Andy Hopkins Lined Up For Coventry After Show DJ Set

It looks like Andy Hopkins could be partying into the night after Monday's Coventry gig next week as he takes up a DJ slot with his good friend John Dawkins at S7ven nightclub. The popular Coventry venue was the location for The Enemy video Gimme The Sign shoot in February and will be hosting a free night of live entertainment, including local band This Modern Youth. Fans will have already been treated to music from The Enemy, Reverend And The Makers and local band The Antics earlier in the evening at the Coventry gig.

The Enemy were forced to change gig venues at the last minute, "because of noise restrictions imposed by Coventry Council and certain health and safety aspects" and switched indoors to local entertainment spot Kasbah. The band have performed at Kasbah several times and the venue will also be hosting after parties.

S7ven released this statement today (15/05/12): "S7VEN Coventry and Panic have decided it would be unfair to charge people to our planned after parties, so instead we are host one big FREE after party on the Monday 21st. doors 10:15 pm directly after the gig. Live music from This Modern Youth to warm up then a massive DJ set from The Enemy themselves. £2.50 on selected bottles £1 on shots. If anyone had brought advance tickets to the after parties please bring you tickets to the after party and we will refund them."

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The Enemy Forced To Change Coventry Gig Venues

The Enemy have been forced to change venues for their Coventry gigs next week and released this important message:

"We're sad to announce that because of noise restrictions imposed by Coventry Council and certain health and safety aspects, the sold out gigs on the 21st and 22nd of May will not be able to go ahead in the Ruins, and will be moved to another venue in Coventry.

We are absolutely devastated, just gutted. So much hard work has gone into trying to do something special for the people in Coventry. We absolutely adore our fans, especially our home fans, and we really wanted to put on the cathedral show as a way to say thank you for the support over the years. The noise restrictions and some red tape the council and cathedral have imposed mean that we’ll have to move the gig, at the eleventh hour, been left with no choice.

We don’t want to risk having to cancel the show on the morning if the council and the police decide not to grant a license. It’s not fair to the fans who’ve spent their hard earned on tickets.

So what’s going to happen?

The gig has been relocated to the Coventry Kasbah where we'll play a full set from the first, second and new third album. We’re going to play pretty much the whole of 'We’ll Live and Die', the singles off the second album, and a whole bunch of new stuff from 'Streets In The Sky'. It’s still the day of the album release and it will still be an amazing night!!!.

In addition, the fans will have some of the ticket price refunded. We’re just gutted about not being able to play the cathedral and we know the fans will be too, it was a pricey ticket because of the cathedral location and we think it’s only right to give you a chunk of money back.

So, whilst the cathedral has become impossible, we're still extremely excited to be playing the venue where we played our first gig, on the day we release the third album! The gigs will still be the 21st and the 22nd of May and promise to be an amazing night. Support will come from Reverend And The Makers and local band The Antics.

We’ll see you all there, we’re buzzing for the show, and the release of the album! We’re all mega proud of 'Streets In The Sky' and we’re not going to let a little hiccup like this slow us down! See you at the Kasbah!

Tom, Liam and Andy. x"

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Win VIP Tickets To Watch The Enemy

If you fancy bagging yourself two VIP tickets for The Enemy's Coventry Cathedral Ruins gig, then you had better head over to the Orange RockCorps website pretty snappish as the competition closes at 12pm on May 16th 2012. All you need to do is answer one very simple question and you will be all WHITE (hint hint!)

The Enemy performed for the Orange RockCorp Manchester gig on July 13th 2009 , a venture that brings young volunteers together after giving up four hours helping the community.

 WIN VIP TICKETS

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Tom Clarke Interview: ' We Wrote The Third Album In Secret'

The Enemy frontman, Tom Clarke gave a very candid interview with the Scottish Daily Record recently, where he spoke about the bands departure from Warner Music and how he met up in secret with Andy Hopkins and Liam Watts to write the third album. Tom went on to talk about how the spat between  Alex Zane and himself was resolved and how life on the farm was not all it is cracked up to be.

To read the full interview with Tom Clarke:

We also have the Borderline and O2 Backstage video interviews with The Enemy on the same website for fans to enjoy. Bookmark www.theenemy.eu and keep up to date with all the news, videos and interviews with the band.

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Fans To Meet The Enemy During Record Signings

Fans of The Enemy will have several opportunities to speak to the band when the album, 'Streets In The Sky' is released in the UK. Starting in their hometown of Coventry on Sunday 20th May at HMV in The Precinct at 4pm, The Enemy will then perform two special gigs at the old cathedral ruins on Monday 21st and Tuesday 22nd May in Coventry.

