Photo Credit: Alicia Woods
Following the release of their first album in a decade, Coventry trio The Enemy made the short trip across to Nottingham in support of ‘Social Disguises’, where fans who purchased the record were lucky enough to catch the band in a more intimate setting than usual. Their huge 2025 UK tour saw them perform in neighbouring venue Rock City just a few months prior, so this was a real treat for the returning Nottingham fans.
As the trio entered the stage, the packed Rescue Rooms welcomed them with huge cheers. Tom Clarke put any speculation to bed from the start, where he stated they would be playing some new songs, and then some old songs. Kicking off with ‘The Boxer‘, just as the album begins with, their returning single ‘Not Going Your Way‘ quickly followed and this is where the crowd became more involved. Bassist Andy Hopkins continues his usual stage antics, from utilising the space around him and putting in just as much effort into a short set as he does with a full headline performance.
Their catchy single ‘Trouble‘ and album title track ‘Social Disguises‘ concluded the new material for the evening, with four more familiar hits coming next. Unleashing into the punchy ‘Had Enough‘, the Nottingham crowd were now full invested as they were jumping around and singing as loud as they possibly could for a Monday night. Leading straight into ‘Be Somebody‘, like it was still part of the same song, kept up the intensity flowing through Rescue Rooms before bringing it down a peg with ‘Happy Birthday Jane‘. The crowd were now at their peak with their voices, but this was then beat of course by the grand finale of ‘We’ll Live and Die in These Towns‘, a song that seems to have had a huge resurgence in popularity since The Enemy returned, and a full circle moment going from new to old.
The band then spent the remainder of the evening signing copies of ‘Social Disguises‘ and taking pictures with their fans, for what was a short but sweet evening in a very intimate setting.
Taped Magazine 