REVIEW: Enter Shikari at Wolverhampton Civic Hall

British post-hardcore band Enter Shikari, who since their Hertfordshire formation in 2003 have travelled the globe amassing a huge fan following, performed live in the Midlands on Tuesday where they played new songs from their third and latest studio album A Flash Flood of Colour.

With only three more UK dates before the band jet off stateside for their Atlanta show, they graced the stage at Wolverhampton Civic Hall preceded by their support acts Tek-One and Young Guns.

Tek-One were up first and really got the crowd going mad for their Dub Step infusion of phat beats, sampling and drum experimentation; combining their style both as a single DJ and an ensemble at the same time. As the front man of the dance trio, MC Tonn Piper unleashed a lot of raw energy; infecting the crowd with the group’s great up-tempo but low bit-rate sound while complimenting the equally high-octane energy of band mates Howard and James. There was definitely a very lively feel from the boys.

The second support act of the night was the fantastic British alternative rock band Young Guns, performing songs from their second and most recent album, Bones, which was released earlier this year. Young Guns were also a very energetic band that really gave it their all on stage to the joy of an already over-excited and eager audience.

As the venue turned to darkness, the crowd went wild as a suspense-filled tempo build-up indicated it was time for the main draw. The music dropped as Enter Shikari ran out on to the stage to make their awesome and extremely loud grand entrance with an amazing amount of energy and an incredible light display.

The award-winning band opened with the song Meltdown from their brand new album, which meshes together some great political lyrics with a fantastic post-hardcore, dub-step and British hip-hop sound.

Enter Shikari put on a show which felt like an epic night club and live gig mashed into one. They’re certainly not the kind of band that just stands there and plays some music, they really get stuck in. Lead singer Roughton Reynolds was constantly running and jumping around the stage, at one point even getting up on top of the side speakers.

The near sold-out crowd was highly entertained, with their gratitude being displayed by way of multiple mosh-pits breaking out and plenty of crowd surfers being thrown over towards the stage. The band sounded absolutely fantastic live and with the lasers, incredible stage set up and overall lighting, it positively enhanced the atmosphere – making it a phenomenal night out.

The foursome that is Enter Shikari head over to the US next month as their tour continues across the pond.  If you get a chance to see them live, grab that opportunity, as they’re definitely one of the most energetic bands I’ve ever seen live and they put on a show that counts for so much more than just a live gig.

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Jamie Chapman

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