BLOG -- Man with a Mission World Tour 2023 ~Wolves on Parade~ @ The Axis Club (May 25, 2023)

So Man With a Mission (MWAM) stopped by Toronto over a week ago, and I went. I initially was too busy but then I made myself un-busy. I had so much fun at their last concert (so many years ago) that I realized I couldn't miss the chance to see them again.

For anybody curious, here's my blog to the last concert:

https://ironixgirl.blogspot.com/2019/09/blog-man-with-mission-chasing-horizon.html

The stage for MWAM.

Me and Man With A Mission - Update

There's not much to update from the last time. I still listen to MWAM every now and then, "akatsuki", "Memories", and "Please Forgive Me" still being my favourite songs (please perform them live in Toronto one day!).

For this concert, I was thinking of getting a VIP ticket (since I got one at the last concert). Then I saw the price and promptly purchased general admission. $300-something for VIP vs  $35-something for general admission is a huge gap... especially if we're all sharing the same stage! Was it to offset ticket scalping? Sorry... I just couldn't do it. The most I would probably pay for VIP would be maybe $200 after tax.

The Little Details

Date of Concert: May 25, 2023

Venue: The Axis Club (Toronto, Ontario)

Time: 8:00 PM (Doors open 6:45 PM for VIP; 7:10 PM for general admission)

Ticket Price Total: $36.75 (general admission)

Seating: No reserved seating

5:15-ish PM @ The Axis Club

The line into The Axis Club.

I got to The Axis Club about 2 hours early with my boyfriend. We were there that early to meet with a couple friends, but they didn't show until much later. By that time more people had lined up behind us.

The weather was pretty windy so it was a bit agonizing being in line for so long. My boyfriend and I ended up chatting with the person behind us. The guy seemed open to small talk so it was a good way to pass time. We talked about how we first got exposed to MWAM (his first exposure was through watching Seven Deadly Sins). We also talked about some anime series we enjoyed (he really liked Air Gear -- I'll have to check it out sometime). I talked about Monster and Black Lagoon (series I'll blog about one day). The guy also mentioned attending Anime North the next day and it being his first convention ever. I wished him luck with all the long lines he'll be facing. 

At some point, the line got divided into a VIP line and a general admission line. We also had to make space to let all the beer get wheeled in (we saw tons of tall Heineken cans). Eventually the VIP attendees were given a bag of goodies (much better than what I got as VIP at the last concert). They were let in around 6:45 PM.

Before we got let in, we had to show an ID to get a wristband to let the staff know we're of age to buy alcohol.

The line for general admission.

7:10-ish PM -- Going into the Den...

The stage inside was much larger than the last concert. There was a large standing area in the center, the bar area on one side and a wall bench on the other side. There were also stairs leading to a mezzanine. I quickly went to the merch table while my boyfriend went to buy a couple drinks (one drink was for me). The guy was also at the merch table. We got a couple things and went back to the standing area where my boyfriend met with the couple of friends we were supposed to meet up with earlier.

The guy noticed that some of the VIPs were standing on the mezzanine. I was a bit surprised. The view would be great for sure, but the mezzanine was much farther from the wolves. Wouldn't a VIP want to be as close to the stage as possible? 

Close to 8 PM (show time), I went to the washroom. I decided to use one attendee holding a MWAN plushie as a "landmark" to help me find my way back to my boyfriend and friends. Sadly, I didn't see that person at all when I came back to the standing area. I weaved into the crowd and then saw a friend's head some rows in front of me. So I weaved out of the crowd and gently pushed my way back in. 

Around 8 PM, some attendees were howling (like wolves), I guess hoping it would encourage the wolves to come out.

A couple times, an announcement came on telling the attendees that it was very bad luck to take photos and videos during the concert. I laughed. I thought it was cute.

The merchandise shop! It was pretty small.

The stage but with a different image.

8:15-ish PM -- Music START!!

It -- was -- fantastic! MWAM really knows how to keep a crowd pumped up. Throughout many of the songs, one of them would make hand motions (like clapping or waving the arms) and we'd follow along. My feet were already starting to ache after the 3rd song (please keep in mind that I was standing since 5:15 PM), but I kept going, cheering and moving my arms.

