Enter Shikari have come a long way since the Sorry You’re Not A Winner days. They’ve had a slow but steady rise, gradually moving to bigger rooms and higher festival slots, and now they’re here: headlining their biggest show to date at London’s iconic Wembley Arena.
They open in an unusual way, with a spoken word version of System… that sees frontman Rou Reynolds captured in a single spotlight, but it’s not long before things are kicked up a notch. Moments later, …Meltdown plunges into familiar Shikari territory, all lasers, lights, and the signature electrifying energy they’ve become known for. “Shall we test out this soundsystem?” Rou grins during Anaesthethist, before a gut-busting dubstep breakdown reverberates through the venue. Familiar territory it might be, but there’s more than a few surprises in store tonight -ever committed to breaking down musical boundaries, Rou brings out a trumpet to introduce Jailbreak.
Being the A Kiss For The Whole World tour, it’s understandable that the setlist is heavy on new tracks, like It Hurts, the frenetic Bloodshot and the blistering Losing My Grip, which sees an appearance from Fever 333’s Jason Aalon Butler. But old favourites find their way into the set too – The Jester provides one of the night’s most fun moments as the audience can’t resist bouncing along to the Common Dreads deep cut.
The latter half of the show begins with Rou, guitar in hand, sat atop some giant prop skyscrapers for a poignant acoustic set, with a slowed down Juggernauts and an impassioned rendition of Gap In The Fence managing to feel almost intimate despite the fact this is, y’know, Wembley Arena. As the other three band members suddenly appear on the B-stage, Rou finds himself up in the stands moving through crowds of excited fans for The Sights. It manages to be theatrical without being obnoxious, and if you’re a fan who’s been here since the MySpace days, this is one of those pinch yourself moments where you realise Shikari are really in the big leagues these days. In fact, another of these moments comes shortly after, when Sam Ryder joins the band onstage as a dazzle of rainbow heralds LGBT+ anthem satellites.
Ending on the track that started it all and the title song from their latest album, tonight is a display of effortless prowess and unwavering passion. It’s a small minority that make it to the likes of Wembley, and while many may aspire to play on such hallowed ground, Enter Shikari have proven there are fewer bands more deserving of such an honour. Newcomers, take note: this is how it’s done.
Photos by Jez Pennington
