The Enemy Head Back To America

The Enemy will be heading back to America for promotional work with their new album 'Music For The People' according to news sources. Tom, Liam and Andy were in the States back in August 2008 as they performed at several venues as part of their promotion work for 'We'll Live And Die In These Towns'. They are expected to travel during their support dates for Oasis, more details to follow nearer the time.

* As seen on: http://theenemy.eu

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

PRESS: The Enemy 'Music For The People' - Review

THE-FLY.CO.UK - First Listen: The Enemy 'Music For The People'

Review By: JJ Dunning

So you think you know all about The Enemy? Just two hobbits and a beanpole, making music for huddle-cuddle lads to yell at each other between gulps of Kronenberg down the local indie disco? Well, cast those preconceptions aside ye buffoons. The Coventry Mods aren’t here for an easy ride. Drummer Liam Watts tells us, “We don’t wanna be in the same place as the first album. It still sounds like The Enemy, but where they should be two years down the road.” We wrap our ears around, ‘Music For The People’, and see how they’ve matured...

‘Elephant Song’
According to Liam, Elephant Song’s massive riff made it a sure-fire choice to start the album from more or less the moment the band had written it. Signifying this album’s grandiose sense of theatre, the riff is saved until we’ve sat through nearly two minutes of The Stone Roses’ ‘Breaking Into Heaven’-esque procrastinating (minus the jungle bongos, burbling springwaters, and parrots guffing, thank the lord). The initial sense of dread is suspended, however, as when the plodding guitar finally does arrive, it’s devastating, ensconced in swathes of strings and latched onto a brutalism that reminds us of The Music's 'Welcome To The North', in a reassuringly massive way.

‘No Time For Tears’
Hold on. There’s a piano on this. And it’s immediately backed by a backwards drum that sounds like it might be full of sand. Then comes the guitar, and a heightening swirl of something, and here’s Tom for the first time where we can hear what he’s saying. “The morning aff-ta/The revoloo sho” he spits in that ASBO-chic style of his where he’s not really finishing the words properly and sounds like his mouth might be full of Hubba Bubba and Wotsits. “This song is about how no matter how shit things are getting or how hard and ridiculous the struggle is, you can’t give up the fight.” Says Tom on this bit of paper we’ve got here. Cue warbling female vocals a la Pink Floyd’s ‘The Great Gig In The Sky’ and a chorus that sounds like a seriously pissed off Five. And although that sounds completely shit, it’s actually ace, like Black Grape gone rock.

‘51st State’
Where ‘No Time For Tears’ was on the money (literally) talking about current affairs, this song kind of misses the boat a bit. “This is the 51shhhttayyy/where democracy has failed/with a war on our con SHUNS/and blood under our nails” sneers Clarkey over a thumping bass and a jangling piano that sounds a bit like the synth on ‘Rock The Casbah’. Not bad, but now Barack’s in the hotseat, and Guantanamo’s been boarded up, isn’t everyone feeling a bit more upbeat about the world situay SHUN?

‘Sing When You’re In Love’
Ah, now the ambition is really starting to kick in. Where the first three tracks towered above us screaming, this ballad creeps at us, never breaking eye contact. It begins with acoustic and electric guitars gently sparring with one another. Then comes the piano again. Tom is crooning, “A thousand cheap boozers where young lovers meet”. The harmonies are pseudo-chants that will stoke festival crowds into thuggish, baying mobs with a collective heart of gold. “Every tear in your eye, every lump in your throat, every beat in your heart that won’t let you let go” they’ll bay. Which is an ambitious leap from “Ooo-way-oo-way-oh-oh-oh”.

‘Last Goodbye’
The most stripped song on the album. An acoustic guitar intro is backed with some subtle stringwork, and Tom delivers a paean to suicide. “If you want me, come and get me, I’m leaving this world behind” he sings. Lyrically and musically it’s another brave stride away from the brazen riots of ‘We’ll Live And Die In These Towns’, which is cool, but The Enemy, gently hustling cymbals, and sombre, deep-meaning lyricism make tricky bedfellows.

‘Nation Of Checkout Girls’
Liam’s drums thump, Tom snarls, the other one just sort of thrums, then we hit a by-numbers Enemy chorus that sounds like a b-side off their last album. Meanwhile, grocers up and down Britain are shutting their doors for good, too tiny and puny to stand up to the might of the faceless corporate pigs who are picking apart our communities by stealing our young and training them in the ways of the machine that goes “BOOP!” when you wave your sausages at it. BORING.

