Enter Shikari frontman Rou Reynolds chats with us about taking over the function of The Artilleryman in Jeff Wayne‘s ‘The Struggle Of The Worlds’. Primarily based on the traditional rock idea album, which has offered over 16 million copies worldwide, the tour will hit arenas throughout the UK from March.
RS: How did you first turn into concerned with this undertaking?
ROU: Nicely, I used to be simply as shocked to be requested as anybody. I obtained requested if I wished to return right down to Jeff Wayne’s studio and I bear in mind being performed the album by my uncle after I was seven years outdated or one thing. At varied factors in my life, I’ve gone again to the file and at all times had an immense response to it. It’s meant various things at completely different factors of my life, and I’ve gained various things from it at completely different factors. So I went right down to Jeff’s studio and simply had an extended outdated chat with him, and was stunned to be taught that he’d been following Shikari for some time, and stated he was actually impressed. That made the journey worthwhile sufficient in itself. Then he simply provided me the half. I didn’t say sure immediately, as a result of I used to be stuffed with imposter syndrome and anxiousness and all the traditional stuff. I’ve by no means completed any actual performing. I’ve acted in our music movies and issues like that. I’ve at all times been an important admirer of theatre and of drama. With Shikari exhibits, there’s a heavy dose of theatrics in there, and the plot of a set checklist is essential to us. So there’s a number of ways in which I really feel associated to the theatre world, however I’m definitely not a local to it.
RS: It hits a pleasant center floor for you in some methods – a theatrical manufacturing that takes place in arenas that you’re already acquainted with. It appears like a great match.
ROU: The extra I thought of it, and the extra I spoke to Jeff, that was my considering. As you say, it’s not the West Finish, it feels extra punk, however on the similar time it’s such an enormous manufacturing. The truth that we’ll be doing many venues that I’ve completed earlier than feels okay. This isn’t too international for me, actually. Additionally. talking to Jeff, he stated that, as an example, Ricky Wilson from the Kaiser Chiefs had precisely the identical response when he did the present. He was terrified, apparently, as a result of he had no footing in performing at that time after which he got here by means of it and carried out his half beautifully. That gave me a little bit of confidence. I feel Jeff and his complete staff are clearly wonderful at growing expertise, wanting on the observe file of folks that they’ve helped and been concerned with. So after a little bit of considering it was a no brainer.
RS: It have to be thrilling to have one other problem like this. Shikari are at all times pushing themselves into new territory however that is one thing much more sudden. You could relish that chance.
ROU: It’s one thing that I feel lots of us in our lives take into consideration, ensuring that we’re at all times on the fringe of our consolation zone. We’re educating ourselves. We’re studying new issues. We’re growing as a human, you already know, and I rely myself immensely fortunate that I’m on this place the place I get to dabble, let’s consider, in all these completely different artwork types. It simply fills me with gratitude and pleasure. There’s a lot that I can carry again to Shikari after being concerned in a manufacturing like this. It’s an establishment, one thing that has such historical past and such grandeur to all of it.
RS: ‘The Struggle Of The Worlds’ appears like one thing of a gateway rock album for many individuals, opening them as much as the style as an entire. Was listening to it as a baby a formative expertise for you musically?
ROU: I can bear in mind feeling fairly impressed by it. Each time I come again to it, since I’ve delved deeper into H.G. Wells and his different writings, he had such a broad information, and he had a lot to say about so many elements of society. Lots of his writing continues to be actually fairly pivotal for us in the present day. In order that’s been one thing that I’ve taken away as I’ve come again to it now. However yeah, I feel musically it was one thing that instantly grabbed me, as a result of I used to be introduced up on The Beatles, and so most of the melodies are harking back to that period. I felt much more nostalgic as a result of it jogs my memory of so most of the the opposite bands, even like Pink Floyd and Queen, that I grew up round from the affect of my uncle and my dad. It’s a such a broad piece of artwork that I feel has at all times been inspiring in numerous methods.
RS: As you talked about, you’ve completed some performing in music movies earlier than, with ‘Arguing With Thermometers’ significantly coming to thoughts. Was an even bigger performing function like this one thing you had beforehand thought-about?
ROU: Yeah, my brother at all times stated that he thought I’d be an actor. I like character comedy and accents and the liberty and creativity inside making characters. It’s one thing that I’ve at all times kind of completed. However I suppose I by no means felt like I had explicit expertise inside these worlds. So I by no means targeted on them. However I feel it’s one thing that I’m gonna do as soon as I recover from the anxiousness of the quantity of dialog that I’ve obtained to be taught. I feel it’s one thing that I’m going to essentially take pleasure in. One of many issues I’m wanting ahead to to most is the costume day, getting fitted, placing on that early 1900s army outfit. lt’s going to be a lot enjoyable.
RS: Enter Shikari performed reside at Wembley Enviornment final 12 months, totally embracing the chance for greater manufacturing parts. Attending to be part of one other giant scale manufacturing like this have to be significantly thrilling.
ROU: Oh, completely yeah. I’ll come away studying a lot from their staff. They’ve been doing this present for over 20 years so that you’re studying from the most effective. I’ve by no means truly seen the present so I’m simply excited to have the ability to see it time and again. It’s going to be such an impressive, grand factor.
RS: It’s fairly a great place to be in, coming into the rehearsal course of with out having seen any individual else play the half. It is possible for you to to place your individual stamp on it with out the affect of anybody that has come earlier than you.
ROU: Yeah, I’m certain I’ll undergo a minimum of the scenes that that I’m in and see what different individuals delivered to it. Every person who’s completed it has introduced one thing completely different to it. For me, there’s a little bit of apprehension about what I can carry to the character. As a result of on the face of it, he’s only a dreamer, and I feel we will all see a little bit of ourselves in him, however then he’s additionally a bit egotistical, he’s additionally a little bit of a coward. He’s all this stuff that I feel come inside all of us. So it’s going to be nice to mirror on moments after I’ve been all this stuff and convey that into the character.
Catch Rou in ‘The Struggle Of The Worlds’ on the beneath tour dates. Tickets are on sale now:
MARCH
28 – HULL, Connexin Dwell
30 – DUBLIN, IRELAND, 3Arena
APRIL
01 – ABERDEEN, P&J Dwell
02 – GLASGOW, OVO Hydro
03 – LEEDS, First Direct Enviornment
05 – NEWCASTLE, Utilita Enviornment
06 – MANCHESTER, Co-Op Dwell
08 – SHEFFIELD, Utilita Enviornment
09 – LIVERPOOL, M&S Financial institution Enviornment
10 – NOTTINGHAM, Motorpoint Enviornment
12 – BRIGHTON, Brighton Centre (matinee and night)
13/14 – BOURNEMOUTH, Bournemouth Int Centre
16/17 – CARDIFF, Utilita Enviornment
18 – BIRMINGHAM, Resorts World Enviornment
20 – LONDON, The O2 (matinee and night)
Enter Shikari had been current winners of our Rock Sound 25 Icon Award. Get your journal and unique merch bundles now at SHOP.ROCKSOUND.TV
