ENTER SHIKARI
ENTER SHIKARI
BY EVAN FEARON
Enter Shikari . Two words that carry more meaning than simply just being the name of a band ; a phrase that champions Love , Acceptance , Support , and Unity .
Enter Shikari [ ES ] are a four-piece rock band from St . Albans , who have consistently used their music as a vehicle to speak out about important issues in our nation and worldwide . Consisting of frontman Rou Reynolds , drummer Rob Rolfe , guitarist Rory Clewlow , and bassist Chris Batten , ES has been one of the most consistent juggernauts of the UK ’ s alternative scene , crushing all in their paths and consistently thriving .
In 2023 , the band ’ s latest album reached # 1 on the UK Albums Chart , toured all around the world in festivals and intimate shows , and exploded in popularity like never before . Only now , roughly a year on from the release of their last album , have they emerged with its tour . This tour is the most grandiose tour they ’ ve ever embarked on , with the most fitting name — truly A Kiss For The Whole World .
Attending an ES gig ( or checking yourself into ‘ The Dreamer ’ s Hotel ’, as some would say ) is a cathartic experience , between the immersive visuals , unforgettable music , and electric community atmosphere . This latest tour is no exception — with such a massive tour ( including the legendary Wembley Arena ), they ’ ve taken it upon themselves to redefine their best . I decided to follow the band on tour , travelling up and down the nation to see every UK date . As much as the experience exhausted me — I can confidently say that this is Enter Shikari in their prime .
The two opening artists were contrasting yet perfect acts for the bill — NOAHFINNCE ’ s catchy pop-punk riffs were bound to get stuck in your head , whereas FEVER333 ’ s frenetic rap metal turned the mosh pit into pure carnage . Although musically different , the two acts fit together like jigsaw pieces on this tour . Both acts are very politically motivated , with Noah fearlessly calling out homophobic and transphobic influential figures , and FEVER ’ s frontman giving speeches every night about war , feminism , and racism . Both bands were prime for this audience and performed exceptionally well each night — definitely gaining fans from a lot of those in the crowd .
As for ES themselves , it all begins with Reynolds standing on stage alone , with four iconic words — “ there was a house ”. A beautiful spoken word rendition of a classic song for ES fans — ‘ System / Meltdown ’ — opens the night perfectly , unveiling the immense stage and production , and giving the crowd a taste of exactly what ’ s to come for the next 2 hours .
Former setlist closer and fan favourite ‘ Live Outside ’ is then played a lot earlier in the setlist than usual , and is played hand in hand with newcomer ‘ Giant Pacific Octopus ’ — and the crowd sings along with all their might .
Two more cuts from their newest album — ‘ Jailbreak ’ and ‘ Bloodshot ’ — truly showcase the most that their staging is capable of , immersing the crowd within the moment . Lights burst out of the floor and encase the band in a prison cell of their own , leaving Reynolds to perform his own jailbreak —‘ breaking ’ the bars during a powerful moment in the bridge . Before ‘ Bloodshot ’ commences , Reynolds scales the stage with the crowd cheering him on as he dunks his hand , and then his whole body , into a vat of water illusioned by the screens .
Equipped with bloodthirsty basslines and punchy synth , the band ’ s newest single ‘ Losing My Grip ’ — featuring FEVER333 ’ s frontman Jason Aalon Butler — is just as energetic live as it is in the studio recording . Butler ’ s incredible high-pitched screams left me amazed every night , and the energy radiating from the stage was intoxicating .
Alongside the newer releases , plenty of ‘ bangers ’ from their earlier discography — such as ‘ Anaesthetist ’, ‘ Torn Apart ’, and ‘ Sssnakepit ’ — send the crowd into an electric frenzy , picking up the atmosphere another notch . ES are no strangers to remixing their own tracks ; at the end of ‘ Anaesthetist ’, the fated question — “ Shall we test this sound system out ?” — is asked , before bass thunders through the floor and lasers sprawl across the venue . Newer fan favourite , ‘ Goldfish ’, gets the remix treatment — before ‘ The Jester ’, a ‘ sillier ’ deep-cut , sends the hardcore fans in the crowd wild .
Halfway through , everything is taken down a step . Reynolds dons his guitar , sits atop the side of the stage , and serenades the crowd with an acoustic medley . Towards the end of the medley , attention is diverted to sudden drums , in which Rolfe , Clewlow , and Batten appear on a B stage at the back of the venue — while Reynolds makes his way into the seated crowd and tries to get around the whole arena within just one song ( a challenge which he triumphantly failed most nights ).
As the band moved back over to the main stage , they decided to take the audience on a trip back in time — each album flickered up on the screen one by one , until it finally rested on their first album , and kickstarted the most chaotic section of the night . ‘ Enter Shikari ’/’ Mothership ’/’ Solidarity ’ is by far the best three-song run I have ever heard live . I cannot describe to you the sheer energy
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