Kaiser Chiefs have proven time and time again that they dominate the stage, and the More Employment Tour 2026 so far has only gone to reinforce the band’s reputation. Celebrating 20 years since the release of the band’s platinum-selling debut album, the tour is perfect for fans old and new, with the Leeds rockers performing Employment in full, followed by a select second set of hits and fan favourites.
From the moment the venue opened its doors, it immediately filled to capacity, much to the relief of the lengthy queue of eager fans waiting at the barriers that snaked throughout the entryway.
With the warehouse filled before the support act, Corella even stepped on stage, and the buzz of excitement and anticipation was palpable, resulting in an uproar from the crowd as the Mancunian indie outfit stepped on stage. Delivering a high-energy, interactive, and enjoyable set, Corella both delighted fans and certainly earned themselves some new ones. With a sound reminiscent of bands like Arctic Monkeys, Blossoms, and Kaiser Chiefs themselves, it was incredibly clear from the very beginning why Corella were chosen to kick off the show- the band finding no issue in captivating the crowd throughout their entire set.
With Corella’s set over, it was time for the main event, and as the lights dimmed once more, the crowd truly went mad, resulting in a rapture of cheering and applause throughout the venue. The moment the band stepped on stage, led by their ever-energetic frontman, Ricky Wilson, the entire crowd was captivated, singing to each and every word of their favourite tracks.
Starting the set with two of their biggest hits, ‘Every Day I Love You Less and Less’ (which was amusing considering the date) and ‘I Predict a Riot’, the band had no problem getting the almost-four thousand fans involved and shouting along.
The band were not only interested in playing their setlist, though, taking a break after their performance of scathing retro belter ‘Modern Way’ to acknowledge the holiday. The lighting suddenly turned pink as cheesy music filled the room, followed by Wilson taking a list of fans’ love messages from his pocket and reading them out for the entire venue to hear. This was certainly a special way of celebrating the holiday, and a perfect demonstration of how fun and personal the band are in how they interact with their fans.
Once this brief interlude was over, the Yorkshiremen leaped straight back into the Employment half of the set, flying through ‘Na Na Na Na Naa’ and ‘You Can Have It All’ in a relentless frenzy of guitars, microphone tricks, and crowd sing-a-longs as Wilson thrust the mic stand at the audience for them to sing with him- as if it was possible for the room to get any louder.
‘Oh My God’ was undoubtedly a highlight of the show, the band becoming an absolute masterclass in turning a simple, repetitive chorus into a beloved crowd-pleaser. As 4,000 fans’ voices filled the room, there was certainly no doubt of the band’s ability to control their crowd.
Marching on with ‘Born to Be a Dancer’, ‘Saturday Night’, and mardy, post-Britpop number ‘What Did I Ever Give You?’, the chaotic energy of the first half climaxed as the opening notes of ‘Time Honoured Tradition’ began to ring out. Quirky, fun, and easy to dance to, the track has all the best elements of British pub-rock, making it easy to understand why fans of the band love it so much. With Parklife-esque lyrics (“Cos we are birds of a feather, and you can be the fat one”) and a boisterous, brash performance from the Chiefs, it definitely left an impression on the crowd.
Shifting sounds slightly as Employment drew to a close, ‘Caroline, Yes’ and ‘Team Mate’ slowed down the tempo a little- though did not dampen the energy one bit. While these two tracks were welcome breathers from the band’s typical high-octane discography, the serenity did not last long, as B-side ‘Take My Temperature’ cranked up the volume for the final time before the Kaiser Chiefs took a walk off stage.
Following a reprise of ‘Theme from Jurassic Park’ (a nod to the band’s self-declared status as dinosaurs of the music industry), the Kaiser Chiefs returned for their hits-based encore with a cover of the Ramones’ ‘Blitzkreig Bop’- a staple of the band’s setlists during their 2025 and 2026 tours.
‘Never Miss A Beat’ was, of course, bound to be a belter, and has been a staple of every Kaiser Chiefs show since its release in 2008 as the lead single for the band’s third album: Off With Their Heads. With comfortingly simple lyrics (“What do you want for tea? I want crisps.”) and a structure that is perfect for singing along with, the track was certainly the star of the show despite its tough competition.
Continuing on through their never-ending repertoire of indie classics, the band smashed its way through the often overlooked Employment B-side ‘Sink That Ship’, and 2016 album Stay Together’s ‘Hole In My Soul’, each of which earned rapturous room-shaking applause from fans, every one of them having been encapsulated since the first lyrics of the show to this point.
Unfortunately, the set was beginning to draw to a close, it certainly was not going to pass over 2007 hit classic ‘Ruby’, the band’s biggest hit by far. With a structure reminiscent of Oasis’ later work, namely Don’t Believe The Truth’s ‘Lyla’, the Yours Truly, Angry Mob cult classic had no trouble in riling up the crowd for the penultimate time. Even as the song drew to an end, the crowd kept singing the wonderfully simple chorus “Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby / Do you, do you, do you, do you, do you?”, delighting the entire band.
After a far more recent track, 2024’s ‘Reasons to Stay Alive’, it was time for the last song of the night. While the conclusion of such a fantastic show was certainly a sad moment for everyone involved, it was hard to feel that way as ‘The Angry Mob’ started to play- delighting the crowd for the last time before the band had to make their exit.
Once the gig was over and the lights were raised for the last time, it was clear, looking at the crowd, that this was an experience that they would never forget. Kaiser Chiefs have proven on each and every one of their tours that they are masters of their craft, but the More Employment Tour was certainly one of their best yet. With over two decades of experience at the top of their game, the Leeds rockers truly are the “Chiefs” of their game.
Words by George Connell
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