The Birthday Massacre was very powerful and poignant with their material when opening their set on Friday, December 16, 2011 in Toronto at the Phoenix Concert Theatre. The majority of their set was based off of songs released on their "Pins And Needles" album including tracks such as "In The Dark", "Always", "Shallow Grave, and of course the title track. Although they did put quite a performance it almost seemed as if they were trying a bit too hard and didn't quite exactly look like they were as comfortable playing live as they should be. Still, they were an awesome opener to a wicked band and if there was a chance I could get to see them again I probably would.
Dir En Grey was just as I was expecting, phenomenal. Although some of their songs sounded like a combination of others (for example, when they started playing "Obscure" it had a lot of similarities to the song but there were a handful of differences to make you think that it wasn't the song they played) they really knew how to put on a hell of a show and time their songs right to get as much energy out as possible while at the same time fuel the adrenaline back up to its maximum limit so the "mayhem" could start all over again.
I put "mayhem" in quotations because if there was one thing that I had a particular problem with it was the overall LACK of energy from the fans that were there. I would say that the fans for this show really didn't deliver and I would be surprised if the band wasn't insulted. The mosh pit consisted of a small hole near the center of the stage with 4-5 people at the most every time. There was NO crowd surfing which was appalling and at most people just threw their hands up in the air and screamed. I feel like a lot of the people there were there because Dir En Grey was a Japanese band. However, just because they're Japanese doesn't mean that they're not a metal band as well. The state of moshing at heavier genre shows has really sunk to a low standard and this show was definitely no exception to that. People have to stop being afraid to let loose and just enjoy the show. We're not at some indie experimental show where all you do is stand there and listen. Release yourselves and the adrenaline inside of you and you will definitely enjoy that concert a way load more than just standing there and listening.
I apologize on behalf of Toronto to Dir En Grey for the less than stellar fan reaction to the plethora of masterpieces that they delivered. I think almost everybody at that show should really consider if metal is actually the genre for them the next time they decide to go to a similar sounding kind of show. In the end, don't go to a show just because of the band, go to a show for the music that the band puts out. If you truly want a concert feel and if you truly actually were into the music that they would put out you would do more than just do what you would normally do in the comfort of your own home.
The bands by themselves 4.5/5
It's the fans who made this review a 3/5, and that's me being generous.