This night had it all – happiness, high energy, lots of screaming, some crying, lots of love and loads of fangirling. That’s the result of putting five talented guys – namely Max George, Tom Parker, Siva Kaneswaran, Nathan Sykes and Jay McGuiness – on a stage under a banner that says The Wanted and having them perform a wide variety of songs, and then having boy band Midnight Red and duo Cassio Monroe open for them. It was all part of English-Irish band The Wanted’s current Word of Mouth Tour, in support of their latest album ‘Word of Mouth’, which stopped in Toronto this past Thursday, April 17. Judging from the energy in the room throughout the night, Toronto got everything they wanted and more.
The show started with boy band Midnight Red, who opened with an incredible cover of Rihanna’s “Diamonds”. They also performed songs off their self-titled EP including “Nothing Lasts Forever” and fan-favourite “Take Me Home”. They paid tribute to Toronto talent with a cover of Drake’s “Hold On, We’re Going Home”.
Next on stage was the rap-pop duo Cassio Monroe, who gained many new fans during their set. They performed their new single “Under The Lights” and the feel-good song, “Life Is Good”.
Both groups took a break mid-performance to take a selfie with the crowd!
The Wanted kicked off their 2 hour set with one of their biggest songs, “Gold Forever”. They took fans on a journey through the years, playing songs from their 3 studio albums including “Lightning”, “Walks Like Rihanna” and “All Time Low”. It was super special seeing the guys each have a chance to show off their skills while playing an instrument, with Nathan playing the piano during the somber “Everybody Knows” and Jay even bringing out a triangle!
Unfortunately, the excitement of the night was dampened because the guys had announced that this tour would be their last for a while. In an official statement released in January, the band’s team confirmed the heartbreaking news writing, “This tour will be their last for a while as Tom, Max, Jay, Siva and Nathan have collectively decided to take time to pursue personal endeavours following the tour’s conclusion.”
In between songs, the guys stressed that this is not the end of The Wanted and that we have not seen the last of them yet. That being said, every fan in attendance made sure to throw the perfect farewell for the band and took every measure to ensure the night was as fun as it could be! It was a full-time party even during the slow songs, and there were lots of exchanges between the guys on stage and the fans in the crowd. They waved to many fans and flashed a special few hand hearts.
The Wanted didn’t end the show without thanking their back-up band and the openers, and giving “big love” to the fans including Toronto Mayor Rob Ford.
Giving fans what could be their last group bow for a while in Toronto, The Wanted ended the show with their hit song, “Glad You Came”.
We are so glad The Wanted made time to spend a night with their Toronto fans! Whether it’s as solo members or as a group, we look forward to welcoming them back to the city soon.