Photo Credit: Confetti Sky
Words: Abi Hawes

The Enemy returned to Coventry for a hometown show at the hmv Empire. The run of shows follows their latest album ‘Social Disguises‘, released earlier this year.

To open the night, The Institutes were welcomed to the stage. Walking out with a Coventry flag, they were welcomed into the venue. Immediately the audience was met with a strong guitar sound. they opened with a song that sounded like Kasabian, setting the tone for the rest of their set. The sound of the 3 guitars and drums echoed throughout the venue. Though the venue was what seemed to be only half full, the audience seemed intrigued in what the band had to offer.

 They introduced the second song as ‘Feels Better’, which encapsulated their musical identity. The band constantly used the layering of their guitars to capture their indie essence. Though they appeared slightly reserved at first, their confidence seemed to grow throughout the set. The instruments themselves spoke louder than their stage presence alone, while their sound carries a reminiscent of early indie rock bands. The strength pf their instrumentation stood out the most. The Institutes successfully opened the evening, establishing an exciting atmosphere that compelled through the rest of the night.

Next to the stage, was The Last Pioneers, a band that if you like Overpass, The Clause or The K’s, then they are definitely a band to listen to. They immediately set the tone with their fast-paced tempo, and energetic moves. From the beginning of their set, the band displayed remarkable chemistry and were in complete sync with each other. The lead singer balanced rhythm guitar while he showcased his powerful vocals. Not only this, but he did a great job at interacting with the crowd. He even told the audience at one point that it was their job to warm everyone up. They opened with a fast-paced song which introduced them perfectly. The lights reflected the energy the band had, properly showing their passion for what they were doing. This was met by an incredible response from the audience, who shared the energy back with them. 

Their performance of ‘Coming for You‘, a song off of their EP released last spring, stood out as a particular highlight. They claimed was their favourite song on the whole track list. It wasn’t long until they made the entire audience chant back “people like us”, which quickly became one of the sets defining moment. They ensured that everyone was joining in before kickstarting the song with the electric band. They then played a new unrealised song called ‘Orange Lights‘ which showed that the band has much more to offer. Having supported The Enemy for two of their dates on their November tour, the band appreciated being brought back out for this show, and I don’t think it’s hard to see why.  They played ‘Set Your Life On Fire‘ before closing their set with ‘Dancefloor Diva‘, which concluded their set. Although I had not heard of The Last Pioneers before, I will be listening to their music. The Wolverhampton band make sure their performance had both personality and energy, which was simultaneously reflected by the audience.

Before long, the Coventry band The Enemy took to the stage. They opened their set with their hit ‘Aggro‘, from their album ‘We’ll Live and Die In These Towns‘. The sound was electric and the passion behind the songs were immediately made clear. They ensured that their set started at a high. Tom Clarke, the lead singer of the band almost shouted the words to the audience, to which they shouted them back with the same amount of energy. There was no hanging around, almost all the audience knew the majority of the songs, celebrating the reunion of the band. Ensuring the energy remained at a maximum by playing their hit ‘Away From Here‘. The audience was completely mental, people jumping in sync, arms flying everywhere. As the song ended, a pint flew from the audience. Even strangers were already linking arms and coming together, showing the band how important they are to their fans. 

The band’s sound throughout the ngiht was exceptional. Layered guitars and pounding drums blended seamlessly bellow Clarke’s unmistakable vocals. The band played next ‘Pressure‘. The sound of the band was amazing, as they blended together perfectly. They ensured the crowed stayed with their fast-paced show as they went into ‘Had Enough‘, another of their popular hits. Suddenly the atmosphere became even more hectic in the best possible way. The engagement the band had with the audience was captivating. The band even spoke to the audience about how this show was the fasted selling gig they have ever done, emphasising how much they appreciated the fans, especially from Coventry. The audience cheered in response as Clarke told us that the thousands in the room meant more to him than the arena shows.

They kickstarted into their new song ‘Not Going Your Way‘ from their latest album ‘Social Disguises‘. This song truly emphasised the reunion of the band and showed how they still have much more to offer their fans. It was clear from the reaction of the audience that they had in fact listened to it as many people were able to shout them back at the band. The song truly highlights how The Enemy are still capable of producing brilliant music that connects with the fans. 

They then told the crowd that there was an important member of the audience at the show, who had once taught Clarke a chord that he used in many of the band’s songs, to which everyone cheered for. He also told the audience that he had taught him a different chord, prompting cheers. He added that the same person had taught him another chord that was “not as good” and never used it. This introduced their song ‘Happy Birthday Jane’. The song featured an acoustic guitar and took a step back from the loud layering of music. The sound focused particularly on Clarke’s vocals, which sounded incredible, sounding almost identical to the recording. The song especially showed how amazing his voice really is. The ending which repeats ‘Happy Birthday Jane‘ solely showcased the insane ability of the band. They went into another one of their popular hits ‘You’re Not Alone‘ with its iconic introduction immediately recognised by the crowd. The energy the band carried brought the song to life as familiar guitar riffs rang out.

Before continuing, Tom Clarke told the audience that he knew one of the security guards and joked that the audience were getting less crazy every time they returned to Coventry. He said he would stay out of it but encouraged the audience to start a mosh pit. The crowd responded enthusiastically, and as the song began, security all moved to the centre, foreshadowing the chaos that followed. They played ‘Technodancephobic‘ and ‘40 Days and 40 Nights‘, which was sparked crazy reaction. Several mosh pits opened, and the sea of people in the audience erupted. People were jumping and coming together. The moments encapsulated the bands importance, as everyone seemed truly in the moment. They even went into The Specials’ song ‘Ghost Town‘ which is a Coventry anthem. They concluded their set and walked off stage.

However, it was not long until they returned, claiming that they were only halfway through the set. They launched into ‘Trouble‘, another song from ‘Social Disguises’, which was met with a positive reaction. Shortly after the song concluded, the bands guitars and drums went into the iconic introduction to ‘Be Somebody‘, featured on their 2009 album’Music for the People’. The upbeat and rich instrument driven track that serves as a commentary on working class life and ambition was received brilliantly. The raw sound from Clarke captured the bands essence, while showing the bands passion and enthusiasm. 

Then played ‘Gimme The Sign‘ and ‘Saturday‘ before starting up their iconic introduction to ‘This Song Is About You‘. The guitars came in sharp which mixed seamlessly with the emotionally charged lyrics. They went into ‘We Are the Champions‘ by Queen after singing ‘No Time For Tears’, as Clarke told the aware audience that Coventry City Football Club won the championship. It felt almost surreal. 

The band then kickstarted into ‘We’ll Live and Die In These Towns‘. emotion behind the song became clearly evident as the song is about Coventry. There was a sense of community within the audience, seeming like something autobiographical for many people in the audience. There was a sense of nostalgia as well, as many members of the audience would have grown up soundtracked by The Enemy.

Though the show was centred around the band’s latest album, there was not a heavy emphasis on their new material alone. Instead, the band played a great set, while showing the bands incredible passion.

Photo Credit: Confetti Sky