BMTH live in Jakarta 2024

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This time around Ravel gets it right and BMTH (Bring Me The Horizon) are headlining the Nexfest festival in Jakarta which also features Babymetal. In this format there is no seating - which makes for a much more intimate experience - although you do have to arrive really early if you want to pick a spot right up close to the stage.  We arrived about six hours before BMTH were scheduled to start their performance and bought plenty of drinks to stay hydrated in the tropical afternoon heat (mind you, some of those were Iceland vodka mix!) This was a gig I had long been looking forward to - especially after the debacle last year. Not everyone likes BMTH of course. For deathcore fans the band sold out. For metal heads the band is not purist enough. And for the wider mainstream audience, the band is too heavy. You can't please everyone of course but there are few bands in the rock world which can match the sheer emotional velocity of BMTH. To bring metal and even aspects of metalcore t...
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The Yogyakarta Royal Palace (Kraton)

Yogyakarta is the only functioning sultanate in Indonesia and in the royal compound (the Kraton) you will come across ancient Hindu motifs, Buddhist lotus flowers, and Islamic calligraphy.

 Most of the paraphernalia within the Kraton are gifts from the royal families of other countries.

The best way to reach the Kraton is by bicycle, as this makes it easier to explore the sleepy kampong surrounding the Kraton where the pace of life proceeds almost in slow motion.

 Admission is more expensive for foreigners than locals but, if you can live with that shameless discrimination, make sure you come fairly early in the day as the opening hours are from 8am until only 2pm. A guide will attach themselves to you, but there is no obligation to use one, so if you don’t, just let them know – but politely of course – this is Yogyakarta after all!

Kraton yogyakarta

Kraton yogyakarta

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