Live Review: Enter Shikari - O2 Victoria Warehouse, Manchester 05/12/2022
In the middle of a 20-date UK tour, after completing a wonderful set at London’s Alexandra Palace, it was time for electro-rockers Enter Shikari to take the stage of the O2 Victoria Warehouse to show the northern crowd Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible.
Their first support was hot London duo Nova Twins. A band who have already made tidal waves in the alternative scene with a sensational debut album and playing support slots for the likes of Bring Me The Horizon, it was already telling that they were going to be the best warm-up for the crowd. Still being a new band in the grand scheme of the industry, these are two girls to keep watching as they’re just going to get bigger and better and louder.
Stunning the crowd with their hits such as ‘Vortex’ and ‘Taxi’, their killer guitar skills along with vocalist Amy Love’s winning melodies and screeches made them the perfect preparation for a night of big sounds, angry voices and jumping.
Following up was British punk outfit Trash Boat. Filling in at the last minute for Dinosaur Pile-Up, who had to drop out of the tour due to COVID, they showed to not at all be phased during their performance. They handled the set like pros, and the crowd could see and feel the positive energy too as they commanded a mosh pit as powerful as a main act ever could.
Frontman Tobi Duncan will be one of the most honest musicians one will ever see on stage, as he shows himself to be enjoying his craft with his bandmates while also being authentically himself to everyone in that audience. The standout hits from the set were opening track ‘Silence is Golden’, ‘Alpha Omega’ and the greatly personal closer that was ‘He’s So Good’; the last being preceded by a story of Duncan’s scrutiny in the press upon the release as it led to questions about his sexual orientation and identity but as a proud bisexual man, he will proudly sing his songs and write his words and not care about what others will think or say about him. That is the positivity everyone wants and needs at a live show, and to get that before the main act of the night just brings the audience to a more loving and exciting mindset.
And with that mindset, we begin the countdown to Enter Shikari. This is a literal audio countdown echoed around the venue, counting down the minutes from ten to one, with a mix of party tracks and classic hits breaking these announcements up. Nothing bonds punks better than belting out some Aretha Franklin together.
Once the music stopped, the lights started and the band made their way on stage, the electricity was in the air. The neon illuminations filled the background. It was time to enter ‘THE GREAT UNKNOWN’ - and how unknown it was to be, as there were slight technical difficulties which meant the track had to be restarted, and with the support of the fans, it was a stressful situation made forgiving and the emotions were readable on frontman Rou Reynolds’ face. He was grateful.
With that being the only glitch of the night, it was time to enjoy some heavy sounds, some bouncy electronic beats, and the light show of a lifetime. If Enter Shikari can ever promise one non-musical element with every show, it’s that they will use the lights to their full advantage. Using colours and patterns, flashes and strobes, neons and lasers, it was unexpected what every song was going to bring the crowd visually; and wonderfully, the lights always fit the mood of the tracks being performed. It was an aesthetically pleasing addition that many bands may overlook or not put enough thought into, but that’s not the case with Enter Shikari. Never was, and never will be.
Their hits are always the best songs to watch during live performances, as it brings everyone together, no matter who they are or how long they’ve been a fan. They’re bonded; whether it’s through dancing together to ‘Anaesthetist’, jumping to ‘{ The Dreamer’s Hotel }’, or clapping those three claps in ‘Sorry, You’re Not a Winner’, it brings the room together and many fans who may not have known each other outside of that venue now know each other better than ever before. It’s the beauty of live music and especially, it’s the beauty of Enter Shikari.
The two other standout live tracks was ‘Constellations’, which was Reynolds’ acoustically accompanied love letter to life and his admiration for the world around him. A vocal advocate for peace and the environment, it was a soothing break from the usual sounds and screams of Enter Shikari and one that would rightly make people stop, think, and possibly research more about the issues in the days following on from the show. Rou Reynolds is someone who will make you think, and it will never be a bad thing.
The other standout was the closing tune of ‘Live Outside’. A memorable track with the iconic chant-worthy lyrics, “I wanna live outside, live outside of all of this”, it’s again something relatable to everyone and something that can make them think. An appropriate ending as the show started with a slight fanfare rendition of the track, it ended with everyone in the room singing those words over and over and over. “I wanna live outside, live outside of all of this” was all anyone could hear, say or think about in that fleeting moment, and it was a great way to close a fantastic show.
There are many feelings that are to be felt at an Enter Shikari show; many thoughts to be thought about; many sights to see and many sounds to listen to. It’s always a night to experience once in life, just to behold the beauty of the lights or the thrills of Reynolds’ vocals.
If nothing is true and everything is possible in a world with Enter Shikari, then it’s time to stay in the great unknown.
Words by Jo Cosgrove
Photography by Amelia Jones