Heyo! If you’re a regular to my blog, welcome back! If you’re new, hi! I’m Nostalgia ^_^ I’ve always been a fan of music and music class, but I’m a newbie at guitar.
I started this blog for my rookie anime cover band last year (2021), and it’s pretty much become a J-music nice blog. You can discover new Japanese artists, find easy anime songs for musicians, dig into Japanese music theory, and learn more Japanese music vocabulary. You can check out all that stuff on my Japanese Music Resources page.
I’ve been a fan of Japanese music since 2006, and my first concert ever was to One Ok Rock in 2019. I didn’t think I would care much for concerts as I’m not a fan of big, loud, crowded spaces, but they were my favourite band for 8 years at that point and it was on my bucket list to see them at least once.
I picked up the guitar again in 2020 and start building the band after that, so attending concerts now is like a learning experience. I want to see what they do, what instruments and gear they use, how the present themselves and so on. I feel so blessed that the next concert I get to go to is for the amazing, all-female band, Scandal!
My History With Scandal
In high school, over 10 years ago, there were a handful of Japanese bands I discovered through anime and listened to regularly. That included Stereopony, High & Mighty Color, Spyair, Asian Kung Fu Generation, and of course, SCANDAL!
I’m pretty sure I discovered Scandal through Bleach with Shojo S. Anytime I like an anime theme song, I would look into the artists and see if I like their other tracks. I loved Harukaze and Shunkan Sentimental (which my band is covering :P), so I added them to my playlist and got access to their full albums up to Pinheel Surfer.
My favourite Scandal songs? I definitely had Awanai Tsumori no Genki de ne, Pride, Taiyou Scandalous, ROCK’N ROLL, Kill The Virgin, SINKY-YORK, Nanka Buttobase, LOVE SURVIVE, Sakura Gubbai, and EVERYBODY SAY YEAH, on repeat.
BUT- My ultimate fav from them was definitely, 100% no doubt…How Crazy. Just something about it….(I found out a few years later that Yui sang the original, and while Yui was my favourite solo artists back then, the rock version by Scandal just hits different. [Sorry Yui, I love you!])
After their hit cover “Secret Base” from the anime series, Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day, I haven’t had much of a chance to check out their newer tracks. I got Spotify last year, along with access to Crunchyroll through my cousin/roommate, so I’ve had the opportunity to discover so many new artists and bands. I also spent a lot of time digging through older anime songs to find suitable songs for my band.
But regardless, they are still a band I love and usually share with new Jmusic fans who are looking for recommendations. I’m always happy to support all-female bands as it’s not something you usually see in the West. As a female musician myself, artists like them have certainly been an inspiration for me.
Getting FRont Row Tickets
Since I got Spotify last year, I guess I streamed Shunkan Sentimental so much while practicing that they informed me about their upcoming tour. I considered it, but Covid was still a mess then and we were at risk of another lockdown. I also had to be careful with my money since I moved out during the pandemic and work was unstable. In the end, I just never got around to it.
One day in mid-June, I’m doing my usual very short scroll on Facebook (usually to look out for open mics and guitar tips), and I see a post in The Japanese Music Experience group asking if anyone was going to Scandal’s concert in Toronto.
Since local J-music fans are hard to find, I just commented saying I’m a fan and considered it, but didn’t purchase tickets. Perhaps he was considering it, or looking for a buddy to go with. Who knows. I didn’t think much of it. Happy to help in any way that I can if he had questions.
He then DM’d me. Essentially, he meant to buy 1 ticket but got 2 by accident. He had no luck reselling it, so it’s mine if I wanted it. I’m like really? Sure, of course I’ll take them! He then mentioned that they were both VIP tickets, but the seats aren’t beside each other. Heck, I would have been fine with back row! Just happy to have the opportunity to go!
Last week, he went to the States to attend the Nemophilia concert and Anime Expo convention. The day before the concert, when I thought we were going to discuss meetup plans, he informs me that he wouldn’t be able to make it back in time due to unforeseen circumstances….so he’s giving me both his tickets, which included his front row seat ;_____;
He also tells me then that VIP includes a Greet & Meet, which I was not expecting at all. Too much big news to handle! I tried to find a buddy last minute, asked about 8 J-music friends, but no luck. Work, busy, etc. It was quite last minute after all. Sad that a ticket went to waste, but it’s alright! I’m used to doing things solo, and the generous ticket giver was able to catch another stop on Scandal’s tour. Better one ticket than two going to waste.
Who is this guy anyways? Jonathan Lane. Only found out when he sent the tickets that he’s a photographer. A musician photographer at that. He takes really amazing photos so definitely check him out and consider following his Instagram!
Meet & Greet With Scandal
As mentioned earlier, I had no idea what VIP meant as I’m new to concerts. I just thought it meant early access and maybe better seats (maybe. The OOR VIP ‘seats’ are on the balcony). I didn’t know I’d get to actually meet them and take a photo with them until the day before.
I’ve never met a star before 😮 What even happens at meet & greets? All I was able to see online was ‘no handshakes, hugs, or contract with the artists. Masks must be kept on at all time’. Like, do they take their own photos? Do they take the photo for me? Or a selfie? I had no clue.
Jon said I may have like 45-60 seconds with them, so I started to prepare something in Japanese. Something along the lines of, ‘I discovered you 12 years ago, love your music. I’m learning guitar, started a band, do you have any advice?’ Something short and sweet.
I got to the building about 6:03pm and got inside within 5 or so minutes. From there, there was already a long line to the VIP room. The picture I took below was from the halfway point. The wait was about 20-25 minutes.
