KAISER CHIEFS // OVO HYDRO, GLASGOW
Seasoned indie rockers Kaiser Chiefs proved worth their billing at Glasgow's OVO Hydro on Friday night.
★★★★☆ (4/5)
KAISER CHIEFS PERFORMING AT GLASGOW’S OVO HYDRO - 11.11.2022
PHOTOCREDIT: KENDALL WILSON
The "All Together" Tour arrived in Glasgow at the end of a long week for Ricky Wilson. An exceptional off night at London's O2 last Saturday gave fans and music press cause for concern that the Kaiser Chiefs' singer might not be up to headlining an arena tour right now. All fears were emphatically allayed with a consummate performance by the band on Friday night.
Charged with opening proceedings was Yorkshire band The Sherlocks, followed by Glasgow's own The Fratellis with their modern take on rock'n'roll that featured both brass and a sassy trio of ladies on backing vocals. From the outset, fans were treated to a solid night of radio-friendly guitar anthems with plenty of opportunities to raise their pints and sing along, arm-in-arm, with friends and strangers alike.
Dancing and pleasure were major themes throughout Kaiser Chiefs' set, whether intended figuratively or literally, and it took the band all of about 20 seconds of being onstage before the audience had entirely submitted to their will for the evening. Never Miss A Beat still embodied an ironic joy just as prescient in 2022 as when it was released in 2008. The same could be said for a few of the older songs on the setlist, such as Modern Way and The Angry Mob but it was obvious that, for the most part, audiences were expected to feel rather than think their way through the performance.
New single How To Dance was introduced as something of a cure for anxiety which, if true, delivered a great deal of relief to those in attendance. Northern Holiday elevated the positive energy of the room further through its irresistible disco beat while a lengthy call-and-response introduction was added to mega-hit Everyday I Love You Less And Less in case the audience needed to warm up for the ensuing singalong. Wilson dedicated a fabulous rendition of Hole In My Soul to "everyone of you that's stuck with us over the years", jumping, dancing and generally running himself ragged all without missing a note. Any critics doubting his dedication or ability to deliver a thrilling arena show were resolutely silenced by the end of the night.
Fan favourite I Predict A Riot brought punters racing back from the bar and toilet queues as shirtless lads on their mates' shoulders embraced their moment of revelry. A respectable turn around allowed for a two-song encore but with closer Oh My God running to about double its recorded length there was ample singing and dancing to get in before curfew, the band finally leaving to rapturous applause and a chorus of voices sing-chanting their lyrics all the way home.
REVIEW + PHOTOS BY:
KENDALL WILSON
SETLIST:
OVO HYDRO, GLASGOW
BORN TO BE A DANCER
NEVER MISS A BEAT
HEAT DIES DOWN
NA NA NA NA NAA
MODERN WAY
HOW 2 DANCE
COMING HOME - (ACOUSTIC)
LOVE’S NOT A COMPETITION (BUT I’M WINNING)
NORTHERN HOLIDAY
THE FACTORY GATES
EVERYDAY I LOVE YOU LESS AND LESS
RUBY
HOLE IN MY SOUL
MISERY COMPANY
I PREDICT A RIOT
THE ANGRY MOB
ENCORE:
PEOPLE KNOW HOW TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER
OH MY GOD