Enter Shikari going global

By Andrew Pain, Evening Gazette

ENTER SHIKARI are continuing a manic 12 months with a Teesside gig this week.

Pictured right, the post- hardcore rockers are hoping 2010 is as crazy as 2009 was for them, starting with a new tour and album.

Following a successful arena tour at the end of 2009 as special guests to The Prodigy, the band are setting off on a short six-date tour of the UK tomorrow which will see them arrive at Middlesbrough’s Empire on Tuesday night.

At the end of the month the group tour Australia on the Soundwave Festival, followed by a batch of Japanese headline shows (supported by Escape The Fate and A Day To Remember) in early March, an extensive North American tour in April and May, before journeying to Russia for their first ever shows in St Petersberg, Moscow and Kalingrad.

After that they have also been invited back by The Prodigy as the only rock band to join the bill alongside Pendulum and Chase & Status at the Milton Keynes Bowl in July.

Then the summer will find Enter Shikari making their presence felt across the main stages of the European festival circuit, before heading back to the USA & Canada for their slot on 2010’s Warped Tour.

It sounds a lot but it’s very much business as usual for the St Albans quartet who are described as one of the hardest working bands in rock - move over Status Quo.

The band were voted Best Live Band of 2009 in the Rock Sound reader’s poll (alongside best album for Common Dreads).

Later this month the band are also releasing the compilation album Tribalism, which is being billed as a Common Dread Companion.

Kicking off with two new tracks, Thumper and the titular Tribalism, the album takes in a smattering of B-sides, remixes (including a High Contrast remix of Wall, unreleased until now) and live tracks.

ENTER SHIKARI:

Empire, Middlesbrough
Tuesday night
Entry: £17