Now returning for its fourth edition, WACK in the UK has quickly become a highlight in the European idol calendar. The regularity with which it is held means that it has built a community around itself and there are a lot of familiar faces present tonight, 27 November. Yet, it’s also a growing scene as word spreads and there are many present who are about to experience the joys of the alternative idol scene for the first time. It all conspires to create an air of excitement and expectation…and that’s even before we’ve entered the venue!
With the crowd safely ensconced within the cavernous environs of The Underworld, our attention turns towards the stage. This is the first event without Watanabe as leader of the WACK invasion (he’s now studying in the UK) but he is still here to act as master of ceremonies, giving us a taste of who will be performing tonight and reminding us that the taking of photographs and video footage is permitted (incidentally, as with the third edition of WACK, there’s a production team filming tonight’s show, so it will be interesting to see if it will be made commercially available).
Making a welcome return to WACK are Mameshiba no Taigun Tonai Bousho a.k.a. MonsterIdol (now active again as Mameshiba no Taigun). With their debut album set for release on Christmas day, it is proving to be an exciting time for this unit. With their brand-new outfits, all eyes were on the group, and they had their additional eyes on us (an outfit joke; see photographs). MonsterIdol took many by surprise by arriving at their own version of Queen’s We Will Rock You, but they proved to be as energetic and fun as ever. Using props such as whistles and megaphones to great effect, those who were present at volume 3 knew exactly when to react in the songs, while the newbies were gently prompted. MonsterIdol were as fun and reliable as ever, and Aika the Spy, piggybacking Momoti Ngale, declaring her love of fish and chips in a loud voice only adhered them further to the audience. During their MC time, the unit expressed their gratitude for being back in the UK, and judging by the crowd’s reaction, the feeling was mutual.
Former headliners from WACK in the UK vol. 3, ASP (Anti Society Punks) now appeared in the centre of the bill to complete a trilogy of appearances at WACK. They also sported new outfits along with a heavier sound, and indicative of this they performed Make A Move live with Sam Matlock (and son of Sex Pistol, Glen) of electro-punk band Wargasm in attendance (he wrote the song). Yet, there was also time for plenty of ASP classics with the band explaining the hand signs for the song Japanese Girl (use right hand with thumb and first two fingers extended), a sign which the crowd was only too happy to flash on command. ASP are now seasoned professionals at WACK and they’ve certainly found themselves a welcome home in London and are in their element in the “borough of punk” (aka Camden) and at The Underworld.
ExWhyZ have a name I’ve been pronouncing wrong for a long time (it’s actually “Exwisez”) and they closed this installment of WACK in the UK in some style. Despite some fluctuations in their line-up (having lost a member and a new member rejoining; more on that shortly) the unit didn’t take a step wrong and turned in a solid performance for the fans. They had a very interactive stage show and made a point of connecting with the crowd at every opportunity. In opposition to MonsterIdol and ASP, ExWhyZ have a more dance orientated sound and that helped give the evening a more balanced feel musically. With their cheeky stage moves and high-octane performance, ExWhyZ are a blur of energy. I’m sure they won a few hearts tonight and they bring down the curtain in style.
However, it is not quite the end of the show because Watanabe returns with Mayu (the member rejoining ExWhyZ) who was welcomed with rapt applause and hopefully that helped her ease back into the group. The final curtain call had its fair share of merriment with several band members advised that they were working hard on their English, which started the “Japanese Joke” escapade with Watanabe asking for a bit too much in his letters from the group.
It was also announced that volume 5 of WACK in the UK will return to The Underworld on 26th March 2025 and will feature ASP, KiSS KiSS and Gang Parade. See you there!
