
Kaiser Chiefs + Public Service Broadcasting @ Wolverhampton Civic Hall, 6th February 2015
Tonight sees the Kaiser Chiefs bring their latest album Education, Education, Education & War to a sold out Wolves Civic with support from Public Service Broadcasting. An eclectic crowd was present upon my arrival with what appeared to be the Ring and Ride brigade in front of me and the excited to be up late crew on my right. Its diversity continued to intensify as the first set drew closer.
I could probably sue Public Service Broadcasting under trade descriptions; as with their particularly odd combination of Franz Ferdinand and Kraftwerk with no vocals, they didn’t actually broadcast anything. When a band has a Macbook onstage during their set, I always question how much they are actually playing ‘live’ and with Public Service Broadcasting using two; it becomes even more likely that the ratio of weird and trippy samples to actual live instruments was a shocking one. However, three of the quartet were at least using an instrument, so credit where credit’s due. That, of course, leaves the fourth member with a Macbook and a sample pad only, making me question his role slightly as his determination to not let his hands leave the keyboard leads me to believe he’s got only one life left on Candy Crush Saga and his time is running out. A slightly muted applause from the audience after forty minutes worth of songs confirms that Public Service Broadcasting are certainly an acquired taste and that everyone in the room clearly had little appetite for.
As smoke billows onto the stage, the lights go down and Kaiser Chiefs make their way onto stage in front of a sold out Wolverhampton crowd. Opening with The Factory Gates, their anthemic pop rock sound is established from the very start. In an attempt to win the crowd over instantly, Everyday I Love You Less and Less is their second track which sees the first sing along of the night. By track four, vocalist, Ricky Wilson has done several laps of the stage, venturing onto the barrier for track three, Everything Is Average Nowadays and even standing on drum kit to perform the chorus of Ruffians On Parade. Having exhausted all the space provided by the Civic Hall stage Wilson climbs the speakers and performs The Angry Mob and Cannons on the balcony in with the crowd, taking every opportunity to smile for selfies and interact with their diverse fanbase. As Wilson made his way back down to the stage, a short clip was shown across four screens, which acted as a visual aid for the anti-war poem at the end of Cannons.
After an incredibly energetic start, the quintet slow things down with Roses, which isolates Wilson’s vocals highlighting the strain he is putting on himself to hit the high notes and due to him not having to shout the lyrics like the leader of a protest march, he is struggling. Track eleven, Team Mate is the “soppy part”, despite this though, Wilson still takes the opportunity to wrestle with a fire extinguisher thus showering his band and fans in carbon dioxide, which as I am slowly discovering, is apparently the norm at a Kaiser Chiefs show.
Mid-way through the set and they’re back to the hits with Modern Way and Never Miss A Beat. Drummer VJ selects the next song, Heat Dies Down, which Wilson professes he does not know the words to but the band go ahead and play it anyway. “Something, something, something…” is Wilson’s substitute for the lyrics he’d forgotten, however, he passes them off with such confidence that they could easily be the actual words. Track fifteen is their only number one hit, Ruby, and because of this, none of the band need to use their mics in the chorus, as the crowd provide vocals.. I Predict A Riot sees the floor bounce with people yelling the title back.
For a band as big as the Kaiser Chiefs, I’d have thought that their days of playing covers were well behind them; but with track seventeen, Pinball Wizard, I am proved wrong as the quintet play their take on The Who classic. Suddenly the mood dies as track eighteen is on the slower side of the spectrum in comparison with their last three songs; nevertheless their confetti made for a great fake ending to their set.
The introduction to their encore was one of the most unique I’ve seen, it involved a clip of Dave Grohl hurling abuse at all five of them and forcing them to play some more. Top marks for originality on the most predictable part of live music. With the Kaisers taking to the stage again it dawns on me that tonight was very much Ricky Wilson, the Kaiser and his backing band of slightly insignificant chiefs. Now, don’t get me wrong, Wilson’s overbearing live persona is fascinating to watch, but the other four members are completely overshadowed by him, through no fault of their own, Wilson is a natural performer and this really comes across in a live setting. Falling Awake, Misery Company and Oh My God make up their three track encore; with the final song understandably getting the best reception.
Tonight the Kaiser Chiefs proved themselves worthy of selling out three thousand plus capacity venues performing a wide range of their extensive back catalogue with finesse, excellent musicianship and great showmanship, from Wilson. Shortly after the last few notes of Oh My God were played by the band, the crowd, myself included all left with smiles on their faces after just witnessing one of the best examples of a rock band that Britain has to offer.
Setlist:
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
Heat Dies Down (VJ’s choice)
Ruby
I Predict a Riot
Pinball Wizard (The Who cover)
Coming Home
Encore:
Falling Awake
Misery Company
Oh My God
Review: Dan Wilson
Photographs: Katja Ogrin