WORDS AND IMAGES BY DESH KAPUR
I was in Liverpool on Thursday night at the M&S Bank Arena for a night of Indie rock in the form of Leeds lads. The Kaiser Chiefs formed in 2000 as Parva, releasing one studio album, 22, in 2003, before renaming and establishing themselves in their current name that same year. Since their formation, the band has consisted of lead vocalist Ricky Wilson, guitarist Andrew “Whitey” White, bassist Simon Rix, keyboardist Nick “Peanut” Baines and since 2013 drummer Vijay Mistry, who replaced founding drummer Nick Hodgson following his departure from the band in late 2012.
The band have released seven original studio albums: Employment (2005), Yours Truly, Angry Mob (2007), Off with Their Heads (2008), The Future Is Medieval (2011), Education, Education, Education & War (2014), Stay Together (2016), and Duck (2019), one EP: Lap of Honour (2005), one compilation album: Souvenir: The Singles 2004–2012 (2012).
The band has three Brit Awards, including the award for Best British Group, an NME award for Best Album, and was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize.
Their UK hit singles include 2004 and 2005 number 9 hit “I Predict a Riot”, 2007 UK number 1 hit “Ruby”, which has sold over 461,000 copies, from their platinum album “Yours Truly, Angry Mob” plus a further two Top 20 singles in 2007 with “The Angry Mob” and “Everything Is Average Nowadays”. Their singles “Ruby”, “I Predict a Riot”, “Everyday I Love You Less and Less”, “Never Miss a Beat” and “Oh My God” had sold a combined total of 1.1 million up to August 2012.
But before the Kaiser Chiefs it was time for Glasgow’s Indie/Garage rock masters “The Fratelli’s” another band with a very impressive resume, The band’s name came from the criminal family in The Goonies and received their first radio playing in 2005. They were signed by Fallout Records after less than 10 shows.
The Fratelli’s EP was released on 3 April 2006, featuring the tracks “Stacie Anne” and “The Gutterati?”. “Creepin’ Up the Backstairs” was never a single released by the band, even though a video was made for it. The first single released by the band was “Henrietta”, which was released on 12 June 2006 and charted at number 19 on the UK Charts.
Costello Music was the debut album for the Fratellis and was released on 11 September 2006. It charted at number two in the UK album charts for three weeks. The success of the album led to the Fratellis winning the Brit Award for British Breakthrough Act in 2007, an award that was voted for by BBC Radio One listeners.
The band have released 6 albums Their latest album “Half Drunk Under A Full Moon”, released in April 2021
Even though the arena wasn’t a sellout tonight it was not far off, and it seemed like everyone was there in time to check out The Fratellis
They entered the stage to the sounds of Offenbach’s “Can Can” on the PA, which could just about be heard over the sounds of the crowd’s roar. Joined by three female backing singers a horn section and launched into “Henrietta” the first track from their debut album, tight and full of energy. With not much interaction with the crowd, frontman Jon Fratelli cut a Delphian figure. As the band delivered a set of both old and new tracks tonight,
The Fratellis have changed musically over the years, starting as a rollicking indie band with tunes like “Chelsea Dagger” “Creepin Up The Back Stairs” and “Flathead” but over time have musically morphed into something slightly different, slowed things down a bit, added more texture and even though some of the old tracks, “Chelsea Dagger” for instance, sound slightly different, they have still managed to maintain what made them so good in the first place, a hard thing to do, but The Fratellis have managed to do it very well.
SETLIST
1/ HENRIETTA
2/ TO MUCH WINE
3/ YES SIR I CAN BOOGIE (Baccara Cover)
4/ WHISTLE FOR THE CHOIR
5/ LIVING IN THE DARK
6/ FLATHEAD
7/ VINCE THE LOVEABLE STONER
8/ CREEPIN UP THE BACKSTAIRS
9/ WE NEED MEDICINE
10/ CHELSEA DAGGER
Then it was time for The Kaiser Chiefs, but what Kaiser Chiefs would I get, I have friends that have been and seen them a few years back and left very disappointed and some that have come back from the show buzzing, I was hoping for the latter. Well, I needed not worry, they were on point and brilliant from start to finish.
To a backdrop of graffitied boards (which are removed one by one) with lyrics referencing some of the Kaisers’ big hits, the band walked onto the stage and the cheers were deafening. But where was frontman Ricky Wilson? we could hear his voice, but he wasn’t on the stage. The enigmatic frontman was performing the first song “Born To Be A Dancer” on the top of the set against a giant moon backdrop. Before entering the stage for the brilliant “Never Miss A Beat” I already know that it was going to be a great gig.
Ricky was all over the stage, never standing still for a minute, constantly communicating with the adoring fans in front of him, he was bouncing off the crowd’s energy, and they were bouncing off his.
My two highlights of the set were “Ruby” the audience participation was breathtaking, and I loved the vibrant casino machine visuals, the other track being “I Predict A Riot” featuring football footage projected onto the set, which created a brilliant people-friendly mosh pit.
Ultimately it will always be about the songs and The Kaiser Chiefs know how to write a banger with catchy as-hell choruses I think tonight proved The Kaiser Chiefs are going nowhere and are still totally relevant.
Tonight has been a brilliant evening of classic indie, delivered impeccably by both The Kaiser Chiefs and the Fratellis
SETLIST
1/ BORN TO BE A DANCER
2/ NEVER MISS A BEAT
3/ HEAT DIES DOWN
4/ NA NA NA NA NAA
5/ MODERN WAY
6/ HOW 2 DANCE
7/ COMING HOME (acoustic)
8/ LOVE’S NOT A COMPETITION (But I’m Winning)
9/ NORTHERN HOLIDAY
10/ THE FACTORY GATES
11/ EVERYDAY I LOVE YOU LESS AND LESS
12/ RUBY
13/ HOLE IN MY SOUL
14/ MISERY COMPANY
15/ I PREDICT A RIOT
16/ ANGRY MOB
ENCORE
17/ PEOPLE KNOW HOW TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER
18/ OH MY GOD
FOLLOW THE KAISER CHIEFS
FOLLOW THE FRATELLIS
My life is a soundtrack, i track my life through music, photography is my passion, my escape, my expression. Without both i have pieces missing, thankfully i’m blessed and get to combine both.
Born in Manchester, lived in Australia for 22 years where i was heavily involved in the Australian Music Industry, firstly in bands (Singer) and then managing bands (all original), I moved back to the UK, Wales specifically 10 years ago and married my childhood sweetheart and life is good.
