Back to the roots: celebrating the release of their upcoming seventh record A Kiss For The Whole World x, genre-bending quartet Enter Shikari are currently presenting intimate sets to fans in Europe. The mainland shows kicked off April 5 at Knust in Hamburg with Blackout Problems as support.
Enter Shikari at Knust 05.04.2023 (Alexander Loeb)
Crammed between synthesizers and lighting production, it's not a common look for Blackout Problems to be playing venues this small anymore either. The German band brings energetic rock with a post-hardcore edge to the stage, filled to the brim with singalong choruses and pulsating drums. Opening track MURDERER makes it its mission to make triplets sound heavy and fully succeeds, with the song taking on a more experimental alternative rock direction towards its climax.
Singer Mario Radetzky acknowledges how tiny the club looks, only to later stagedive and climb around the balcony area during Rome in pure frenzy. Meanwhile, the crowd already engages in first moshpits, foreshadowing the intense sweaty carnage to come. With a stronger focus on their latest offering DARK, the use of live electronics takes the band's sound to more atmospheric buildups that make for an engaging listen. After a far too short thirty minutes, the catchy GERMANY, GERMANY is the perfect sendoff into a much-needed break before the headliner.
Blackout Problems at Knust 05.04.2023 (Alexander Loeb)
It feels quite surreal to think about what's coming next. Enter Shikari are probably the biggest independent UK band of our time, headlining Download Pilot in 2021 whilst also catering to their core fanbase in intimate venues like no other. The eclectic mix of UK-based electronica, hardcore punk and a rave approach to their concerts has made the quartet from St. Albans a live act you just cannot miss.
Before kicking off the European tour leg, the band already played sold out shows to smaller venues in the UK, returning with one show per month in each city between February and April. Because of the rotating setlist, there was a strong sense of curiosity among the fans concerning what they would be hearing live later.
Enter Shikari at Knust 05.04.2023 (Nadezhda Prokopenko)
The stage is illuminated by a row of lighting rods that bathe Knust in red. After a short intro, Enter Shikari burst through (pls) set me on fire to a jumping crowd. The small dance floor involves anyone in its vicinity and brings back the days of what very early shows of the band must have felt like. Singer Rou Reynolds starts greeting the crowd in Japanese before bassist Chris Batten jokingly interrupts him.
"We're not in Japan anymore, Rou"
The strong setlist for the night demands everything from the band and fans eager to scream their souls out: { The Dreamer's Hotel } is positioned early in the set following fan-favorite Juggernauts, with Hectic effortlessly keeping the energy levels high. Newer and older songs alike find their place in a career-spanning setlist that covers all records as well as the breakbeat mania of The Void Stares Back. Reynolds twists and turns to every moment of the song which is normally backed by UK newcomers Wargasm.
The band stays unusually quiet between songs, or decides to bridge them with interludes altogether. The song selection leaves little room to catch your breath. One of the highlights of the set is the newest single Bloodshot that gets the room jumping in unison for it's electronica-heavy intro and chorus. Other key moments of the show include Labyrinth and the captivating Radiate before launching into the infamous Quickfire round, where four songs are crammed into eight minutes. For this evening, the band sprint through sections of Havoc B, Bull, The Last Garrison and Sorry, You're Not A Winner. The latter is presented as the Pendulum Remix, adding a nice drum 'n' bass feel to close out the main part of the set.
While the room is happily gasping for air, the acapella version of System... sets the tone for the two encores, ...Meltdown and Live Outside. Towards the end of ...Meltdown, the song is aborted for safety reasons of a fan in the first row. After bathing the venue in sweat for 75 minutes, Enter Shikari leave the stage to a sweaty, happy room. The tiny venue size as well as the motivated crowd created the perfect atmosphere to see one of the most fun live bands on the planet.
Rating: 4/5 feathers
Enter Shikari played:
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