You all know my little insole adventure by now, so you will not be surprised if I tell you that for the same reason, I ended up at Enter Shikari's Parisian gig on the same week as Crossfaith's. I knew they were touring France and just randomly checked when the Paris show was, fully convinced it would be in a year's time when I would be back in Brighton or something, and no - it was just the week I was there. Yes please.

There was something special about seeing them in Alexandra Palace - ten thousand people believing in their message, quadraphonic sound, big screens, bold lights.

There was something special about seeing them in the Trabendo - seven hundred people, blood, sweat, tears (and the odd pool of vomit)


The evening started with Brighton locals and sort of neighbours of mine, The Qemists. They bring to Europe their electronic, drum and bass sound. The venue is not packed yet but the people who are already gathered around the stage seem to enjoy it and dance around like they are in their favourite night club. (Yes, if you were there, I was that person dancing really badly on the side, yes, I'll admit, that was me) Their presence on the tour makes sense and does a good job of warming the crowd up, On stage, the Brightonians are energetic and make it seem easy to be in their shoes, they interact with the crowd, and make the atmosphere in the building cheerful and happy. What more could you ask from a support band? Nothing.





Oh, Enter Shikari. Through reading the Alexandra Palace review, you know how much I love them, you know what their music means to me, you know they are one of my favourite live bands, you know when and why I've started listening to them. We have gone over the details already. You know already.


Paris, Paris, Paris. I'd seen Enter Shikari in Paris three times before. Twice when they played La Cigale (and one of these times resulted in me falling flat on my back in the stairs near the stage, and the first person who checked if I was okay was not anyone from security but bass player Chris Batten) and that one time when they did a tiny, sweaty show at the Flèche d'Or for the Oui FM festival. I was very excited about seeing them at the Trabendo, first because it is one of my favourite venues in the world, and second because after big stages at festivals and ten thousand capacity shows, it sounded lovely to have the chance to see Enter Shikari in a small venue again. I love big shows - they make me proud of the bands I watch and the bigger the show, the bigger the amount of proud tears I'll cry. But I love smaller shows better, because you get to be up close and personal with the band you're seeing, and they're so much more open to surprises than the arena ones.





Despite the very different atmosphere, the impatience was the same for me. Oh how I love small shows and sweaty venues and bands whose frontmen jump in the crowd thirty seconds into the first song. There's something special with Enter Shikari, you know. They can go and play Alexandra Palace and make it look easy, make it look like they are as comfortable as they would be in their living room, and the feeling is the same when you see them in a small venue - they just look like it's easy, it's the same, seven hundred people, ten thousand, no difference.


What I love about these small shows is how they feel like the band goes back to basics, back to their roots. There is no barrier, people crowdsurf, everyone is sweaty, and it feels lucky to have the chance to see such a big, renowned band in such a small place. The band seems thrilled, too - frontman Rou Reynolds in the crowd from the very beginning and runs around the venue, and they all generally interact, and crowdsurf, too, and I just love shows like these - it just looks like it's a lot of fun to everyone.


One of the highlights of the show is the live rendition of the gorgeous and powerful Dear Future Historians... At Alexandra Palace, a piano had been put on a big plateform at the centre of the venue, and, since the Trabendo is much, much smaller, I had assumed that the performance would just happen on stage with a smaller keyboard or something.
Oh how wrong was I.
There was no big plateform and no bold lighting and no large piano, but there was a piano and there was the middle of the venue and there was even Rou Reynolds sat down on the piano playing the trumpet. Moments like this are impossible to describe. They're just unique.





And I think that gig was unique - because it was flawless from start to end, because the venue was much smaller than the ones on the UK run but Enter Shikari still managed to bring some of their arena magic with them, because it was something special shared between all seven hundred and something of us. And it's something I can't really explain. But it felt like being on top of the world, in a bubble, watching a band who can play for ten thousand people and headline the second stage at Download perform for seven hundred people and put the same passion in it.
And that is a thing I love about Enter Shikari.
Whether they play for seven hundred or ten thousand people, there is the same passion, the same fire, the same power in what they deliver. They never half-arse anything. They always give their all and I deeply admire that, how humble they are, how talented they are.


I often say this, but, my friends, what a band we are lucky to have.