Members of the Kaiser Chiefs have been very outspoken as of late about the dire lack of guitar music currently in the charts. Drummer Nick Hodgson stating that guitar music is at an all time low and guitarist Andrew White telling us that they still crave mainstream success. Frontman Ricky Wilson offered his opinion recently and said that what bands need is for record labels to pay for tour vans so bands can get out and see people.

Perhaps this explains the bands decision to head out on this mammoth 21 date trek of the UK, unlike other bands that came out at the same time such as Snow Patrol who I recently caught at the Birmingham date of their UK arena tour. It’s been a while since Kaiser Chiefs have played venues this small and that makes tonight somewhat of a treat for me. Having caught Kaiser Chiefs previously at Meadowbank Stadium, O2 Arena and Rock Werchter festival, tonight the 1500 capacity UEA LCR is considered an intimate setting.

I did find the choice of setlist very interesting tonight, considering the bands recent comments about the lack of guitar music in the charts. Only three tracks from latest effort ‘The Future is Medievel’ feature in the set tonight, ‘Little Shocks‘, ‘Kinda Girl You Are‘ and ‘Starts With Nothing‘. There are other newish songs in the set, however these appear as filler to a setlist taken predominately from their hit albums ‘Yours Truly, Angry Mob‘ and breakthrough ‘Employment‘.

If you compare this to Snow Patrol just two nights ago in Birmingham, it’s baffling. Snow Patrols set is taken largely from new effort ‘Fallen Empires‘. Yet tonight Kaiser Chiefs air just three tracks from ‘The Future Is Medievel‘. For a band that still “crave” mainstream success, surely you would want to plug your latest release. I for one however should not complain as that gives tonight’s set a greatest hits feel to it.

Support tonight feature two bands that play a fair amount of guitar. Both All The Young and Native Tongue do a good job of warming up the expectant crowd. Both young guitar bands are worth follow up inspection. Coming to the stage to Dire Straits hit ‘Money For Nothing‘ however, Kaiser Chiefs are what we have been waiting for. Having seen them before I fully expect an energy filled set from the band, however that energy is somewhat lacking tonight.

This isn’t a ‘phoned in’ performance by the band, however they, and Ricky Wilson in particular don’t come across as enthusiastic as on the previous three occasions i’ve seen them. Tonight is a very good gig however and the highlights are the obvious numbers, such as ‘Oh My God‘, ‘I Predict A Riot‘, ‘ The Angry Mob‘ and opening number ‘Everyday I Love You Less And Less’. Compared to these anthems however the new music just doesn’t live up.

I do hope that Kaiser Chiefs don’t become a nostalgia act, and can regain the mainstream success that they crave, but if they are to do it, they will need to raise their game above ‘The Future is Medievel‘!