An encore of a lifetime for the ‘00s indie lovers: Kaiser Chiefs get re-hired at Eventim Apollo
The champions of the noughties indie scene play their debut album in full in London to celebrate its 20th Anniversary.
Photo: Jamie MacMillan
It was a wet and windy Friday night in West London, but that didn’t stop thousands of punters pouring in to celebrate one of the most seminal albums of the 21st Century. It was certainly an older crowd of dedicated indie fans who relished the chance to see this album reprised, but I was pleasantly surprised to see some younger faces in the stalls, gearing up for an indie disco of sorts.
The sold-out crowd gave Mancunian four-piece Corella a chance to showcase their nostalgic, high-octane indie singles released over the years, starting with the ambience-building Do You Want It?, which the crowd certainly did. Corella, seizing the crowd’s immediate enthusiasm, performed a mix of unreleased tracks, as well as a smattering of singles from their 2024 album Once Upon a Weekend. It is clear why Kaiser Chiefs chose them as the prelude for their performance, with Corella having captured guitar-led, indie sentiment in a bottle, appealing to twenty-somethings who remember the days of Swim Deep and Circa Waves. The support ended their setlist with Barcelona Girl, one of their more popular tracks, paving the way for the Leeds boys to commence their set.
It was clear from the start that the Chiefs had some opinions about the state of the UK in the two decades that had passed since its release, with a backdrop of a closed-down building illuminating ‘Employment’ — the irony was not lost on this crowd. The feelings of idle despair and frustration at Britain’s socioeconomic and political decline were palpable, as the iconic riff of Everyday I Love You Less and Less sent shockwaves through the crowd.
Photo: Jamie MacMillan
Ricky Wilson, our likely Leeds lad, appeared donning his trademark stripey blazer and winklepickers, assuaging any doubt that he would be any less spritely than he was twenty years ago. He declared to the crowd that the Chiefs had been “sent from up North to entertain you” and encouraged a banshee-level of screaming to commence, and we happily complied.
Employment was played in track order, with I Predict A Riot and Modern Way following in quick succession, and the crowd did not tire in their efforts to keep the momentum going. Both the stalls and the stands were up on their feet, belting out the lyrics with great fervour — it was honestly a joy to be a part of, and I shall not forget it anytime soon.
The gig sailed on with more political imagery, which was fun to spot whilst settling into the ride they had for us, with Oh My God sending the crowd back into a frenzy, leaving drinks spilt and arms raised. This track exacerbated how endearing it was to see younger members of the crowd, like myself, able to catch this band a second time around on this More Employment tour.
In the latter half of the evening, Ricky Wilson had no intention of letting the crowd rest on their laurels and instead injected some more energy into the scene with a rendition of Blitzkrieg Bop by The Ramones. This classic tune set up the encore nicely, with the crowd soon launching into Ruby, giving the night one final push before closing the night with Yours Truly, Angry Mob.
I was impressed with the stamina of the band, with their energy never faltering over their 20-song setlist — it was ever so clear that the fans mean a lot to them, and that they were just as excited to perform Employment now as they were in 2005. I eagerly await the 30th anniversary of this album, and even more Employment.