PICTURES: The Enemy At XFM Studio

The Enemy were back at XFM for 'An Evening With', as they promoted 'Music For The People' and the official website has a whole host of pictures from behind the scenes. If you missed the interview then you can check it out here . The whole collection of photos featuring The Enemy at Xfm are in the gallery here.

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

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

VIDEO: Andy and Liam in Q Magazine Interview

Q magazine interviewed Andy Hopkins and Liam Watts while they were in London for the Camden Crawl. Tom was suffering with a bad throat and had been unable to attend, so this video gives a rare insight into the thoughts and opinions of Andy and Liam just prior to the release of Music For The People. Q magazine fire the questions as Andy and Liam attempt to answer........



*Read more music news from Q Magazine: HERE
*Thanks to Lani for telling me about the interview.

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

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

The Enemy T-Shirts On Sale

The Enemy store has been updated with new t-shirts and other merchandise added recently on the official website, so check it all out by clicking any of the pictures below to find out more about ordering, sizes and postage.

£18

£18

£18

£18


£7.99


£7.99

£4.99


*Prices correct @ time of publishing - check official website for updates

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

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

The Enemy - Album/Single Update

According to the midweeks charts (see the excellent blog updates HERE), The Enemy's 'Music For The People' album drops a few places from #2 down to #6 at the moment with sales of around 7,000+ for the week so far.

The single 'No Time For Tears' has slipped outside the UK Top 40, falling eight places to #43. The chart run is 16 - 35 - 43 so far.

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

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

Music For The People - Sales Figures

Here are the sales figures for The Enemy's 'Music For The People', the Coventry trio missed the number one spot by just 6,976 copies. We'll Live And Die In These Towns sold 39,191 copies on it's first release, but recent album charts have been down 16%. The new album has sold 3,828 fewer copies than it's predecessor, yet if Music For The People had been released a week earlier - it would have been number one as Lady GaGa's The Fame sold 33,828 copies last week.


Official UK Albums Chart: and sales data W/C Sun 3rd May 2009:



1. (NEW) TOGETHER THROUGH LIFE (Bob Dylan) 1 wk (42,339 copies sold)
2. (NEW) MUSIC FOR THE PEOPLE (Enemy) 1 wk (35,363 copies sold)
3. (1) THE FAME (Lady Gaga) 16 wks (29,254 copies sold)
4. (3) I AM…SASHA FIERCE (Beyoncé) 24 wks (22,947 copies sold)
5. (5) IT’S NOT ME IT’S YOU (Lily Allen) 12 wks (19,038 copies sold)
6. (10) FUNHOUSE (Pink) 27 wks (18,101 copies sold)
7. (6) INVADERS MUST DIE (Prodigy) 10 wks (15,980 copies sold)
8. (4) ONLY BY THE NIGHT (Kings Of Leon) 32 wks (15,549 copies sold)
9. (NEW) DOLL DOMINATION: THE MINI COLLECTION (Pussycat Dolls) 1 wk (13,676 copies sold)
10. (8) FREEDOM (Akon) 22 wks (12,450 copies sold)

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

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

The Sun: Tom's Doner Book

The Sun has printed a story claiming that The Enemy's Tom Clarke is writing a book:


NOW here’s a guide everyone should own.
THE ENEMY frontman TOM CLARKE has decided to pen a book about his passion — kebabs.

He said: “I’m working on a book called The Good Kebab Guide.

“It will direct you to the best doners you can get.”

The singer is rather fond of a meat-brimming pitta after gigs and never forgets a top-notch buy. In fact, he has a favourite in almost every corner of the country.

Among the best in the UK, says Tom, are Pizza World in his home city of Coventry and Abdul’s in Manchester. But there is only one king of the kebab — the Golden Horn in Exeter, Devon.

Tom said: “Huge portions, good meat, not a bad chip and tasty chilli sauce.”

I wonder if the Golden Horn delivers to London...


*Source: The Sun

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

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

The Enemy Debuts In UK Charts

The Enemy spent the week locked in an album chart battle with Bob Dylan as the two artists fought for the number one spot in the UK charts. In the end the Coventry trio had to settle for number two with their new album 'Music For The People', yet Tom, Andy and Liam will be in a celebratory mood - knowing sales of the new album have been more than satisfactory (sales figures to follow soon).

