Enter Shikari frontman Rou Reynolds chats with us about taking over the function of The Artilleryman in Jeff Wayne‘s ‘The Conflict Of The Worlds’. Primarily based on the basic 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 change into concerned with this undertaking?
ROU: Properly, I used to be simply as shocked to be requested as anybody. I received requested if I needed to come back all the way down to Jeff Wayne’s studio and I bear in mind being performed the album by my uncle after I was seven years previous or one thing. At numerous factors in my life, I’ve gone again to the report and at all times had an immense response to it. It’s meant various things at totally different factors of my life, and I’ve gained various things from it at totally different factors. So I went all the way down to Jeff’s studio and simply had an extended previous chat with him, and was stunned 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 supplied me the half. I didn’t say sure right away, as a result of I used to be filled with imposter syndrome and anxiousness and all the conventional stuff. I’ve by no means finished any actual appearing. I’ve acted in our music movies and issues like that. I’ve at all times been an excellent admirer of theatre and of drama. With Shikari reveals, there’s a heavy dose of theatrics in there, and the plot of a set record 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 aware of. It seems like an excellent 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 identical time it’s such an enormous manufacturing. The truth that we’ll be doing many venues that I’ve finished earlier than feels okay. This isn’t too overseas for me, actually. Additionally. talking to Jeff, he stated that, for 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 appearing 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 believe Jeff and his entire staff are clearly wonderful at growing expertise, trying on the observe report of folks 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 at all times pushing themselves into new territory however that is one thing much more surprising. You need to relish that chance.
ROU: It’s one thing that I believe 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 instructing ourselves. We’re studying new issues. We’re growing as a human, you realize, and I depend myself immensely fortunate that I’m on this place the place I get to dabble, let’s assume, in all these totally different artwork kinds. It simply fills me with gratitude and pleasure. There’s a lot that I can convey 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 Conflict Of The Worlds’ seems 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 toddler 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. Numerous his writing remains to be actually fairly pivotal for us right now. In order that’s been one thing that I’ve taken away as I’ve come again to it now. However yeah, I believe musically it was one thing that instantly grabbed me, as a result of I used to be introduced up on The Beatles, and so lots of the melodies are harking back to that period. I felt much more nostalgic as a result of it jogs my memory of so lots 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 believe has at all times been inspiring in numerous methods.
RS: As you talked about, you will have finished some appearing in music movies earlier than, with ‘Arguing With Thermometers’ notably coming to thoughts. Was a much bigger appearing 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 really like character comedy and accents and the liberty and creativity inside making characters. It’s one thing that I’ve at all times form of finished. 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 believe 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 received to study. I believe it’s one thing that I’m going to essentially take pleasure in. 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 reside at Wembley Area final yr, totally embracing the chance for greater manufacturing parts. Attending to be part of one other massive scale manufacturing like this should be notably 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 perfect. I’ve by no means really 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 an excellent place to be in, coming into the rehearsal course of with out having seen someone 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 positive I’ll undergo at the least the scenes that that I’m in and see what different folks dropped at it. Every person who’s finished it has introduced one thing totally different to it. For me, there’s a little bit of apprehension about what I can convey to the character. As a result of on the face of it, he’s only a dreamer, and I believe 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 believe come inside all of us. So it’s going to be nice to replicate on moments after I’ve been all these items and convey that into the character.
Catch Rou in ‘The Conflict Of The Worlds’ on the beneath tour dates. Tickets are on sale now:
MARCH
28 – HULL, Connexin Stay
30 – DUBLIN, IRELAND, 3Arena
APRIL
01 – ABERDEEN, P&J Stay
02 – GLASGOW, OVO Hydro
03 – LEEDS, First Direct Area
05 – NEWCASTLE, Utilita Area
06 – MANCHESTER, Co-Op Stay
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 latest winners of our Rock Sound 25 Icon Award. Get your journal and unique merch bundles now at SHOP.ROCKSOUND.TV
