Lordi, Babymetal, and Sabaton concert, Cologne, May 2023

I only listen to these bands occasionally, but I know they are all fun and definitely wanted to see them all live at least once. So, I was really happy when I heard that they are coming to Cologne and that they are performing together; I didn’t want to miss that chance. It turns out — it was really worth it, the concert was absolutely amazing. All three of them were entertaining and simply spreading positive vibes.

My friends and I had tickets in the upper parts of Lanxess arena, but we were quite close to the stage, so we nevertheless had a very good view.

Lordi

I haven’t followed Lordi too closely over the years, but I like them primarily for a sentimental reason — they were the first metal band to win Eurovision (a dream come true for me as a teenager who was into metal), and the first ever act I actually voted for at the contest. Their performance was really fun and energetic, as one would expect; Mr. Lordi in particular was really having fun with the audience. I’m really happy that I finally got a chance to see them live, particularly for hearing “Hard Rock Hallelujah” live for the first time after so many years.

Here are a few photos taken during their performance.

Babymetal

Babymetal is the band I listen to the least of the three bands, but I nevertheless really like their musical style; the combination simply works for some reason. Their performance here was great; I particularly liked the dance routines, and the guitar player was amazing.

A few photos of their performance are given below.

Sabaton

I’d seen one of Sabaton’s live DVDs and knew that they are excellent live performers, but I was still fascinated at their performance. I think their interaction with the audience is among the best in metal; it’s hard to beat the “Noch ein Bier” routine.

Here are some photos from the stage during their performance as well.