Review & photos by Andrew Bansal
December 5th 2013, The Roxy, West Hollywood CA: Man With A Mission is a Japanese experimental rock band formed in 2010, and despite possessing a clear rock edge they’re able to blend a variety of genres into their music and appeal to a wide range of audience in their home country and beyond. They did their first ever US tour in 2010 which included club gigs on the Sunset Strip. Performing in wolf masks and bringing massive amounts of energy on stage, they have succeeded in rapidly earning a reputation for the sheer entertainment value of their live shows, and with three years of experience under their belts, they returned to the Roxy last night for a special performance.
It was an unusually chilly Thursday evening on the Sunset Strip, as the fans rushed in not only to get a good vantage point in this general admission venue but also to avoid the bitter cold. At around 10 PM, the curtains were ready and Man With A Mission stepped onto the stage amidst loud cheers from this mostly Japanese audience. These wolf-men took merely an instant to capture the undivided attention of everyone present inside this venue, their fans and curious onlookers alike. But it wasn’t their appearance which was solely responsible for this, it was their quality of musicianship. It spoke volumes for their talent as even with four of the five members wearing such heavy wolf masks on their heads, their performance was just as good as any musician playing in a normal stage get-up. It must have taken a great amount of practice and perseverance to get used to it, and based on last night, it’s safe to say that these guys seem to have perfected the art.
Musically it was a melting pot of so many different things, at times it was hard to believe that one band was playing all these styles. But even with elements of alt rock, dance, pop and rap metal which are not usually associated with heavy music, their live sound certainly came across with a greater degree of heaviness as compared to their own studio albums, and it was most definitely heavier than what I was expecting going into the show. Their cover of Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ showcased the 90s rock influence and inspiration in their music, but on a broader level, even as a metalhead I could appreciate a majority of their set. Plus, when you have such a great level of showmanship to go with the music, it’s easy to be entertained.
Half-way through the set, Slipknot’s Sid Wilson was introduced onto the stage, and he performed with the band on the song ‘distance’, appearing in a mask and outfit similar to what he uses with Slipknot, as he spun away on his turntable placed in the center of the stage and at the end of the song dived into the crowd in typically energetic manner. He exited the stage as quickly as he entered it, and left it to the band to carry out the rest of their ‘mission’ at this show. They played two more songs before leaving the stage momentarily, only to come out again for a much demanded two-song encore. The entertainment level didn’t drop until the very last moment, and Man With A Mission proved to be worth this crowd’s money and attention in every sense. I can safely say that when it comes to masked/costumed live acts, Man With A Mission definitely stand out as one of the most fun bands I’ve ever witnessed.
Related: Joint Interview With Sid Wilson Of Slipknot & ‘Man With A Mission’
MWAM photo gallery:
Visit Man With A Mission on the web:
MWAMJapan.info
facebook.com/MWAMJapan
twitter.com/MWAMJapan
Set List:
1. Take What U Want
2. Bubble Of Life
3. Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana cover)
4. Fly Again
5. Emotions
6. distance (with Sid Wilson of Slipknot)
7. Get Off Of My Way
8. Don’t Lose Yourself
Encore:
9. Mash Up The DJ!!
10.datebase