Kaiser Chiefs, Razorlight, OhMercy @ The Palace, Melbourne(01/04/09)

Sat 4th Apr, 2009 in Gig Reviews

As the crowd began to file in from a warmer than average Autumn Bourke street evening, early birds were in for a treat with local act Oh Mercy dishing out some solid tunes. Not attempting to replicate the instant pop hooks of the bigger bands on the bill, the bands style consists of subtle nods to the Beat and folk movements of the late 1950s. Named after a Bob Dylan album, their best work comes into play when front man Alexander Gow begins to thrash his harmonica. As the brief set begins to wind down, the toes of the ever building crowd tap to the radio friendly Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time. As Alexandra surveys the towering venue, he thanks the crowd before admitting: ‘I’ve never even been here, now I get to play here.’

Next up is Razorlight, one of the more hyped bands of the past decade. An enormous live reputation including slots at Live 8 and every festival imaginable has their position as undercard a delightful if unexpected one. At one minute past nine the enigma that is Johnny Borrell struts onto the stage with mandatory skinny jeans and white tank, as he and the band commence a fifty minute assault on the senses of those in attendance. Driven by the original Swedish combination of lead guitarist Björn Ã…gren, and bassist Carl Dalemo the band are now joined by New Yorker David Sulivan-Kaplan on the drums, following Andy Burrow’s abrupt resignation in early March. Material is taken from each of the band’s three studio efforts to date, 2004’s Up All Night, 2006’s Razorlight and last years Slipway Fires.

After a rapid beginning, Razorlight’s intensity is lifted to an unthinkable level as Johnny grabs his guitar and launches into Before I Fall to Pieces. Then comes an unforgettable moment. During a rendition of In the City (a tune that changes pace with as much intensity and ferocity as a feral hybrid of The Velvet Underground’s Heroin and The Beatles A Day in the Life) Johnny- sans guitar- begins to scale first his amps, then scaffolding, then the wall. After a brief drop and run across the stairs (chased by adoring fans) he climbs onto a small ledge around the balcony. It his here where his Spiderman antics are halted by a concerned security guard, and he proclaims with an evil laugh befitting of his superhero high jinks ‘I’ve been a naughty boy’. The sheer drop of many metres, or the minuscule width of the suspended ledge do not phase this man of infamous confidence, and from this point on the show is incredible with crowd response for a support act like I have never before seen. After a set comprising rousing renditions of America, Rip it Up, Before I Fall to Pieces, Wire to Wire, and In The Morning, Razorlight finish on a somewhat ironic note. After a heartfelt thank you from the band and unanimous approval from the crowd Johnny precedes to finish with the line ‘I really, really wish I could be somewhere else’. Tongue firmly in cheek of course.

After a short break for the crowd to lower their collective heart rate, soothe ears, and rehydrate, Kaiser Chiefs burst onto stage. If Johnny Borrells stage antics could ever possibly be eclipsed, Ricky Wilson seems keen to try, as the opening riff of Spanish Metal reverbs around the towering venue reigniting the Palace’s pulse. The Leeds clan seem cheerful tonight, with Whitey shredding his left handed guitar, Simon Rix on Bass, Peanut on Keys and the bands creative genius Nick Hodgson behind the kit. The strength of their third album Off With Their Heads is exemplified throughout the set, with crowd response to each song impressive and Ricky’s enthusiasm unwavering.

One surprising element of the night is the mixed nature of ages in the crowd, proving the universal nature of the simple, uncomplicated appeal the Kaisers have prided themselves on since 2005’s Debut LP Employment. I notice this particularly due to the three follicly challenged middle aged gentlemen wearing Leed’s United Football Club guernseys who keep obscuring my view with their pogo jumping, emanating the teenage girls to my right. Though this behaviour is only natural due to Ricky’s charismatic ability to control such a large audience, and there are many parched throats following the lead single from their sophomore album YoursTruly, Angry Mob: Ruby.

The hit laden set continued through such favourites as Everyday I Love You Less and Less, Everything Is Average Nowadays, Modern Way, Never Miss a Beat and Love’s Not a Competition (in which Ricky pulls a slightly inebriated fan from the crowd to waltz with him around the stage, before announcing his delight at being able to “take his boyfriend on tour”). However the real highlight takes place during the seminal sing-a-long: I Predict a Riot. After singing the line: ‘It’s not very sensible,’ Ricky throws himself headfirst into a surging crowd, surfing in circles before returning to complete the song. Not satisfied back on solid ground, Ricky ventures back into the crowd, popping up at the bar to grab a can of beer and toast the audience, who are by now in raptures. After a short interlude the band returns to complete a memorable night with memorable renditions of Angry Mob and Oh My God. I leave surrounded by patrons grinning as one from ear to ear, acknowledging the intangible fun of the previous hours.

CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS FROM THE SHOW HERE