‘Don’t Break The Red Tape’
At least half of this sounds exactly like The Clash’s ‘London Calling’, except the lyrics are a vicious swipe at the nation’s state of disrepair. “Welcome to England, where there is no fun/Where there is no choice for any of us/There is no left, there is no right/Labour’s a joke/Just another Thatcherite”. A stinging blast of vitriol, all delivered in a just-got-a-nostril-full-off-disgusting-guff Joe Strummer scoff. “Try and stop us now” chant the rest of the band. A call to arms to kick against the pricks, but not too hard, or they’ll do you for assault.

‘Be Somebody’
A punchy intro then, “There’s no such thing as a free meal/And there ain’t no future in British Steel/No, the only thing that really makes us smile/Is a joke and a laugh and a night on the tiles”. More piano lurks behind the bridge, (“Nigel got a job in the city/works in a department store”) before that gives way to a typically spit-sodden Enemy chorus. A chorus that is, in fact, an example of The Enemy at their strongest; painting a dowdy grey Britain full of bored kids and unattainable dreams. Although we don’t actually know anyone called Nigel, so there remains the possibility that this might be an entirely other Britain that nobody’s told us about.

‘Keep Losing’
“It’s hard when you’re young, it’s too late when you’re old/You give all you’ve got, then you leave in a box” continues the happy-go-lucky, take-life-in-your-stride cheery lyrical content of this album. Cue yet more strings, huge crashing crescendos, and clean, Bernard Butler-esque guitars, and, is that a Moog?? All this song is lacking is some timpani and a few Jurassic Park dinosaurs doing Gospel Choir dressed as ballerinas. Just subtly, like, to add ‘texture’.

‘Silver Spoon’
In this final track, the world weariness turns to traditional v-flicking, as although this starts off sounding like the Charlatans covering Meatloaf, it quickly plunges into slow-bouncing early Blur territory, which suddenly quadruples in complexity when you realise that the words are “Never had a silver spoon”. None. More. Oasis. Then, in a flurry of looped feedback, the album proper is over.

[Secret Track]
All that remains is to negotiate this largely pointless secret track, which is, in fact, identical to The Beatles’ ‘Let It Be’, where Tom sounds like a shrill Rod Stewart. It’s an ambitious tilt at something heart-wrenching though, and that shouldn’t be written off completely…

* As seen on: http://theenemy.eu

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

The Enemy - New Studio Pictures

The Enemy have uploaded 7 new black and white studio pictures on their OFFICIAL website and are worth a peek, as they capture Tom, Andy and Liam in action.

* As seen on: http://theenemy.eu

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

Press: The Enemy Releasing Second Album In April

Coventry Telegraph - The Enemy Releasing Second Album In April

NEARLY two years after their hugely successful debut album, Coventry band The Enemy have revealed that their follow-up will be released on April 27.

The trio are hoping Music For The People will prove as popular as their chart-topper We’ll Live And Die In These Towns.
The first single off the new album will be Time for Tears and will be available to buy from April 13.

The album was recorded at Monnow Valley Studios, in Monmouth, with producer Mike Crossey, who has also worked with the Arctic Monkeys and Razorlight.

Lead singer and guitarist Tom Clarke said: “People have forgotten how to record proper rock ’n’ roll records.

“That’s what we wanted to do.

"This is a great sounding record made from the school of the old but has got some brand spanking new anthems that are undeniable on it.

“At all our gigs there have always been people from every walk of life. It’s something I’m quite proud of – our crowds are quite classless.

“We don’t make music for a little niche of people. We make it for absolutely everyone.”

He said the first single is all about not giving up no matter how bad things may get.

“Hopefully, people will relate to that with what’s going on at the moment in the world.

"You have to keep giving it your all,” Tom said.

Next week the band will be showcasing the album to their fans as they embark on a two- month tour of the UK.

They will also be supporting Oasis in Coventry’s Ricoh Arena on July 7.

