Enter Shikari + Your Demise + Letlive @ Birmingham Academy, 15th October 2011

Enter Shikari

It’s been a while since Enter Shikari were last in Birmingham and tonight’s sold out gig at the academy promises to be one hell of night.

It’s an early set for Letlive but the room is already pretty much at capacity with everyone eager to get a glimpse of their already legendary live show. Letlive are the kind of band that’s more suited to smaller more intimate venues but tonight they showed they really don’t give a shit what size the venue is as there’s no restricting frontman Jason Butler as he launched himself into the crowd barely one song in.

Letlive

The band are tight but all eyes are on Jason who’s sporting a rather tasty moustache and a rather retro tye-dye t-shirt with a dolphin on as he runs around the stage like a mad man. During ‘Muther’ Jason scales the balcony and jumps into the eager arms of the crowd much to the horror of the security. The only problem is the teenage boys and girls in the crowd obviously haven’t had their Weetabix this morning as they let Jason drop to the floor! The band continues on regardless as Jason snakes his way through the pit and numerous members of the security barge into the crowd trying to locate the missing singer. It’s not often that hype is actually right but Letlive are incredible live and Fake History is one hell of an album.

Your Demise

Your Demise are up next and their heavy hitting hardcore goes down well but it’s hard to follow a band like Letlive. They were determined though and the crowd were up for it even if it took some persuasion from vocalist Ed for everyone to come closer to the stage. The highlight of the set was definitely ‘The Kids We Used To Be’ with the crowd pretty much singing along to every word.

Enter Shikari have pulled out all the stops tonight with a huge light show and massive banner adorning the back of the stage with the slogan ‘If you stand for nothing you will fall for anything’. Enter Shikari have definitely got more political as time has gone by but they still know how to whip the crowd into a frenzy. Kicking things off in fine fashion with ‘Destabilise’ Rou and co start as they mean to go on, there are moments during the set where it feels like you could be at some crazy drugged up rave when the beat drops and the whole crowd is jumping in unison with their hands in the air. Then like the flip of the coin the guitars come back in the moshing starts, the circle pits open up and it’s back to the good old familiar rock gig.

Enter ShikariEnter Shikari

It’s hotter than Mount Doom in the academy and both the crowd and band are feeling it with the stage and floor resembling an ice rink, the blasts of cold air from the rig above the stage just isn’t enough as sweat covered kids are hoisted into the air to crowd surf to songs like ‘No Sssweat’ and the new single ‘Sssnakepit’. Requests for human pyramids from Rou don’t go unanswered as kids rise above the heads of the crowd determined not to disappoint.

As the last distorted notes of Sorry You’re Not a Winner ring out across the crowd and the applause dies down the crowd begins to chant ‘and still we will be here, standing like statues’, it’s those moments at shows when you get that feeling, you know the one I mean, when the hair on the back of your neck stands up and you’re just totally lost in the moment. I think Enter Shikari felt it too as they grace the stage one last time thanking the crowd and blasting into an encore of Juggernauts and OK Time for Plan B.

Enter ShikariEnter Shikari

It’s live where Enter Shikari are truly in their element and once again they’ve shown how good they really are. They’re at the top of the game right now, constantly breaking boundries and crushing all genre restrictions in their path, there’s just no stopping them.

Review – Hannah Sebestjanowicz
Photos – Jordan Hughes

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