When Babymetal released their self-titled debut album in 2014, nobody was sure how to react. Their energetic fusion of pop vocals and dances with a loud 'heavy metal' sound and aesthetic had some people turning up their noses - and others turning up in their hundreds to the band's gigs. I was lucky enough to attend such a concert at the Eventim Apollo around a week ago - and it was definitely an experience. Opting for a standing ticket, I found myself surrounded by members of the very demographic that had so vocally rejected Babymetal in their opening years - adult male metalheads. Perhaps I had been a little narrow-minded - I had expected teenage girls, and perhaps a few diehard adult fans that had been following the trio since the start. But I was met with a much more diverse mix - older teenage fans, anime fans, punks (a few of which were there to see the phenomenal supporting band, Creeper) and seemingly every middle-aged metalhead in London. "Metal isn't supposed to be cute", seemed to be the general consensus from metal purists back in 2014. But my night at the Apollo revealed something - the music scene has changed. Were the girls criticised because of their music, or was it because they were Asian, or was it because they were female? They brought a breath of fresh, adrenaline-laced air to a scene that has been clearly dominated by men to the point where the metalhead stereotype seems to be the human equivalent of a Norse god. But in the 6 years since their debut, things seem to have changed. Music doesn't seem to be limited by gender, or age - everybody just turned up to bounce around and scream for a few hours, and that's okay. All I can say is I'm glad the crowd subverted my expectations - and I'm glad that experimental, energetic groups like Babymetal are keeping the London music scene interesting.

- Leila Clover