Enter Shikari frontman Rou Reynolds chats with us about taking over the position of The Artilleryman in Jeff Wayne‘s ‘The Struggle Of The Worlds’. Based mostly 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 grow to be concerned with this undertaking?
ROU: Effectively, I used to be simply as shocked to be requested as anybody. I acquired requested if I wished to return right down to Jeff Wayne’s studio and I keep in mind being performed the album by my uncle after I was seven years previous or one thing. At varied factors in my life, I’ve gone again to the file and all the time 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 previous chat with him, and was shocked to study 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 right away, as a result of I used to be filled with imposter syndrome and nervousness 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 all the time been an awesome admirer of theatre and of drama. With Shikari exhibits, there’s a heavy dose of theatrics in there, and the plot of a set listing is essential to us. So there’s a lot of ways in which I really feel associated to the theatre world, however I’m actually 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 conversant in. It appears like a very good 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. chatting with Jeff, he stated that, as an illustration, 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 via it and carried out his half fantastically. That gave me a little bit of confidence. I feel Jeff and his entire crew are clearly wonderful at creating expertise, trying on the observe file of those that they’ve helped and been concerned with. So after a little bit of considering it was a no brainer.
RS: It should be thrilling to have one other problem like this. Shikari are all the time pushing themselves into new territory however that is one thing much more surprising. You could relish that chance.
ROU: It’s one thing that I feel numerous us in our lives take into consideration, ensuring that we’re all the time on the fringe of our consolation zone. We’re educating ourselves. We’re studying new issues. We’re creating as a human, , and I depend myself immensely fortunate that I’m on this place the place I get to dabble, shall we embrace, in all these completely different artwork varieties. It simply fills me with gratitude and pleasure. There’s a lot that I can deliver 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 a complete. Was listening to it as a baby a formative expertise for you musically?
ROU: I can keep 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 data, and he had a lot to say about so many facets of society. Loads of his writing continues to be actually fairly pivotal for us at the moment. 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 paying homage 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 all the time been inspiring in numerous methods.
RS: As you talked about, you could have completed some performing in music movies earlier than, with ‘Arguing With Thermometers’ notably coming to thoughts. Was an even bigger performing position like this one thing you had beforehand thought-about?
ROU: Yeah, my brother all the time stated that he thought I’d be an actor. I really like character comedy and accents and the liberty and creativity inside making characters. It’s one thing that I’ve all the time type of completed. However I assume I by no means felt like I had specific expertise inside these worlds. So I by no means centered on them. However I feel it’s one thing that I’m gonna do as soon as I recover from the nervousness of the quantity of dialog that I’ve acquired to study. I feel it’s one thing that I’m going to essentially get pleasure from. One of many issues I’m trying 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 dwell at Wembley Area final 12 months, totally embracing the chance for larger manufacturing components. Attending to be part of one other giant scale manufacturing like this should be notably thrilling.
ROU: Oh, completely yeah. I’ll come away studying a lot from their crew. They’ve been doing this present for over 20 years so that you’re studying from the perfect. I’ve by no means truly seen the present so I’m simply excited to have the ability to see it many times. It’s going to be such an imposing, grand factor.
RS: It’s fairly a very good 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 personal stamp on it with out the affect of anybody that has come earlier than you.
ROU: Yeah, I’m certain I’ll undergo no less than the scenes that that I’m in and see what different folks 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 deliver 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 these items that I feel come inside all of us. So it’s going to be nice to mirror on moments after I’ve been all these items and convey that into the character.
Catch Rou in ‘The Struggle Of The Worlds’ on the under tour dates. Tickets are on sale now:
MARCH
28 – HULL, Connexin Reside
30 – DUBLIN, IRELAND, 3Arena
APRIL
01 – ABERDEEN, P&J Reside
02 – GLASGOW, OVO Hydro
03 – LEEDS, First Direct Area
05 – NEWCASTLE, Utilita Area
06 – MANCHESTER, Co-Op Reside
08 – SHEFFIELD, Utilita Area
09 – LIVERPOOL, M&S Financial institution Area
10 – NOTTINGHAM, Motorpoint Area
12 – BRIGHTON, Brighton Centre (matinee and night)
13/14 – BOURNEMOUTH, Bournemouth Int Centre
16/17 – CARDIFF, Utilita Area
18 – BIRMINGHAM, Resorts World Area
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
