LIVE REVIEW: Enter Shikari, Fever 333, OVO Arena Wembley, London, 17/02/2024
Photo Credit: Alia Thomas (16th February – Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff)
If there is one thing Enter Shikari pride themselves on it’s community. Tonight this is our place. A temporary suspension of normality, where we object to rules that define our society, corruption and greed. A place where we pick each other up when we fall down. That’s the true meaning of society where we show community. Be embraced, be together – and there is no better sense of this definition that figurehead Rou Reynolds gave when the band triumphed during their headline set at last year’s edition of Slam Dunk Festival. But this display we witnessed here tonight is not one that should be displayed in a museum, but to a sold-out Wembley Arena, as these genre-melting renegades give the biggest of rave rock, emotion-filled kisses to their sssnakepit.
Preceding Enter Shikari comes Fever 333, perhaps one of the most important, vital and pragmatic voices in the scene to date. Between using their platform and their voice for a purpose in front of thousands of people here tonight, vocalist Jason Aalon Butler giving timely speeches about “being here to spit facts” and “this band stands on the side of the oppressed, the marginalised.” Fever 333 bring the heat, their blazing political punk powerhouse bangers igniting Wembley into a fire ball, from the band sliding along deliberately spilt Monster Ultra on stage in BITE BACK, to Butler bulldozing off a corner of Wembley seating stands into the faithful arms of fans below for colossal closer Hunting Season. Fever 333 bringing it makes Enter Shikari’s bar set ten times higher. 10/10
Appearing like a magician like dynamo in the midst of a solo spotlight and giving a majestic speech like philosopher David Attenborough with the passionate System…, Rou Reynolds from the off is the dictator of Shikari’s sssnakepit, which has every soul below him reciting every single word to the poignant speech. Four minutes ago there was a house in a field on the side of a cliff and now the waves crashing below are no myth, as they have come crashing over it and completely destroyed it to tatters, because the rate at which the energy crew were going below into next song Meltdown was a spectacle to marvel at.
“We’re putting the sound system through its paces tonight” promises Reynolds launching into Anaesthetist, a pounding drum and a bass meets EDM-hardcore banger that only had every heart pulsating and missing beats as Wembley Arena became a full blown underground rave. You would be mistaken if you thought you was watching The Prodigy or Pendulum on stage, tonight Enter Shikari’s explosive futuristic glimpse into using drones that whizz around the area to capture real time footage or the laser beams that bounce around giving the illusion you are at an electronic dance extravaganza of one of the genres greats.
“For this set the worlds outside these walls ceases to exist,” and whether it’s the magical illusion of Rou diving into a tank filled to the brim of water for Bloodshot, or him perched atop of a council flat estate for an acoustic rendition of the pressure’s on., or competing an expectation defying lap of the standing section between performing The Sights and Stand Your Ground, the illusions, imagery and vast collection of spellbinding production – all DIY by the band – pulls you out of the harsh realities of the real world. The biggest and best distraction on planet Earth.
Defying expectations of a band now of their stature, Enter Shikari’s headlining set at Wembley Arena balanced jaw-dropping visuals and awe-inspiring showcases of their songs, all with the modern electronic glitchy twist they are known for. Now this should be something displayed in a museum. 10/10
Written By: Katie Conway-Flood