Tom, Andy and Liam will be in Manchester on Wednesday 23rd May for a record signing at the HMV on Market Street at 5pm, ahead of their Manchester Academy performance later that evening. They then travel down to London for an in store appearance at Fopp Records on Earlham Street in Covent Gardens at 5pm, with Shepherds Bush Empire being the location for the London gig in the evening.

Finally The Enemy head back to Scotland once again, where fans can meet them at the HMV store on Buchanan Street in Glasgow at 5pm and then the band will perform at one of their favourite locations - Barrowlands.

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PICTURES: The Enemy Warm Up At Wembley

The Enemy warmed up ahead of their FA Cup Final performance on the roof of Wembley, as these pictures show, the band are on top of the world! Fans will be able to watch the performance on Saturday 5th May on ESPN between 13.30 and 14.30

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Meaning Behind Streets In The Sky Album Title

More of the NME interview with Andy Hopkins reveals thoughts on the second album and the meaning of the title for the third album. Read the NME story below:

The Enemy have admitted that the lyrics on their second studio album 'Music For The People' were too political.
The Coventry trio will release their third album 'Streets In The Sky', which has been produced by The Bronx's Joby Ford, on May 21.
The record kicks off with single 'Gimme The Sign', which you can watch the video for now by scrolling down to the bottom of the page and clicking.

Speaking to NME, bassist Andy Hopkins said that the band all felt their second album was "too political", but that they have returned to their roots for the lyrical themes on 'Streets In The Sky'.

Asked about this, Hopkins said: "We might have gone a bit too political on the second album. It wasn't meant to be, but I think it ended up going that way. This album is like our first one in that it's inspired by our lives and the lives of the people around us. It's about us, and our mates and what goes on. It's got lots of different moods on there though."

Hopkins also spoke about the lengthy gap between their second and third records, saying that the band believed their second offering had been a bit rushed and that they needed a rest.

He said of this: "We needed a bit of a break. We didn't have long enough to write the second album, we basically ended up writing it in the studio. This time around we've had a lot more time and it's been a lot more relaxed."

The bassist also spoke about the album's title, which he revealed had been taken from a television programme about Sheffield housing estate Park Hill, which described the design concept as 'Streets In The Sky'. He added though that the title wasn't actually a reference to the flats.

He said of the LP's title: "There's this block of flats in Sheffield and there was a programme on it and it was called 'Streets In The Sky'. It's not about that though, it can mean lots of things. To me it means normal people doing well. It means enjoying yourself. It doesn't mean just one thing."

*Source: NME.COM

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The Enemy @ Borderline London

The venue was intimate and ideal for The Enemy as they gear up for their upcoming tour dates and summer festivals. Coventry took over Borderline in London for one night only, and they did it in style! The weather outside might have been damp and wet, but inside the venue it was hot and exciting as the support band took to the stage.

Back in December, Tom Clarke had promised to offer support slots to up and coming unsigned bands and proving he is a man that keeps his word, the support slot went to The Kontours - a young Coventry band who have been going for a couple of years and have already built themselves a glowing reputation. With confidence in their songs, Ollie, Kiera and Jack took to the stage and quickly won over the London crowd with their stage presence. The Kontours even performed a new song, proving they have nerves of steel and determination to make good music. Let's hope they get spotted and signed up soon .......

The venue was sold out with The Enemy apparently selling their Borderline tickets in record time and the crowd were up for a good night. The Enemy and the crowd lived up to expectations, making sure security never had a dull moment as the gig kicked into action. As the lads ripped through Aggro and Had Enough, the energy was too much for the power system and Liam Watts had to fill the gap with a drum solo until power was restored. Tom, Andy and Liam wasted no time in tearing it up as they banged out Away From Here and Gimme The Sign - to the delight of the crowd.

Tom's white Fila top might need dry cleaning after the gig as everything gets lager stained during The Enemy gig but how can you stop hundreds of people jumping up and down to This Song and No Time For Tears? The band setlist included another four new tracks -  Saturday, This Is Real, Bigger Cages and 1-2-3-4 Ready To Go. Familiar favourites were not forgotten and Tom took great delight in handing the singing over to the audience during We'll Live And Die In These Towns and You're Not Alone.

 Keyboard player, Tom Boddy was not forgotten and Tom dedicated Be Somebody to him - asking the crowd to change the words to Be Tom Boddy. From the fast paced songs to the slowed down Happy Birthday Jane, The Enemy proved once again why they are a must-see live band. They deliver the goods again and again, something which is evident in the faces of the audience and also beaming from the faces of Tom, Andy and Liam. My camera wasn't allowed into the venue, but I'm glad I had the night off to just enjoy singing along and watching the band perform. It reminded me of why I go to the gigs - there is nothing like watching live music.

The Enemy are back on top of their game and with the new album just weeks away from release, any gig featuring The Enemy will be worthy of attendance. The new sounds blend in perfectly with the anthems from the first album and the best of the second album. UK festivals had better watch out because The Enemy are in town!

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Andy Hopkins Reveals Fear Of Heights Ahead Of Gig On Wembley Stadium Roof

NME spoke to Andy Hopkins about the exciting news that The Enemy will be performing on the roof of Wembley. Here is that NME article:

The Enemy have admitted their gig on the roof of Wembley Stadium "might be tricky" - as bassist Andy Hopkins is afraid of heights.

The Coventry band will take to the roof of the stadium before the FA Cup final on May 5, with their 'Talk Of The Terrace' performance set to be broadcast on ESPN along with the game.

Speaking to NME about how the booking came about, Hopkins revealed that The Football Association simply called their management and asked if they'd like to play on the roof of Wembley Stadium.

He said: "We've worked with the FA quite a bit and obviously 'Be Somebody' is the FA Cup song. They just phoned up our management and asked if we wanted to play on the roof of Wembley on cup final day. Of course we said yes."

Then asked what songs the Coventry trio would be playing, Hopkins added: "We're going to play 'Saturday' and hopefully one more. I think it's just going to be for TV, I can't imagine there'll be any crowd up there. I definitely won't be stage diving."

The bassist then admitted that he's a bit nervous about the gig as he's not good with heights, but hopes that the band are playing in the safety of a glass box.

He said of this: "I don't have a clue how they're going to get the gear up there. To be honest, I'm not that good with heights, which could be tricky. I think there's a little glass box we'll be in, but I'm not totally sure."

The Enemy release their comeback album 'Streets In The Sky' on May 21. The Coventry trio recorded the 12-track album with The Bronx's Joby Ford.

*Source: NME.COM

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Andy Hopkins Talks To NME About New Album

Andy Hopkins spoke to NME magazine about their forthcoming album release, giving some honest thoughts on 'Music For The People' and the fresh, raw sound we can expect on 'Streets In The Sky'. Here is that article from NME:

The Enemy have spoken about their new album 'Streets In The Sky' and said that they believe they have truly captured their live sound properly for the first time.

The Coventry trio will release their third album on May 21. The record kicks off with single 'Gimme The Sign', which you can watch the video for now by scrolling down to the bottom of the page and clicking.

Speaking to NME about the album, bassist Andy Hopkins said that the band all felt their second album 'Music For The People' "sounded too big for a three-piece band" and that he felt they'd captured the sound of their debut 'We'll Live And Die In These Towns' on their new record.

Asked about how he and his bandmates reflected on their second album, Hopkins said: "With the second album, the overall sound was too big for a three-piece band. We've gone back to sounding more like the first album; it's more upbeat, with more catchy choruses. But, at the same time, it sounds nothing like the first album."

Hopkins also spoke about the band's decision to work with The Bronx's Joby Ford on the album and said that he'd help them find a sound that was "fresh and raw".

Asked about how they got introduced to Ford, Hopkins said: "We got introduced to Joby through our A&R man. We'd heard him in the Bronx and once we found out a bit about him we thought he'd be great for the record because he'd make it sound really fresh and raw. On the last couple of albums, we haven't really got our live sound across."

He continued: "With Joby, he helped just work on getting that across. He works in the same way as we do. It wasn't quicker, but it wasn't stressful in any way. We did pre-production, which we've never done before. He listened to all the songs and made loads of suggestions, which really helped."
The bassist added that the trio started off the recording with around 30 songs and then whittled them down to 12 after extensive demoing.

He said of this: "We had about 30 songs to start off with and we demoed a lot of them. Once we finished demoing and recorded some of them we were able to pick out the ones we wanted."

The Enemy will play an intimate London show next week. The band, who confirmed two homecoming gigs at Coventry's Cathedral Ruins on May 21 and 22 earlier this month, will play London's Borderline venue on April 18.

The Enemy will follow the Coventry dates with a short UK tour, playing three further shows. These begin at Manchester Academy on May 23, the band will then play London's O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire on May 24, before finally finishing at Glasgow Barrowlands on May 25.

The band are also confirmed to appear at this summer's Live At Leeds festival and at both legs of August's V Festival.

The Enemy will play:

London Borderline (April 18)
Coventry Cathedral Ruins (May 21, 22)
Manchester Academy (23)
O2 Shepherds Bush Empire (24)
Glasgow Barrowlands (25)

*Source: NME

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