Enter Shikari is a band that needs no introduction, so when we were given the opportunity to chat to them about headlining Ramfest on their first South African show in over a decade, we couldn’t say no. Our very own Marcel Smuts and the band’s vocalist, Rou Reynolds, touch on the following
Exploring A Broad Musical Spectrum
By the time the band members hit their mid-teens, they had already been exposed to various types of music having grown up in families with different musical tastes. This influenced Enter Shikari’s sound immensely, leading to the band taking pride in the fact that it’s something they embraced back then.
Rou says, ‘It’s something I’m really proud that we embraced. We could’ve settled to be playing music like many of the bands around us were, but in those days you needed to do something a bit different to get noticed as it was a very saturated scene, as it is now I think, but yeah, we felt compelled to explore a broader musical spectrum.’
Returning To South Africa
Enter Shikari last played in South Africa a little over 10 years ago, so their return to South African soil is one that has been long-awaited.
Rou says, ‘We did Oppikoppi and it was such a delight, we had such a good time. For one reason or another we’ve never managed to get back. South Africa is a territory that’s far away from us, and it’s hard to link it in with other tours, but we’re super excited to finally be coming back.’
What To Expect
Enter Shikari has one of the most insane discographies in existence. From stellar albums like ‘Take to the Skies’ and ‘A Flash Flood of Colour’ to their latest offering ‘A Kiss for the Whole World’, we had to find out what the band has in store for its headlining set at Ramfest.
‘We always try and play mixed sets. In studio we try not to be influenced by what the audience wants, but when it comes to the live arena, we’re there to provide an outlet for people and to create an experience people are going to enjoy. So we always try to please as many people as we can, and that means trying to take at least some songs from every era and trying to make a varied set, and that’s something we attempt to do every time,’ Rou says.
Ramfest
There is no doubt that Enter Shikari is one of the most iconic and influential bands in the world, so having the band back on South African soil this coming weekend is bound to be nothing short of spectacular.
They’ll be headlining both the Pretoria and Stellenbosch shows with support from local heavyweights like Shadowclub, Jack Parow, DOOMTRIGGER, Ohgod, Set For The Sky, We Kill Cowboys and more. Get your tickets here and be sure to listen to the full episode here
