It has been 20 years since Kaiser Chiefs released their breakthrough album Employment and 13 years since they last played in Australia, so the announcement of an Australian national tour celebrating the anniversary had legions of British indie-rock fans buzzing.

After a nostalgic but humorous opening video, the band walked onto the stage to play their debut album in full before returning for an encore of some of their favourite songs.

From the moment they began, the crowd, though not entirely filling the Hordern Pavilion, was ecstatic. Frontman Ricky Wilson commanded the stage with incredible charisma and presence. One consequence of playing Employment from start to finish was that one of their biggest hits “I Predict a Riot” came very early in the set but that did not matter. The crowd matched the energy from the outset, chanting the iconic chorus with such fervour it almost felt like a riot was erupting inside the Hordern.

After that high, it did mean that the energy dipped a little as the band moved through some of the deeper and arguably filler tracks from Employment. They lifted things back up with “Oh My God”, with Wilson bouncing around the stage and swaying with the crowd in slightly outlandish but endearing choreography that felt very Freddie Mercury-esque. In response, the heavily British and football jersey-clad audience followed Wilson’s lead with dancing and chanting as far as the eye could see. 

“We want you to have a good time and we want you to scream,” he said, and scream they did.

As the band moved into songs like “Saturday Night” and “What Did I Ever Give You”, they continued to raise the energy before it reached fever pitch towards the end of the album with the gritty “Time Honoured Tradition”. The band sounded tight and technically strong throughout the set, which was especially impressive because Australian bassist Benjamin Witt had joined the band on very short notice for these shows. He fit in seamlessly and Wilson’s vocals remained strong and passionate, with the rest of the band also sounding at the top of their game. Although Wilson may not always have the most technically perfect voice, his raw energy and emotive delivery suited the music perfectly and at times the live renditions felt as good as (or even better) than the studio versions.

After finishing Employment, the band returned for an encore of some of their biggest hits from across their discography. They began with a Ramones cover before moving into “Hole in My Soul” and “Never Miss a Beat”, which had the crowd on their feet, singing along to the anthemic tune. They followed this with their biggest commercial success “Ruby”, which had the jersey-clad audience with their hands in the air as they screamed along to the iconic tagline. To close out the night, Wilson led the crowd in chanting “we are the angry mob,” ending an infectiously energetic night of British rock.

Overall, this was a fun and high-octane night which was enjoyed by a passionate crowd. The band sounded fantastic, almost better than the records, with their debut album proving that it still stands the test of time. One can only hope it is not another 13 years before they return.

Rating: ★★★★

Kaiser Chiefs – Hordern Pavillon – 27 November 2025