The trio from Coventry consist of Tom Clarke (vocals/guitar), Liam Watts (drums) and Andy Hopkins (bass/vocals).
Despite having a number one album they’ve never had a number one single and perhaps this is because they sound a lot like every other indie band on the scene at the moment.
Lead singer Tom Clarke boldly swaggered onto stage just after 9pm letting rip on his Telecaster. An already happy crowd had been given 90 minutes to get the drinks in before fraternising with the Enemy.
If you’ve ever wondered what to do with your empty plastic glass at a gig you could indulge in a drinking game I’d never seen seen until going to the Winter Gardens and which I’m putting down to youthful exuberance in the mosh pit rather than G20eque rioting. Basically, down your pint and throw your drinking vessel towards the security guards. Kids, eh? They’re obviously used to it because the stage was littered with toilet roll to mop up the offending spillages - they will stand behind Enemy lines.
Another first for me was getting frisked at the entrance.
Apart from those few overzealous rockers, everyone else roared their approval and waved their arms about; one group even created their own mosh pit which had pleased the warm-up band Twisted Wheel (album out April 13, folks).
Gary Collins from Thanet band Crazy Train even turned out to see them, describing Clarke as a young version of Paul Weller.
With sledgehammer drumming from Watts and guitars so angry you can feel the scorn pouring out of the amps, the Enemy feel rather like the Jam. But then Clarke pulls out an acoustic and it’s like listening to an entirely different band.
Take Happy Birthday Jane, for instance; unabashedly different to everything else screamed through the nose in their faux northern accents; drenched in violins and oohs.
I blame Pete Doherty for the accent-riddled indie these days and – along with the Arctic Monkeys – The Enemy are no different.
For instance take the lyrics from We'll Live And Die In These Towns: "Because you can’t have a bath when there’s no hot water", becomes "Cus you can ave a baff when derres no hod wader."
With a stage swimming in backlight and smoke the band present a menacing image, but were clearly enjoying themselves and I have to admit I was too.
Music For The People is released on April 13.
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