Date: 8/11/06
Rating:
Tonight, Kaiser Chiefs kick off their European tour, and give themselves the chance to test out the new songs for album number two - half the set is post-'Employment' material, with two songs premiered tonight.
The Trabendo, with its many levels and steps, clearly separates the two types of concert-goers here tonight. With the Kaisers only playing a 700 capacity venue as part of a tour, only a third of the crowd show the kind of enthusiasm the band are used to in spades this side of the Channel. Those who were enthusiastic, were a tadtoo enthusiastic - Ricky Wilson was forced to forgo his usual crowd-surfing tonight.
Starting off with 'Angry Mob', a slow build-up to a, well, mob-like, chant of "we are the angry mob", which is reassuring in its "Chiefness". The new 'Oh My God' - plenty to bounce and sing along to. It's a brave move to start off with a new one - the crowd members who are familiar with it are happy, but the majority of the audience are on their guard until 'Everyday I Love You Less And Less'. The crowd dynamic naturally changes, the moshing starts, and everyone is nicely warmed up for the rest of the new songs.
Second-wave Kaiser Chiefs is becoming very apparent - the same killer hooks, but deeper than the previous "poppy" songs. Writing a great pop song is no mean feat, all the greatest pop songs are deceptively simple, but we don't need Kaiser Chiefs to repeat 'Employment'.
Best new song by far is 'Ruby'. This reviewer was not the only person in the audience to be wondering who exactly did the original; a mistake made thanks to the song sounding like a classic. A relieved-looking Nick Hodgson tells us that was the first time they'd played 'Ruby' live, and admitted his nerves.
'Everything Is Average Nowadays' fits very comfortably with the hit songs, and 'Highroyds' is given encore status. The new songs are polished and flawless - ironically, it's only the oldies that Wilson stumbles at, clearly amused by his goldfish memory. A short set is played tonight, but one with gusto and an obvious sense of satisfaction at showcasing what appears to be a large bulk of next year's album - on this evidence, the return of Kaiser Chiefs will be a triumphant one.
Becky Reed
Kaiser Chiefs Official Site
Kaiser Chiefs Myspace
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