Kaiser Chiefs in Wolverhampton: A night ten years in the making

The Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, 28 February 2026

It’s been a long time coming, for Kaiser Chiefs, and for me. Take your minds back to 2016 (as everybody has been doing a lot recently anyway) – it’s August 28th; a nine-year-old Luca is anxiously waiting for Kaiser Chiefs to take to the main stage, headlining at Jamie Oliver and Alex James’ The Big Feastival. Key word: anxiously. One panic attack later and I was back in the tent, having missed the entire set, so that was great.

Back in the present day, I’m trying to navigate my way around the University of Wolverhampton campus, attempting to locate the Civic Hall, where the Kaiser Chiefs would be playing with support from Corella in only an hour. Despite being lost, the atmosphere was palpable, waves of people in leather jackets and ripped jeans sporting huge grins working their way towards the venue, all eager to hear hits such as ‘I Predict a Riot’ and ‘Ruby’ in a room full of superfans.

One pint of Poretti later, my dad and I took our seats and couldn’t believe our luck. Not only had we just been able to go to the box office and reveal we were on one of our favourite band’s guest lists, but we were also sat in the second row, about to be in touching distance of the group which soundtracked all of those car journeys to and from swimming lessons, those barbeques in the heat of summer, and those late-night karaoke blasts. Call me cliché, but this night was not just another concert – it was a homecoming.

I hadn’t heard of Corella until they were right in front of me, but all it took was a few chords of their opening track, ‘Do You Want It?’, to have me hooked

The lights came down, and Corella, an indie-rock quartet hailing from Manchester, take to the stage, the pit beneath us erupting into cheers, whoops, and applause, eager to see this upcoming band give it their all. I hadn’t heard of Corella until they were right in front of me, but all it took was a few chords of their opening track, ‘Do You Want It?’, to have me hooked.

After blasting their way through the first three songs on the setlist, they gazed into the crowd, taking it all in as the lead singer, Joel Smith, reminisced about heading to HMV with his own dad, twenty years ago, to buy Kaiser Chiefs’ Employment on CD. Now, supporting the band on their 20th anniversary More Employment tour, everything had come full circle. The heartfelt appreciation soon ended as he looked up at those in the balcony, the venue being styled similar to a modern theatre more so than a music venue, and asked them if they had their “ice cream and popcorn”, smirking before taking a swig of Stella Artois.

This typical northern tongue-in-cheek continued throughout Corella’s set, instantly building a connection to every person in the crowd, making sure we left remembering their name. They played their newest track, ‘Lost a Friend’, before announcing they have been signed for a second album, their first – Once Upon A Weekend – having been released in 2024 (“naturally that means we’re going to turn into tossers”). Definitely check out Corella – they’re an act to watch out for!

That’s Kaiser Chiefs for you – raw, real, and unafraid to show you the moments that life doesn’t exactly go to plan

Half an hour later, nine o’clock came, and the lights dimmed for a second time, only more energy on the way. The screen behind the stage lit up, a Jurassic Park skit introducing Kaiser Chiefs before they walked into the light, Was (Not Was)’s ‘Walk the Dinosaur’ accompanying their entrance. I clutched my dad’s knee as the room swelled with anticipation – nobody knew that I had been waiting ten years for this moment, but there I was, about to see the Kaiser Chiefs live in action.

With an almighty cheer from the audience, Ricky Wilson, the band’s energetic, unparalleled frontman, leapt straight into ‘Everyday I Love You Less and Less’, the opening song from Employment. From the outset, everyone in the room was singing along at the top of their lungs, Wilson almost inaudible at points, the sound of admiration and authenticity filling the hall before he threw the mic stand into the air as the track concluded, failing to catch it, staring as it hit the floor. That’s Kaiser Chiefs for you – raw, real, and unafraid to show you the moments that life doesn’t exactly go to plan.

Flicking the stand up with his foot as if he were a world-famous footballer, Wilson signalled the band and launched into one of their biggest hits – ‘I Predict a Riot’. Guitarist, Andrew White, was playing as if his life depended on it, each and every note which came from his instrument singing into the hearts of the adoring fans in front of him. Everybody’s lives were being made, one track at a time.

‘Oh My God’ and ‘Caroline, Yes’ were clearly fan-favourites, the room lighting up considerably more as we cried the lyrics back to the band

“You alright Wolverhampton?”, Wilson asked us as the song’s outro faded out, met with a response of cheers. With the Wolverhampton date being the closing night of the More Employment tour, emotions were high, all five members of Kaiser Chiefs evidently overwhelmed with appreciation. The audience were implored to sing as loud as they possibly could, even to the point at which we lost our voices because – as Wilson put it – we weren’t seeing Kaiser Chiefs tomorrow, so it didn’t matter. Similarly, he told us he had “fuck all to do tomorrow”, planning on joining us in our hoarse rasps.

Wilson wanted to start this show better than the last Kaiser Chiefs played in Wolverhampton, having supported another band years ago in the same city where only one member of the audience knew who they were, calling the frontman a “wanker” after he performed in his usual, excitable manner. He told us to raise our hands above our heads and then bring our palms together, before pulling our hands apart, and then back together. Back, together, back together. “That’s called clapping – perfection.”

Powering through the next few tracks of Employment, Wilson bounded across the stage, hopping on top of various amps and speakers which lined the stage, singing into the open arms of the crowd. ‘Oh My God’ and ‘Caroline, Yes’ were clearly fan-favourites, the room lighting up considerably more as we cried the lyrics back to the band, inciting even more energy into their performance, this only building as the main set came to a close. Wilson clutched his mic stand as he poured his being into every word which left his lips, gripped so hard with adrenaline that the stand snapped easily into two halves before being cast aside, followed by the Kaiser Chiefs. That was it; the show, and the tour, was over. Or so we thought.

Wilson let rip, taking off his pin-striped jacket and clasping a second mic stand, screaming the repeating, angry lyrics into the crowd

Kaiser Chiefs weren’t going to leave fans without hearing greatest hits such as ‘Ruby’ and ‘Hole in My Soul’ so, alongside a tremendous applause, they marched back onto the stage, and welcomed Chris Leckie, their sound engineer, to the stage. Leckie has worked with the band for almost thirty years, and this show in Wolverhampton was to be his last, so Kaiser Chiefs wanted him to play guitar alongside them as they covered Ramones’ ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’.

A “ruby, ruby, ruby, ruby” later, and it was time for Kaiser Chiefs’ final track of the night – ‘The Angry Mob’ – which saw everyone up on their feet, dancing in arms with their friends and family, soaking in this last, incredible moment. Wilson let rip, taking off his pin-striped jacket and clasping a second mic stand, screaming the repeating, angry lyrics into the crowd, his voice growing more strained with every line. Prompted by a series of jumps and kicks from the frontman, drummer Vijay Mistry pounded into his kit, bringing the night to a close with one last crash on the cymbals.

That really was it – the gig was over, and everybody left the venue grinning from ear to ear: a night to remember, and a core memory that brought my dad and I even closer.

★★★★★