ENTER SHIKARI SHRED SOLDOUT
TORONTO SHOW @ HARD LUCK!
Just a few weeks ago the UK based Enter Shikari released their 5th studio album The Spark. On Tuesday, October 3rd, 2017 they celebrated in Toronto with an in-store signing at Dead Dog Records and performed to a sold-out crowd at The Hard Luck Bar in Toronto. The small upstairs venue isn’t their usual scene, normally they perform to huge crowds at festivals and arenas in the UK and Europe. However, that night they played to about 200 lucky, hardcore fans in a tiny bar for an intimate treat.
I arrived early to get a good spot, the anticipation in the room rose quickly as it started to fill to capacity. Opening the show were Toronto natives, Dress Black, who hit the stage promptly at 9 pm. They had this amazing energy yet were limited to the tiniest stage I had ever seen but they made the most of it. They interacted well with one another and had the crowd rocking to their progressive riffs and quirky lyrics. Dress Black are definitely a band I’ll want to catch again.
After the stage was cleared for Enter Shikari, guitars tuned and the lights dimmed, fans started chanting “And still we will be here standing like statues”, lyrics from their song Enter Shikari from their first album. It hauntingly echoed through the venue and as they took the stage, the chant erupted into cheers and the band broke right into Redshift. The Last Garrison was next and got the crowd really moshing. The stage is so low at the Hard Luck, fans in the front row were bent over or kneeling on stage from the pressure of the crowd.
Next, they played a few of their latest songs like Take My Country Back, Undercover Agents and Live Outside unsurprisingly fans knew all the lyrics. (Full Set-list below). As soon as the first few chords of Rabble Rouser played, the energy in the room grew even more and as fans began to crowd surf it was time for me to move from the front. The room was so packed people were standing on tables for a better view in the back.
Unlike their music which has taken a bit of a softer turn their energy on stage is just as electrifying as it’s always been. Lead singer Rou uses every inch of the stage to dance, spin, jump and sing/scream his lungs out. His vocals have matured but he is still just as wild as ever, jumping onto speakers, singing over the crowd and swinging his mic and stand around, just add a suit and tie. I’m always amazed that they perform in such small venues, they’ve got such an amazing and unique sound and they put on such an unforgettable show.
SET LIST
Redshift
The Last Garrison
Take My Country Back
Undercover Agents
Rabble Rouser
Labyrinth
Antwerpen
Hoodwinker
Juggernauts
Torn Apart
Constellations
Live Outside
Anaesthetist
Embers
