The crowd is already buzzing at the Liberty Hall, and I’m waiting with a sense of excitement and intrigue. Tokyo’s HANABIE, an all-girl quartet, is about to take the stage for their first-ever Australian headline tour. They’ve carved their niche with something they call “Harajuku-core”—a high-octane collision of metalcore, hyper-pop, EDM, and nu-metal—all wrapped in playful, pastel-toned aesthetics that feel like they’ve just leapt out of a neon-soaked Tokyo side street. They’re unapologetically loud, relentlessly fun, and yet somehow they channel a deadly precision through the chaos. I’m caught in a wave of crowd energy that feels part rave, part punk show. HANABIE’s 2023 release, Reborn Superstar! took their explosive sound to new heights, stacking up praise internationally and pushing them onto the global stage alongside names like Limp Bizkit and Jinjer.
Tonight’s crowd is primed; I spot fans decked out in pink and black, some even sporting oversized bows and platform shoes that nod to the group’s Harajuku roots. But this isn’t just cosplay. HANABIE has struck a nerve in the heavy scene, a space that rarely makes room for bubblegum and bass drops to coexist with breakdowns. It’s no surprise, really, that their viral hit ‘Pardon Me, I Have To Go Now’ blew up online, garnering millions of views. The chaos of their sound, balanced by playful lyrics and catchy hooks, has become an anthem for a new generation of metal fans who want something more colorful than the usual dark palette.
The lights dim, and suddenly each HANABIE member comes barreling onto the stage, one by one, each throwing herself into a mic grab or a leap like it’s a matter of life and death. The introductions are short, but it’s enough to spark absolute chaos. The four of them have barely hit their marks when the sound detonates, and I’m instantly hit with the sensation that my teeth might just rattle loose. The riffs, the relentless drums, the wild guitar lines—everything is bigger, louder, and somehow sharper than you think it has any right to be.
On stage, it’s pure kinetic energy. They’re moving, kicking, spinning, flinging themselves into the next beat with the kind of reckless precision you can’t fake. No one misses a step, not a single high kick falls short. Behind me, the crowd is going feral, as if pulled into the orbit of these four Harajuku-core warriors, drenched in neon chaos. HANABIE isn’t just delivering a show; they’re detonating something. And the crowd can’t get enough—every beat, every scream feels like it’s charged with an urgency that dares you to look away. You can’t.
HANABIE will play Melbourne and Adelaide next – tickets HERE.
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