It’s a humid night in Brisbane and while Supanova Pop Culture Expo is well underway in Southbank, the walls of The Triffid are buzzing with the anticipation of Kawaii Core queens, Hanabie. This is going to be epic.

Leading things off tonight are local legends The Gloom In The Corner and damn if these guys don’t get better and better every time I see them.

Their unique brand of doom/prog/groove metal is as infectious as the headline act, and it’s not without too much effort that they get the crowd moving and grooving to their tunes. With fret work that could rival the finest of seasoned musicians, TGITC have carved a name for themselves here in Oz, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see them embark on an international string of dates in the very near future.

The sounds that these guys can produce is nothing short of amazing. Not only bringing hefty basslines and break-neck drums into the mix, but also the absolutely powerful voice of front man Mikey Arthur, it’s safe to say that Gloom is a band on the rise and no one is more deserving of the support slot for Hanabie than this hard-working band.

Making sure that they keep as much variety in their set as possible, there’s sure to be quite a few people walking away from tonight’s show with a plan to go and listen to their entire back catalogue (worth it, by the way).

You have Baby Metal, you have Bridear, and you have Hanabie. The holy trinity of Kawaii Core, as it were. If you enjoy the choreography of BM but it just doesn’t hit all the right hyperactive, thrashy goodness of the metal you’re used to, then Hanabie is right up your alley. Now, I’m not going to attempt to name songs in this review, mainly because I’m bound to fuck it up and offend someone, but if the crowd reaction is anything to go by, they’ve hit every right note of what their fans want out of their show and then some.

With an energy that is unrivalled, the amount of jumping, spinning and all round “where the hell should I be looking next” feeling puts some of the most energetic bands to shame. I’m sure that if you put Cyco Miko from Suicidals at a Hanabie show, even he would be astounded by just how full on this band makes their show. Now, it would be remiss of me not to mention the fashion on display.
With Kawaii Core on the rise, finding the right look is something that truly makes some of these Japanese bands unique. BM have their perfectly designed outfits. Bridear have their heavy goth influence. Hanabie, well, they have a style all of their own, which seems to draw heavily from the streets of Harajuku (one of the best places on this planet, imo). There is no describing how truly magical and eclectic these musicians present themselves and for tonight’s sold out crowd, it just makes it all the more special.

As the spectacle comes to a close, the patrons inside the walls of The Triffid are very satisfied that they chose this show above all the others on offer around Brisbane tonight. It has truly been one of the best shows of this year and one we shall all keep firmly in the (Kawaii) core memory bank. Arigato gozaimashita, Hanabie.