By the time we were near the room to actually meet them, I noticed that people were going in and getting out pretty quickly. After waiting so long, I didn’t want to take up much time either, as there were still a lot of people behind me. When I got to the door, a staff member said ‘we could take off our masks for a second just for the photo’. (I didn’t bother wearing makeup cause I thought we’d have to keep them on LOOOL).
When it was my turn, I went in and gave my phone to the staff photographer. The Scandal members were on a platform and there was a chair in front of them for the photo. Not really a place to talk. So I just waved to them, said ‘konnichiwa, yorushiku onegaishimasu’ (hello, nice to meet you) with a bow. Sat down and posed for the photo. Said ‘arigatou gozaimasu’ (thank you) and bowed again, to them and the staff, then left with the free bracelet. Really cute photo though ^_^ Happy it came out well.
Maybe 15 minutes after, the General Admission people came in. Many quickly lined up to buy their merch. They had some wall scrolls, bags, and bracelets. I overheard someone saying other merch didn’t get across the border in time. We then had a good 30 minutes to lounge around before the hall was opened for us.
The Main Event~~
Now for the concert!! Whooo!!! We were allowed in about 20 minutes before the concert started. There were some soundcheck guys on for a bit, tuning and double checking the instruments. Making sure the mics were set up right and that drinks were available.
One lady was going around asking people if they would do a survey ahead of time. I said ‘sure!’ One question asked ‘who my favourite member was and why?’ Other questions asked for my review of the show, so I thought I could answer it later, but she said to do it ahead of time. So I wrote that I didn’t have a bias, and that I appreciate them as a band. I only really listen to Jrock as opposed to watching it. But hey, within maybe 15 minutes of the concert, I figured out who my bias was.
My seat was in front of the bassist, Tomomi, who was energetically dancing most of the time (my gosh, I wish I had that much energy!). She was also very engaging, looking around and smiling at the fans. Caught this cute clip of her posing for my camera ^_^ When I realized she’s the one that does the higher, cuter vocals on their tracks, it was a done deal!
Also, if there’s one thing to know about Japanese music, it’s that the bass always goes hard. Sometimes, the bass is what I notice and love the most just cause they add so much melody and funk to the track. Many songs would not be the same or have the same groove without it It was really cool watching her technique, and also listening to the riffs and her solos. Don’t worry, she slapped that bass a few times too 😛 I see you Davie504 fans.
Concert Setlist
As for the songs covered, they did 18 tracks in total:
- MIRROR
- Flashback No.5
- Saishuheiki, Kimi (最終兵器、君)
- Ai no Shoutai (愛の正体)
- Kanojo wa Wave (彼女はWave)
- Shunkan Sentimental (瞬間センチメンタル)
- Take Me Out
- Ai ni Naranakatta no sa (愛にならなかったのさ)
- Ivory
- Ao no Naru Yoru no Sukima de (蒼の鳴る夜の隙間で)
- Eternal
- Yoake no Ryuseigun (夜明けの流星群)
- Tonight
- A.M.D.K.J.
- Image
- One More Time
- ENCORE: Shoujo S
- ENCORE: Scandal Baby
I like how they started with some pretty upbeat songs from their new album, then had some slower songs before getting hyped up again. I think a lot of their newer songs have a stronger rock tone live which I really enjoyed. I also really appreciate them bringing back some classics like Shunkan Sentimental, Shojo S and Scandal Baby which I knew a lot better.
Tomomi, the bassist, and Rina, the drummer, had their own songs where they were the main vocalist. I always love that they (and many other Japanese bands) share the singing roles and all help with backup vocals. Mami, the lead guitarists, had a decent number of solos as well. Sadly, I wasn’t able to get a good view due to the people standing on my right side.
Haruna, the main singer and guitarist, had a lot of energy and was very passionate throughout. She was super engaging with the audience, asking questions and sharing how much she appreciated us. She did speak some English, but mostly spoke Japanese.
She did ask if we can understand her Japanese, and when the crowd was mostly positive, she was thankful to make the switch. She was definitely at home being able to converse in her native language and share her true feelings. At times, it felt/sounded like she was holding back happy tears, which was so touching ;_____;
The funniest bit was when they came back out for the encore. After thanking us and gathering her words, a lady from the back asked if she could marry her. Haruna said “Ii yo” (Sure!). The lady actually came to the front and gave her a ring (what she pointed and laughed at near the end). Haruna tried it on, showed it off, and was flattered. She said she loved Toronto and that we were awesome.
Are They Worth The Watch?
Definitely! No doubt! The live music was amazing!! Sweet members, friendly fans, lots of smiles and positive vibes. I definitely feel like my spirits been lifted after a really hard few months.
I think Scandal (the band and tour name is deceiving, trust me), is a great band for individuals who are open to Japanese rock music, but don’t want anything too dark or foreign or niche just yet. J-music in general is quite different from western music, so bands like Scandal are a great starter band to the country’s rock music.
According to Wikipedia, “The band has been voted by fans across the world into the top ten of the “Most-Requested Artists” category of the J-MELO Awards every year since 2010, peaking at first place in 2014!” And I’m not surprised at all by that.
Their songs have positive messages and usually have an upbeat sound. I feel anyone, all ages and all backgrounds, can listen to them and find songs they like. The girls definitely put on a show and were enjoyable to watch throughout the hour and a half long show.
I, for one, definitely won’t hesitate to purchase a ticket if/when they come to Toronto next time ^_^
And special thanks again to Jonathan Lowe for the opportunity. I wholeheartedly appreciate it <3
P.S. I’m only realizing after writing this that Toronto was their first stop 😮 So hopefully for those who were curious about the meet and greet or the setlist, I answered a lot of questions <3 If you were hesitating to buy a ticket for their future stops, don’t! Go grab some!!
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