Following a triumphant European tour that saw them hosting their most massive crowds to date, UK rock band ENTER SHIKARI are announcing a Spring Tour to carry some of their adrenaline-drenched shows to North America. “We’re really looking forward to getting back into more intimate venues and once again meeting the people who’ve given us great support in over in the U.S.,” says vocalist Rou Reynolds of the upcoming 30-date tour in support of their latest albumThe Mindsweep which was released early 2015 (tour dates below).Hands Like Houses and The White Noise will support all the dates.
“Being an independent band that don’t exactly play easy listening music and also have rather in depth lyrics, we understand that the people who are fans of our band REALLY get it,” he explains. “I feel immediately connected to our fans, on a scale you couldn’t achieve through playing mindlessly catchy soulless music. So even though we have a smaller fanbase in the U.S. we feel deeply connected to them and the country.”
Over the weekend, Enter Shikari played the biggest show of their career. Performing to a crowd of 10,000 at their headlining show at London’s Alexandra Palace, their stunner of a set was called “exciting and vibrant” by The Times who went on to say that “Enter Shikari’s real role is to give voice to the young and disenfranchised by poking fun at power.”
“The last few weeks have been pretty surreal, embarking on our first headline arena tour here in the UK,” he says. “It enabled us to create a larger show, a bigger spectacle. It enabled us to be so much more creative, be it with the surround sound or with the visuals and lighting. It’s been hugely gratifying to play the shows and hear the wonderful feedback.”
Just over a year since the release of The Mindsweep, the band continues to bust down doors. Awarded the Independent Album of the Year by the 2015 AIM Awards, the album itself has received boatloads of critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic. Alternative Press gave it a perfect 5 out of 5 and expressed, “…it’s hard not to proclaim it as the best album of Enter Shikari’s already impressive career. Yes, it’s that good.” Kerrang! joined the party with a flawless 5 out of 5 review and voiced, “The Mindsweep is the most enjoyable album Enter Shikari have ever made.” Rock Sound added, “The Mindsweep is the aural equivalent of a thousand-strong march through the capital.” While NME named “Never Let Go of the Microscope”an Essential New Track and Kerrang! included it on their The 10 New Rock Tracks Melting Our Ears! playlist.
Preparing for their next jaunt to this continent, the outspokenly political Enter Shikari are hoping to balance out the rather absurd political climate with a dose of their own brand of positivity. Reynolds concludes, “With the election on the horizon, it feels that we should also be there at this time to do all we can to help steer the country away from the dark frightening paths that are looming,”
TOUR DATES
all shows: Hands Like Houses + The White Noise + local
$ – festival. no support bill
APRIL
FRI 15 Seattle, WA El Corazon
SAT 16 Portland, OR Hawthorne Theatre
SUN 17 Sacramento, CA Ace of Spades
MON 18 Los Angeles, CA Teragram Ballroom
WED 20 Las Vegas, NV Vinyl at Hard Rock
FRI 22 Anaheim, CA Chain Reaction
SAT 23 San Diego, CA Soma
SUN 24 Mesa, AZ Nile Theater
TUE 26 San Antonio, TX Korova
WED 27 Dallas, TX Gas Monkey Bar & Grill
THUR 28 Houston, TX Scout Bar
SAT 30 Jacksonville, FL Welcome To Rockville $
MAY
SUN 1 Atlanta, GA The Masquerade
TUE 3 Philadelphia, PA TLA
WED 4 Worcester, MA The Palladium
THUR 5 New York, NY Gramercy Theatre
FRI 6 Baltimore, MD Baltimore Sound Stage
SAT 7 Freehold, NJ GameChangerWorld
SUN 8 Charlotte, NC Carolina Rebellion $
TUE 10 Nashville, TN Rocketown
WED 11 St Louis, MO Fubar
FRI 13 Omaha, NE Sokol Underground
SAT 14 Somerset, WI Northern Invasion $
SUN 15 Chicago, IL The Bottom Lounge
MON 16 London, ON London Music Hall
TUE 17 Montreal, QC La Tulipe
WED 18 Ottawa, ON Ritual
THUR 19 Toronto, ON Mod Club
FRI 20 Columbus, OH Rock On The Range $
SAT 21 Pittsburgh, PA Altar Bar