Review: Craig McDonnell
Photos: Sean Conroy
It was 3 years almost to the day since I had first seen Enter Shikari. I don’t think I have ever seen such a change in a band from first time seeing them to the next. In 2008 the band played to a sold out Ambassador, including in their set some songs off their new album, Common Dreads. By this time, the band were already renowned for their energy on stage and they didn’t disappoint. The new songs got a mixed reception from the crowd.
Fast forward to 2011. Common Dreads is now 2 years old and like a fine wine (or maybe a mature cheese), it has become a favourite of mine the more I listen to it. Add to that the sporadic release of singles such as ‘Destabilise’, ‘Quelle Surprise’ and brand new release ‘Sssnakepit’ and Enter Shikari have managed to create a completely original sound, the best description I heard was ‘rave metal’ but even that doesn’t cover the myriad of genres that doesn’t alternate for each song, but changes within songs. One minute you could be bopping your head to a dance beat and the next a circle pit was formed in response to a ferocious metal breakdown.
Support on the night came from LetLive and Your Demise. It seems these bands have toured together a bit and it’s clear to see why. Similar sounds and impressive crowdwork got the (surprisingly young) crowd warmed up nicely. However, at one point I felt that if I heard a frontman say “Dublin!” one more time I was going to walk out until the main act came on.
By the time it was the turn of the headline act, The Academy resembled a sauna in the middle of the Sahara. Sweat was visible on the ceiling and at times was dripping down on the crowd who were already soaked with perspiration (both their own and others). Those who thought the incredible heat would have any effect on the energy on stage were very quickly proved wrong. Enter Shikari entered the stage and lashed straight into the aforementioned ‘Destabilise’. Frontman Rou Reynolds jumped into the crowd and returned to the stage with only shards of his t-shirt remaining. The frenetic pace of the set never seemed to relent. Early on both Reynolds and guitarist Rory C managed to climb onto and over The Academy’s balcony to join the crowd up there!
The relentless energy, added to a very impressive lighting setup and extremely powerful steam cannons (which also helped cool down a near melting-point crowd) made this one of the best live performances I have witnessed in a long time. The band lashed through a 16 song set, including 8 from Common Dreads, some oldies including the classic ‘Sorry You’re Not A Winner’ as well as new singles and a brand new song entitled ‘Arguing with Thermometers’ which alternated from metal to pop so quickly it almost made me dizzy.
Returning for a single song encore, frontman Rou expresses his surprise everyone is still there saying he expected to come back out to see a room full of melted limbs. The heat was almost unbearable at times but not one person left early. Whether you enjoy this type of music or not, Enter Shikari are a band I strongly recommended going to see live, as it is an experience you will not forget for a long time.
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