LIVE REVIEW: Enter Shikari, Teenage Wrist, Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow, 03/12/2024
Photo Credit: Sara Getson (26th November – The Foundry, Torquay)
St Albans band Enter Shikari are renowned for their live shows and tonight at ‘The Barras’ we git to see them for the second time within a few months, if the TRNSMT Festival set is anything to go by tonight is going to be a very memorable concert. The official name of the tour is Dancing On The Frontline MMXXIV after the 2024 album release which is a bunch of remixes and collaborations that are well worth checking out.
We couldn’t have wished for a better support act than American band Teenage Wrist, all the way from sunny California. They got together in 2014 and have released three albums to date, Chrome Neon Jesus (2018), Earth Is A Black Hole (2021) and most recent release Still Love in 2023, during the eleven track set we would get to hear tracks from across all three albums. Stoned, Alone and Earth Is A Black Hole are two personal favourites that we are delighted to hear tonight that is incidentally our first time seeing Teenage Wrist live. Marshall Gallagher (vocals & guitar) and Anthony Salazar (drums) are the founding members and the bedrock of the band but let’s not forget the two touring band members Jordan Kulp (guitar) and Jose Trujillo (bass) who were both highly charged throughout the set. There were well over one thousand fans in early for the 7.50pm start and what a high energy start it is with Sunshine, in what is their third time in Glasgow as Marshall comments. It’s hard to define the music of Teenage Wrist, there is definitely some indie rock in there alongside grunge and even metal influences at times, they only have forty minutes to play eleven songs so it is a quick turnaround between tracks. Vocalist Marshall Gallagher asks who has heard of the band and a loud cheer goes up in the famous ballroom, the crowd do seem a little subdued as Marshall asks “nice and sleepy?” they weren’t for long as Humbug wakes them up for sure. Vocalist Marshall has a unique style standing side on to the crowd in almost Liam Gallagher style as he finally removes his hat to reveal a full head of hair (lucky Marshall!). Still Love is a track where they collaborated with fellow American band Softcult from the 2023 album of the same name, the best is left to last with Earth Is A Black Hole to end a great performance in front of a crowd that could have done with an energy boost, however all that is about to change. 8/10
The big question now is will the Glasgow crowd bring the energy tonight for Enter Shikari? Too right they would and more! Downstairs we noticed a poster saying strictly no crowd surfing … oops we think people forgot to read that sign! It was a big night for crowd surfers with wave after wave of bodies being passed across the crowd to the awaiting security who we did feel slightly sorry for tonight, they definitely earned their wages. The famous Barrowland spring-loaded floor would be put to good use as mosh pits broke out during the first track of the set Bloodshot. First song in and charismatic frontman Rou Reynolds is putting us all to shame with his highly energetic stage movement, it basically stays that way for the full eighty-minute set, this guy really is a showman. Next up is Antwerpen and the crowd surfing continues while towards the end of Dreamers Hotel, Reynolds asks to see as many people on shoulders as possible, the crowd oblige. “Arguing With Thermometers was first played right here in this room thirteen years ago,” Rou comments prompting a massive cheer. He later asks how many times Enter Shikari have played at Barrowland, nobody knows the answer to that question but everyone is just glad that they are here again, the track itself sees Reynolds give a prolonged speech about climate change before the ballroom explodes into energy.
We would get to hear six tracks from A Kiss For The Whole World including the excellent goldfish and Leap Into The Lightning before the crowd in the ballroom are given a big shot of energy as Sorry, You’re Not A Winner is played. The track is taken from their 2007 debut album Take To The Skies and by far the band’s biggest song to date but they did play a good mix of songs across the seven studio album releases. Mothership is sounding as great tonight as it did at TRNSMT and Radiate ends the main set as quite a few begin leaving, but there is still time for a two track encore for those that stayed behind and boy was it worth it! As Stop The Clocks is played allowing everyone to squeeze out every last ounce of energy in their bodies on this Tuesday night, the crowd surfing is still going on as we enter the last song of the night with A Kiss For The Whole World x, that prompts a mass singalong moment for the fans to add to the memory banks. They have just been announced for Reading & Leeds Festival in August 2025 where we are sure they will go down a storm. 10/10
Written by: Alan Brown
