Metal and J-pop singer/pro wrestler Ladybeard returns to Adelaide for concert and Big in Japan documentary screening

KAWAII metal superstar Ladybeard - Adelaide’s Richard Magarey - can’t walk the streets of China without being mobbed.

• You might not have heard of him but he’s huge in Japan and China

ASIAN music superstar Ladybeard - aka Adelaide’s Richard Magarey - can’t walk the streets of China without being mobbed.

“The first time I was at a convention in Beijing... someone saw me and yelled out, ‘It’s Ladybeard!’ It was like a zombie attack, thousands of people ran at me,” Richard tells Confidential.

“I had to be surrounded by 13 guards in riot gear because people were trying to grab me, kiss me, do anything to try and take photos of me. It was mental.”

It’s been more than three years since Richard captured the imagination of Japan as the crossdressing, pro wrestling, heavy metal singer Ladybeard, and that success has spread to all parts of Asia and the globe.

Richard “Ladybeard” Magarey and Reika Saiki in their band Deadlift Lolita.

He now teams up with Japanese bodybuilding idol Reika Saiki in their band Deadlift Lolita, touring around the world, and performing at anime conventions.

Their YouTube videos gather millions of hits within days, and Richard has hundreds of thousands of social media followers across several platforms.

All of which makes him perfect for new documentary Big in Japanby Aussie trio Lachlan McLeod, Louis Dai and David Elliot-Jones, which looks at fame in Japan.

“It’s something quite special for me, it was shot in 2014 when I finally got my first pop of internet fame... they captured a very special time,” Richard says.

Back in his hometown this week, Richard will spend Christmas with family before embarking on the doco’s Aussie tour, which includes a screening at Event Cinemas Glenelg on January 10. Ladybeard will also play a gig at Fowler’s Live on January 9.

“It’s pretty hectic here in Japan so it’s nice to spend time with the family,” he says.

Ladybeard is a bodybuilder, pro wrestler and heavy metal singer originally from Adelaide but now based in Japan, where he has a huge following.