Photo: Thanira Rates
One must always remember that there's so much more to Kaiser Chiefs' ringleader Ricky Wilson than just a spinning chair - he's been a chart-bruising, stage-diving force of nature for over a decade now.
Tonight's headline show looks past the primetime television burden and reminds the audience exactly how the band has enjoyed over ten years of success. A hilarious video cameo from Dave Grohl himself sparks the question whether the band are “systematically destroying their legend”. But as soon as the passion and aggression of their live experience begins to bloom, it’s no surprise that the “shit-faced celebrity TV judge” caught the almighty Grohl’s eye.
Opening on ‘The Factory Gates’ into ‘Everyday I Love You Less and Less’, the career-spanning setlist is a testament to how much of a defining album Employment was, before detailing their journey into relative obscurity and back.
There are a few huge singalongs from their past like the criminally underrated Yours Truly, Angry Mob, but often lose momentum with fans with cuts from latest album Education, Education, Education & War. A rare showing of ‘Time Honoured Tradition’ keeps them sounding credible, while new single ‘Falling Awake’ feels like a return to form, working alongside Wilson’s relentless onstage persona (when he’s not got his face planted down one of the many cameras).
Finishing their main set with the triple whammy of ‘Ruby’, ‘I Predict a Riot’ and their Marmite cover of The Who’s ‘Pinball Wizard’, Kaiser Chiefs prove that they’ve not fully succumbed to being a reality TV shadow of themselves, but they’re actually more invigorated than ever.
Kaiser Chiefs played:
The Factory Gates
Everyday I Love You Less and Less
Everything Is Average Nowadays
Ruffians on Parade
Na Na Na Na Naa
My Life
The Angry Mob
Cannons
The Occupation
Roses
Team Mate
Modern Way
Never Miss a Beat
Time Honoured Tradition (Peanut's choice)
Ruby
I Predict a Riot
Pinball Wizard (The Who cover)
Coming Home
Encore:
Dave Grohl Pep Talk
Falling Awake
Misery Company
Oh My God