* As seen on: http://theenemy.eu

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

PICTURES: The Enemy Corby Gig

NME - Tom Oxley Pictures:

Here are 14 pictures by Tom Oxley taken for NME magazine, Tom was nearly squashed to death in the process of taking these pictures but they turned out well. They capture the emotion from the Corby gig very well:

*Check out NME each week for all the music news

* As seen on: http://theenemy.eu

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

The Enemy Confirmed For V Festival

The Enemy will be performing at this years V Festival, with The Specials making it a Coventry double. Tom, Andy and Liam will be playing Weston Park in Staffordshire on Saturday 22nd August and then Hylands Park in Chelmsford on Sunday 23rd August 2009.

Tickets go on sale Friday 6th March at 10am, find out more at http://www.vfestival.com/

Here are the list of artists confirmed for this years V Festival:

The Killers
Oasis
Razorlight
Elbow
The Streets
MGMT
The Wombats
The Script
Lily Allen
The Ting Tings
Bify Clyro
Keane
Pendulum
Snow Patrol
Peter Doherty
James
Katy Perry
The Saturdays
Ocean Colour Scene
Happy Mondays
Lady Gaga
Seasick Steve
Fatboy Slim
Paolo Nutini
The Enemy
The Specials
Dizzee Rascal

* As seen on: http://theenemy.eu

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

The Enemy Pull Out Of Homecoming Festival

The Enemy will no longer be heading up to Scotland on May 2nd and 3rd for the Bank Holiday weekend Homecoming Festival at Irvine Bay, Ayrshire.

THE Enemy were meant to perform live and headline the main stage but due to circumstances have had to pull out from the Homecoming Festival.

A source from The Enemy's management company said: "Due to unforeseen circumstances, The Enemy have had to cancel their appearance at Homecoming Festival.

"The band were looking forward to playing the event but due to scheduling issues, have to go to America to promote the new album.

"The band have not taken the decision lightly, but they feel they are doing this for the good of their long-term career.

"The band wish to apologise for disappointing any fans hoping to see them."

* As seen on: http://theenemy.eu

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

PICTURES: The Enemy Secret Gig - Corby

The Enemy performed a free secret gig at The Kingfisher pub in Corby on Saturday 28 February 2009, a full selection of pictures have been posted at:

http://theenemy.eu/corby_pictures.aspx

Liam Watts


Fans enjoying The Enemy

* As seen on: http://theenemy.eu

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

VIDEO: The Enemy Secret Gig In Corby

The Enemy performed at the Kingfisher pub in Corby as part of their "Secret Gig" tour. The following videos include an introduction (with pictures), Away From Here, No Time For Tears (sample), Had Enough, Sing When You're In Love, This Song and We'll Live And Die In These Towns.

The venue was raw and back to basics - Tom, Andy and maybe even Liam could see into the whites of the eyes of those who attended. No room for security at the front or a large stage, this was how gigs should be - music by the people and for the people. How fitting that the new album is to be called 'Music For The People', living proof that The Enemy have stuck close to their roots and kept the sound real. Enjoy.........


robmacca's introduction to the Corby gig - and pictures.


The Enemy - Away From Here (live @ Corby)


The Enemy - No Time For Tears (sample, live @ Corby)


The Enemy - Had Enough (live @ Corby)


The Enemy - Sing When You're In Love (live @ Corby)


The Enemy - This Song (live @ Corby)


The Enemy - We'll Live And Die In These Towns (live @ Corby)

* As seen on: http://theenemy.eu

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

The Enemy Corby Secret Gig Is On!

28/02/09 - Corby Secret Gig ON

The Enemy will be performing at Corby for their final secret gig tonight after doctors ordered Tom Clarke to rest his wrist for 24 hours following a motorbike related incident, as reported her earlier today.
Tom, Liam and Andy spent Friday evening chatting with fans who had turned up for the Tunbridge Wells secret gig, while Oli put his skills to work by playing some tunes for the crowds while getting through as many bottles of lager as possible.

So although it was sad that Friday's gig couldn't happen the way it was planned, at least fans got to meet the people who bring them the music.

28/02/09 - Tom Hurts Hand - Gig Called Off

Tom Clarke hurt his hand in a motorbike related incident, causing the latest secret gig in Tunbridge Wells to be called off. Tom posted a video for fans on http://www.theenemyontour.com/gig/tunbridge-wells/P200/ and still turned up at the venue to meet winning fans and tracks from the new album were played. The final gig in Corby takes place Saturday night - check the website for the latest updates.

