Music > Live Reviews

Enter Shikari

The Nick Rayns LCR, UEA

08/03/19

As Shikari embark on one of the biggest tours in their history, 'Stop the Clocks' really proves how far the band have come.

Having seen them eight or so times before on album tours or at intimate one-off shows, I was excited to finally see my favourite band at the LCR in Norwich. This performance was Shikari at the TOP of their game; culminating the ferocity of their showmanship with the wisdom of their years of relentless touring. This tour felt particularly necessary: almost ten years on from the release of their second album Common Dreads, the set list had a perfect balance of songs from all across their discography. Yet so many were unexpected and twisted in ways that surprised even long-term fans.  A fairly low-key stage and lighting set up (compared to The Spark tour) placed all the emphasis on the sounds and the movements of the band on stage, and added a sense of maturity. Rou bouncing onto the stage to belt out “The Sights” as the sing-a-long opener let everyone know that they were in for an exceptional experience. The curveballs came with "Step Up", "Labyrinth", and "Gap in the Fence", songs not heard live very often. Further surprises reared their head with a meaty remix of "Havoc B" and the lesser known "Insomnia", as well as a shorted version of "Ghandi, Mate Ghandi" that jumped seamlessly into "Mothership"; a switch that made the whole crowd utter an ‘ooh’ in unison. The quickfire round which has now become a staple of Shikari shows was a testament to the musicianship of the four men on stage. Four songs in eight minutes all remixed immaculately, saw Rory, Chris, and Rou jumping between instruments as the crowd jumped into each other, whilst Rob stayed steady on the drums. Showered with blue and white confetti they closed confidently with "Live Outside", leaving the crowd beaming and dripping with sweat as they began to make their way home.

The song choices on this tour however seem particularly pertinent. Whilst Shikari are known as a political band, the choice to play songs like "Step Up", "Revolt of the Atoms", "Arguing with Thermometers" and the poignant acoustic version of "Take My Country Back" seemed very deliberate. Without reading too much into a set list, it seems as though because of the tumultuous political situation in Britain and the world climate crisis, Enter Shikari are making their (and their fans) voices heard. 4000 people each night in venues across the country screaming “we can fight imbalance...step up today” and “we’ll take you down!” must instil even in newer fans a sense of solidarity and purpose. As times are getting more seemingly more chaotic, Enter Shikari have proven themselves as relevant and as important as ever on this tour.