LIVE REVIEW: Kaiser Chiefs, The Fratellis, The Sherlocks, Bournemouth International Centre, 17/11/2022

Photo Credit: Jack Delve (O2 Arena, London – 5th November 2022)

With Kaiser Chiefs All Together tour in the final part of the run, the band headed to the sunny seaside town of Bournemouth to take us on a trip down memory lane with a career spanning discography.

Also along for the ride were tour supports The Sherlocks and The Fratellis whose sets both offered something completely different but with also completely different end results. Openers The Sherlocks are on their way to becoming household names with three albums under their belts and the onstage charisma to make a memorable live show. Set highlight came with catchy City Lights, showcasing the band’s pleasant guitar-rock sound which was gimmick free, simplistic but also a perfect Sherlocks showcaste. The Sherlocks were taking to stage as if this was their own headline show and they won over the hearts of the crowd in the process. 8/10

Scottish rockers The Fratellis are one of those bands whose hits you forget are theirs until they play them live. As great as it was to hear Whistle For The Choir and legendary Chelsea Dagger live tonight, their set felt incredibly flat and at times pretty awkward to watch especially with the in-crowd booing which they were subjected too. Attempts to get the crowd on board with their dancing trio and a cover of Yes Sir, I Can Boogie were unsuccessful as the band’s set was overshadowed by what had come before them. 6/10

Kaiser Chiefs have a wealth of experience and also a phenomenal discography behind them, so everyone knew tonight was going to be a fun one. With a well-thought-out stage design featuring graffitied lyrics and song titles of some of their biggest hits, the venue lit up as Ricky Wilson appeared at the top of the stage in front of the moon for Born To Be A Dancer. Spoiler alert: he was not born to be a dancer but we and the rest of the crowd were loving it all the same.

Crowd participation was plentiful from the first songs of the set including Na Na Na Na Naa where Wilson let us know that once we could sing it once, we’d be absolutely fine for the whole thing. It felt as if we were involved in an intimate show, with chats between the band and dedicated fans in the crowd who were known by the band for attending multiple shows and knowing all the lyrics. Making sure every part of the audience got his attention, Wilson commanded the stage like a circus ringleader as Peanut took on synth duties at the keyboard keeping everyone in check.

It’s safe to say this setlist gave a little bit of something for fans both old or new, whether it was the stripped down, park-bench version of Love’s Not A Competition (But I’m Winning); a personal favourite and a weirdly, unexpectedly magical part of the set. Or letting us all know that in a year we’d be sick of their latest single How 2 Dance… We were left wondering if we could ever get sick of it even if we didn’t actually get taught to dance!

The band are a solid musical unit, with special moments being shared onstage and brief looks of admiration as they watched their bandmates smash their parts of the set. Every turn the setlist took we were met by chaos, throwback tracks and the chance to be reminded why the band are one of the finest out there. The killer duo of Everyday I Love You Less and Less into Ruby prevented any slowing down, as funky graphics took over the stage and increasing chants filled the seaside venue.

Would it be a Kaiser Chiefs show without I Predict A Riot and The Angry Mob? No, no it wouldn’t. Closing the main part of their set, they’d unleashed the angry mob who were craving more of their riot-inducing anthems which fans both old and young used as soundtracks to their lives. Coming back onto stage to round off the night properly, the slightly odd choice of closing with Oh My God, definitely left the crowd wanting more but disappointed when we’d realised, we’d had our lot for the night.

Some bands were made to stand the test of time and Kaiser Chiefs have proved they are one of them.  With their new album on the horizon, here’s to the next chapter of their story! 8/10

Written By: Nicola Craig

Photo Credit: Jack Delve (O2 Arena, London – 5th November 2022)