Tom is currently in America for the Gumball Rally while Andy and Liam enjoy a few days rest after a hectic few months touring.

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

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

Music For The People - Yet Another Review!

The Enemy - Music For The People Review

Review by: Oasisteria.com

There’s a bit of a misnomer in the title of the second album from Coventry’s The Enemy. Its not so much “Music For The People” than “Music From The People”.

The Enemy are much like Oasis the band they will support this summer. Not in sound but in influence. They don’t so much plagiarise but take influence. And on this album The Enemy have taken their influences and at some points other bands songs wholesale.

This is not to say it’s a bad album, its not its an enjoyable listen from beginning to end. It’s just that it all seems naggingly familiar like Tom Clarke has made an album of his iPod favourites play list. The Enemy were once the victims of scathing put down by the singer of some Shoreditch band or other, (lets face it they’re all alike). The claim being that their NME award laughed in the face of natural selection, yet the songs on this album sound exactly like natural selection.

From the brooding opening bars of “Elephant Song” sounding like Led Zeppelin not just in musical terms but in literary ones, to the closing “silver spoon” stealing the messianic refrain from The Who’s “Tommy” finale. This is big music.. Music for the everyman. Just as Oasis did before them.

The debut’s title track stole heavily from The Jam’s “That’s Entertainment”, but “Music For The People” simply wants to entertain.. There isn’t really a track that is anything less, nothing you would skip. In-between the two 60’ influenced bookends we get a little history of popular culture as interpreted by Tom Clarke, yes he’s still angry at the state of the country but its far more palatable when dressed up as Pulp’s “Common People” or Blur’s “Universal”. The former is a biting little nugget now titled “A Nation Of Checkout Girls”.. the supermarket theme of the Pulp songs video obviously took hold in Clarke’s head and never let go. Blur’s influence can be heard on “Last Goodbye”, a soaring ballad also in the vain of Richard Ashcroft.

For a young man Clarke has an old head on his shoulders. “Keep Losing” another slow paced number laments “its hard when you’re young, too late when you’re old” in a similar vain to an Oasis B-Side “Just Getting Older”, but Noel had 10 years on Clarke when that was written so you have to tip your hat to the younger man he can touch the soul of this reviewer.

“Sing When You’re in Love” is the centrepiece of the whole record, it’s the song Clarke himself put forward as testament to The Enemy’s bigger sound and was road tested live back in 2008. Its an anthemic feel good sing at closing time number, exactly the sort of thing he was aiming for, and he’s nailed it. As he does with the single “No Time For Tears” resplendent with choral backing vocals echoing Pink Floyd’s “Great Gig In The Sky”

Its not all good, “51st State” is a clichéd pun that the UK is just another part of America, something New Model Army noted when Clarke was still in nappies. Even worse is that the songs trite lyrics are attached to a 2nd hand Jam riff, which is exactly what the detractors had them for in the first place. “Don’t Break The Red Tape” is a lumpen mid paced number best left to the likes of Snow Patrol, as a political statement its more pink panther than black panther.

In short though this is a good record, a record you’ve heard before in other peoples collections but it’s a big record and it shows the band have progressed, and that’s good enough for Clarke and its good enough for me.

Scruff’s Rating: 7/10

*Source: Oasisteria.com

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

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

PRESS: The Enemy Knockin' On Bob Dylan's Door!

The Coventry Telegraph spoke to Tom Clarke about the head to head battle in the album chart with Bob Dylan, here is the interview by Alan Poole

THE Enemy are locked in a neck-and-neck race with icon Bob Dylan to see who will head the UK album chart tomorrow

Fans of the young Coventry trio are snapping up Music For The People, successor to No.1 debut We’ll Live And Die In These Towns, despite a mixed reception from the critics.

But the spending power of the grey pound means that they could miss out to 67-year-old Dylan whose 33rd album, Together Through Life, was also released this week.

“It’s a bit mad,” said Enemy vocalist Tom Clarke, “I mean, it’s not just anyone – this is Bob Dylan!”

Struggling with a sore throat as he broke off from rehearsals for last night’s Jonathan Ross Show, Clarke admitted: “I can’t say that I’m a massive fan, but we obviously appreciate everything he’s done. He’s a genuine legend – he set the bar in social awareness and he’s been vitally important to every songwriter who’s come since.

