Kaiser Chiefs at the O2 Arena

Everything is Average Nowadays… including the Kaiser Chiefs at the O2 Arena on a cold Saturday night. With much ado on stage, the band appears on the balcony of a house while singer/songwriter Ricky Wilson dances around in a white suit with sleek black lining, but there is very little to keep the packed arena entertained. A screen shows colourful retro images of dancing figures and their old-school cars, and confetti rains as Wilson moves stiff hips against lamp posts, repeatedly reminding fans – or pleading – that “we are the Kaiser Chiefs and we’ve never let you down.” Meanwhile, the queue to exit the venue grows in length.  

Beginning with songs from their newly released album Duck (2019), the Kaiser Chiefs take to the stage with People Know How to Love One Another, moving onto Golden Oldies in a desperate attempt to appeal to the old days for inspiration, which sets the new album apart from their previous work. But the muses have turned their backs, and so do fans who are kept waiting for the songs they know and love – Everyday I Love You Less and Less from the 2005 album Employment, Ruby from Yours Truly, Angry Mob (2007), and I Predict a Riot only appear towards the end of the show.

With a camera at the end of the mic a red-faced Wilson almost strains himself singing the words to Target Market from Duck. In a game of Hook the Duck, a fan chooses the song Born to Be a Dancer from the album Employment, and with a lot of encouragement, some fans sing along to Na Na Na Na Naa from the same album. The elevated podium in the vast space means the other band members were barely visible at the corner of the main stage, except their first appearance on the balcony of the little house on the big stage. 

The encore comprises a mixture of songs from their 15 years in the industry, namely Record Collection from Duck, Hole in My Soul from Stay Together (2016), and Oh My God from Employment. It’s clear that Kaiser Chiefs are keen to move forwards with their career; the question is whether onwards is always better.

Marissa Khaos
Photos: Virginie Viche

For further information and future events visit Kaiser Chiefs’s website here.

Watch the video for People Know How to Love One Another here: