KAISER CHIEFS AND LATE OF THE PIER - LIVE AT ULU

Sunday 12th October, Gonzo Tour 2008

October 19, 2008, 06:59 PM

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MTV2’s Gonzo Tour is renowned for showcasing the best of the established and upcoming bands that the UK has to offer, and this year was no exception. There was however, a slightly odd combination of Kaiser Chiefs and Late of the Pier to be witnessed on the second night of the tour at the intimate ULU.

One band over-commercialised and known nation-wide for their anthemic sing-along indie, the other, owners of a large alternative following but unlikely to be known by the types of fans that the Kaisers attract. This was confirmed by a charming man who, pre-LOTP, questioned “who the hell are LOTP anyway?”, during, commented “they’re a bit young aren’t they?”, and after remarked something along the lines of “let’s hear some proper music now”. So, needless to say, there was a somewhat awkward atmosphere at the beginning of the gig.

The random man may not have noticed, but LOTP are quite simply outstanding live. Their quirky, eighties-led, electro-indie style music is one thing on record, but live it’s incomparable. Unfortunately though, as already alluded to, this was not something that was appreciated by the majority of the crowd; many of whom had a priceless look of bewilderment on their faces when LOTP kicked things off with the stomping ‘Space and the Woods’.

They played the bulk of songs from debut album 'Fantasy Black Channel', including ‘Focker’, ‘Heartbeat’ and the offbeat ‘The Bears are Coming’. It was a perfect set, (marred only by the lack of interactivity from the crowd) rounded off nicely with latest single, the epic, ‘Bathroom Gurgle’.

After a brief introduction from Gonzo’s Zane Lowe, Kaiser Chiefs kicked things off with ‘Spanish Metal’ - the first track from their new album Off With Their Heads. Next up they treated the crowd to one from the back catalogue - ‘Every Day I Love You Less and Less’, which prompted a surge forward of fans and some unexpected mayhem.

The rest of the set showcased more from the new album with a sprinkling of oldies to keep the atmosphere going. Stand out tracks from 'Off With Their Heads' that went down particularly well included ‘Can’t Say What I Mean’ with its slightly sixties feel, and ‘You Want History’, a very catchy number with a chorus you can sing-along to on the first listen. A good amount of vocal participation was also had to latest single ‘Never Miss a Beat’.

The short set was rounded off with the inevitable ‘I Predict A Riot’, during which Wilson threw himself into the crowd. Probably not a good idea in hindsight as he was swamped by overly-keen fans desperate for a touch, but miraculously he resurfaced just in time to end the song.

It was an evening of two extremes, and although I’m firmly in the first acts camp, you have to take your hat off to the Kaiser Chiefs for reaching the third album mark whilst staying true to what they do best - classic, no frills indie-pop.

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