're there, we're leading into the last song, and there had just been a shoey, so the stage is wet and everyone was feeling frivolous, and as I was just introducing the last song, someone in the audience yells out, 'wall of death!' So we're like, okay, if you guys want to. The girls have never seen a wall of death before because in Japan, we do shows for idol fans, right? So that was their first ever wall of death. It was interesting because there was a bunch of loose chairs on the floor, so it was a pretty dangerous wall of death, but they got through it."In the full interview, Ladybeard reflected on their previous tour in Australia, sharing memorable experiences and expressing excitement about returning to connect with fans. The conversation highlighted the unique blend of Japanese pop and heavy metal in their music, emphasizing the importance of creating a community atmosphere during performances that encourages audience participation.We spoke about the live show and what to expect, the drafting of Mizuki into the band, their expectations of Australian crowds, how blending heavy metal and Japanese pop is accepted in Japan, milking Kangaroos and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.