ENTER SHIKARI // BARROWLAND BALLROOM, GLASGOW
Taking their most recent LP to Glasgow for the first time, Enter Shikari bring the house down.
ENTER SHIKARI PERFORMING AT GLASGOW’S BARROWLAND BALLROOM - 23.01.2019
PICTURE BY: CALUM BUCHAN PHOTOGRAPHY
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5)
Brighton progressive-rock outfit Black Peaks effortlessly filled the iconic venue, as more people trickled in their attention was immediately turned to them. The dynamic turns and operatic vocals of the band, leaning on the material from their latest record All That Divides. You can see why these guys were taken on this tour, they really can stand-out as a support act in such big venues. However after supporting Deftones at Wembley Arena it’s no surprise that they can. It seems unjust that they are on the opening slot, playing second fiddle to Palaye Royale who took main support slot. As the Las Vegas trio came out after Black Peaks, it was quite a jump from sounds. The self-proclaimed “fashion-art rock band”, seem to live up to their proclamation. It would seem that they focused more on their looks than the music. Their material seemed like it was ripped from a myspace blog and went down like a lead balloon, with some seemingly dedicated fans spotted around the venue.
PALAYE ROYALE PERFORMING AT GLASGOW’S BARROWLAND BALLROOM - 23.01.2019
PICTURE BY: CALUM BUCHAN PHOTOGRAPHY
Taking to the main stage to ‘The Spark’, Enter Shikari was met with a mass cheer. Launching into ‘The Sights’, the band kick the night off with a bang. Packing a massive chorus, this track is clearly been made for massive venues, even bigger venues than the Barrowlands. The powerful synth chords mixed with guitarist Rory’s tasteful melodies, ignites the crowd to go mad. Dazzling the audience with their dramatic light show things are kicked up a notch with the one-two of ‘Labyrinth’ and ‘Arguing With Thermometers’. Provoking several circle pits, the band follow that with ‘Rabble Rouser’. One of the things that has made Enter Shikari stand out their entire career is the fact they can remix their songs live. Augmenting the endings and instrumentals of their tracks with added electronic bits has always been one of the most attractive aspects of the Enter Shikari.
Taking a small breather with slower tracks like ‘Gap in the Fence’ and ‘Shinrin-Yoku’, it was an interesting dynamic change for the band that I hadn’t seen much of. This focus on the slower songs in their catalogue comes with the material from The Spark. Due to the fact they didn’t tour the album here the first time, it could be they wanted to offer as much of the album to fans who didn’t get to see these songs live. However, it is moments when they combine they combine two of their biggest songs (‘Ghandi Mate, Ghandi… and ‘Mothership’) with the dance classic ‘Insomnia’ by Faithless that reminds me how they got to this level: by twisting genre boundaries to create their own sound.
ENTER SHIKARI PERFORMING AT GLASGOW’S BARROWLAND BALLROOM - 23.01.2019
PICTURE BY: CALUM BUCHAN PHOTOGRAPHY
It is the quartet’s signature move of the Quickfire Round where they let their heavier songs loose. Unifying the sold-out venue in the form of three claps, ‘Sorry You’re Not A Winner’ sends the venue into a frenzy. Mixing seamlessly into the other ‘The Last Garrison’, ‘...Meltdown’ and ‘Anaesthetist’ is a sonic punch in the face that is welcomed by the crowd. After the dust settled for a moment after this round, Rou Reynolds performed an acoustic rendition of ‘Adieu’. Dedicating it to a fan who had recently passed away, Reynolds roused the audience in to a heartfelt singalong.
Ending on the anthem of ‘Live Outside’, it is clear that Shikari are ready to take things to the next level and deservedly so. This band deserve the headline slots at the UK festivals and the arenas. Having reached ten times of headlining the Barrowlands, I think in parts it reduced what the band could do. As a venue that has helped them progress in the past, I think they have outgrown it.
SETLIST: | ENTER SHIKARI : BARROWLAND BALLROOM, GLASGOW - 23.01.2019
INTRO: THE SPARK
The Sights
Step Up
Labyrinth
Arguing with Thermometers
Rabble Rouser
Halcyon
Hectic
Gap in the Fence
Shinrin-Yoku
Slipshod
The Revolt of the Atoms
Gandhi Mate, Gandhi - (Shortend version)
Mothership - (Shortend version)
Insomnia - (Faithless cover)
Havoc B
Airfield
Undercover Agents
INTERLUDE: No Sleep Tonight
Stop the Clocks
QUICKFIRE ROUND:
Sorry, You’re Not a Winner
The Last Garrison
…Meltdown
Anaesthetist - (Reso Remix)
ENCORE:
Adieu - (Acoustic)
Juggernauts
Live Outside
Intermission - (The Embers)
OUTRO: The Sights (Remix)