Enter Shikari Interview – Annex Wreckroom, Toronto

Please introduce yourselves, and your role in the band?
Chris : Hi, I’m Chris and I play bass
Rory : I’m Rory and I play Guitar.

How has the tour been going so far?
Chris : Really good! We weren’t sure exactly what to expect because this is our first headline tour in North America. We’ve done a couple of support slots and we did Warped Tour in the Summer which was really well received but we weren’t sure if that was because there were just a lot of people there or if people had actually come to actually watch us. But yeah it’s been going really well. The New York show was a bit of a highlight.
Rory : Yeah, I agree.
Chris : It was a sold out show, so that was a lot of fun!

Have you managed to do any sightseeing whilst out here?
Chris : Erm, I’ve seen a few things out of the window!
Rory : We went to a beach one day and that’s pretty much the most exciting thing we’ve done (laughs)
Chris : Oh, we went to a lake house too
Rory : Yeah we went to a lake house, in Georgia and rented jet skis, that was a lot of fun!

So you guys played Reading and Leeds festivals in the UK, how did that go?
Rory : It was probably two of the funnest shows we’ve played this year. Reading and Leeds always seem to be like the highlight of the year for me. Reading obviously has quite a local crowd too, well its quite local to us.

Do you prefer playing smaller shows like on this tour, or huge festivals like Reading and Leeds?
Rory : It’s good to have both really. If you do one of too much then you want the other one, if you do the other one then you want this one.

[Rou walks in]

Chris : Obviously the contrast is quite different, I think it’s the one thing that keeps us on our toes. I mean obviously with these shows you get to play to people you’ve never played to before and you get the chance to make a first impression. We’ve played a lot of club shows and a lot of bars and pubs so we’re more used to that. Its kind of what we thrive on.
Rory : Yeah, although Reading and Leeds are probably the two places where we realized how much we really love live music and stuff.

What is the weirdest rumor you’ve heard about yourselves?
Rory : That we’re gonna do a collaboration with Will Smith. I wish it wasn’t just a rumor but it is, unfortunately.

I was wondering whether you have had any “slog” moments on this tour?

(laughter)

Rou : Oh, plenty of slog moments. I guess lifting bass cabs and loads of other heavy equipment. Today isn’t too bad, but yesterday we had to lift it all up like eight flights of stairs. Very sloggish. (laughter)
Rory : They were staircases that went back and forward on itself. It was kind of like that friends episode where they’re trying to get the sofa up.

“Pivot!?”

(laughter)

Rory : Yeah it was pretty much exactly like that!

What is the most rock n’ roll thing you’ve done on this tour?
Rory : I just put two different chilli sauces on one pizza. I wouldn’t say it hurt, but it tingled a fair amount.

What is the one question you hate being asked in interviews? Please don’t say any of the ones I’ve asked you!

(laughter)

Rou : I don’t know what questions were asked before I came in, but all the classic ones are quite boring to answer.
Chris : Yeah like “where the name comes from” and “how we got together.”
Rou : But we can’t complain coz there’s always gonna be people that don’t know us and want to know the answers to those questions.
Chris : Its boring to us but not to other people.
Rory : Probably my least favorite question is “What’s the craziest thing that’s happened ever on tour?”

This or That?:-

Making music or playing music?
Rou : I mean, they’re both buzzes and they’re very different buzzes and both very crucial buzzes.
Chris : Well I guess if you didn’t make the music then no one would know your stuff when you played it live. But then if you didn’t play it live you wouldn’t really see the benefits from making it in the first place.
Rory : Bit like the chicken and the egg really? It’d be impossible to play something you didn’t make, coz even if you’re just jamming on the spot you’d still be making it. Silly Question!(laughter)

Xbox or Playstation?
Chris : Xbox for me
Rou : My Xbox broke so quickly so I’m gonna say Playstation.
Rory : Xbox

Beer or Cider?
Rory : Beer
Chris : Beer
Rou : Snakebite

Brains or beauty?
Rory : Brains
Chris : Erm… (laughter) I mean how ugly are we talking? Like Carol Voderman she always did alright didn’t she?
Rory : Yeah but Carol Voderman’s alright.
Rou : I’ll go with brains
Chris : I’m gonna have to go with brains now aren’t I? (laughter)
Rou : If a girl was hot but didn’t have any brains then she wouldn’t be able to like, even move. There would be nothing telling her to move.

Dancing or singing?
Chris : How drunk are we?
Rou : That is tough! If you’re just really drunk and dancing with your mates, sometimes there can be nothing better than that. You’re just living in that moment.
Chris : You don’t care what other people think about you
Rou : Yeah. I do enjoy singing but maybe that.
Rory : Dance
Chris : Singing I guess. I don’t think I could go without singing in the shower every morning. (laughter)

Twilight or Harry Potter?
Rou : Neither!
Rory : Harry Potter. I read twilight, the first one, and then I read Harry Potter, and that was actually good.

Shoes or flip flops?
All three : Flip flops!

Warped Tour or Reading and Leeds?
Rory : Reading and Leeds
Rou : Yeah Reading and Leeds
Chris : That’s a tough one, coz I had a lot of fun at Warped tour. It’s such a different kind of festival but it’s done by 9 o clock. So for playing maybe Warped but for the fun factor I’d say Reading and Leeds.

Are there any cover songs you would like to do in the future?
Rou : I’d quite like to do Stravinsky. Some of his earlier stuff.
Rory : Pretty much any Motown song. Like “Heard It Through The Grapevine” or something.
Rou : I’d give anything a go that’s for sure.

What’s next for Enter Shikari?
Rory : Back to the UK, and then we are doing a tour with 30 Seconds To Mars and then back to the studio. And we have a new single coming out in a couple of weeks, its called “Destabilise”.

And finally, What do you want to do before you die?
Rory : Go to space and float around!
Rou : There’s nothing better than going to space!
Chris : Yeah same, it wouldn’t be fun if you couldn’t enjoy it with your friends.

Cheers Guys!