00:00Hi, I'm Liberty from NME, and I'm here at Reading 2025 with Raoul Reynolds from Enter Shikari.
00:11Howdy.
00:12What's it like to be here?
00:13It's way hotter than I thought it was going to be.
00:16It doesn't feel like 20 degrees.
00:17It's like muggy and Floridian kind of weather.
00:21It's quite deceptive because it's very grey out there.
00:23Yeah.
00:23So I feel like everyone's packed their wellies, and it's definitely, it doesn't need that today.
00:27It doesn't look like we're going to have any rain, no.
00:28Now, so what's it like to be here, about to go on stage?
00:32I feel like the crowd at Reading.
00:34Oh, that's what you meant, what's it like?
00:36You didn't want to talk about the weather.
00:38I feel like the crowd at, sorry, the crowd at your shows and at Reading and Enter Shikari's performances are like a match made in heaven.
00:45Like, their energy is definitely going to be here today.
00:47Are you pumped?
00:48Are you ready?
00:49Yeah, it's the big one.
00:51You know, this is the one we went to as kids.
00:55It's the only show that, I mean, we've done it probably 10 times.
00:58I think, if not more, it was the first festival we played.
01:02So it's, there's so many memories and so much kind of nostalgic excitement, you know, built in to this festival.
01:11So it's the only one that will definitely give us butterflies before we go on and everything.
01:16And yeah, it's just always great to be back.
01:17I feel like Enter Shikari really are legends when it comes to the festival scene.
01:22You must notice playing year after year, you see faces returning, you see the crowds getting bigger, you see the energy there every year.
01:30Yeah, I mean, you know, festivals are like the best part of this job.
01:34You know, it's just being able to immerse yourself in this vibe, like, throughout the summer and get to do multiple.
01:41And yeah, Reading and Lees is the big one.
01:44But even just like this morning, like rocking up, we saw like some of the same faces and then like security, some of the same people that work here.
01:52And, you know, for a band that's played it so many times, I remember the security often said that we were like the house band for a few years, like back in 2012 sort of era.
02:01So, yeah, it just feels like coming back home, really.
02:05You've earned your stripes.
02:06Sorry?
02:06You've earned your stripes here.
02:07Yeah, I think so.
02:09Yeah.
02:09And one way that we saw your live shows coming to life was your live at Wembley live video that you've just released the film.
02:16What was it like and why was that the concert that you wanted to release and put out there?
02:21What about it made it special?
02:22I mean, I think it was just, it took us, you know, that was the first time we played Wembley Arena.
02:28You know, we always chose Ali Pali because it's one, I can walk there from my house.
02:34It's like my local in terms of venues.
02:37And it has this beautiful history in it.
02:39And we've had an amazing time there every time we play.
02:41But we thought, look, it's time we actually played Wembley Arena.
02:45And so it felt like a big moment, really, for the band.
02:49You know, what are we like 20 years into it now?
02:52And yeah, so it just felt like a real occasion.
02:56And you threw everything but the kitchen sink there.
02:59Like in terms of the production as well, it was just next level.
03:03Yeah.
03:03Yeah, it was, it was the most probably theatrical we've been.
03:08And we've always been very much involved in the whole show, you know, every screw and, you know, everything to do with it.
03:17But I think this one, Rory completely took over the visuals.
03:22And so he made all of that.
03:23And we were like so involved in everything and really built this kind of, yeah, overarching themed show.
03:30So it was, yeah, it was great.
03:31Something that really stood out to fans and I think resonated with a lot of people is you using your platform there to speak out in support of Palestine.
03:39Why was it important for you to use the pedestal to do that?
03:42Um, to be honest, to be honest, it's like, it's just, it's like a natural thing for us to do because, you know, we grew up in a really thriving, like local hardcore punk scene.
03:55And like, that's what you did, you know, and not even just like the local, like small acts and scenes and stuff.
04:03Also, you know, I grew up like listening to Raging Against the Machine.
04:05So like when I was 15, I didn't know the intricacies of what Zach was talking about, like exactly.
04:10But like the, the righteous kind of rage and indignation and everything, it was, it was very, very alluring.
04:18I think it was just like, I want to be involved in that.
04:22You know, I don't want to just see our band as mindless entertainment.
04:25And there's, of course, a space for that.
04:27And there's a space for escapism.
04:29And we try and provide elements of that as well.
04:31But like at the end of the day, yeah, we're given a mic and there's things happening that shouldn't be happening.
04:37And so it's just an obvious kind of natural thing for us.
04:42Because you also joined many names in signing the petition defending artists' rights, like freedom of expression.
04:50Would you say it's at the core of Enter Shikari to use your platform to speak out for what you believe in?
04:54Is that something that has been there from the beginning or has it become more evident over time for you?
04:59No, no.
05:00Yeah, it was there from the beginning.
05:01Yeah, as I say, those, you know, early shows that we go to and there'd be all sorts of bands, you know,
05:07whether it was like local politics and like fighting against our council who were always trying to close down the shows
05:13and close down the youth centres and clubs and things or whether it was then learning about like bigger things in the world.
