Music

Kaiser Chiefs in Blackpool

It takes a big act to fill up the sweeping promenade of Blackpool seafront, and make no mistake: Kaiser Chiefs are a big act.

The Killers and Stone Roses have both played landmark gigs in this town before, but they opted for warm, friendly, indoor surroundings. Today, with the cold wind sweeping off the Irish sea enough to make the donkeys on the sand wince, the Leeds power pop anthem-meisters are attempting something altogether more ambitious: turning back the grey September weather and injecting the open-air surroundings with some rowdy seaside sparkle.

Close on 2500 hopeful-faced fans and holidaymakers are braving the elements and putting their faith in the Yorkshire five-piece. And – as befits nominees for Best Live Act at the 2007 Vodafone Live Music Awards – frontman Ricky Wilson and the boys don’t disappoint.

Kicking off with ‘Everyday I love you less and less’ from the radio-friendly first album (which has shifted over 3 million copies worldwide) is a good start. It’s like a greatest hits show, and we also get the equally infectious ‘Na na na na naa’, ‘Everything is average nowadays’ and, by the time the warm bleepy synths and wrap-themselves-around-you guitars of ‘Modern way’ float through the blustery grey air, everyone seems to be feeling a bit more summery. It’s no doubt a feeling shared by those watching on TV (this is the first Vodafone TBA gig to be broadcast as live on Channel 4).

Although – since they first burst into the UK charts back in 2005 – the Chiefs’ singles have become ubiquitous air-play fodder, live they still sound remarkably fresh. On stage, the band inject their tunes with a raw, gravelly energy – led by the gruff bloke-ish-ness of Wilson, who interrupts his pogoing during (appropriately) ‘I predict a riot’, by climbing onto the scaffolding and bellowing ‘it’s not very sensible!’ while balanced precariously up high – before dropping his mike (not to mention giving several production staff mild panic attacks).

By no means in the background is the even bloke-ier looking lead guitarist Andrew ‘Whitey’ White who, in buttoned up coat and woollen beanie hat, looks like he’s just wandered into a pub on a rather chilly day. Along with bassist Simon Rix, he really comes into his own on the thickly stringed ‘Ruby’, whose melodic guitar opening today has the whiff of Roxy Music meets Lynyrd Skynyrd. By the ridiculously catchy chorus, drummer Nick Hodgson’s arms are going crazy and together with Wilson’s pogoing, we get an air of Specials-y ska punk (visually aided by keyboardist Nick Baine’s pork-pie hat) – and 2500-odd very happy ticket winners bounce back at him.

"Really good. I brought all the family down and they all really enjoyed it. The Kaiser Chiefs are one of my favourite bands and it’s a great thing to have on Blackpool seafront."
Robert Wynne, Mayor of Blackpool

"My daughter saw them at the Leeds festival and when I told her they were on here she was really jealous. I had to keep playing it to her on my phone."
Shirley, Doncaster

"I thought it was perfect. Absolutely brilliant. And the beach balls got everyone going."
Leigh, Preston

‘The angry mob’, title track from the “more mature” second album is the most mod-ish number yet – everybody goes pogo-tastic – and the band is cranked up on full power to perform it. We already knew the lads know how to build musical drama, but now they also prove that they can double the impact live: when we’re not clapping along to the stick-in-your-head, shouty chorus, Wilson is clambering up to the drum platform to give it some extra welly – lights flashing off as he leaps back down for the finale.

None of this action packed performance, brilliantly, takes away from the clever, quirky lyrics (random sample: “I can tell by your teeth/You’ve had a good life”), as the sound quality is incredible.

Finally – it’s not THE song of the show (because Kaisers have a knack of making almost every song sound like the anthem you’ve been waiting to hear) – but it’s definitely a huge, uplifting stomper to play out on… yes, it’s ‘Oh my god’. As the lush and funkily seductive guitars begin to tickle us, and the exciting ‘ooooooohhhhh’ of the chorus builds, giant beach balls begin to bounce of the stage as if to remind us: it’s still summer – keep your peckers up! Easy now, we know how.