A gay nightclub in the centre of West London, Heaven also hosts live bands and has seen some of music’s best names pass through. Legendary artists such as Public Image Limited, Killing Joke, and Throbbing Gristle have all played here, and now you can add Wednesday Campanella to that illustrious list. Formed in Tokyo in 2012, this musical outfit are an irresistible blend of EDM, J-Pop and hip hop and it’s a combination that makes their records incredible fun. It’s a sense of joy that they carry over into their live show and a near-capacity crowd have assembled to witness their effervescent performance, and while the Lioness’ are doing great things on the football field, Wednesday Campanella are kicking up a storm inside Heaven.
Wednesday Campanella at Heaven, London on 27.07.2025 | Photography JJ Grant (wonderlens)
As is so often the case with Japanese events there’s no support act tonight, but that means there’s not long to wait for Wednesday Campanella and if there’s one thing that vocalist Utaha knows, it’s how to make a dramatic entrance. Appearing from the back of the venue and marching through the crowd is what people least expect and that’s what makes it such a neat idea. It immediately makes the audience part of the show, that’s an essential ingredient in the Wednesday Campanella experience, and it’s one that will echo throughout the gig. Tinker Bell is the opening track and it brings a smile to everyone’s face as Utaha bounces around the stage like a mischievous imp. Her vocals are equally vivacious and range from soulful soliloquies to rapid fire rap and it’s never quite knowing in what guise Utaha will appear next makes for such an engaging experience.
Accompanied by Kenmochi Hidefumi, who controls the music and samples, Wednesday Campanella make a great tag team, and both conspire to make the songs three-dimensional. With some inventive imagery projected onto a huge screen behind the stage, these songs about historical characters, mythical creatures and folk tales are really brought to life. Yet, it doesn’t end there; this is a very interactive show with Utaha engaging with the crowd every few songs and, despite her rudimentary English, creates a tangible bond between crowd and artist. Throughout the gig two dancers appear periodically to engage in some over-the-top, camp dancing, before Utaha selects four lucky audience members to join her on stage to indulge in some equally unorthodox dance routines.
Things can often verge on the surreal, especially when Utaha is encased in a huge, transparent globe (a “zorb”) and is bounced around on top of the crowd like a large pinball during Momotarō. In addition there are huge inflatables (a lucky cat) before Utaha makes another sojourn into the crowd. It ensures the set becomes a swirling soup, a psychedelic cornucopia of sight and sound that dazzles and hypnotises the crowd into a mass of individuals who can’t take their eyes from the stage.
As we reach the end of the evening, Utaha warns us that there will be no encore, yet the evening still comes to an abrupt end with Maneki Neko, but no one can feel shortchanged changed and those present know they’ve seen a special something.
Wednesday Campanella at Heaven, London on 27.07.2025 | Photography JJ Grant (wonderlens)
Set List:
1. Tinker Bell
2. Buckingham
3. Diablo
4. Prince Shoutoku
5. Charlotte
6. Kongo Rikishi Statues
7. Little Red Riding Hood
8. TAMAMO-NO-MAE
9. So Many Wishes
10. Akaneko
11. The Big Four
12. Chateaubriand
13. Moving point P
14. Issunboushi
15. Momotarō
16. Summer time Ghost
17. Mermaid
18. Edison
19. Maneki Neko
Photography: JJ Grant (wonderlens)
