Music
Enter Shikari
O2 Academy, Glasgow
Nicola Love
Four stars
ATMOSPHERE can make or break a gig, so it bodes well for Enter Shikari that, mere seconds into a 90-minute set, venue security are already plucking a few keen crowd surfers out of the audience. It is the band’s first performance of the year and the beginning of a large, ambitious tour.
Renowned for their organised chaos, the band’s trademark DIY lights and visuals are proudly on display tonight. However, despite such an intricate and meticulously timed setup, Enter Shikari do not take themselves too seriously on stage. Frontman Rou Reynolds strums an extended outro of Radiate to lament about a faulty microphone stand, before leading a mass singalong of Robbie William's Angels to “cheer up” after an intense rendition of the politically-charged Ghandi Mate, Ghandi.
The show draws heavily from new material, most of which receive a live debut. Bass-laden, pro-NHS anthem Anaesthetist and a live reworking of riff-heavy The Last Garrison leave energy levels so high that attention does not waver when Reynold’s piano comes out for ballad Dear Future Historians. Old favourite Sorry You’re Not a Winner is dropped early in the set, while frantic-sounding Mothership brings the evening to a loud, defiant conclusion pre-encore.
When Reynolds alludes to the release of latest album The Mindsweep, he thanks the crowd for "welcoming it into your homes, earphones and house parties, and for making it your own". Therein lies the crux of Enter Shikari's success and acclaim as a live band: their performances are not something to observe, they are something to join in with, as if the night belongs to each and every sweat-drenched audience member standing in awe on the floor. Long may Enter Shikari’s live reign continue.
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