Photo Credit: Emilie Cotterill
Returning to the city where they kicked off their reunion tour, indie legends THE ENEMY kicked off their ‘Indie ’til I Die‘ tour with a warm-up performance in Leeds with a set filled with classics to keep their OG fans delighted.
Fellow Midlands band OVERPASS joined the warm-up shows as their main support, and with a new EP due for release in November, this was the ideal opportunity to attract a host of new fans. The quartet are already accustomed to performing on the big stages, and guitarist and singer Max Newbold always takes advantage of the space around him as he transitions between songs. The song ‘Alright‘ showcases Newbold’s high-pitched vocals, and with bassist India’s accompaniment, it shines a light on the bands more joyful sound. It was clear a number of OVERPASS fans were in attendance, with ‘3AM‘ encouraging a portion of folk to join in for the chorus, and finishing off on a high not with ‘Beautiful‘ concluded the Birmingham bands show in style.
The crowd’s lungs were warmed up with a variety of indie classics played over the speakers during the intermission, and THE ENEMY arrived right as ‘Baba O’Riley‘ came to an end. Cheers broke out from the stalls, and the Coventry trio wasted no time in getting going. ‘Aggro‘ and ‘Away From Here‘ made sure the Leeds audience were pumped up, and they were certainly were. The aggressive ‘Pressure‘ then followed and a festival-like atmosphere was created with the beautiful ‘We’ll Live and Die in These Towns, which included fists raised in the air as the crowd matched Tom Clarke’s voice.
Continuing to play their debut record in full, the pace picked back up for ‘40 Days and 40 Nights‘, with drinks flying across the room and arms lifted until the ‘Ghost Town‘ section arrived, complete with lights going out to suit the mood. The band’s ability to unite their audience for a hearty sing-along was demonstrated once more with ‘This Song‘, and it was furthered with ‘Happy Birthday Jane‘, which served as a fitting album finale before the band exited the stage.
‘Be Somebody‘ opened the encore, and the band continued with the upbeat tempo as ‘Gimme the Sign‘ and ‘Saturday‘ featured, combining both songs into a powerful success. The crowd in Leeds knew exactly what was required as ‘No Time for Tears‘ started to fade away. They joined together to sing ‘This Song‘ once more, and as the lights went out, the band marvelled at the packed room for their opening night of the ‘Indie ’til I Die‘ tour.
Taped Magazine 