Aside from hoping my favourite songs would be performed, there were two things I was hoping would happen: that moment of being motioned to sit and jump all at the same time (something that happened at the last concert), and chances for wolf pats. The wolf pats did not happen this year (understandable since COVID is still a thing), but the sitting and jumping did! I got so excited when one of the wolves made hand motions for us to "sit"... XD

Halfway through the concert, the wolves left and we were shown a short video clip of Spear Rib (drummer) in a meeting with an executive. Spear Rib wanted to draw some wild animals so they were on a roadtrip to the safari. Little did they know that Tokyo Tanaka (lead vocalist) was the driver! They ended up at an F1 track (I think it was F1) and Tanaka suggested that Spear Rib try drawing him while he was driving fast. It was pretty hilarious -- and very random XD

At some point, one of the wolves (maybe Jean-Ken Johnny? If I'm wrong, please correct me) said they tried the sushi in Toronto and said we really screwed it up (jokingly, of course). He also encouraged us to visit Japan to try out the sushi there.

The only other time things slowed down a bit was when Jean-Ken Johnny (I think?) performed an acoustic version of "Change the World". It was great.

Any Demon Slayer fans watching season 3 probably went wild when familiar string rhythms to "kizuna no kiseki" began (I'm still a couple seasons behind so I didn't recognize it). 

After the last song, they thanked us and walked offstage. My feet and arms were so sore, but I didn't want it to end. The crowd kept clapping and shouting "Encore!". Then it changed to "One more song!". Then it was just clapping. We were all probably so dead tired but we all wanted more.

The wolves came back on and did two more songs. The last song was "FLY AGAIN -Hero's Anthem-", which I thought was very fitting for a last song.

When it was over, some of the wolves wrapped their open mouths with scarves (to hide their faces) and then told us it was okay to take pictures and videos.

The show ended around 10:05 PM.

The wolves. The only time we're allowed to take photos.

Another shot. Don't they look ferocious and adorable?

Setlist

Here is the setlist for MWAM. Unlike the last time, it was much easier to put together. For this tour, MWAM had a Spotify playlist that changed to match the setlist of the current concert. So after the concert, I quickly copied the setlist for Toronto before it changed to the next concert.

Here's the Spotify playlist for Toronto if you want to check it out:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1ivgEQ9jo3Mmfcd7Hc0PIu?si=f12405cd8a2f418a

-database
-Get Off of My Way
-Merry-Go-Round
-Thunderstruck
-Emotions
-Seven Deadly Sins
-evils fall
-Dark Crow

----short video was shown----

-Change the World (Acoustic)

-Between fiction and friction I

-Hey Now

-Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana cover)

-kizuna no kiseki

-Dead End in Tokyo

-Raise your flag

-INTO THE DEEP

Encore:
-Take Me Under
-FLY AGAIN -Hero's Anthem-

Overall Experience

This was so much fun. I'm really glad I went in the end. If you want to attend a concert that stays high energy the whole way through, this is definitely one! If you enjoy anime and like upbeat vibes, this concert will satiate. I was so tired and so energized at the same time. The next day I didn't want to move, hahaha.

A special thanks to the guy who chatted with me and my boyfriend during the 2-hour long line into the club, for telling me where to find MWAM's setlist for the night, and then sticking with us through the concert. If he happens to be reading this blog (almost 100% unlikely), feel free to drop a comment or send a message through the contact form and say "hi". I'd like to talk some more anime! May we possibly meet again at another MWAM concert! XD

MWAM, thank you for coming to Toronto! Please come again soon! <3 <3 <3

I swear... I'll be able to tell you guys apart at the next concert! XD

My swag. A t-shirt plus their 10 year anniversary "Best Mission" CD.

Total cost was $90.

Thank you so much for reading!

If you have any questions / comments, feel free!

Take care, stay safe, and until next time! :)

BLOG -- Man with a Mission: Chasing The Horizon World Tour @ Adelaide Hall (September 21, 2019)

So last Saturday I attended a concert for Man With a Mission (MWAM), a band I wasn't too, too familiar with. I was genuinely surprised by how much fun I had!

Me with my face grey-blocked and Man With A Mission.
I guess I'm still not ready yet to show my face here.

Me and Man With A Mission

As mentioned above, I wasn't too familiar with MWAM and their music. The only song I knew from them at the time was "database", the opening theme for Log Horizon anime series, a song that I thought was "just okay" (any fans reading this and disagree -- I hope you don't judge me too harshly for saying that!).

Then about a month ago, one of my friends messaged me on Facebook, telling me that MWAM would be doing a concert in Toronto on September 21st. I looked up the day. 'Okay. It's a Saturday... I might be able to go...' I thought. Then I looked up MWAM and my eyes went wide. 'They have wolf heads.... kowaiiiiiii (Scary)....' I got a little scared. 'What if I get eaten...?' I told my friend I'd have to look up more of their music before deciding whether or not to go.

