WORDS AND IMAGES BY DESH KAPUR
The Enemy were in Liverpool for their next show as part of their latest tour to celebrate 15 years of their debut album ‘We’ll Live and Die in These Towns.‘ And the O2 Academy Liverpool was packed to the rafters with 1200 fans ready to see the band play, back together for the first time since 2016. “We’ll Live and Die in These Towns” was the band’s debut album released on 9 July 2007. It went to number #1 on its first week of release in the British album charts. It peaked at #34 on the World Album Chart.
Formed in Coventry in 2006. the band consists of singer and multi-instrumentalist Tom Clarke, Bass player Andy Hopkins and drummer Liam Watts
Arriving just in time to catch Sheffield Indie rockers Little Man Tate. The band were on fine form playing there own brand of British 60’S pop, bouncy tight and full of confidence the crowd loved every minute of it, to be honest I think the band might have out grown their back catalogue and it was exciting to hear that they are in the process of writing and recording new material and with a tour promised for next year I think a very underrated band is ready to start making people take notice.
So it was time for the main event and to be honest this is the 2nd time I have covered them on this tour, that’s how good they are, everyone in the venue was in uniform Mod-tinged, Pretty Green, Fred Perry, Gazelles and Mop tops were everywhere, and the audience age was very much of the 30’s upwards variety.
But the vibe and excitement that seem to hang in the air was a massive indication of how the night was going to be, a hot, sweaty noughties house party.
The house music stopped, and the familiar opening chords to The Who’s Baba O’Riley started playing the same intro song The Enemy have been using for as long as I can remember. With the house lights dimmed, the band strode onto the stage with the confidence of a band who looked like they hadn’t had a 6-year hiatus they launched straight into “AGGRO” and the place erupted,
Playing the album in track order and without taking a breath they smashed into ‘AWAY FROM HERE, ‘PRESSURE’ and ‘HAD ENOUGH’ and the famous Ritz bouncy floor was getting a workout and half.
At this point I thought this can’t get any better the crowd surely can’t go off any more than they already are, and I was so wrong as the iconic horns of “WE’LL LIVE AND DIE IN THESE TOWNS” started it went bonkers, people singing at the tops of their voices, beer flying through the air, mosh pits erupting all over the venue it was a sight to behold, now even the walls were sweating
As the band work through the album track by track “YOU’RE NOT ALONE” “ITS NOT OK” “TECHNODANCEAPHOBIC” “40 DAYS & 40 NIGHTS” “THIS SONG” “HAPPY BIRTHDAY JANE” the crowd never stop, it is non stop indie rock, served up British style, very reminiscent of early Weller and the Jam, seasoned with Oasis, the atmosphere in the room is one of the best I have experienced, 1200 people all here for one thing, The Enemy playing this iconic album and it was beautiful
The Enemy were glorious again tonight, from start to finish, “We’ll Live And Die In These Towns” is brilliant Indie, unashamedly British,
SETLIST
1/ AGGRO
2/ AWAY FROM HERE
3/ PRESSURE
4/ HAD ENOUGH
5/ WE’LL LIVE AND DIE IN THESE TOWNS
6/ YOU’RE NOT ALONE
7/ ITS NOT OK
8/ TECHNODANCEAPHOBIC
9/ 40 DAYS & 40 NIGHTS
10/ THIS SONG
11/ HAPPY BIRTHDAY JANE ENCORE
12/ BE SOMEBODY
13/ GIMME THE SIGN
14/ NO TIME FOR TEARS
15/ THIS SONG
FOLLOW THE ENEMY
FOLLOW LITTLE MAN TATE
My life is a soundtrack, i track my life through music, photography is my passion, my escape, my expression. Without both i have pieces missing, thankfully i’m blessed and get to combine both.
Born in Manchester, lived in Australia for 22 years where i was heavily involved in the Australian Music Industry, firstly in bands (Singer) and then managing bands (all original), I moved back to the UK, Wales specifically 10 years ago and married my childhood sweetheart and life is good.
