Once again, Camden’s The Underworld venue hosts another volume of WACK in the UK and finds stalwarts ASP returning with KiSS KiSS and GANG PARADE in tow. As has become de rigueur, the queue has become an event in itself, with old friends catching up and new acquaintances made as those who arrived early eagerly await the opening of the doors so they can stake a coveted place in front of the stage.
WACK in the UK Vol. 5, The Underworld, Camden on 26.03.2025
KiSS KiSS once again kicked off WACK with their second appearance at The Underworld. Now with updated outfits and celebrating their second anniversary as a sub-group, with their colourful costumes and love of all things cute, this was exactly the message they conveyed to the excitable crowd.
They started with Rakuen Cu~tepia♡ and covered fan favourites from their first album, such as KiSS KiSS SUNSET and Twilight, as well as bringing out their matching glow stick wands to much fanfare. Their fans were ready with their own wands, creating an instant connection between idols and fans. Closing their energetic set with Inai Inai Baa, KiSS KiSS certainly got the message across that the cute idol is ingrained into their ethos.
ASP are stalwarts of WACK in the UK and now hold the record as a group with the most appearances at The Underworld event, and they were as eager as ever to bring the energy that encapsulates their sound. One thing to note this time was the absence of Nameless, who has taken a leave of absence to focus on her health, the other members did acknowledge her during the roll call.
It was business as usual for the veterans of the Underworld singing classics like BOLLOCKS and HAiKEi ROCKSTAR-SAMA to their more recent work such as Black Nails, adding there high paced and action packed dance routines (those high kicks made my hamstrings panic!), their ability to put on a show has not diminished since their first appearance. They announced shortly after WACK 5 that they will be adding a new member to the group who is currently represented as an egg. It was later announced that it would be former BiS member IKO MUGENNOKANATA.
In a curious coincidence, GANG PARADE were also on their second visit to The Underworld. They are such a large idol group that it is impressing by how they are all able to fit on the stage. Also, with new outfits, there was a minor celebration in the group as Yumeno Yua had her birthday recently. The group began with the 11SOUL version of GANG PARADE SE to give newer people visiting The Underworld a reminder of all the members.
The group visited all points along their discography, from older songs like Yakadou and fan favourites like GOOD LUCK MY FUTURE and So many members (which is always a good reminder of all the people who constitute this unit). In the MC section, the group stated they were happy to be here, and it also resulted in Coco Partin Coco unveiling her Terminator declaration/statement of “I’ll be back”!
In the events’ epilogue, Watanabe Junnosuke appeared on stage and, through audience prompting, gave a wonderful rendition of the Totoro theme. He announced WACK in the UK volume 6 with the shocking twist that it will be a two-day event on the 5th and 6th of June. On the first day, showcasing ASP, MAMESHiBA NO TAiGUN and ExWhyZ, while the second day will be bringing new combatants to the Underworld with the idol groups PIGGS, MAPA and ZOCX, which had the audience in rapturous excitement.
We’ve already secured our tickets for the sixth volume…see you there!
