On Saturday evening, The Enemy paid a visit to the Wulfrun Hall in Wolverhampton for what promised to be a spectacular performance. As the clock struck nine, a hush came over the compact crowd as the trademark introductory song (‘Baba O’ Reilly’ by The Who) began to ripple throughout the venue. As the chorus hit, and it seemed every person in the audience had been transported back to 1971, there was an almost inexplicable electricity flowing amongst these strangers of all ages.
But let us start at seven o’clock, when the doors were only just welcoming in keen fans to its 1,100-capacity venue. The first support act (Arthur and the Invincibles) brought flair and energy, and weren’t afraid to share their unique and expressive fashion sense with the early crowd. However, it was the second support that really managed to captivate me.
I regret to admit that I wasn’t really aware of Callum Beattie before he stepped onto the stage, but I find it hard to believe that I will ever forget the magnificent performance he provided. The power within his voice, intertwined with his Scottish twang, led me to compare him to Gerry Cinnamon, one of my favourite artists of all time, making this one of the biggest compliments that I could ever have given him.
Then came one of my favourite parts of an indie gig. That half an hour where the world seems to be in a state of suspension, as no one can move in fear of losing their position in the crowd. And yet, most of the audience have had enough beers to make them too lively to stand still. This juxtaposition bred a complex yet beautiful reality, as the speakers blasted iconic classics, such as ‘Not Nineteen Forever’ by The Courteeners and ‘Last Nite’ by The Strokes.
Then came one of my favourite parts of an indie gig. That half an hour where the world seems to be in a state of suspension, as no one can move in fear of losing their position in the crowd.
As the trapped, restless crowd heard their favourite music, the Wulfrun temporarily became a nightclub as everyone danced around one another, belting out the words of every single song. In moments like these, I feel that something a lot more prominent than a little bit of dancing is occurring. Indeed, I feel that a community of indie music lovers is being born all over again.
Now for the main performance. As The Enemy broke into ‘Aggro’, the crowd instantly erupted into a wild mix of singing, jumping and pushing, setting the tone for the whole evening. Personally, by the time the first song had finished, my brother and I were covered in beer from head to toe and it was at that point that I realised curling my hair before the concert was a futile exploit!
The next significant moment was when The Enemy started to sing their most poignant track ‘We Live and Die in These Towns’. Even amongst a rowdy crowd, the references to the struggle of working-class communities mixed with the persisting, unwavering pride, were felt on a very deep level amongst those present.
Even amongst a rowdy crowd, the references to the struggle of working-class communities mixed with the persisting, unwavering pride, were felt on a very deep level amongst those present.
A beautiful moment of cyclical prominence came when the lead singer, Tom Clarke, shared how he had come to the Wulfrun to watch a band before his fame and had been in awe of how the crowd had responded to them. He couldn’t believe that all these years later, he was the one standing on the stage, getting an even better reaction! He then went on to bravely tell fans not to buy merch from the venue as they take a large chunk of the money. Instead, he suggested looking to the vendors outside, as all the profits will then go to charity.
Finally, a personal highlight for me was when Clarke explained that a ‘code yellow’ is when the venue sees the crowd to be disorderly. He wasted no time in asking everyone to cause said code yellow. Plastic cups were flying, people falling over left, right and centre, and jumping like I’ve never seen before. Although songs like ‘Happy Birthday Jane’ bought an element of calm, the majority of the gig was wild, especially for songs such as ‘This Song Is About You’, which was a perfect track to finish on.
Plastic cups were flying, people falling over left, right and centre, and jumping like I’ve never seen before.
All in all, in the words of my brother, The Enemy proved that they were not just a nostalgic throwback, but very much relevant to the indie scene today. They can still hold their own in a world that often seems to forget the great talent of those on independent labels, speaking for those too often silenced by society.
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