The Enemy Set For Childline Gig

The Enemy will be performing a rare gig as the band are enjoying a well deserved rest. Tom, Andy and Liam are always happy to offer their support when it comes to good causes and as NME reports......

The Enemy, Carl Barat and Reverend And The Makers are set to play a gig in London for the Childline charity on Thursday April 1.

The acts will play at the O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire venue.

Tickets are on sale now and available from SeeTickets.com

* OFFICIAL Enemy website: http://theenemy.com

Old School Enemy Planned

The BBC have reported The Enemy are taking time out, but for fans of the Coventry band the news is still good. While the lads enjoy their first break in years, they will be returning with 'old school' tunes that made The Enemy famous.

Here is the BBC website article in full:

The Enemy's lead singer Tom Clarke has said the band are taking some time off from recording and touring.

The Coventry band released their second album Music For The People last year but are taking a break for the first time since their releasing their debut LP in July 2007.

Speaking to Newsbeat he said: "We're just taking it easy, taking our time. I've bought this ridiculous farm and I'm trying to decorate it so I can move in."

But he's still writing new material: "We've not got a tour for a few months and you go, 'Oh, I'll put my feet up'. But instead of that you get home and you write more songs than you've ever written in your life."

He added: "We're being a bit prolific at the moment but there's a lot of really exciting stuff happening.

"We're going back to rehearsing how we used to because we can't not rehearse, we'd miss it too much.

"A lot of the tunes we're writing are pretty old-school Enemy and it's pretty exciting."

* OFFICIAL Enemy website: http://theenemy.com

Tom Clarke Discusses XFM New Music Award Nominations

The Enemy man has his say on the Xfm New Music Award nominees and here is the XFM article, click the link below and listen to Tom Clarke talking to Dave Berry on XFM radio.

The shortlist for the Xfm New Music Award was announced on January 18 and Tom Clarke of 2008 winners The Enemy - who is one of this year's celebrity judges - came to Xfm to discuss the nominees.

Speaking to Xfm London's Dave Berry, Clarke gave a thumbs up to Band Of Skulls, who were nominated for their album 'Baby Darling Doll Face Honey', saying they were "Mint - They're White Stripes meets Franz Ferdinand. While I don't particularly like Franz, The White Stripes are one of the best bands ever. I can't wait to see Band Of Skulls live."

He also gave backing to Florence And The Machine, claiming: "I love Florence, quite literally, Everything's a tune, everything's been amazing, they've not slipped up once."

However, Clarke was less than enthusiastic for Mumford And Sons' 'Sigh No More', saying the folk-rockers were a "poor man's Elbow. Is there room in the world for Mumford, when you've got Elbow? The vibe is pretty similar."

Listen to the full interview: HERE

The judging for the New Music Award take place on Monday February 1 and the result is announced on Xfm the following day. For more on the nominees, see www.xfm.co.uk/nma

* OFFICIAL Enemy website: http://theenemy.com

British Indie Music Dead?

A gloomy short-term forecast ahead then after a challenging year for British indie guitar music, reports the BBC Newsbeat website.

Kaiser Chiefs admitted after their final gig of the year, "I think all the bands that were all our period of bands need to take a little break," said drummer Nick Hodgson to NME. "All the kids can come around to us again."

That's exactly what Coventry band The Enemy are planning on doing.

They released their second album Music For The People last year. After an initial charting at number two their presence in the charts dried up with sales not replicating that of their debut two years before.

"Anyone in guitar bands has to accept that last year was tough," says lead singer Tom Clarke. "You look at the charts and there just isn't the plethora of guitar bands that should be there.

"The cycle is there to weed out the rubbish bands. Last year the weak were weeded out."

Kasabian were one of a handful of British guitar bands to buck that trend and have an enduring commercial hit.

"Whilst radio stations were chickening out of playing guitar music - Kasabian just came out and said, 'Hang on a sec, guitar is great and always will be and here's a record to prove it'," says Clarke.

"Picking when you release a record is key to how the record does - we were really lucky that the timing on the first record was beautiful.

"The timing on the second record, I think we just got it in there before guitar music died a death in 2009.

"As with the Kaiser Chiefs and as with a lot of guitar bands, we'll sit out releasing a record until the time is right again."

* OFFICIAL Enemy website: http://theenemy.com

Tom Clarke Becomes XFM New Music Award Judge

Tom Clarke is certainly keeping himself busy as it has been announced he has become a judge on the XFM panel to decide which artist will win the XFM New Music Award this year. The Enemy and Glasvegas have previously won the award.

You can pick your favourites for the shortlist and then Tom Clarke and the other judges will choose the best debut of 2009.

Voting continues until January 15, and one lucky voter will win the opportunity to sit on the same panel as Tom Clarke and become an official judge - so head over to XFM and vote now!


Panel of judges:

Ben Cardew, Music Week
Carl Barat, Dirty Pretty Things/The Libertines
Clint Boon, Xfm
David Morgendorff, MTV Digital Media Director
Dave Berry, Xfm
Gordon Smart, The Sun
John Kennedy, Xfm
John Leckie, Radiohead/Stone Roses producer
Peter Hook, Joy Division/New Order
Tim Burgess, The Charlatans
Tom Clarke, The Enemy
Tom Smith, Editors

* OFFICIAL Enemy website: http://theenemy.com

VIDEO: The Enemy Shockhound Interview 2008

Here is an interview from summer 2008 when The Enemy were in America promoting 'We'll Live And Die In These Towns'. Recorded by Shockhound - Tom, Liam and Andy discuss music and life in this special interview.

* OFFICIAL Enemy website: http://theenemy.com

Happy New Year

Another year over and what a year it's been for The Enemy, Coventry's finest export since The Specials. They started the year with some secret pub gigs around the country, returning to small upfront and personal performances - and all of them were for free, as a thank you to fans.

Then the Coventry trio embarked on a massive UK tour with their new single 'No Time For Tears', becoming their fastest selling to date and featuring the stunning backing vocals of Emma Skipp. The press went into overload as they reviewed the much anticipated second album, 'Music For The People'. It entered the UK charts at #2, just 7,000 copies behind the legendary Bob Dylan.

Advert for 'Music For The People'

The Enemy continued to have a busy 2009 with various festivals back in Japan and Europe along with T4 on the Beach, iTunes and the BBC Big Weekend. Tom, Liam and Andy spent the summer touring with Oasis and all the rock 'n' roll headlines that followed. Tom Clarke and Tom Boddy then travelled across America in a Jaguar for the Gumball Rally.

Two more singles from 'Music For The People' were released - 'Sing When You're In Love', with a video featuring lots of scooters and a 60's vibe. 'Be Somebody' featured on Fifa 10 in a new kind of marketing to promote The Enemy. The lads then finally began their first break in three years as Tom Clarke got busy down on his farm, Liam relaxing more at home in Coventry and Andy living life to the full as always.

Yet 2010 will by no means see the end of The Enemy, having performed for the Hogmany celebrations in Edinburgh for New Year, the lads have much more ahead of them. The third album will hopefully see a return to the tunes we all love - gritty lyrics about everyday life. The music industry can be a fickle business, but if The Enemy stay focused they will continue to entertain their fans.

* OFFICIAL Enemy website: http://theenemy.com