Date: March 25th 2005

T’Chiefs are back in town and the city that never sleeps is ready to embrace them even closer. They are as excited to be here as the crowd and no mistake. The enthusiasm buzzes and the temperature rises even before foot or cane appear on stage.

The stage lights glint off of Ricky Wilson‘s little nose stud as he pours even more energy into the performance than can be thought possible. Instead of resting his injured foot, he runs circles around himself, leaps and jumps; those raptly watching wince each time he lands back on earth, all the while ignoring the stool set aside in the corner. A few torn ligaments cannot stop him from giving his all, which includes climbing onto Nick Hodgson‘s drum set. Twice! If you came to see a mind-blowing stage show, this is certainly the place to be. There is a moment where Wilson thinks he has ripped his trousers, although that would not be too surprising (or too disagreeable for many in the vicinity) with the acrobatics he’s performing. Simon Rix tries to help with the burden of hopping about and kicking up a storm by bouncing back and forth with bass in hand, though there is not much need as the floor is seething with waving arms and moving bodies.

‘Na na na na naa’ opens the set in a most magnanimous way followed by the jangled keyboard notes of ‘Everyday I Love You Less And Less’, with those who know the words singing loudly and proudly enough to be heard over the thrum of the music. Peanut and co. start the crowd clapping and bopping in rhythm during several of the songs and there is a quiet awe when ‘Caroline, Yes’ is unfurled with pomp, Whitey’s guitar solo as its definite highlight. ‘I Predict A Riot’ is fast becoming a crowd favourite and includes a tentative stage fall on Wilson‘s part where his microphone gets lost in the sea of singing fans, but he has nothing to worry about as eager hands snatch at him, trying to touch something divine. The witty commentary that is kept up throughout the set complements the joyous music and prompts laughter that you can barely hear over the boisterous cheering. The atmosphere is close and thick by the middle of the show, but fresh air seems irrelevant when the lads tear through ‘Oh My God’, giving breath and taking it away all in one stunning gasp. The wildly stomping crowd is treated further with an encore of ‘Take My Temperature’, as the cane is thrown valiantly aside once more and extra jumps are unloaded for adoring eyes.

Despite cheers for more, there is no second encore and people disperse soaked but satiated, silly grins on their faces. At the end of the night, we could’ve done splendidly without the support bands, but then it made the Kaiser Chiefs set so much sweeter.

Previously published on This Is Fake DIY.

Date: February 12th 2005

The lights dim on a crowd awaiting to be wowed as five lads file out onto the stage, one straggling, hampered by his robot walk. That’s frontman Ricky Wilson, as tame as he will ever get. The lights blaze to life and so does the crowd.

From the first harmony of ‘Na Na Na Na Naa’, the Kaiser Chiefs seize the energy, already high after the local New York support, Madison Strays and Prosaics, strutted their stuff, and multiply it into a heated fun-frenzy.

Peanut, the one with the famous pork pie hat and the ace keyboard, and Whitey, with the amazing guitar solos, stoically man their corners; Nick Hodgson keeps the beat (and also the count) on his drums while Simon Rix has a set path, face obscured at moments by his bouncing hair; a path that is usually out of Ricky‘s way.

A man of many talents, Wilson thrashes his tambourine, assaults his cowbell, executes high jumps in such quick succession that he’d qualify for the Olympics, and rushes around the stage like a kid in a sweets shop. No one is safe, except maybe Nick (though not safe enough as a thong thrown from the crowd hits him in the head, or so we’re told). He even manages to cling to Simon‘s back for an impromptu piggy-back ride in the middle of a song. Amazingly enough, not a note is out of place.

‘Everyday I Love You Less and Less’ is the perfect track for those broken hearts, while still maintaining the frenetic pace of the set. ‘I Predict A Riot’ is the predictable star of the show, starting with three fifths of the band huddled around the drums and prompting a sing-along during which Ricky almost tumbles into the crowd, leaving his microphone behind so that the fans can have a go. Whether it’s the raucous ‘Oh My God’ or the slower ‘Caroline, Yes!’, t’Chiefs are comfortable in their game, drawing the crowd in with the infectious melodies and unforgettable ‘la la laa’s,’ ‘oh oh ooh’s,’ and ‘na na naa’s.’

‘Saturday Night’ gets the loudest response for the clever lines, (“Cause we are birds of a feather/And you can be the fat one,”) but it is mostly the female contingent that does the shouting. Clever, don’t you see? And ‘Time Honoured Tradition’ is just slightly mental; after all, it’s supposed to be their last song.

But with an unexpected encore of ‘Take My Temperature’, played upon request from a fan on their message board (though a request during the show for ’1A.K.A.’ is refused with a firm ‘no’), they dazzle for a few more minutes before bowing out. There was no need to gauge the heat of the crowd – it was sweltering enough to make you glad to be out in the cold.

And, sadly, ‘that was the end of that.’

Previously published on This Is Fake DIY.