The Enemy Farewell Tour

So farewell the Enemy. My hometown band is winding things up. So off I trotted on  Friday night to the Forum. On my own - the Enemy aren't everyone's cup of tea.

First I should say that I really like the Forum - convenient for Kentish Town tube - good size, and I like the Art Deco Roman decor, particularly noticeable upstairs in the unreserved seating where I was perched.

Downside is bad for my photos. Made worse by dodgy lighting. too much emphasis on flashing lights, as if they were particularly aiming at flushing out any epileptics.

I was looking forward to seeing two new bands (well new to me) as supports. First up were Asylums. I am afraid one could rarely witness so much frenetic effort wasted on so little product. Thrashing guitars and lots of running around on stage couldn't mask a lack of material.

 Second support came from a Nuneaton band called April. More accomplished, but still disappointing. Felt like they thought they were North Warwickshire's answer to Oasis. Specialised in rather long songs. Not awful but nothing to write home about. The lead singer couldn't stay still for a moment, but this energy wasn't really converted into anything appealing.

 

 

And finally the Enemy (after a pretty good DJ set of indie classics while we waited). Now what can I say about the Enemy? Lead singer Tom Clarke has a truly tremendous voice, which can soar over the heavy guitar and drum work of his fellow band members. Their first album "We'll Live and Die in These Towns" was terrific. Tom said he would do what they hadn't done enough of, play every track from the first album live as he knew how much it meant to us. Ah yes, but that was the problem. They never could recapture the success of that album.

I think in their minds that's because other people, the radio, media, didn't give them a chance. Well true maybe to some extent. Their music was never fashionable. Well it might have been in the late Seventies, but maybe they were a quarter century too late. But perhaps their demise really came from just not getting better, but rather getting worse. And from the band not being exactly media friendly, either in appearance or attitude. A little Brummie chap with a chip on his shoulder isn't going to storm the papers.

This was an emotional send off of sorts.A long version of This Song, during which they went off stage and returned while the audience just sang the main refrain continuously -"This Song is about, is about, is about you." was memorable. So was the encore. And the audience certainly loved it. A very boisterous following and very rowdy.

Now here I have to say something sneering though. I hated the audience. Laddish and boorish, and rather drunk. Lots of chanting and thrashing about, it had a night down the pub in the wrong part of town feel about it.

But I will miss the band. A lot of great songs. "Be Somebody", "Forty Days and Forty Nights"," Away from Here", "Happy Birthday Jane", "Had Enough", "Aggro". RIP