Enter Shikari frontman Rou Reynolds says being honest with their audience and treating them with respect has contributed to their rise in popularity.
In 2013 he called out 30 Seconds To Mars for charging fans for meet and greet sessions. And he maintains that bands should stop looking at their fans as nothing more than “walking dollar signs.”
Reynolds tells Sound Story: “The most important thing is being honest. People can spot a band when they’re not being honest whether it’s musically, in a video or on stage. You have to be completely comfortable with what you’re making and be in control of it – not be told what to do because it’s going to come through.
“The people who like your music like it for a reason. If you’re making music that you enjoy, you are probably the biggest fan of your music. If you’re not then you’re probably not enjoying yourself.”
He advises: “Write music you love and if people love that with the same degree of passion, you are immediately connected to them. You already know so much about them – you could be best mates with them and that’s how you should look at the people who like your music. Not as fans, not as walking dollar signs – so avoid that by all means and people will appreciate it and will stick with you.”
Enter Shikari are currently on tour across Europe and will head to North America next month for an extensive run of dates. They’ll headline Hevy Fest on August 20 in New Haven, Derbyshire.
Enter Shikari 2016 tour dates
Mar 22: Roncade New Age Club, Italy
Mar 23: Munich Kesselhaus, Germany
Mar 24: Berlin Huxleys Neue Welt, Germany
Mar 26: Schijndel Paaspop Festival, Netherlands
Mar 27: Cologne Ewerk, Germany
Mar 28: Brussels AB, Belgium
Apr 15: Seattle El Corazon, WA
Apr 16: Portland Hawthorne Theatre, OR
Apr 17: Sacramento Ace of Spades, CA
Apr 18: Los Angeles Teragram Ballroom, CA
Apr 20: Las Vegas Vinyl at Hard Rock, NV
Apr 22: Anaheim Chain Reaction, CA
Apr 23: San Diego Soma, CA
Apr 24: Mesa Nile Theater, AZ
Apr 26: San Antonio Korova, TX
Apr 27: Dallas Gas Monkey Bar & Grill, TX
Apr 28: Houston Scout Bar, TX
Apr 30: Jacksonville Welcome To Rockville, FL
May 01: Atlanta Masquerade, GA
May 03: Philadelphia TLA, PA
May 04: Worcester The Palladium, MA
May 05: New York Gramercy Theatre, NY
May 6: Baltimore Sound Stage, MD
May 7: Freehold GameChangerWorld, NJ
May 8: Charlotte Carolina Rebellion, NC
May 10: Nashville Rocketown, TN
May 11: St Louis Fubar, MO
May 13: Omaha Sokol Underground, NE
May 14: Somerset Northern Invasion, WI
May 15: Chicago The Bottom Lounge, IL
May 16: London London Music Hall, ON
May 17: Montreal La Tulipe, QC
May 18: Ottawa Ritual, ON
May 19: Toronto Mod Club, ON
May 20: Columbus Rock On The Range, OH
May 21: Pittsburgh Altar Bar, PA
