The Enemy
The People's Band of the Decade
The People's Band of the Decade
It may seem weird to some people but last year I saw The Enemy play live 10 times; 6 gigs and 4 signing sessions (I can even recite every single one in chronological order). The first time I'd even heard of the band was when I went to see The Fratellis at Brixton last March, which was my first ever gig, which would also make The Enemy the first live band that I'd ever seen at a gig with my own eyes and heard with my own ears. I'll admit I didn't take to the band immediately, but there was one song '40 Days & 40 Nights' that stuck out even after I heard The Fratellis and I remember singing the chorus to myself on the journey home. After listening to their upcoming single 'Away From Here' over and over again with much displeasure from my sister, I went to the single's signing session in Oxford Street where the band played a live set before the signing.
After a month of waiting to see them headline, I dragged a mate along on the night we both finished our A-Level exams (what a day for it!) to their tour that culminated in a one nighter at the Astoria with Lethal Bizzle supporting. After destroying the only decent pair of trainers I bloody had, I left the venue in a daze. I just knew from that moment, this was the band that I was going to follow for the rest of my life, and no one could say anything to me to put them down. As far as I was concerned, THEY WERE GOD.
I started collecting everything they were releasing from CDs, Vinyls, Posters, Stickers, and even Promos and went along to another signing session for their single 'Had Enough'. I got the feeling that this signing was very different the atmosphere was compared to the last, and the hype was certainly building for the lads. In the run up to the release of their album, I just knew there was a possibility it could be massive. I went along to yet another signing session, this time on the day of release for their album in London Oxford Street's HMV, where I could finally grace the gorgeous LP, and have signed about twenty items, I think the band were starting to recognise me now aswell.
Their debut record went straight to No.1 upon its release, something that even Oasis and the Manic Street Preachers, and in recent years Bloc Party, Kasabian, and even the Klaxons haven't managed. I went to a signing session for the release of their single 'You're Not Alone' in September to keep up to date with getting every piece of material I had, except promos signed. I feel if you get a promo signed, it takes away some of the uniqueness and the prestige of the item, maybe its just me.
After 3 months of waiting, I finally got to see The Enemy play properly live again, this being the seventh time, with a flat mate at university who also found them to be a band that screamed difference in every sense of the word. They headlined the NME Rock & Roll Riot Tour at the Brixton Academy, and seeing as it was the first place I got to see them I thought it would turn out to be a pretty special night. With Lethal Bizzle and The Wombats supporting, it turned into the sweatiest, filthiest, hottest, smelliest, phattest gig ever.
Since then I've seen them support the Stereophonics at Wembley Arena, headline a MenCap Union Chapel acoustic gig and then see their last show of 2007 at ULU in London in the middle of December.
A year in the life of The Enemy involved them supporting The Fratellis, Manic Street Preachers, Stereophonics, release one top 10 single and one top 5 single, a No.1 Album, a Best New Band award at the Q awards, a Best Album award from XFM and support the greatest rock and roll band in the world The Rollingstones, at their O2 Arena gig in August. Just fucking beat that!
After a month of waiting to see them headline, I dragged a mate along on the night we both finished our A-Level exams (what a day for it!) to their tour that culminated in a one nighter at the Astoria with Lethal Bizzle supporting. After destroying the only decent pair of trainers I bloody had, I left the venue in a daze. I just knew from that moment, this was the band that I was going to follow for the rest of my life, and no one could say anything to me to put them down. As far as I was concerned, THEY WERE GOD.
I started collecting everything they were releasing from CDs, Vinyls, Posters, Stickers, and even Promos and went along to another signing session for their single 'Had Enough'. I got the feeling that this signing was very different the atmosphere was compared to the last, and the hype was certainly building for the lads. In the run up to the release of their album, I just knew there was a possibility it could be massive. I went along to yet another signing session, this time on the day of release for their album in London Oxford Street's HMV, where I could finally grace the gorgeous LP, and have signed about twenty items, I think the band were starting to recognise me now aswell.
Their debut record went straight to No.1 upon its release, something that even Oasis and the Manic Street Preachers, and in recent years Bloc Party, Kasabian, and even the Klaxons haven't managed. I went to a signing session for the release of their single 'You're Not Alone' in September to keep up to date with getting every piece of material I had, except promos signed. I feel if you get a promo signed, it takes away some of the uniqueness and the prestige of the item, maybe its just me.
After 3 months of waiting, I finally got to see The Enemy play properly live again, this being the seventh time, with a flat mate at university who also found them to be a band that screamed difference in every sense of the word. They headlined the NME Rock & Roll Riot Tour at the Brixton Academy, and seeing as it was the first place I got to see them I thought it would turn out to be a pretty special night. With Lethal Bizzle and The Wombats supporting, it turned into the sweatiest, filthiest, hottest, smelliest, phattest gig ever.
Since then I've seen them support the Stereophonics at Wembley Arena, headline a MenCap Union Chapel acoustic gig and then see their last show of 2007 at ULU in London in the middle of December.
A year in the life of The Enemy involved them supporting The Fratellis, Manic Street Preachers, Stereophonics, release one top 10 single and one top 5 single, a No.1 Album, a Best New Band award at the Q awards, a Best Album award from XFM and support the greatest rock and roll band in the world The Rollingstones, at their O2 Arena gig in August. Just fucking beat that!
Onto the 11th time that I see the band. 28th March 2008, the opening night of a 6 night residency onslaught at London's soon-to-be-closed Astoria.
The Enemy ripped several holes in the minds of 2000 gig-goers at the Astoria
There were lads on the piss, girls on the pull and grown men re-living the days of their youth.
Last year Lovefoxxx of CSS was hit in the face by a shoe and walked off stage 'injured', then this year Glasvegas front man suffered the same fate and they ended their set short. Whereas Tom Clarke was hit in the eye by a coin, at about 50mph, he took one look at the man who threw it and just carried on playing the fuck out of 'Away From Here'. Personally if you can't endure a odd piece of crowd bullying then what is the point in you being on the stage in the first place?
The Enemy monstered through a set of their fine singles, that also included a cover of Sex Pistols 'God Save The Queen' and most importantly a new track that the band wrote just a week and a half ago, that I think is titled 'Sing When Your In Love' or 'Sing When Your In Love & Sing When Your Out of Love'. It reminds me very much of the early days of The Jam, but also David Bowie. Whether it'll be included on the bands next album or just as a B-side, its definitely an indication of the bands new direction they'll be exploring with new material in the near future.
1 comment:
good points and the details are more precise than elsewhere, thanks.
- Murk
Post a Comment