Then... with about two weeks left to the concert, I decided to finally take the dive and check out MWAM. I searched up MWAM on YouTube and let the videos autoplay while I did other tasks. While not all the tunes landed for me, for the most part I enjoyed what I listened to. I really liked that some of their songs had English lyrics. I also liked that while many of their songs were upbeat and energetic, they had some slow emotion-evoking tunes.

I decided: I'm going to attend their concert. At the time, regular tickets were sold out, so I purchased a VIP ticket. The VIP ticket supposedly came with a pre-show meet & greet and a gift.

And that is the story of how a shy little sheep like me bought a VIP ticket to meet and greet with the wolves! (the photo above)

For the concert, I was really hoping they would perform "akatsuki", my favourite song from what I had listened to at the time. I also hoped they would perform "Memories", my second favourite song.

The Little Details

Date of Concert: September 21, 2019

Venue: Adelaide Hall (Toronto, Ontario)

Time: 8:00 PM (Doors open 6:30 PM for VIP; 7 PM for non-VIP)

Ticket Price Total: $129.07 (VIP admission)

Seating: No reserved seating

5:30-ish PM @ Adelaide Hall

The line into Adelaide Hall! To the right was the VIP line. 
To the left was the non-VIP line.

Finding Adelaide Hall was a little difficult. It wasn't on Adelaide Street, even though the address was 250 Adelaide Street West. I was directed to walk to the corner of Adelaide and Duncan Street, walk North, and then turn left at the first alleyway. The instructions sounded kinda sketchy, but I followed them and found a small crowd standing about in two lines.

I asked the last person in line if this was for the MWAM concert. He said yes and then I promptly got in line.

I was surprised there was already a line-up at 5:30 PM. I thought I was early! I was also surprised that the VIP line looked a bit longer than the non-VIP line. Was it because there would be a pre-show meet & greet for the VIP attendees?

That was something I was disappointed about: VIP attendees weren't instructed what time to show up for the pre-show meet & greet. I had contacted the organizer about two days before the concert asking this, but got no response. A bit more communication would have been very much appreciated...

6:30-ish PM -- Being Let into the Den...

Around 6:30 PM, VIP attendees got let inside. There were two flights of stairs before getting to the hall space. To one side was a small merchandise area selling T-shirts and hoodies.

We were still in line form, apparently being led to the wolves themselves. The pre-show meet & greet was happening! We were instructed to have our phones ready to get a picture taken.

I was getting nervous. What should I say? How should I act? I'm not a crazy-big fan like everybody else here... Right then I truly felt like a sheep in a wolf's den, hahaha. I quietly observed how the other attendees behaved around the wolves.

When it was my turn, I walked up to the wolves and bowed my head a little, saying a quiet, "Hello". Then I turned around to "pose" for my picture with them. I held up my hands to mimic wolf paws, but I knew my paws were lame and not vicious at all.

After that, I was gestured to the stage area. I was surprised by how tiny it was! There were no chairs -- it was a complete standing area. I stood as close to the stage as possible, and observed other VIP attendees and the wolves since the meet & greet was still going on.

When it was around 6:50 PM, the meet & greet was over. The wolves proceeded backstage, waving at us all as they walked by. I took this time to buy a T-shirt from the merchandise area, figuring it'd be better to buy now before the rest of the attendees got let in. At that time, another VIP attendee was inquiring about the "gift" that was promised with the VIP admission. Since nothing else was given to us, I concluded that the "gift" was the photo with the wolves.

I rushed back to the crowd. When the rest of the attendees were let in and the venue slowly filled up, I thought, 'Oh dear... I probably won't be able to move much from this spot. I've never stood in the center area before in a concert. Will I make it out of this concert in one piece????!!!'

The merchandise shop! From what I saw, they were only selling T-shirts, 

a hoodie, and some small meshy bag thing.

The stage. It's super tiny!

8:00-ish PM -- Music START!!

Dancing in the center area -- was -- an -- experience! Being surrounded by fans who were super pumped and moved about excitedly -- even a shy girl like me started to move the same way. I still tried to be considerate of those around me, and tried to move in a way that wouldn't injure me or others (like not jumping too high, not dancing on people's feet, etc.), and I tried to make sure my purse wasn't hitting anybody whenever I moved my arms.

