Kaiser Chiefs / Ripchord

I’d come to the Apollo this evening with my mind in turmoil, as I wasn’t sure I trusted Kaiser Chiefs any more. After two years of defending their non-taxing brand of tuneage to indie purists, I found myself on the verge of switching sides following the recent NME feature.

	"Are they now cynically adjusting so they can be taken more seriously by, ironically, those indie purists?"

According to that article, the once happy-go-lucky boys are now an Angry Mob, and to symbolise this new angle they have apparently switched to dark and moody clothing. This admission that they have fashioned an image to succeed has me reeling. Maybe I’m naive, but I figured that they wore what they wore because they liked it and it was comfortable. Are they now cynically adjusting so they can be taken more seriously by, ironically, those indie purists, whilst at the same time overtly admitting that it’s not all about the music?

I wanted to be wrong. I needed to be convinced that I’d not been fooled (even if I had). So being an anal bloke of the ‘High Fidelity’ kind, I decided to try and make a list of ten things to love about Kaiser Chiefs during the course of the evening (which are probably the same ten reasons why the alternative fascists hate them.) I was hoping I could make it to ten...

One. This was definitely a family affair. In the foyer it was like a Sunday morning gathering at the local football pitch – I’d never seen so many kids and parents at a gig. The Kaisers clearly have a universal appeal and it bodes well for the future that these kids are listening to music actually being played by people rather than listening to Pop Party 27.

Two. They had Ripchord as their support. Although their first track sounded suspiciously like McFly, these young lads’s banter, self deprecation and neither complicated nor pretentious indie pop repertoire endeared them to the audience. They looked like a 60’s beat combo with their traditional well combed 4 piece, 3 guitar and drums line up...except for the lead guitarist, whose big hair and leather boots suggested a frustration with his current band. Good fun though, and certainly a pleasant enough listen, if however one without much depth.

Three. A determination to look after fans on this tour means that where they have bought tickets for both nights, and many will have, so they will see four different support acts. Last night had The Long Blondes and the Pigeon Detectives, so I felt a bit short changed with 1990’s. This Scottish 3 piece has, like The Fratellis, something of a glam rock influence. Now I know Scots are proud of the Bay City Rollers and Brian Connolly but aren’t they taking it too far? At one point they even played a bar or two of ‘Chelsea Dagger’, which didn’t do them any favours.

Four. As the Kaiser Chiefs took to the stage I momentarily worried. Simon Rix was all in black, leather jacket zipped up to his neck, and he and Peanut have grown BEARDS. I bet you’re not even supposed to call him Peanut any more. But phew, Nick Hodgson and Ricky Wilson both have white shirts on. My concerns were without foundation, they aren’t going all dark and serious, as proved when they launch into ‘Saturday Night’ with the usual gusto. (These ten reasons were going to be a doddle now).

Five. They are natural showmen. From the ‘KC’ embroidered traditional theatre curtain dramatically dropping and revealing the band, to Wilson bouncing around the stage, high kicking and hollering, inviting audience participation. They are resolutely about giving the crowd a good time which means...

Six. ...miserablists are bound to hate them. I like Kaiser Chiefs for that too. People should cheer up for goodness sake.

Seven. They are all accomplished musicians. Wilson and drummer Hodgson take most of the plaudits because they write the songs, but in fact Whitey has weaved some wonderful hooks into them, and Peanut’s keyboards compliment nicely. All the tracks from the new album that we heard don’t break any revolutionary ground, but they all stand up to the older songs well. In addition they have shed the fillers from ‘Employment’ allowing the old numbers to sound surprisingly fresh thanks to the band’s tight and well rehearsed performance.

Eight. “Wooooooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!”

Nine. Wilson was soldiering on even despite being obviously unwell. He was hoarse from the start and at one point threw up on stage. Lesser performers would have cancelled ‘on doctor’s advice’.

Ten. The album’s title track is a well aimed rant at people who believe what they read in the tabloids to be gospel. "We like what we like, we hate who we hate, but we’re all so easily swayed" they chant, bitter victims of ‘Wicked Whispers’ or something equally insipid no doubt.

It was the NME that had fooled me. I was in that Angry Mob, not the band. But by the time they encored with ‘Na Na Na Na Na’ and ‘Oh My God!’ I was charmed by them once again. Those indie purists can keep their prejudices; Kaiser Chiefs might not be cool but they are a national treasure. So there!

FUTURE GIGS