* As seen on: http://theenemy.eu

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

Tom Clarke's Tour Diary - Day 3

XFM.COM - Tom Clarke's Tour Diary - Day 3
February 24 – Escobar, Wakefield

It’s pretty non-stop on tour, especially on little tours like this. We’ll get up, get in a car, travel to the gig, get to the gig, sound check, grab some food and then after that you’ve normally got five phone interviews to do.

After that, you play the gig. If you didn’t get time for the interviews beforehand, you get back on the phone after the show. Once that’s all done, you get back in the car and travel to the next gig.

After all that, playing the show is actually a bit of a relief. You can spend up to six hours in a car tapping your foot and going through every tune on your iPod. Once you get on stage, you buzz off it and let it all out.

Wakefield was quality, it’s been one of my favourites. It was totally mental. All the locals were bang into it and the new stuff went down really well, which is a great sign.

The difference between a good show and a great show is the crowd. We always have a good gig, we don’t really have bad gigs – we buzz off each other when we’re on stage. What makes a great gig, and a memorable gig, is when the crowd’s going mental. Those are the sorts of things you remember, that’s what sets it apart.

Wakefield was definitely one of those. It was a tiny little mental room full of mad-heads. It was the hottest gig ever as well. I’ve never sweated so much in my life.

We’ve got a few days off now, but it’s not really ‘days off’. We’re off to the NME awards tonight, which will be good. It’ll be nice to show our faces and see who’s winning stuff. After that, it’s a travel day and then we’ll be iTunbridge Wells. Bring it on.

* As seen on: http://theenemy.eu

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

Interviews: Tom Clarke's Tour Diary

Those lovely people at XFM Radio have really shown their support for The Enemy once again, this time the XFM website is home to the 'Tom Clarke Tour Diary'. The lead singer will be jotting down some thoughts while out on the road in the UK.

Here is the first page from the diary (keep checking XFM.COM for more updates):

Basically, where we're from, you hardly ever get touring bands coming through and there's lots of places – Dundee,

Wakefield, York and Corby – that big touring bands never bother to visit. I think it's a bit unfair to forget that it’s the people in these towns that buy your music and put you where you are.

If we were sat in our local pub in Coventry and a band who’s albums we’d bought was playing, we’d be absolutely buzzing. That’s why we decided to do this tour of small venues – we didn’t let anyone stand in our way.

We've done the Ricoh Arena, massive arenas with the Stereophonics, the O2 with The Rolling Stones – we've done our fair share of massive places, but I always enjoy getting into a proper nitty-gritty venue. Last night in York, the only thing between me and the fans was my monitor, and that's a beautiful thing when you're there and in the same room, face-to-face with your fans.

The venue itself was quality. The clue’s in the title, but it was a shrine to The Stone Roses, among other greats. Legally the capacity was about 100-150, but how many people we had in there was another thing entirely.
We played a long set - we put in six tunes off the new album. The new stuff went down better than I ever imagined. I can never work it out, but whenever you write a new song, you play it at a gig for the first time and people start singing along immediately. How the hell does that happen?

* As seen on: http://theenemy.eu

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

PRESS: The Enemy In 'Secret' Corby Gig

Northants Evening Telegraph - Chart Toppers The Enemy In 'Secret' Corby Gig

Last year the Coventry band played in front of tens of thousands at football stadiums and it announced five 'secret' shows across the UK earlier this month – with the Corby gig the final one.

The venue is not being announced until Saturday morning but it's certain to be one of the smallest shows the band will play this year.

Singer and guitarist Tom Clarke said: "Living in Coventry there's not many big bands that come through. That's true of Corby."

"People overlook it and it's not just about bands, how long has the town had to wait for a train station?"

Previous gigs at venues in York, Wakefield and Dundee have seen the band play in front of audiences of about 150 fans.

Clarke said: "I've got a few mates that live in Corby. We've chosen places where we feel we've got something in common with the people."

The Enemy's debut album released in 2007 sold more than 300,000 copies.

Tickets for Saturday's gig are free but will only be available from www.theenemyontour.com.

The gig will also be streamed live online.Read a full interview with Clarke in The Guide on Friday.

* As seen on: http://theenemy.eu

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

PRESS: The Enemy Warm Up For Oasis Tour With Secret Dundee Gig

Glasgow Daily Record - The Enemy Warm Up For Oasis Tour With Secret Dundee Gig

By Laura Sutherland

INDIE rockers The Enemy played a top secret gig in Dundee's Dog House last night to preview tracks from their forthcoming second album.

