It’s a wet and windy Thursday night in Cardiff but that doesn’t matter to the huddled masses inside the Arena for tonight’s live Kaiser Chiefs show. Main support tonight comes from The Fratellis, who walk on stage to the can-can – flanked by three female backing singers in tuxedos and a little horn section – to provide a decent set of their now-vintage indie. Some highlights include an entertaining cover of Scotland’s unofficial Euro 2020 song Yes Sir, I Can Boogie, their classic Whistle For The Choir, and (of course) the iconic anthem that is Chelsea Dagger – the latter gets a predictably massive response. It’s an alright set, if not helped by some questionable sound mixing.
There’s a backdrop of graffitied boards (which are removed one by one) referencing some of the Kaisers’ big hits, some spooky ominous music, and a new track Born To Be A Dancer playing as Ricky Wilson appears, above the rest of the band and in front of a massive moon. “Cardiff! We are the Kaiser Chiefs!” he declares, before climbing down, roaming around the stage and reminding the room just why he’s such a charismatic frontman during Never Miss A Beat.
“Cardiff!” Wilson yells, again. “We haven’t got long but we’ve got a lot of hits to play!” So they do: there are more hits than you can shake a stick of souvenir rock at tonight. The likes of Na Na Na Na Naa, Love’s Not A Competition (But I’m Winning), and a stripped-back version of Coming Home are lovingly delivered alongside some new tracks – recent single How 2 Dance sees Wilson pop up at the sound desk, declaring that he “just wanted to get a view of my favourite band in the world”.
Of course, Everyday I Love You Less And Less elicits a huge reaction, leading Wilson to quip “if you thought you knew the words to that one, you’re going to lose your shit to this one” and dive straight into Ruby. The likes of I Predict A Riot and The Angry Mob also get aired, the latter finishing with a literal mic drop, before the band finish off the show with Oh My God. It’s been an enjoyable evening of throwback indie, even if the sound in the arena left a bit more to be desired.
Kaiser Chiefs / The Fratellis, Cardiff International Arena, Thurs 3 Nov
words JOSHUA WILLIAMS photos ANTHONY CONWAY
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