Kaiser Chiefs at Doncaster Dome, 9th February

Despite what many people think, Doncaster has played host to some quite memorable gigs over the years. In the 1990s Radiohead played at The Dome in their OK Computer days, Muse also performed just before hitting the big time, and tonight the Kaiser Chiefs will play a one off gig showcasing their new material for the first time, and with the BBC on standby to film the whole thing (press your red button now) this is officially the biggest event Doncaster has witnessed in a long time.

So as the audience await their fun loving heroes it comes as no surprise that The Twang receive a luke warm reception as they roll onto the stage swearing, boozing and providing very little else. Nick Hodgson claimed them to be the next Arctic Monkeys, but after this sour taste of Happy Mondays, we’re still in need of persuasion.

However the attention today is clearly fixed with the Kaiser Chiefs and with some fans driving for seven hours to attend tonight’s gig, the pressure is definitely on for the band to deliver, yet as they enter the stage, launching into ‘Ruby’ (now nicknamed ‘Donny’ with the help of Chris Moyles) it doesn’t show. Despite Ricky Wilson’s lack of audience participation the crowd are instantly won over, until jumping into ‘Everyday I Love You Less and Less’, the singer stands proudly before his fans as they scream, fighting over one another for a touch of their hero.

As the new material blends perfectly into the old each song is delivered as strongly as the last, something hard to achieve on an inexperienced crowd. And as the band announce ‘When the Heat Dies Down’ its clear the Kaiser Chiefs have no competition for world domination. Here Wilson ditches the trademark jumps and shouts for an overall more reliable package. Two part harmonies are favoured over more erratic behaviour as songs such as ‘My Kind of Guy’ and ‘The Angry Mob’ show a new direction for the band.

However they do provide as many drunken anthems with ‘High Royds’ consisting of a chorus entirely constructed on ‘ooohs’ being a highlight of the evening.
Also despite the amount of shows played and crowds witnessed the Kaisers are still one of the best live acts today. Whatever the audience you can guarantee Wilson cannot drag himself away from his fans; launching himself into a 2,000 strong crowd during ‘I Predict A Riot’ unaware of the consequences and creating a mass sing-a-long as the band bring the gig to its finale with a triumphant ‘Oh My God.’

Of course there are downsides, as the amount of actual Doncaster fans here tonight is questionable after tickets sold out in less than ten minutes and with the Kaisers playing a rather short set (1 hour) I’m sure the fans who did anything to get their hands on tonight’s tickets can’t help feeling a little short changed. But what the Kaisers did do is secure a place in Doncaster’s heart and its history, for a truly memorable performance, and the everlasting chants of “Donny Donny Donny!”

Photos courtesy of Radio 1