THE ENEMY O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW 21/10/22
THE ENEMY ROLL UP TO GLASGOW AND ROLL BACK THE YEARS
The Enemy are back in town!!! Coventry’s finest are back on the road, with a tour to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the highly acclaimed debut album ‘We’ll Live and Die in These Towns’. Initially only meant to be a reunion show, it wasn’t long before the full UK tour was announced, and how glad are the fans up and down the country? Packing out venues all over, the first few gigs have reminded us all just how good the three-piece led by Tom Clarke actually were.
Support on the tour is covered by two bands, Wide Eyed Boy and Little Man Tate, who provided a couple of great warm up sets to get the crowd primed, if that was ever going to be a problem, however the 90’s Indie mix over the PA in between bands before the headliner proved that was never going to be an issue. The Courteeners, Kasabian, Oasis, James and a song close to the Scots hearts, Yes Sir I Can Boogie (adopted by the Scotland football fans) had every voice finely tuned in anticipation for lights out time, which was quickly approaching.
A final warm up with The Who’s Baba O’Reilly and the band made their way to front and centre. Joining Clarke on lead vocals and guitars are Andy Hopkins on bass and Liam Watts on drums. From the opening chord of Aggro, the O2 in Glasgow’s southside erupted in a sea of arms, legs and pints. “Call the police!” yells Clarke. Don’t bother, theyre not getting in! Away From Here, Pressure and Had Enough followed on, and as fans of the band know full well the running order of the 2007 album, they don’t need the horns to know We’ll Live and Die in These Towns is up next. By this time the audience are on full steam ahead with every pair of arms in the air clapping along, and the band are doing their best to keep up!
Taking inspiration from many peers from bygone days, bands from the 60s such as the Kinks and The Who, 70s icons The Jam and The Clash up to more recent Stone Roses and Oasis, The Enemy write in a similar vein, songs of teenage angst, social depravity, youth culture and young love that Davies, Townshend, Weller, Strummer and Gallagher would be proud of. Revisiting the debut album shows it really is a fine piece of work, easily standing the test of time.
The 75-minute set runs through the complete album up to 40 Days & 40 Nights, a crowd favourite This Song and ending with Happy Birthday Jane. An encore of Be Somebody, Gimme the Sign and No Time for Tears and the night was over. The crowd would exit the temporary sauna for the cold outside, but not a complaint was to be heard.
An absence of 6 years from the forefront of the UK music scene has done little to dampen the affection The Enemy are held in from the British public. This has been as electric and energetic a gig as the old O2 venue has seen in a long time and let’s hope it’s not the last we see of the Coventry lads. Tremendous music, incredible atmosphere, these are the gigs that could put gyms and sport centres out of business, everyone leaving hot, sweaty and deliriously happy. Just bloody good!
Photographs and Review by Stephen Wilson
