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Enter Shikari have built a career on two cardinal rules: Make good music (yes, a given); and building a community.
Surely, only one of those goes hand in hand with their biggest show to date: Wembley Arena – which was their temporary home on Saturday, February 17, 2024. But creating an intimate feeling in an arena? That’s tougher to do.
Somehow, while bringing their British tour to an end, Shikari managed to bring the familiarity of their smaller shows to the 12,000+ venue.
Rou Reynolds, naturally, directed the spectacular evening with a deft and unwavering hand. Beginning the show with a spoken word poem (System…), and bringing it to a close with a heartfelt promise to planet (A Kiss for the Whole World x), Rou was electric, spontaneous, inspiring, and the frontman all artists ought to strive to be.
With that said, it’s tough to pinpoint where to begin with Enter Shikari’s almost career-defining performance.
The band journeyed through the ages of their music, playing some of their classic hits (Sorry You’re Not a Winner, Mothership ), while also reiterating how powerful their new tracks are (Goldfish, {The Dreamer’s Hotel}).
But the most impressive part of their arena show was that Enter Shikari actually… thought about their privelige. They thought about how to make this more than just a gig. Most bands hit arena or stadium level shows and simply introduce bigger lights, louder speakers and fatter screens. Shikari told a story.
Enormous podiums flanked the stage before becoming city skylines for Rou to serenade his fans from. These obelisks also became water tanks in which Rou submerged himself; and lights became a prison cell, marks of oppression which the band knocked down. The show was as interactive and engaging as a video game.
If that’s not your thing; iconography aside, Enter Shikari brought out the big guns with their setlist. You can see the full list below, and you’ll quickly see they went hard on their line-up – and even explored some new themes with embellished versions of tracks, remixed, remastered, and stripped down.
That’s one cardinal rule checked off: Fantastic music – done. But what about the other? Building a statuesque community?
I’ve seen it on the fringes over the years – the Shikari Family, as they call themselves – and it’s quite easy to see why it is titled as such. During The Sights, Rou ran around the seated tier of the entire arena, shaking hands and hugging his fans along the way while he demonstrated (again) his endless well of energy.
