Enter Shikari, Creeper, Windwaker @ The Gov, Adelaide 15/11/2022
A countdown warning of ‘10 minutes to launch’ interrupts the backing tape of classic music to loud cheers from the Adelaide crowd. Then 8 minutes and so forth until eventually the lights go down and the sound of trumpets pierces the air. Enter Shikari are about to have lift off and they are taking us with them.
Opening with The Great Unknown, the bands ability to seamlessly switch from a music best suited in a nightclub to stadium sized rock anthem, is evident immediately. The crowd energy a fuel for singer Rou Reynolds rocket ship performance.
While the headliners are purveyors of sonic ambience and explosion, they have with them supports who are also progressive in their thinking and style.
Openers Windwaker released arguably Australia’s most energetic and boundary pushing yet catch album this year and it shows with the rap rhythm opener Dopamine Lifestyle, followed by a cover of Britney’s Toxic and the catchiest song ever in Beautiful. With a new (or old?) vocalist in Liam Guinane on board they do drop the new song and combined with an committed and voracious crowd lapping it all up, it will be interesting to see their next step.
Hailing from Southampton on the south coast of England, we have Creeper who comes on stage resembling Gary Numan’s love children. Each song dipping into a repertoire of different styles from VCR to Born Cold to the Arctic Monkeys-esq Cyanide, each song has the audience engaged and engrossed in singer Will Gould ringmaster approach.
Midnight is led by keyboardist Hannah Greenwood, whose vocal duet with Gould is delightful pop punk shake up in the set. The piano elements in Hiding With Boys are cinematic and the soundscape large enough to engulf the crowd who lap up each and every moment of Creeper’s set.
Which brings us to the spaceship shooting to the stars that is Enter Shikari as crowd surfers, dancing and hand waving abounds during a setlist that is fuelled by excitement, happiness and a little more than adrenaline powered release of emotions.
Destabilise, Juggernauts and Satellites fly by in a whirl of bright lights and dynamic sounds which is impressive considering Reynolds has a head cold however this crowd have been helping out all night, working every line of every song.
Despite a spell where the monitors fail causing the band to stop, and the gentle turn it off and on again fix in which the band engage the crowd with banter, the band do not lose energy as they finish with Dreamers Hotel and Live Outside to rapturous applause and whirl of spaceship lights and the band are off on their next adventure.
It was a fun visit from the band, and one I suggest stopping by to see the next time they disembark in your town.
Live Review By Iain McCallum