Review & Photography by Sian Connolly for MPM
Picture this, it’s midweek, a cold, rainy Wednesday evening and to top it off, it’s Valentine’s Day. Perfect for those with loved ones but also perfect for those who want to mosh the goddam world away – Enter Shikari are here in Manchester bringing us their A Kiss For The Whole World tour as a special Valentine’s treat. Forget ya flowers and chocolate, the St Albans lads have got it covered.
First up on the stage is pop punk teenage sensation, Noah Finnce. With energy that could beam for days, they dive straight into the short but sweet set completed by the likes of Growing Up On The Internet, I Know Better and 3 Day Headache.
Now these songs are infectious, the chorus, the riffs, the vocals, all constructed perfectly for that instantaneous, grungy, crowd-pleasing vibe.
I think it’s safe to say, Noah had some big boots to fill tonight. Huge tour, huge venues, huge crowds. So for just one lad on the stage (with his band of course), he filled them boots pretty well.
His charisma oozes through Victoria Warehouse, it’s certainly clear by the looks on people’s faces, this was gonna be a good night. Fan favourite LaLaLa was up next, you could see clear as day how much this lad loves what he does, stood there jamming away with the biggest smile on his face.
The musicianship between the band was spot on. With the set coming to a close, I can gladly say Noah has gained some new fans tonight in Manny – well deserved might I add too.
Now this next band I have heard a lot about. Even standing here in the pit, every photographer said the exact same thing… “Get ready, these guys are crazy” and well, I can now say I agree.
Fever 333 are here and quite literally rip the stage to shreds with no remorse. These guys are the absolute perfect fit to be touring with Shikari; chaos, energy, passion.
All these things are shared between the two and Fever knows exactly how to put on a goddam show.
Kicking it off with Burn It, my god was I in for a treat. Jumping, spinning, dancing, kicking… the list goes on. Put it this way, Fever 333 are like mixing a monster energy drink with another monster energy drink and then adding… you guessed it, another monster on top of that.
These guys don’t need a caffeine boost in a morning, they are the caffeine boost – insane. First off let’s talk about bassist, April Kae. Wow. What an absolute icon of a woman. She owns that stage like it was meant for her and only her.
Besides dropping some crazy baselines, dancing and playing are the only things she’s good at, challenging the crowd seems to be another skill added to the pile – constantly egging them on and getting everyone up off their feet.
She knows what she’s doing. Lead singer, Jason, what an absolute force to be reckoned with. From pouncing about the stage to getting three speakers at around three feet high, stacking them on top
another and catapulting himself off…. I would not pick this guy to fight in a bar, he is inexplicably crazy (in an awesome way).
The well-curated set also consisted of Made In America, $wing, Ready Rock and clear fan favourite, Bite Back. Now that one really sets things off. I was sweating just standing there watching as chaos and anarchy exploded.
The best way to describe their sound is like hardcore metal meets Cali hip hop. It works, trust me. Although Fever may look all over the place, this band are tight, flawless, exceptional performers and their hard work shows.
The Californian rockers shut their set down with an absolute banger, Hunting Season, leaving us desperate and hungry for more. I will definitely be seeing the 333 gang again.
Are you guys still reading? You know what time it is now right? Ohhhh Enter Shikari – the chant that never leaves ya brain.
It’s, of course, Shikari time. Like clockwork, the stage goes black but this info is somewhat a huge contrast to how the rest of the show goes. Rou, lead singer, appears on stage in complete darkness with only a single spotlight illuminating the rock legend himself as he begins the spoken word segment of System… One word; powerful.
The way this man speaks could move oceans, never mind taking photos I was transfixed on the words rolling seamlessly off his tongue. so this is such exciting time to be alive, Our generation’s got to fight to survive”.
By this time, the crowd have drowned Rou out and are reciting the words louder and more powerful with each like. This is Enter Shikari and they know how to create something worth living for.
Before you know it, the iconic Shikari assault is soon underway; …Meltdown is the catalyst. All hell quickly broke loose as bodies came flying over the barrier.
The security definitely got their steps in tonight, damn. Besides the feet and elbows hitting us in the
head, an impressive, mesmerising light show hit like a shock to the system.
When your eyes have adjusted to just one spotlight and then bang, the whole room is white… that
was interesting. But hey ho this is what you sign up for at a Shikari gig. Once my pupils had adjusted, wow.
The stage was layered with screens displaying insane visuals for each song and we can’t forget the iconic lasers. Now those would mess your contacts up. ES are famously known for their bass.
I first saw the lads back in March last year and when I tell you I had never experienced anything like it. The whole building was shaking, it was absolutely incredible and tonight, they indeed delivered on the bass part.
This feeling is something I simply cannot describe, you just have to experience this yourself. I promise it’s worth it.
Each and every detail on this tour has been meticulously crafted into something exceptional. Every song on the setlist was a nostalgic dive into the entirety of their discography – certain to please most in the room tonight. With the likes of Live Outside, Anaesthetist, Torn Apart and Jailbreak, each one being certified bangers by the way, showed us that Shikari are back and they’re goddam better than ever.
I think it’s safe to say, this tour has definitely been a long time coming.
Shikari have been going for years, gigging in venues all around the world and after all that hard work,
the well-deserved arena tours are now theirs. I can easily say, they could’ve filled these yonks ago.
ES are made for the big stages. I mean who else could more or less sell out Viccy Warehouse two nights in a row? And this place is heaving, packed to the brim.
However, despite all this, the band loses absolutely no authenticity at all. Their astronomical growth has no impact on how these guys perform; intimate, immersive, simply one-of-a-kind.
To top the night off, Shikari are joined on stage by the Fever 333 gang for an insane performance of Losing My Grip. Now that was something else.
The room simply erupted, this was the collab we all wanted, needed bloody well got. I can guarantee not
one person will be leaving tonight without being drenched in sweat because my god it was getting hot in here.
The Pressure’s On and Juggernauts allow a few moments of a much-needed calmness as Rou, guitar in hand, performs solo.
This was indeed a beautiful moment, the step back and breather we all needed. Fan favourite satellites**
was up next, one I had been eagerly waiting for and it was absolutely spectacular.
Rainbow confetti blanketed the whole room; I felt like I was in a movie. Such a surreal, unforgettable moment.
You forget just how quickly those 120 minutes go when you’re fully immersed in the show. It’s encore time, always a bitter-sweet moment as you know, this is about to be the best part of the whole night but also the ending.
Taken back to the track that started it all, Sorry You’re Not A Winner slapped right next to the newest track of ’em all, A Kiss For The Whole World x as screens of fireworks blow us into space.
Enter Shikari have only gone and done it again, but if I may say, even bloody better. Shikari shows are quite frankly, unlike any other and tonight was definitely one of their best shows, ever