I got pushed around quite often though from some other attendees who let their inhibitions completely fly out the window. I tried staying close to one attendee who seemed pretty good at keeping most other attendees at bay. I'm almost 100% that that attendee would never come across this blog, but if he has and is reading this -- thank you for being my unintended shield! *bows*

Some notable / memorable moments from the concert (that I could remember):

1. Whenever some of the wolves grabbed / shook attendees' hands or allowed some wolf head pats, the crowd would move closer, myself included. I was always only a few arms away, hahaha... ;____________;

2. After one song, one of the wolves made hand motions, conveying the word "sit". At first, we were hesitant since we were all standing so close to each other. But slowly, after more of the same hand motions, we obeyed. Then he told us that at a certain part of the next song, he wanted us to jump at the same time. When the moment came, we all jumped. It was wild!

3. During one song, I noticed an attendee was "flying the waves" towards me. Scared that I'd get crushed under his weight, I moved back. Thankfully he got moved to another direction.

4. During another song, one of the wolves jumped onto the crowd. This time I went towards him, but my arms were too short to reach. In my defense... I knew many others would be sharing in the weight, so I didn't worry about getting crushed in that situation.

5. At various times, the wolves eyes would glow a menacing yellow.

My favourite song of the night was a tie between "Emotions" and "Fly Again". I was surprised by how much I enjoyed both songs since the album versions didn't do very much for me. I especially liked doing the hand movements for "Fly Again" (waving our arms from left to right to the beat). I really appreciated that one of the wolves gave hand instructions on what to do and which direction to start.

After the last song, they thanked us and walked offstage. I was sweaty all over. My arms were sore, but I was still standing. We alternated between clapping weakly and meekly shouting "Encore". I think we were all tired, hahaha. After a few minutes of nothing happening, we strengthened our clapping and shouted "Encore" more fervently. I thought, 'These wolves won't give us an encore unless we show them we want it!'

The wolves came back on and did two more songs. We danced like crazy again.

When it was over, one of the wolves told us it was now okay to take pictures and video. Everybody whipped out their phone immediately! The wolves did some more thanks and posed every now and then.

The show ended around 9:49 PM.

As soon as they say it's okay to take pictures and video, 
everybody's phone gets whipped out!

Another shot. Look at those glowing yellow eyes!

Setlist (Partial)

Here is a partial setlist for MWAM. This is NOT listed in the correct order. I tried linking each song to the official audio track / music video on YouTube.

I know that I am missing a lot of songs from this setlist. If anybody reading this also attended the Toronto concert and know a song that is missing from this setlist, please let me know! I've been directed to a setlist for another venue during this same tour, but with me listening to their songs frequently after the concert, I don't fully trust my memory on if I actually listened to it at the concert, or if I listened to the song on YouTube only.

-Hey Now
-Emotions
-Dog Days
-Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana cover)
-Chasing the Horizon (Acoustic version)
-Fly Again
-Winding Road
-Seven Deadly Sins
-86 Missed Calls

Encore (I think these were the encores):
-Dead End in Tokyo
-Raise Your Flag

Overall Experience

Aside from the pushings every now and then, I had an absolute blast! I was completely soaked with sweat by the time it was over. Thank goodness there were electric fans blasting from above, even though I didn't feel it much once the concert started. Even though dancing in the center area was super sweaty and tiring, I felt so energized and alive afterwards. I would definitely be in the center area again. But hopefully next time I'll be closer so I'll be able to give wolf head pats.

A special thanks to my friend who told me about the MWAM concert in the first place. I would have missed this completely, and would not have gotten exposed to MWAM's cool music. For anybody who is curious, my friend had a non-VIP ticket so we were at different areas of the venue.

MWAM, thank you for coming to Toronto! Please come again soon! <3 <3 <3

A few days after the concert, I received an e-mail from the event organizer, asking me to provide my mailing address to receive my VIP gift. So there was an actual gift for the VIP admission. As soon as I receive it, I'll update this blog.

UPDATE -- October 26, 2019 -- My VIP gift arrived and unfortunately, I am very underwhelmed, hahaha... I also have suspicions that I've been sent the incorrect gift. Take a look below.

My VIP gift!

So this looks like a mini-postcard, but the date on the postcard was for the Vancouver concert, which I did NOT attend...

I provided my mailing address twice, and I received this, so I will not bother to make a fuss and just say I had a good time taking a photo with the wolves and dancing at the concert.

Since the concert ended, I've been listening to more of their musics and have come across another favourite track: "Please Forgive Me". "Akatsuki" is still my most favourite.


The next time I see them in concert, I swear... I'll be able to tell them apart! Hahaha ^-^'''

Thank you so much for reading!

As usual, If you have any questions / comments, feel free!

Have a wonderful rest of the weekend and until next time (which should be tomorrow)! :)