Kaiser Chiefs, Black Kids and Dananananaykroyd live at The Odyssey Arena, Belfast

Armed with one of the best debuts of the year so far (Hey Everyone!) the impossibly named Dananananaykroyd have the unenviable task of playing to a 90% empty arena largely made up of fans who just don’t seem to get them. Still, singer Calum Gunn doesn’t seem to mind as he screams out his thunderous anthems in a bid to gain some fans. Black Kids are up next and what a difference a year makes for the Florida mob. Gone are the bum notes and weak vocals and in its place is a slinkier, more professional band who prove that practise really does make perfect. ‘Look At Me (When I Rock Wichoo)’, ‘Hit The Heartbreaks’ and a note perfect ‘I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You’ threaten to steal the show already and if I were Kaiser Chiefs, I’d be very worried indeed.
After a brief intermission, the venue starts to fill up and Ricky Wilson and Co. literally march onstage. Opening with the lacklustre ‘Spanish Metal’ which leaves quite a few people confused, it appears that all isn’t well in Kaiser Chiefs-land. With sales of their new record (Off With Their Heads) dwindling and rumours of less than successful ticket sales for the Irish leg of their tour, it looks like the band are going off the boil. But then something happens. Out of nowhere we get a killer one-two punch of ‘Everyday I Love You Less And Less’ and ‘Everything Is Average Nowadays’ and it looks like they’re back in the game.
For what it’s worth, Ricky Wilson is the consummate indie frontman. Eager to prove to his fans that their new direction isn’t a huge creative misfire, he jumps into the crowd trying to reconnect with those who haven’t taken to the electronica of ‘Good Days Bad Days’ and ‘Tomato In The Rain.’ But it’s the older stuff that we all want to hear and ‘Ruby’ and ‘I Predict A Riot’ are as popular as a porn star in a Christian Brothers school. As the band race to the finish line with ‘Oh My God,’ it seems obvious that while they are hugely talented performers with a clutch of truly iconic songs, their new material just doesn’t gel. If they want to continue to appease this Angry Mob, they need to rethink what they’re doing and fast.