05:21It just seemed creating community is the real thing because people often like say,
05:26oh, what's the point in doing that and saying this or in going to a protest?
05:30But like the connections you make there and the more emboldened you feel, the more that,
05:35the more it becomes alluring, I think, as I was saying, the more people want to sort of be involved in things like that.
05:42So, yeah, for us, it just seems like a no-brainer.
05:45And obviously the situation in Gaza is just, you think it's got as worse as it can get.
05:51And then each day it just gets worse and worse.
05:53And it would be harder not to say anything for me to go on stage and like just perform as usual.
06:01Because that's what I've been saying in the European festivals that we've been doing.
06:03It's like you go on stage and you've just been scrolling through a live stream genocide.
06:09And now you're on stage and you're like, okay, let's create escape and be happy and pretend everything's fine.
06:13And it's like cognitive dissonance, isn't it?
06:17It's like I can't be operating these two worlds.
06:20They have to fuse somehow.
06:22And if that makes for a slightly like awkward little moment on stage where we're trying to say something and it doesn't land,
06:28it doesn't matter.
06:28Like at least you've kind of used your platform for something.
06:33So, yeah, it seems to be like a natural thing.
06:37One way that you've done it and really made a massive impact already is speaking out in support of grassroots venues.
06:43I feel like people forget that you guys kind of came up with the idea for the £1 ticket levy to support.
06:49And it's got so much momentum now.
06:51We've had acts like Coldplay, Katy Perry, Sam Fender all joining on the bandwagon.
06:55It's been incredible, yeah.
06:56I think it was Royal Albert Hall now we're implementing that for all of our upcoming shows.
07:00Did you expect to see this momentum when you pitched the idea or when you first put it forward?
07:08No, I think we, for us, there was a frustration that people weren't trying things.
07:14You know, there was always this kind of brick wall that came up.
07:17You always came up against.
07:20We would want to support like grassroots venues, but how?
07:23And, oh, no, you can't do that.
07:24And things were just thrown out.
07:26And so because it was our tour, we were like, well, let's do something.
07:31Why can't we do something?
07:32Stop this.
07:33Let's tear down this brick wall and actually try something.
07:35So it was really exciting.
07:38And then to see the kind of the momentum that it's gained since then has been awesome.
07:45And hopefully we keep it up because, you know, there's still they do it so much better in
07:50other countries, you know, funding of the the broad arts.
07:53You know, here we sort of fund the higher arts like really quite well and everything else
07:57just gets cast aside.
07:59And I think people often forget that art, its main purpose is creating human connections
08:05and creating community.
08:06And it doesn't matter what where you sit in that hierarchy of like higher art or like
08:11street punk or, you know, you know, whatever.
08:13It doesn't matter.
08:14It's still doing society a service in some way, I think.
08:19So, yeah, the grassroots venues was that's how we cut our teeth.
08:24It's where we still go back and try and do tours every now and then that visit these places
08:29because, yeah, we wouldn't we wouldn't be here without them, as with countless acts,
08:33most acts.
08:35Last time we spoke to you, you hinted that you were going back to the studio and thinking
08:39about new music.
08:41It's been probably about seven months since then.
08:44Where are you up to now?
08:44Yeah, yeah.
08:46This has been a very slow process, this one.
08:49There's all sorts of like life stuff happening.
08:52Some exciting, some difficult.
08:56And so it's been a really slow process and we're still just still working on it as well.
08:59We don't want to rush it.
09:01You know, we're what, six, seven albums deep.
09:05So there's no there's no reason for us to throw out another album, you know, like we'd
09:08much rather think, OK, how can we make the eighth album interesting and like exciting for
09:14us, you know, one of the things we never want to do is just replicate the same vibes or same
09:22musical alleys that we've gone down and ventured down and experimented with.
09:26So, yeah, it feels like we're just we've got we've got some stuff brewing for sure, but
09:32we just want to make sure it's right.
09:34So, yeah.
09:34Would you say that working on War of the Worlds has influenced it in a way?
09:40Yeah, I think, you know, whatever you do, you absorb and you're immersed in and it kind
09:47of will probably have some influence.
09:49But I think, yeah, there's no way that that couldn't.
09:50It was such a interesting like otherworldly experience.
09:56It feels like a dream.
09:56It's like, oh, yeah, I did that.
09:58I was like, a few months ago, I just like toured for I was away for almost two months
10:03and we were being a Victorian soldier and it's crazy dream.
10:09Yeah.
10:10So I think, yeah, and whether it's stagecraft or the musicality of Jeff Wayne, all that
10:16stuff will will seep in, whether it's a conscious decision or not, it will.
10:20Yeah, I'm sure it'll be there.
10:22If that's the case, I'm very excited to see the next round of live shows.
10:25I can imagine we can have things taken to the next level there.
10:28Yeah.
10:30Yeah.
10:30We haven't got anywhere near thinking about the next tour yet, but yeah, it'll be exciting.
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