Man With A Mission have been, well, on a mission over the past few years, building up a name for themselves across the alt-rock world. The Japanese Alt-Rock/Alt-Metal 5-piece have not only put out a new EP, but as part of their 15th anniversary celebration, decided to head out on the Howling Across The World Tour, starting in the UK, with Hands Like Houses as support.
Hands Like Houses were the first band on for the night, and the only support for the show. When they hit the stage at XOYO, I wasn’t sure what I was in for, choosing to go into this show blind and experience some new bands. Despite illness within the band, they put on an incredible performance, one that felt perfectly at home in a venue like this. Tight, captivating and damn enjoyable in every way.
Love & Affection, which debuted live at the start of this tour in London, ICU and Heaven were the sets’ standouts to me, but every song was great, and the crowd felt the same. It took a little time for the crowd to warm up, but the movement started, and once it did, it didn’t stop, and it’s safe to say they won the room over by the end of their all too short set. A great band I’m excited to see live again.
After a short intermission, quick smoke and a drink top up, it was time for the night’s main event to take to the stage. The Half-Wolf, Half-Man super creatures (created by Dr Jimi) came out to a roar of cheers and a few convention handheld light wands and played one of the most entertaining sets I’ve seen. Tight musicianship, great stage banter and some incredibly fun music. Part way through the set, the band left the stage to cool down (those wolf heads must be ridiculously warm to perform in), and played a video of the band working construction jobs, which was partially blocked by the stage setup, meaning the translated subtitles were often blocked, creating this hilarious shared moment for those in attendance and helped with creating a fun atmosphere rarely felt at shows. The set itself consisted of a range of their tracks, be it album songs, anime openings (MY HERO and Seven Deadly Sins being two of which) and even a damn good cover of Thunderstruck. An utterly great set, and a damn amusing one at that too.
To keep the summary of the night nice and short: it was a great gig. The next time either band are near you, don’t think —grab a ticket.
Review: Dan Stapleton
The recently released XV EP, which was released this year to commemorate the 15th anniversary of MAN WITH A MISSION. The XV EP is out now worldwide on all streaming platforms, and a new XV EP Across The Globe UK & European exclusive physical release is also now available to purchase on CD and vinyl here.
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