Live Review: Kaiser Chiefs - Palace Theatre

Melbourne's Loon Lake are first up tonight and, while they're not bad, the definite lack of dynamics in their songs makes it hard to tell one from the other after a while. Musically they're certainly capable, but there is a severe lack of subtlety when it comes to the vocals, and lyrically what can be heard doesn't leave much to be desired.

Thankfully, Sydney boys Deep Sea Arcade put in a great show with their 1960s and Britpop-tinged pop.

As the opening refrain of Dire Straits' Money For Nothing blares away, the five lads from Leeds, collectively known as Kaiser Chiefs (something that singer Ricky Wilson will remind us of a number of times throughout the show), take to the stage, full of tongue-in-cheek bravado. To be able to pull that off and still be cool is no mean feat, but these boys, Wilson especially, can do it. Given that they're touring their latest album, The Future Is Medieval, it's interesting that they choose to start their set with Na Na Na Na Naa, from their first album Employment. There are certainly no complaints, though, and it's clear they mean business; the sound is spot-on and the band is tighter than a hipster's trousers. The crowd cheers following Everything Is Average Nowadays, but Wilson will have none of it, telling us, “Shut up! We've got no time for clapping – we've gotta play more songs.”

The remainder of the set is made up of an interesting mix of songs covering all four Kaiser Chiefs albums, including Kinda Girl You Are, Little Shocks, Starts With Nothing, Never Miss A Beat, Good Days Bad Days, I Predict A Riot, Everyday I Love You Less And Less, The Angry Mob, Ruby and On The Run. Never let it be said that Wilson is a dull frontman. Andrew White, Nick Hodgson, Simon Rix and Nick “Peanut” Baines seem to be happy to let Wilson run all over the stage, and even off it (he disappears for a few minutes only to pop up standing on one of the bars at the side of the venue, demanding drinks before continuing to sing).

They leave us with a rousing and slightly extended rendition of Oh My God, (yes, the one that Mark Ronson covered). It's a fitting finale, confirming beyond a doubt that Kaiser Chiefs are the kings of the pop anthem.