Join Enter Shikari as they head on a trip into The Great Unknown
O2 Guildhall, Southampton Friday, December 17 academymusicgroup.com
Is this a new beginning, or are we close to the end?’ is the first line on The Great Unknown, the opening track of Enter Shikari’s most recent studio album – Nothing is True & Everything is Possible.
The album, their sixth, was released in April 2020, just as the world was engulfed in the Covid pandemic.
The song was written before anyone had heard of Covid-19, but as band lyricist and frontman Rou Reynolds admits, being quite so prescient has its frustrations.
‘Yeah, he sighs and laughs, ‘we couldn't believe it really. A lot of the things we've been writing about for years have really started to come to a head.
‘We finished the album in very late 2019, so we had no idea that the world was about to completely change. It's the first thing in my lifetime that has affected the whole world as one planet.
‘The opening line of the album, there was an element of theatrics to that. It was originally about the accumulation of crises that we're currently going through. It's not massive hyperbole, but it became even more realistic when the first lockdown came in just as we released the album.
‘It was frustrating... a weird time.’ While it may have prevented the alt-rock band from playing live, it didn’t stop the album reaching num- ber two in the charts, their highest position to date. They are currently in the middle of an 18-date UK tour which has seen many of the nights sell out, including the 10,000 capacity Alexandra Palace.
The Guide spoke with Rou just before the tour began. The band had just returned from Glasgow where they had played a pair of shows as part of Cop26.
‘The Glasgow shows were so much fun,’ says Rou. ‘It totally made sense for us to do our first shows back in Glasgow – the crowds are always mental there, and it being Cop26 as well was really fascinating.
‘Seeing as it was on our doorstep we felt like we should be there and represent, and support various activists and friends who were there and learn as much as we can. It was a very busy week, but really interesting.
The band have always spoken out on political matters, and used their music as a vehicle for activism.
‘To some extent, I think music and activism go hand in hand. Music is such a brilliantly intoxicating thing, emotionally speaking – you can introduce people to subjects they wouldn't normally think about in their everyday lives, and introduce them to a broader perspective, and that's something I've always kind of enjoyed doing.’
And unlike bands who refuse to explain their lyrics, Rou would rather make them crystal clear. The last two albums have been accompanied by books featuring essays by Rou expanding on the songs’ themes and meanings.
‘I started doing that because that's what I would want as a kid and as a fan of a band. Lots of my favourite bands growing up – and still now – if their lyrics are interesting, I wanted to know what their motivation was and what their meaning was.
‘I perfectly well understand that it's not every band that's going to want to offer that depth and knowledge about their songs, but there's definitely a fair percentage that have that level of intrigue. I get that it might sound a bit pompous, but I feel that there's a level of responsibility as well. Lyrics can be quite easily misconstrued, especially coming from a punk background like we do, where there are some dark corners.
‘I think it's good to explain the meaning as we intended, but that's not to demand that other people can't also have their own interpretations. They are there essentially as a gift to the listener – you can put your own meaning to them, and then when it's combined with moments and emotions and nostalgia, it all gets rolled up into it. It's just there for people who want to go that extra mile and find out more.’