Enter Shikari Step Up To Arena Status With Ease
If their February UK tour is anything to go by, Enter Shikari’s step up to arena status has been nothing short of a success. Armed with enough lights to illuminate a small town, the St. Albans quartet took to stage ready to excel.
“Enter Shikari” and “Solidarity” opened the set, revealing a UFO-shaped arrangement of near-blinding lights high above the stage, and injecting a bit of life into the room. It didn’t take long for the “arenas aren’t made for punk rock shows” jokes to arrive, as Rou (Reynolds, vocals) lost his “little digital box” whilst crowdsurfing during “Sorry, You’re Not A Winner”. The lucky fan who found the pack received a kiss of gratitude from the crazed frontman, and the carnage soon resumed.
The arena sounds extra special tonight, and the extra speakers located at the back of the arena had a lot to do with it. Never one to settle for mediocrity, the band managed to create a uniquely dark atmosphere during intermissions, supplemented by their quadrophonic sound system and strange, cosmic effects on their huge screen (made up of over 1000 LEDs!).
“The One True Colour” and “The Last Garrison” from smashing fourth album ‘The Mindsweep’ marked a notable step up in the crowd’s energy, and by the time “Radiate” commenced, everyone was already exhausted, and in several cases, missing their shirts. However, one shall not simply rest on an Enter Shikari dancefloor, as the ‘Rou-dy’ section of the show soon arrived, kicking things up a notch.
The Roudy section was opened by “Slipshod”, the angry, cathartic anthem about poor restaurant service that sees Rou Reynolds turn into a wild, howling animal. “The Jester” and “There’s A Price On Your Head” follow, pushing this Saturday night crowd to the absolute limit, before a short intermission, complete with haunting ambiance, allowed for some much-needed breathing room.
Because the lights and quadrophonic sound aren’t enough, Enter Shikari, pulling out all the stops, managed to bring a piano, conveniently and inconspicuously located in the centre of the room. An exhausted, yet tranquil Rou – the same one who smashed a vase over his head during “Slipshod” – suddenly emerged at the piano to play a beautiful introduction to fan-favourite “Juggernauts”.
From start to finish, Enter Shikari proved that they are very much able to excel at arena performances. They sound incredible, they look great (to those who could endure the lights) and their crowd was one of the most positive and content I’ve ever seen. Most importantly, they maintain an easy-going and humble attitude and genuinely appear to enjoy the shows as much as their sweaty fans.
In a nutshell, Enter Shikari were incredible, and anyone who wants to suggest that they can’t pull off an arena show is quite simply wrong.
COMMENTS
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I am more than a bit sad I didn't go to this
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I particularly enjoy their track "Anesthetist". Nothing like a song reminding the Tory's of their fuckwitted attempts to privatise the NHS. I have only ever seen Enter Shikari once, and in all fairness they stole the show. This was back during 'Take to the skies' too.
