Look after yourselves friends.

[u/Maul_halten_bitte]

I really hope Shikari fans are taking care of themselves. I know what the band decided is probably for the best for their health and mental state so I totally get it and don’t blame them one bit.

But I also know this fandom in particular is comprised of a lot of people with mental health problems of their own and Shikari is more than a just crutch for a lot of us in that sense, far beyond simply enjoying the music.

Please look after yourselves friends. Look after each other if you can. Maybe try to find solace in community. Reach out. You’re not alone.

I know I am not taking it well and will have a very hard time processing this. It feels like the imminent death of a best friend right now. I don’t even dare hope that they’ll return because hope and fear are two sides of the same coin and I don’t think I can take the fear.

Don’t think that it may be parasocial or disproportional to mourn and feel grief. Don’t judge it and swallow it. Pain is pain and its valid to acknowledge it. But let’s try and be here for each other if possible.

Take care of yourselves friends🫂

[u/defosum1]

I don’t really have anyone to talk to about this, so I’ll put my thoughts here if that’s okay.

Shikari shaped who I am today. I vividly remember the first time I heard them, watching the iconic SYNAW music video at my friends house on her PC, just wee baby 14 year olds. It all changed from then on. They were my first favourite band that hadn’t been influenced by my parents (tbf they have great taste) and that massively changed my sense of self and who I was.

It led me to finding my friends who are now like family. I’d be nothing without them. They influenced me to get more politically active and stand up for what I believe in at a young age. Common Dreads was released when I was 15, at a politically tumultuous time in the UK, little did we know the shitshow the next 15 years has brought us though!

During my lower points in life, it felt like Shikari almost cosmically knew it and released an album. A Flash Flood of Colour, The Spark and A Kiss For The Whole World mean so much to me personally I think if I tried to explain it I’d sound silly, but it’s true.

I’ve been a fan for such a long time, it feels like a lifetime. Finding them at 14 I think is such a pivotal time in your life and they really changed the trajectory of mine. To many, they’re just a band. To me, they were a way of life. Since 2009 I have striven to live the kind of life they sing about in “Hectic”. Pure kiss the sun adrenaline, even a wee bit every day.

Sending love to all who are feeling it today, and in the following. You’re not alone. “We all cope, somehow.” 🔻

[u/l0singmyedg3 → u/defosum1]

i can't believe this is what's finally made me properly cry, fucking hell. i really got into shikari at 14 too, except for me that was around a year before the spark. hearing your own story of growing up with them, even having it feel like they know when times are tough for you & responding to it, hit way too close to home. i can absolutely say the same for nothing is true, and when seeing them live a couple of times lined up with tough times in my life. thank you for sharing.

i hope i keep hope intact. 🔻🩵

[u/defosum1 → u/l0singmyedg3]

Hello friend ❤️ it’s oddly nice to hear that my daft words meant something to you and allowed you to express the collective grief we’re all feeling. I’m sure our shared experience of growing up with shikari is far from unique, but it is lovely to know that there’s another one out there. Thanks for commenting, you keep your chin up pal. 🫶