Jonny Sniper

Infobox single|
Name = Jonny Sniper
Artist = Enter Shikari


from Album = Take to the Skies
Released = 18 June 2007 iTunes: 17 June 2007
Format =
Recorded = The Outhouse, Reading, UK, 2006 - 2007
Genre = Post-hardcore
Length = 4:01 minutes
Label = Ambush Reality
Chart position = * #75 UK
Reviews =
Last single = "Anything Can Happen in the Next Half Hour..." (2007)
This single = "Jonny Sniper" (2007)
Next single = "We Can Breathe In Space, They Just Don't Want Us To Escape" (2008)

"Jonny Sniper" was the third physical single, and fourth overall, by Enter Shikari and the second single to be released from their debut album "Take to the Skies". [ [http://www.smashmusic.co.uk/news.php?newsid=321 Enter Shikari Announce New Single! - Smash Music ] ] . The band have referred to the single as a "double a-side" [ [http://www.entershikari.com/news.php Enter Shikari - Official Website ] ] , possibly due to the positive response to "Kickin' Back on the Surface of Your Cheek", the b-side from the previous single.

Track listing

* CD & 7

* Download pack (7digital and iTunes)

Music Video

The video premiered on MTV2 Europe (now MTV Two) on Monday, May 21, 2007. It shows the band going up from a platform to pick up their instruments and play. The video also features special effects throughout the video. At the end, the band's old tour van, dubbed by fans as "The Shikari Ferrari" is blown up by pyrotechnics.

Meaning

"Jonny Sniper" is described by Rou in the March 10th issue of Kerrang! Magazine saying this of the song "It's about people having no respect for the earth. The lyrics are about the earth crying out, telling us to behave". This is similar to the description given for the song "No Sssweat" by the band at live shows. They were present in other areas as well when a demo version of the track, less produced, with different lyrics and a slightly different structure, was featured on Enter Shikari's third demo EP 'Anything Can Happen In The Next Half Hour'. The band has claimed that "Johnny Sniper" is the name of the comic figure that appeared in their Key Stage 3 sex education lessons. Furthermore, during many gigs on their 2007 tour, promotional Jonny Sniper condoms were handed out. Fact|date=May 2008

Reception

The B-side "Acid Nation" was first aired on BBC Radio 1 on Wednesday, May 30 2007 at 8:07pm. The song is available free on iTunes as part of the "Free Single Saturday" campaign. The popular music magazine NME dubbed the single "The worst single ever made by anybody ever", [http://www.nme.com/reviews/enter-shikari/8672] which Chris Batten mocked during the secret BBC Radio Theatre gig, and again by using the quote to introduce the song at the Download Festival 2007.

Personnel

*Roughton "Rou" Reynolds - Vocals, Electronics
*Chris Batten - Bass, Backing Vocals
*Liam "Rory" Clewlow - Guitar, Backing Vocals
*Rob Rolfe - Drums
*John Mitchell - Recording
*Ben Humphreys - Recording
*Martin Giles - Mastering
*Keaton Henson - Illustration, Design

References