“I’d love to sell more in the first week than someone like that but, even if we don’t, it’s a huge honour to be in the same ball park.

“And if we did happen to get to No.1, it wouldn’t be our victory, it would be the fans’ – all we do is make music, it’s the fans who do the amazing bit by going out and buying it and taking it to No.1 or 2 or whatever.

“We’re just so happy that they seem to be enjoying the new songs. We’ve been getting e-mails all week from people telling us what their favourite track is and things like that – far too many to reply to individually, unfortunately, so I’d like to say a massive thank you to them.”

Although Music For The People has picked up some glowing reviews in the specialist rock press, some national newspapers have been distinctly sniffy about the new material.

But Clarke insisted: “You’re always going to get negative reviews on the second album – some people enjoy building you up and then tearing you down.


“The important thing is that you mustn’t believe your own hype; when you get a good review you take it with a pinch of salt because you know there will be bad ones as well.

“The fact of the matter is that 15,000 people went out on Monday morning and bought the album and that’s a huge number, especially when we’re in a declining economy. I find it inspiring.”

Many reviews, for and against, have picked out comparisons with other bands but Clarke responded: “If you look at a piano you can see there’s only so many notes and it doesn’t take a genius to work out that there are only so many combinations.

“People who make those comparisons tend to be from an older generation, and some of the similarities that they’ve mentioned are intentional – it’s us doffing our caps to people we respect.

“We’re not the first people to do it – Oasis and Green Day have done it – and sometimes you have to include the past in there. And if you have a little nod to The Beatles or The Clash you perhaps introduce their music to a generation that might otherwise never get to hear it.

“I remember when I first bought an Oasis album and took it home mum and dad went ‘well, it’s T-Rex, isn’t it?’ So that’s how I discovered T Rex.

"My little brother is 15 and he’s bang in to people like The Clash and The Sex Pistols. It’s part of the journey of musical discovery – how it’s passed down from generation to generation.”

*Source: Coventry Telegraph

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

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

Irish Charts - Music For The People Misses Top 40

The Enemy's 'Music For The People' narrowly missed on a Top 40 chart position in this weeks Irish Album Chart. The new album entered the Irish charts at number 41 with the highest new entry being Bob Dylan at number two.

The Coventry trio recently visited Ireland during their recent tour. The album is currently expected to chart at number two in the UK this week.

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

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

XFM: An Evening With The Enemy

The Enemy decided to spend some time with XFM as their album hit the shops. We don’t need to tell you it’s an absolutely massive album and the live preview of a few of those songs were also suitably block-busting.

XFM's Steve Harris expertly steered the evening once more and Tom, Liam and Andy were on sparkling form as they were interviewed before playing each track.

Here’s your chance to re-live those glorious few hours now…

Listen To Part 1 Of The Interview

Listen To Part 2 Of The Interview

Listen To Part 3 Of The Interview

Listen To Part 4 Of The Interview

And listen to the session tracks below…

Listen to the live tracks from this session:

The Enemy 'Elephant Song' Listen

The Enemy 'Sing When You’re In Love' Listen

The Enemy 'No Time For Tears' Listen

The Enemy 'You’re Not Alone' Listen

*Source: XFM RADIO

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

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

PRESS: Fears For Enemy

From the Daily Star Playlist:



The Coventry lads' new record is battling Lady GaGa for No 1, claim official midweek chart figures.

But working their rock socks off is taking its toll.

I revealed on Saturday how the band had to pull out of their headline slot at the Gaymers Camden Crawl when frontman Tom Clarke, 21, lost his voice.

A source close to the trio said: "The lads are being worked far too hard and it's burning them out. This new album has come out in next to no time after their first and in between they've been gigging around the world.

"Someone needs to take a look at their diary and cut some things out before they ruin them."

As well as Tom's voice taking a hammering, drummer Liam Watts, also 21, is currently dealing with a vicious bout of acne brought on by stress.

The band have a schedule filled with shows supporting Oasis on their stadium dates in June as well as next week's Radio 1 Big Weekend in Swindon.

My source added: "It's a lot to jump from one album to the next in the space of a year or so. Cancelling a gig is something the boys would never want to do unless absolutely necessary."

Last month a perkier Tom told me that he couldn't wait to get started on the Oasis tour. He admitted: "Oasis fans span about three generations.