Fans logged on to the Coventry band's website to win tickets to one of five intimate gigs across the country ahead of the release of Music For The People on April 27.

Songs No Time For Tears and Man With A Silver Spoon were anthemic, ensuring the band will keep up with Oasis when they support them this year.

* As seen on: http://theenemy.eu

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

The Enemy: No Time For Tears - Video Teaser

The Enemy - No Time For Tears - Video Teaser

The Enemy are back and sounding bigger than ever! The Coventry lads will be releasing their first single 'No Time For Tears', from the new album mid April and they have just made this video teaser ahead of the official video launch.

Check out The Enemy on MySpace for more updates and news.

* As seen on: http://theenemy.eu

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

Tom Clarke Speaks Out!

Video Finished For New Single:

It's all been turned up a notch in The Enemy camp as the lads get back into the hectic rock 'n' roll routine of gigs, promo and curry's!

Tom Clarke spoke about the video for 'No Time For Tears' saying, "We've collaborated with legend RANKIN to make something a bit different from anything we've done before." The video is now complete and will be up on The Enemy's official YouTube page very soon, ahead of it's UK release on April 13.

Tom told fans that the lads were "all buzzing off playing it along with some of the other new stuff." He went on to show his support for the workers at the BMW plant in Oxforshire saying, "the way in which business was conducted there last week was unforgivable. Big support to all who were affected and all who had something to say about it."

* As seen on: http://theenemy.eu

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

The Enemy: ‘Second Album Was A Pleasure To Make’

Tom Clarke and co. reveal the ‘difficult second album’ was anything but. You can hear the new single ‘No Time For Tears’

on XFM Radio

Tom Clarke spoke to Steve Harris last night about making the band’s second album, ‘Music For The People’. Far from being a difficult process, the singer revealed it was an easier album to make than their debut.

“It was a lot easier than the first one. People refer to the second as a ‘difficult’ album, because for a lot of bands it’s make-or-break and they rush it. We’ve given it the proper time to mature... It’s been a pleasure to make, to be honest with you”.

With lead-off single ‘No Time For Tears’ sounding suitably huge, the album follows suit with a raft of classic-sounding rock and gigantic ballads.

“We’re all massively proud of it. We’ve obviously taken a bit longer than a lot of bands lately have taken to make records. And I think that’s right. If you look back at classic records and classic bands it’s always taken this amount of time to make a record”.

You can hear the first fruits of the album right now.

Listen to the band’s new single ‘No Time For Tears’.

And hear the full interview with Tom Clarke right now.

You can also win tickets to The Enemy's secret warm-up shows by heading here.

*Source: XFM.COM

* As seen on: http://theenemy.eu

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

Win Tickets To The Enemy's Intimate Shows

The Enemy are playing five tiny venues ahead of their mammoth March/April UK tour. XFM are giving you the chance to win a pair of tickets for your chosen show! Can you guess the connection between the pictures..

The Enemy are embarking on a super-exclusive, warm-up tour of intimate venues. It’s ahead of their eagerly awaited second album ‘Music For The People’ and the mammoth UK tour that follows in March and April.

The dates and towns of these tiny shows are as follows:

February 2009:

20 – York
23 – Dundee
24 – Wakefield
27 – Tunbridge Wells
28 – Corby

XFM have got two pairs of tickets for each of the five gigs. All you’ve got to do is tell XFM the connection between the artists in the gallery, tell XFM which gig you’d like to attend and then keep it all crossed.

Launch the gallery now!

Go to the XFM website to to answer the question and enter to competition.

* As seen on: http://theenemy.eu

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

The Enemy Announce Intimate Gigs

The Enemy have announced five intimate gigs ahead of their UK tour, the dates and venues are:

February 2009:

20 – York
23 – Dundee
24 – Wakefield
27 – Tunbridge Wells
28 – Corby

* As seen on: http://theenemy.eu

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

The Enemy: No Time For Tears - Release Date

'No Time For Tears' Release Date

The Enemy release their new album, 'Music For The People', on April 27th 2009, while the first single from the album, 'No Time For Tears', is out on April 13th 2009.

* As seen on: http://theenemy.eu

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