British post-hardcore band Enter Shikari made an electrifying return to Toronto for their US/Canada tour on a late Thursday night at The Opera House on September 22, 2022. On the first chilly day of Fall in Toronto, Enter Shikari was ready to turn up the energy for the excited audience. It has been three years since the last time Enter Shikari performed in Toronto, so it was no doubt the crowd was eager to see them back live again.
Australian singer AViVA was the opener of the night. She performed in front of a half-filled crowd with her interesting mix of electronic and emo-pop songs. Unfortunately, the audience wasn’t as energetic as it could be. Since this was a rock show, it was unexpected to see a pop artist to be inserted into the lineup. Some of the crowd nevertheless cheered in appreciation for AViVA’s performance, as she sang to the fullest from start to finish.
British punk rock band TRASH BOAT was the next opener, and they didn’t disappoint. The band performed a six-track setlist that featured a banging mix of pop-punk, post-hardcore, and nu-metal. Lead vocalist Tobi Duncan nailed his performance with his combination of screams, growls, and melodic vocals. The band got the crowd banging their heads and moving side to side. They were the perfect set-up for Enter Shikari to perform later.
Lineup:
Tobi Duncan – Lead vocalist
Dann Bostock – Rhythm guitars, backing vocals
Ryan Hyslop – Lead guitarist
James Grayson – Bass
Oakley Moffatt – Drummer
Setlist:
1. Silence Is Golden
2. Synthetic Sympathy
3. Bad Entertainment
4. Alpha Omega
5. Don’t You Feel Amazing?
6. He’s So Good
The lights went dark, which excited the crowd for Enter Shikari’s arrival. Rou Reynolds, Rory Clewlow and Chris Batten arrived onstage to a massive crowd ready to dance away. Their setlist was a mix of classics everybody loved like “Destabilise,” “Anaesthetist,” and “Sorry, You’re Not a Winner.” They also played new tunes such as “Modern Living…,” “Satellites* *,” and their latest single with WARGASM UK, “The Void Stares Back.” Reynolds interacted with the crowd by moving to the other side of the stage and sang on top of the sound booth and mini bar and danced with the crowd later on. It was the kind of fan interaction Enter Shikari deeply missed after two years of no shows, and they felt every emotion throughout the night. Reynolds also gave a shout out to the backup drummer who filled in for Thursday’s performance because Rob Rolfe could not perform because of border issues.
The crowd clapped their hands and sang their hearts out while they waited for an encore. Reynolds reappeared onstage solo to perform a cover of David Bowie’s “Heroes” before thanking the Toronto crowd for being one of the cities outside North America to listen to Enter Shikari. The rest of the members came back to perform the rest of the song before they ended the night with “{ The Dreamer’s Hotel }” and “Live Outside.” Enter Shikari are a band unlike any other. Their eclectic mix of post-hardcore and electronic sound makes their music more unique from other bands. So it’s no surprise the crowd was in awe and lining up for merch after the show because Enter Shikari are a one-of-a-kind band no one will forget.
Lineup:
Rou Reynolds – Lead vocalist
Rory Clewlow – Lead guitarist, vocals
Chris Batten – Bass, keyboards, vocals
Rob Rolfe – Drummer
Setlist:
1. THE GREAT UNKNOWN
2. Destabilise
3. Juggernauts
4. modern living…
5. Anaesthetist
6. Anaesthetist (Reso Remix)
7. satellites * *
8. the pressure’s on.
9. Arguing With Thermometers
10. Rabble Rouser
11. Sorry, You’re Not a Winner
12. The Void Stares Back (feat. WARGASM UK)
13. Gandhi Mate, Gandhi
14. Mothership
15. Solidarity
Encore:
16. Heroes (David Bowie cover)
17. { The Dreamer’s Hotel }
18. Live Outside
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Andrew Wu is a music photographer based in Toronto, Canada. His work focuses on capturing and documenting special moments of performers during concerts and various events. His photos have been featured such as music publications in Spill Magazine, Imprint Entertainment, and Patchchord News. In 2020, he completed his BFA in photography at OCAD University.
Andrew is a massive fan of music, as he enjoys a variety of genres such as pop, alternative, rock, hardcore, and metal.
