Enter Shikari, Holding Absence, und Callous Daoboys

I'm sure any avid Shikari connoisseur will preach to every passer-by on the merits of their live show, their incomparable energy and their ridiculously impressive stage presence.
As a convert to the almost cult-like fanbase that is Enter Shikari's, and a loving patron of five of their live shows (Soon to be six), I can only fully endorse this notion with every undying whim of my being. Whether it's the crowds pleading for them to enter the stage with the roars of 'And still we will be here, standing like statues', lyrics from their aged self-titled song, or the intense shenanigans that the band get up to onstage; it adds together to make a phenomenal experience.
One experience at their recent Hatfield Forum show summarises this perfectly. Rob, the passionate drummer, marched from behind his drum kit to the centre microphone and proclaimed 'Hello ladies and gentlemen! My name's Simple Simon! Just making sure you guys stay safe!', before returning to his drum kit. This ushered in chants of 'Simple Simon!' from the audience and many references to this throughout the gig, aswell as bassist Rory pondering 'How can just telling the crowd to stay safe actually keep them safe?', rendering applause and laughs from the audience. The band have energy that I could only dream of possessing. From the moment they grace the stage with their presence, they feed from the crowd's energy and volition to ensure that Rou keeps screaming his vocals, Rob keeps hammering his kit, Rory keeps abusing his Bass and Chris keeps wailing his guitar. This comes despite them constantly clambering over their amps and diving headfirst into the audience. But the crowd really is the fifth member of the band. With memorable hooks and lyrics, audiences will always clap three times in time to the intro to 'Sorry, you're not a winner', the groups breakout hit. Audiences will yell 'I can't fucking believe this' in 'Destabilise', when Rou asks Rory about his thesis. Audiences will be fully willing to serenade one another when slower acoustic songs are recited from the setlist. The audience crowdsurf and yearn to reach the boys in the band as much as Shikari strive to jump into the audience and be with their fans. The outstanding nature of Enter Shikari's live shows can only be seen from the fact that it's taken up until now to mention their actual music. The distinctive nature of Enter Shikari's music makes it difficult to push them into one single subgenre. They seamlessly blend the Post-Hardcore genre with Metal and Electronic music. It leads to a cluster of influences and the notion that one song can rapidly change from a straight Rock song with simple rhythm to a complex section of Trance music interwoven into a deviously deceptive brutal drum beat. Enter Shikari bring a reinvigoration to the music industry; with their monstrous live energy and extensive repertoire of lovingly hectic tracks coming together to form what is likely to be the greatest live band hailing from England in many years.

The Brickyard, Carlisle Cumbria,

First time seeing you live and I'm in love, such a great stage presence, great music amazing vocals, if you are ever in Cumbria pls need a gig like that again.

All band member have such good vibes, hope to see you again thanks for coming to Carlisle.

Absolutely insane show. The crowd was incredible, everyone was on and off the stage. I'm surprised I made it out alive. You have to see them for the energy alone.