UK rock band Enter Shikari made a stop in Toronto on a Wednesday night at Danforth Music Hall. After releasing their latest album, A Kiss for the Whole World last year, the band has been on tour performing at a few music festivals and around Europe before playing shows around North America and Canada. The band is co-headlining with longtime rock band You Me at Six, who are playing their last-ever shows in North America after announcing their disbandment coming next year. So it was no surprise the crowd was almost full as they got the opportunity to see You Me at Six last performance in Toronto and experience an electrifying set from Enter Shikari.
Starting the night was the Australian rock band Yours Truly. The three-piece band played an energetic set, with lead singer Mikalia Delgado effortlessly walking around the stage with her powerful vocals. Guitarist Teddie Winder-Heron and drummer Henry Beard matched her energy with their set filled with their pop-punk sound.
Lineup:
Mikaila Delgado – Lead vocalist
Teddie Winder-Haron – Lead guitars
Henry Beard – Drummer
Setlist:
1. Back 2 U
2. California Sober
3. Bloodshot Eyes
4. Walk Over My Grave
5. Sour
6. Funeral Home
7. High Hopes
8. Call My Name
The audience roared in excitement as You Me At Six arrived onstage for the last time in Toronto. As lead singer Josh Franceschi started singing the first words of “Room to Breathe,” the audience loudly sang every word to the fullest. Their set was filled with their discography old and new as the crowd did not stop jumping and singing to every song You Me At Six offered. Josh admitted to the crowd that Toronto and the cities in the East have been so much better than the cities in the West. If this was truly the last time we ever see You Me At Six, they capped it off with a memorable experience full of nostalgia and happiness.
Lineup:
Josh Franceschi – Lead vocalist
Matt Barnes – Bass, backing vocals
Max Helyer – Rhythm guitars, backing vocals
Chris Miller – Lead guitars
Dan Flint – Drummer
Setlist:
1. Room to Breathe
2. Loverboy
3. Stay With Me
4. Reckless
5. Lived a Lie
6. Give
7. Save It for the Bedroom
8. Bite my Tongue
9. No Future? Yeah Right
10. Take on the World
11. SUCKAPUNCH
12. Underdog
13. Beautiful Way
The lights dimmed dark, and Enter Shikari’s lead singer Rou Reynolds came onstage to a loud audience as he began with the first words of “System / Meltdown.” Speaking in front of a spotlight, the crowd joined Rou to every word before the song kicked into high gear with band members Rory Clewlow, Chris Batten, and Rob Rolfe arriving onstage to get the show started. Immediately, the crowd’s energy rose, and everyone furiously moved and crowd-surfed with the band. Enter Shikari’s set consisted of tracks from their latest album, A Kiss for the Whole World with catchy tunes such as “Bloodshot,” and “Goldfîsh ~.” The songs featured the band’s eclectic mix of rock and electronic music fused to make their set feel like a DJ rave at times. Their visuals are always appealing, and there were some clever interactions with Rou approaching the unknown figure on the screen trying to get out of the space.
The show’s highlight was Enter Shikari’s performance of “Solidarity,” as the crowd was at its loudest, shouting every word throughout the song. “We will sing as one in solidarity!” The crowd roared after the song ended, bringing a smile to the band. After performing “{ The Dreamer’s Hotel },” the band left the stage before an announcement asked the crowd if they wanted to stay for a few more minutes. Of course, the crowd loudly wished for more songs as Enter Shikari returned to the stage to end the night with a bang: “(pls) set me on fire,” their widely-known hit “Sorry You’re Not a Winner” with the 2024 remix by Pendulum, and “A Kiss for the Whole World x.” It was an unforgettable night with the energy beaming from start to finish. The crowd and I hope Enter Shikari will return to Toronto more often!
Lineup:
Rou Reynolds – Lead vocalist
Rory Clewlow – Lead guitarist, vocals
Chris Batten – Bass, keyboards, vocals
Rob Rolfe – Drummer
Setlist:
1. System / Meltdown
2. Live Outside
3. Giant Pacific Octopus (i don’t know you anymore)
4. Anaesthetist (with Reso remix)
5. Bloodshot
6. goldfîsh ~
7. satellites * *
8. The Jester
9. Losing my Grip
10. Juggernauts (Rou Reynolds solo)
11. Gap in the Fence
12. Enter Shikari
13. Mothership
14. Solidarity
15. It Hurts
16. satellites * *
17. { The Dreamer’s Hotel }
Encore:
18. (pls) set me on fire
19. Sorry, You’re Not a Winner (with Pendulum remix)
20. A Kiss for the Whole World x
Follow Yours Truly Online:
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Follow Enter Shikari Online:
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.
