Enter Shikari at the Borderline

In the last two years alone, Enter Shikari have dominated on large stages, including a support slot at the O2 and a headline show at Alexandra Palace. Yet this gig at one of London’s most intimate venues proved that they can create an incredible, emotional show, no matter how big the stage.

Emerging onto a fogged-out stage, they opened the set with Redshift, a slightly calmer number by their standards, before unleashing carnage with The Last Garrison, at which point the mosh pits opened and the room became thick with sweat. Despite the lack of space, lead singer Rou Reynolds still impressed with his notorious fly kicks and quirky dance moves.

The evening was rife with “first times”. Despite being released back in May, the group had never before played Supercharge live, and it even included a special appearance by the track’s featured artist, Big Narstie, who really got the crowd going. Along with the brand new Live Outside, which had been premiered on Radio 1 for the first time earlier that very evening, the band also treated the audience to two never-before-heard songs from their yet-to-be-announced album. The way they performed these was superb, almost somewhat reserved in their usual eccentricity to ensure the new music was the focus – and it worked: they sounded incredible.

But despite the amazing new tracks, the highlight had to be set-closer Adieu. It’s one of their oldest and slowest hits, and the sheer emotion in the room was astonishing. It was completely silent so that Reynolds’s vocals could be truly appreciated, until the build up to the final section of the song became too much for the crowd, and soon intense screams of “Home could be anywhere when I am holding you” echoed around the venue.

Most importantly, Enter Shikari are forever humble, despite their success, and they seemed genuinely overwhelmed by the love and support from their audience. The night was intimate, spectacular, and everything a gig should be, performed by an extraordinary band who are only going to keep getting better.

Naomi Penn
Photo: Jordan Curtis Hughes

 For further information and future events visit the Enter Shikari website here.

Watch the video for Live Outside here: