Enter Shikari are a British rock band formed in St Albans in 1999 by bassist Chris Batten, lead vocalist and keyboardist Rou Reynolds, and drummer Rob Rolfe.

They released an EP called Commit No Nuisance, which featured the tracks "Perfect Pygmalion", "Look Inside", "Torch Song", "Honesty Box" and "Fake".

[5] During 2003 and 2004, the band released three demo EPs (Nodding Acquaintance, Anything Can Happen in the Next Half Hour and Sorry You're Not a Winner) that were available from their gigs and their website, featuring original versions of some songs that were eventually re-recorded for their debut album, Take to the Skies.

One of the new songs set to feature on the album was "Step Up", which was first performed at Milton Keynes Pitz on 28 June 2008, the warm up show to Projekt Revolution the following day.

It was confirmed by NME that Enter Shikari had finished working on their second album, Common Dreads, in March 2009 and announced that they would tour the UK and Europe during 2009.

[10] On 15 April 2009 "Juggernauts" was played on Radio 1 as Zane Lowe's "Hottest Track in the World" and was released as a single on 1 June 2009 with "All Eyes on the Saint" as its B side.

[14] Frontman Rou Reynolds announced that "we've got a different artist for each single from Hospital Records to do drum "n" bass remixes so we'll be releasing that as a 12".

Throughout February–March 2010, Enter Shikari joined the Australian summer festival Soundwave along with other bands such as A Day to Remember and Architects, playing shows in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.

Special guest supports included Rolo Tomassi, Young Guns, Dark Stares, Don Broco and The Qemists.

[16][17] The audio from the shows was released via the band's limited edition box-set Live from Planet Earth - Bootleg Series Volume 3.

On 14 June 2010, Enter Shikari announced that they had returned to the studio to do a "one off new track" called "Destabilise" which was released as a download on 26 October 2010, and a limited edition coloured 7-inch vinyl on 29 November 2010.

Later that year, the band began their first tour of A Flash Flood of Colour in February by heading out to Tokyo, Japan for one show, before playing Soundwave Festival, including a couple of "sideshows" on their off-days.

[35][non-primary source needed] On 25 August 2016, the band announced a live album for their February 2016 Alexandra Palace show.

[40] In 2018 the band embarked on an extensive tour of the UK, Europe, and Scandinavia, entitled "Stop the Clocks", during which they performed a new song of the same name.

[41] The band released the song as a single on 12 August 2019 shortly before their performances at the 2019 Reading and Leeds Festivals where they played 5 different sets across the weekend.

[42] Following this, the band resumed their Stop the Clocks tour with a twelve-date American leg, which singer Rou Reynolds said would "bring the whole "Spark-era" full circle.

Frontman Rou described this track as a "lesson in patience and forgiveness" to Kerrang as they have worked on this single song for such a long time.

[49] On 24 November 2021 through 10 February 2022, Enter Shikari headed out for a brief European tour with a sold-out headline show at Alexandra Palace.

[53] Simultaneously with the release of the single, "(Pls) Set Me on Fire", the band's seventh album's title was revealed on 12 January 2023 as A Kiss for the Whole World.

Magazine wrote: "With Shikari a rare, political voice on the UK rock scene, Rou remains baffled by bands 'labelling themselves as punk that aren't speaking about anything of importance'.

[74] Enter Shikari's lyrics have also centred around more personal themes throughout their career, such as lead singer Rou Reynolds' anxiety, depression, mental illness, self-pity and the loss of a loved one or idolised celebrity figure.

[75] In an interview following the release of A Flash Flood of Colour, guitarist Rory Clewlow stated that the band's influences are numerous, but include Refused, the Prodigy, At the Drive-In, Sick of It All, Rage Against the Machine, the Beatles, Igor Stravinsky and The Dillinger Escape Plan, and that "most of [their] sound was originally developed through going to see local acts in and around [their] home town.

Ambush Reality signed a distribution deal with Warner Music to make the album Common Dreads and future releases more accessible outside the UK and also more widely advertised and promoted.

Shikari Sound System were announced for Slam Dunk Festival on 24 February 2016[91] and have done regular slots in the UK and Europe.

In 2017, Rou Reynolds released a book named Dear Future Historians, a song-by-song lyrical analysis of the band's work including photos.

By popular demand, the book was revisited and expanded in 2019 to include music released since its original publication, and received another strictly limited edition run.

[92] In August 2020, it was announced that Enter Shikari would become the main sponsor of their hometown team, St Albans City Football Club.

Headliner Spaces was set up with the aim to reinstate The Pioneer Club as a touring-circuit grassroots venue and also to have a wider reach into the community.

[95] They subsequently auctioned off pieces of Enter Shikari memorabilia such as Reynolds' Kaoss Pad, used most notably on 'Sorry You're Not a Winner' with proceeds going to The Pioneer Club Charity.

[96] As part of the partnership, the band also donated £1 from every ticket sold for the 2024 promotional arena tour for their album, A Kiss for the Whole World, to UK-based grassroots venues affected by the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, the nationwide cost-of-living crisis and gentrification.