My little brother is into them but at the same time so is my mum."

*Source: Daily Star

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

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

VIDEO: The Enemy - Be Somebody

The Enemy have a future chart hit on their hands with 'Be Somebody' from the album 'Music For The People'. Tom Clarke has described the song as the most upbeat track on the new album and a sequel to XTC's 'Making Plans For Nigel'.

So robmacca set about making a fun video this week in celebration of his 1,000,000th YouTube viewer and the release of 'Music For The People'. The song is more infectious than swine flu, even though the video is not professional - it is just a stop gap until the official video for 'Be Somebody' is made.


The Enemy - Be Somebody

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

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

Another Music For The People Review

The Enemy: Music For The People
Review by Sam Lanes for Leeds Music Scene (3 1/2 out of 5)

Looking at the tracklisting for The Enemy's sophomore album - the band who were the new Jam-esque anti-establishment voice of the youth in 2007 - it's hard to wonder if they haven't gone a bit soft.

'Away From Here' has become 'No Time For Tears,' 'We'll Live and Die In These Towns' has become 'Last Goodbye.' Surely, a band famed for its razor-sharp analysis of modern Britain hasn't come up with a selection aimed to woo the hearts of young maidens the length and breadth of the country? Fortunately, the titles don't tell the full story.

Instrumental opener 'The Elephant Song' seems to have been so named as, at one point, the guitars sound a bit like an elephant trumpeting. A poor title matched only by that of the album itself.

From here though, the band move back into more familiar, no-nonsense territory. Single 'No Time For Tears' has a glam-rocker edge and a vocal performance that demands attention. Against what the name may suggest, the song is overtly political and is very much Tom Clarke territory lyrically.

'Sing When You're In Love' made a huge impact on the recent live tour and was a song that raised hopes for this record. However, the recorded version falls a little short of the in-your-face aggression that Tom Clarke is able to give the song on stage.

Away from the rock ballads, there are signs of 'You'll Live and Die In These Towns' here. 'Don't Break The Red Tape,' with its talk of Thatcherism and the government is the most anti-establishment track on the album and is a reminder of what made The Enemy stand out amongst a sea of political apathy found in the youth of today.

Equally, 'Nation of Checkout Girls' and 'Be Somebody' are observational songs that leave no room for imagination as to the subject matter, and the characters that are drawn up are disturbingly familiar reflections of people everyone knows. Despite being the more typical The Enemy songs carried over from the previous album, these are far from the stand out tracks. Instead the new style that comes through on particular songs provides the most interesting listening on this outing.

If Weller was one of the more obvious influences on Clarke as a performer on the band's debut, then Rod Stewart springs to mind here, particularly on acoustic numbers 'My My Hey Hey' and 'Last Goodbye.' These more downbeat, inward-looking songs are a departure from the usual bombast of The Enemy, but they're carried off well.

Instead, the most intriguing track is 'Silver Spoon/Goodnight Ladies and Gentlemen.' This is a classic slice of psychedelia taken straight from Sgt. Pepper, complete with heavily reverbed vocals, heavy rock riff leading over a driving, moderately-paced rhythm section.

Mid-song, this changes to a McCartney-style piano-led ballad. It's absolutely fantastic.

It's a "difficult second album" that is certainly full of surprises.The titles don't bode well, but the tunes speak for a band that wants to move on, slowly but surely developing from the working-class struggle imagery that was the core of the formation of the trio and the debut album. The glamour of rock n roll success has often hindered groups who have early success as a lad-rock band but find it hard to relate back to this when fame and wealth has come their way.

The Enemy have approached this is a clever way. They still sing about X-Factor wannabees and the ridiculousness of the nanny state, but they've introduced a more experimental side, with an emphasis on new influences that we never realised were there on the relatively one-dimensional 'We'll Live and Die...'. Not a complete departure from Coventry's finest, but a step on the path of a band in development.

*Source: Leeds Music Scene

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

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

The Enemy To Play Somerset House Gig

The Enemy and Super Furry Animals have joined the list of acts playing Somerset House shows this summer. Tickets go on sale Friday at 9am - order your tickets HERE.

Bat For Lashes, The Mars Volta and Athlete and Pendulum are also on the extended bill.

Last week, Grace Jones, Lily Allen and The Ting Tings were confirmed for the July event.

