Having flirted with the jump to the big stages for much of their career, Enter Shikari have always remained of one of the UK’s hottest talents when it comes to putting on an unforgettable live show. But it was this tour that saw the band finally commit to playing those big stages throughout the UK.
Cardiff was one of the biggest dates on the tour, which was somewhat reflected in its attendance, but while there was still plenty of breathing space around the sides and toward the rear of the arena’s standing section, what the band delivered to the Welsh crowd was a show that was deserving of a crowd ten times its size.
From the word “go”, the band indulged the crowd in a show that was comprised both of new fan-favourites as well as old-time classics. The duo of the spoken word ‘System…‘ which then transitioned into the raving ‘…Meltdown‘ was more than enough to the get the crowd’s core to erupting without having to ask.
The early aspects of the setlist also included cult classics such as ‘Live Outside‘, as well as ‘Anaesthetist‘. The latter was also the first song of the night that saw a remixed outro, something which had become commonplace by the end of the night and a trick that helped to make even the usual Shikari setlist suspects exciting for the die-hard fans.
Every aspect of the show was dialled up to the max in typical Shikari fashion, from the physical production, the visuals, and of course, the dancing lasers that ensued, meaning that every song felt more like a visceral experience than just another song in the show.
One thing that Enter Shikari have never been afraid to do is keep silent about the issues that matter most, whether it’s the looming climate crisis (as illustrated in their cult-classic ‘Mothership‘), or the celebration of queer love (found in the track ‘Satelittes* *‘), the band want to simultaneously help unify everyone under one roof for each near-two hour set at a time, while also using their platform to spread awareness as much as possible.
Many praise the band for balancing the books between being British rock and metal titans and pure-blooded ravers, which bodes extremely well for those who are fans of both. But there were also plenty of intimate moments too, including a poignant acoustic performance of ‘Juggernauts‘.
The video-game styled prompt for the encore was just one of the many highlights of the band’s set design over the course of the night, which is something that has clearly been given plenty of thought for the band’s transition to larger venues.
Despite their newfound home on the big stages up and down the country, it’s worth mentioning that the band partnered with the Music Venue Trust to ensure that £1 of every ticket sale went to local venues, something which more bands should take notice of, and replicate themselves.
So as the show comes to a close; it seems almost impossible to think anything other than the fact that Enter Shikari are one of the UK’s most important live acts, and certainly one of the most enthralling.
