Live Review: Sabaton with Baby Metal and Lordi at Wembley OVO Arena (15/04/2023)

The Tour to End All Tours has rolled into London as Sabaton, with support from Baby Metal and Lordi hit the OVO Wembley Arena for a Saturday full of fun and fire.

Nice weather and a Saturday sees us, and hundreds of others all descending on Wembley Park from very early in the afternoon. A small thing but it feels important. Camps of people outside of the arena with their beers, pubs and bars all full of Sabaton shirt and camo trouser wearing warriors all hours before the doors are due to open. As Sabaton themselves explain during the show, coming to the UK for them was not always this way. These days though, and deservedly so, Sabaton coming to town is a big fucking deal and selling out, or at least almost selling out, the OVO Wembley Arena is about as big as it gets.

Unfortunately with a big arena and a near sell out, comes queues and my god, the queue to get in was phenomenal, starting almost two whole streets away from the actual Wembley Park itself. Unlike every other queue we hit throughout the night, the getting in queue moved quick. But, with great numbers, comes great waiting and even with doors opening an hour before Lordi are meant to take the stage, we still don’t get in before they are already a track or two into their set.

Lordi, yes, that band. You know, from Eurovision Song Contest? And I now know how dick a thing to say that is because they are absolutely great rocking fun live. Dressed to the nines in all their Power Ranger bad guy styled gear, they sound great and really work the crowd up. They whip through songs I don’t know at all but find madly enjoyable with tracks like Thing in the Cage, Lucyfer Prime Evil and Who’s Your Daddy? standing out. The largest roar of approval comes with their closer, the song that sees almost every phone in the arena come out for filming with that Eurovision song, Hard Rock Hallelujah. And that is also a really good and fun track live. It is amazing how, 17 years after it peaked in that horrific contest, it is so well known and loved.

As they end, I head off to my next queue – for beer. The craft beers isn’t working, again, so joining a 60 person queue for Heineken becomes my burden. While a 70 person queue for the toilet becomes my wife and daughters burden. So. Many. Queues.

Back up we go for the band that I feel may be polarising but also realise I may be alone in that thought as the crowd go ballistic for the arrival of BabyMetal. These girls have brought in a lot of fans here, apparent from the packing out of the standing area and the screams all around me from people of all ages. I don’t like BabyMetal really, I don’t like their sound. To be fair though, I am excited a bit to see them as I have heard they are very good live. And, they are fun. Using every bit of energy from OVO to power some lights that are absolutely blinding, they are high energy and relentless starting fast with BabyMetal DEATH to a hyped up crowd. Older songs like Pa Pa Ya and Gimme Chocolate get the loudest response before the big closer of Road to Resistance.

For me though, it just reinforced the idea that I don’t think these are for me. I appreciated their energy, their professionalism but it is so choreographed, so unnatural and some of the electronic elements grate on me. They were fantastic at what they do, really earning the crowds adulation but personal taste sees me a little checked out.

So, what should I do instead? Queue! 45 minutes in a lengthy line to get some merch. I am not complaining though. The things with queues like this is it just means that the bands (and sadly, venue) are hopefully making money which is what we should all be hoping for. So yay for queues.

But now, to an absolutely heaving crowd with barely a space available, it’s time for the main event. Sabaton. And oh my do they deserve this status. Anyone who still doubts Sabaton’s headliner credentials is a fool. From impressive stage set up, a back catalogue of amazing songs, theatrics and performance and a grateful and humble attitude that is both emotional and endearing, Sabaton are the real deal.

Starting with Ghost Division before heading straight into Bismarck, the whole venue is alive and electric. Huge backdrops, explosions, fire and a screen running film alongside everything is almost too much for the senses at times. The Lat Stand and Into the Fire keep the energy and fire blazing with the band prowling the stage, never staying still, up on platforms, on top of the tank – it’s amazing.

Carolus Rex gets an airing in Swedish, which is awesome before my favourite, Winged Hussars absolutely blows me and the crowd away. The hits keep coming, the band keep wowing as we get numbers like Storm Troopers, Soldier of Heaven and the Red Baron. Father, The Attack of the Dead Men and an absolutely stunning rendition of Christmas Truce bring the set to a close with voices hoarse and confetti flying everywhere.

Of course we get an encore and I love that Sabaton take ages to come out. The crowd chant loudly, chapters of insane clapping and foot stomping finally drag them back out for a fiery and intense encore with loads of crowd participation conducted by the guitarists. They split the room, compete  sides against each other and blaze out Primo Victoria and the ever popular Swedish Pagans, a song that is still getting sung by the crowd back at the train station later.

The show ends for real then with the final song, To Hell and Back, huge explosions and an absolutely incensed crowd. The band say their thank you and good byes, to a madly grateful crowd who absolutely understand that Sabaton are the real deal and are headliner level in the UK. The amazing catalogue, the passionate speeches about their growth on our island, it all feels so special and you feel that this band have really worked their socks off and are finally getting their deserved rewards.

This show, including both Lordi and BabyMetal, is the very meaning of an arena tour. It was magical, bringing bands that worked well together, all gave their all to a rapturous and appreciative packed venue of fans. It felt old school at times. Chanting the bands name to get encores, people still singing 20 minutes later at the train station, a real feeling of optimism and positivity ran through the air. It was electric, exciting and surely proves to any remaining doubters that Sabaton are one of the very best live bands in metal, globally.

What a wonderful show, where now, the morning after, I still feel hyped and happy, as well as grateful, for having witnessed Sabaton at their very best.