The Somerset House lineup is:


July 9 - Grace Jones

July 10 - The Enemy

July 11 - Lily Allen

July 13 - Mars Volta

July 14 - The Ting Tings

July 15 - Pendulum

July 16 - Bat For Lashes

July 17 - Athlete

July 18 - Super Furry Animals

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

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

Music For The People - US Release

Here is the cover for the US release of The Enemy's 'Music For The People'. Not much difference apart from the added "UK" for the US audience. Below is the full story about the release from Altsounds.com

The Enemy UK, a three-piece from Coventry, England are poised to release Music For the People, their brilliant new album available digitally on April 28th and in stores everywhere June 23rd. The band experienced an explosion of popularity in the UK with their debut album We'll Live And Die In These Towns. Entering the UK charts at #1 the band quickly found themselves becoming a consistent mainstay on the pop charts and within the pages of NME magazine, gracing the cover six times. From the Pop Chart success spawned a slew of awards: “Best New Act” from Q Magazine, “Best British Debut Album" at the XFM Awards and “Best New Band” at the NME Awards.

Tom Clarke (vocals, guitar), Andy Hopkins (bass), and Liam Watts (drums) had been a band for only three months when 2007’s We’ll Live and Die in These Towns made its debut. With Music For The People, the band hopes to reach new audiences, elevate their level of playing as well as conquer their collective vivacious creative energies. "The new record will blow a lot of people away. There are people who don't know our band yet or write us off as three-chord indie who are going to be surprised. We have really grown a set of bollocks, that's the only way to describe it,” explains Clarke.

Watch the Music For The People trailer

Music For the People was recorded at Monnow Valley Studios late in 2008 under the watchful ear of producer Mike Crossy, known for his work with internationally successful bands the Arctic Monkeys and Razorlight. Armed with an album that squeals and screams with guitar riffs and is drenched in sweat and the spirit of rock and roll, the listener immediately respects the twists and turns Clarke and company swallowed to build this stellar representation. "People have forgotten how to record proper rock n roll records," he states. “It's a big sounding record…we didn't really hold back. We've spent two years on the road and we wanted something that showed how big the band can be.”

The albums’ first single, ‘No Time For Tears’ shows the bands’ sensitivity and admiration for the simple element of the piano, while layering on textures with howling guitars and lyrics laden with a poignant message that leaves their audience haunted and engaged. Tracks such as ‘Last Goodbye’ reveal a darker edge and intimately cathartic emotional release for Clarke, while ‘It’s Not Ok’, ‘51st State’ and ‘Don’t Break The Red Tape’ are fuelled and raging streams of emotional overload bristling with venomous snarls and righteous voices.

Listen to "No Time For Tears" from Music For The People
Watch the "No Time For Tears" music video


*Source: altsounds.com

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

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

PICTURES: The Enemy at Radio 1 Live Lounge

Here are a selection of pictures from the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge, featuring The Enemy and Emma Skipp in the lounge for Jo Whiley's show on Monday. You can listen to the whole session on the BBC website HERE.

The Enemy visited the Live Lounge and performed 'No Time For Tears' and a cover of The Noisettes' 'Don't Upset The Rhythm'.

Ahead of their headline Big Weekend set, they talked with Jo Whiley about a recent gig in Swindon where the crowd were AMAZING. Tom recently bought a motorbike and after riding it for ten hours he couldn't move his hands. He's off to America this weekend to do the Gumball Rally in a Jaguar.

Meanwhile, band-mate Andy just turned 21 but the boys bought him nothing - rubbish. They also talked about how they're very excited about supporting Oasis on their stadium tour this summer.

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

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

Midweek Charts: New Album Riding High

Critics may be giving The Enemy's 'Music For The People' a mixed review, but the people who buy the music have responded in their thousands as they snap up copies of the new album. The early midweek sales have The Enemy storming the charts at number two and they are just 3,000 copies behind the legendary Bob Dylan in the album chart.

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

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

Music For The People Video Advert

Music For The People is finally out in the shops to buy (and download) - here is a short video advert for The Enemy's much talked about second album:

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

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

Album Picture of The Enemy

Here are some of the pictures from the new album by The Enemy 'Music For The People', featuring the artwork in white and a new picture of Tom, Andy and Liam:

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

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