“We are going in hard,” Rou Reynolds declares during …Meltdown, ushering in gut-rattling bass wobbles that make this cavernous arena feel more like the deepest belly of a warehouse rave. Enter Shikari are a rock band in the broadest sense – moshpits break out instantly – but their trademark is a zealous fusion of dubstep, emo and electro tied up in sociopolitical commentary of varying efficacy.
The St Albans quartet have a catalogue that varies so liberally that, for every song you swerve, there’s another that might be right up your street. Only they can say if their stylistic fluidity is completely organic or a box-ticking exercise, but they’re doing something right. Last year’s A Kiss for the Whole World, the band’s seventh album since 2007, was their first UK No 1 and tonight’s Leeds date marks the beginning of their first UK arena tour.
