Enter Shikari vocalist and synthslayer Rou Reynolds will be playing The Artilleryman in next year’s live tour of Jeff Wayne’s The War Of The Worlds…
Enter Shikari frontman Rou Reynolds will join the cast of Jeff Wayne's The War Of The Worlds next year, taking on the role of The Artilleryman.
Based on the original 19th century HG Wells sci-fi novel, in which Martians invade Earth, compose Jeff Wayne has been touring his prog rock stageshow version since the '70s with many people playing the part of The Artilleryman including David Essex and Kaiser Chiefs' Ricky Wilson.
"Since 2006 when we began touring arenas around the world, I've always been thrilled to welcome what is now a long list of great artists," says Jeff. "This coming tour, for the role of The Artilleryman, I reached out to the lead singer of the wonderful Enter Shikari – Rou Reynolds – a massive talent whose voice thrills, and his personality matches. He will create his own interpretation of the enigmatic Artilleryman."
"I first discovered Jeff Wayne's musical version of The War of The Worlds through my dad and uncle, who grew up being blown away by the original double album," adds Rou. "Their great respect and enthusiasm for Jeff's work makes it a true honour to be involved. I'm excited to be playing the role of The Artilleryman and stepping into the shoes of luminaries such as David Essex, Ricky Wilson, Adam Garcia and all those who've played the role before me.
"As exemplified by the path that my band, Enter Shikari, follows, it's important for me to practice breadth in my art, and keep pushing myself. I understand that performing in a musical production isn't the sort of thing people from our scene normally do, but my band has never paid much attention to what is expected of us. I relish this challenge."
The new production of The War Of The Worlds – dubbed The Spirit Of Man Tour – takes place next spring in arenas across the UK. Get your tickets now.
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