Enter Shikari – Gig Review & Photo Gallery 13th November @ Eatons Hill Hotel, Bris QLD

Posted on November 16, 2022 by Cait Mac

Enter Shikari
Eatons Hill Hotel, Brisbane QLD
November 13, 2022
Support: Windwaker, Creeper

I can’t remember the last time I didn’t mention my mental health on this site. I’ve been GOING THROUGH IT for the last few years, and frankly, I am BORED with myself. Lately, though, my brain has had such a bad time that I didn’t really feel like going to shows, I was barely listening to music, and I had to take a break from writing about music. Thankfully, I managed to get to this gig, and holy goodness – it has reignited me!

I had desperately hoped seeing one of my absolute fave bands, Windwaker, support the revered Enter Shikari would be what I needed, and I was not wrong! Going with some of my favourite people in the world, one of whom is one of the biggest Shikari fans I know, was the perfect formula for an incredible time.

Anyone who knows Windwaker knows that recently Will King, who was essentially synonymous with the band, departed. Here at Wall of Sound, we’ve been Windy obsessed from the beginning and count the Windy boys as WoS family. Obviously super sad to see Will go, but we know he’s doing what he needs to and support him in everything. As someone lucky to consider Will a friend, I’ll always hold a candle to how bloody incredible he is. BUT Will’s era is over, and let’s not dwell on that- the band are so much more than that story. Let’s finish that off with something Windwaker is known for – a meme. Picture the Loki ‘Yes, yes, very sad, anyway’ meme.

With the announcement that fellow WoS fam (and someone else I consider a pal) Liam Guinane would rejoin Windwaker as the vocalist, I was damn excited. I knew how incredibly talented Liam was and knew he would KILL IT. And kill it, he did! I’ve seen Windwaker a few times, and I can tell you that the boys brought the energy to this show so hard. Yes, Liam has a different vibe, but he’s one of my favourite front people – the stage presence, the fit and the moves! The last Windy show I saw was supporting I Prevail earlier this year which was sick, but they have come leaps and bounds in their live show since. They’ve always been rad, but every live show sees them become more seasoned, and they are really getting up there with the huge international acts they are supporting. I desperately want another Windwaker headline tour very soon!

It was great to see Indey Salvestro giving more vocals, to witness Connor Robins as a fully-fledged member of the band and watch the connection and chemistry between them all. My friend Suzy had not heard of Windwaker until this show and was suitably raving about Chris Lilac’s drumming. I am honoured to have been lucky enough to bring you Wall of Sound‘s first Windwaker 2.0 gig review. This band are not slowing down AT ALL, so do not fear.

Next up was Creeper, who I’d not heard of but were pretty cool! They reminded me of a British and more glam Billy Talent, and they are a band I’d like to know more about. After the energy of Windwaker though, I found Creeper to be a little too rock and roll and chilled. Not bad in the slightest, just maybe not the vibe I was feeling.

As we danced to the curated playlist of songs like ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ and ‘Respect’, an announcement came over, counting us down for our “journey into the great unknown“. And then SH*T WENT WILD! The energy was frenetic from the second Rou Reynolds, and the band hit the stage. Honestly, this is one of the most energetic, fun sets I’ve seen from a band, and I have to make a HUGE confession- I don’t know Shikari as well as I should. One of my favourite things about shows is looking around and knowing that the act I am seeing is so many of the crowd’s favourite bands. I have been to so many gigs of bands I don’t know that well, and I never fail to get hyped because I love watching people lose their sh*t to bands as I do- there’s just something about seeing other people enjoying something you enjoy more than most things in life. Do you ever stop and think, “this band is so many of the people here’s favourite thing, and that’s so cool”? Because I do.

Because this was basically the first time I’ve seen Enter Shikari, I want to give you a quote from my friend Braydon, who has seen them many times, about the show on Sunday. “It was one of their most energetic and exciting sets with more variety of songs than I’ve ever seen them perform in one show.”

The set included a massive 19 songs that spanned six/seven albums, including all the faves like ‘Sorry You’re Not A Winner’ *clap, clap, clap, clap*, ‘The Great Unknown’, ‘Arguing With Thermometers’, ‘Distablised‘, ‘Anaesthetist’ and the Drum and Bass Reso remix of the latter. The encore started with a heartfelt thank you from Rou, during which the crowd was unbelievably quiet. It was then into an equally emotional cover of David Bowie’s ‘Heros’, ‘{The Dreamer’s Hotel}’ and finishing up with ‘Live Outside’, which was restarted because Rou sang the lyrics of the second verse instead of the first. Rou got into the crowd during the set, and at one stage, bassist Chris Batten and guitarist Rory Clewlow were playing in the middle of a crazy circle pit.

All in all an absolutely bloody pleasure, and it made me so thankful I get to do what I do again.

Review by Caitlin MacDonald (@cait_2tone)

Setlist

THE GREAT UNKNOWN
Destabilise
Juggernauts
modern living…
Anaesthetist
Anaesthetist (Reso Remix)
satellites* *
the pressure’s on.
Arguing With Thermometers
Rabble Rouser
Sorry, You’re Not a Winner
The Void Stares Back
The Paddington Frisk
Gandhi Mate, Gandhi
Mothership
Solidarity
Heroes
{ The Dreamer’s Hotel }
Live Outside