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Kaiser Chiefs mark 20 years of gainful Employment with Temple Newsam Park gig with mid-Noughties cronies next May

Kaiser Chiefs: Feeling the benefit of 20 years of Employment at Temple Newsam, Leeds, next May

KAISER Chiefs will mark the 20th anniversary of debut album Employment with a home-city concert at Temple Newsam Park, Leeds, on May 31 2025.

Joining the Yorkshire indie band that day will be mid-Noughties peers Razorlight, The Cribs, The Coral and We Are Scientists, plus Hastings trio HotWax and West Yorkshire’s Ellur, “two of the most exciting new indie artists in the UK”. Tickets go on sale today at https://tix.to/KCTempleNewsam.
 
Released in March 2005, the seven-times platinum and multi-award winning Employment remains the biggest-selling record from a Leeds artist, propelling I Predict A Riot and Oh My God to becoming anthems for the city, forever intertwined with Leeds life, culture, football and more.
 
To honour that special connection, as well as the 20th anniversary, Kaiser Chiefs will take to one of Leeds’s biggest stages for a celebration of Employment and the city that inspired it.

Kaiser Chiefs, minus Ricky Wilson that day, launching their When All Is Quiet: Kaiser Chiefs in Conversation with York Art Gallery exhibition in December 2018

London quintet Razorlight will perform a special set to mark the 20th anniversary of their debut album, Up All Night; Wakefield band The Cribs celebrate the same anniversary for sophomore album The New Fellas; The Coral, from the Wirral, will dive into their back catalogue, and cult American indie rockers We Are Scientists will highlight the 20th anniversary of their major label debut,  With Love And Squalor.

Kaiser Chiefs are “very excited to announce our biggest Leeds gig ever”. “Twenty years since Employment, and 23 years since we last played at Temple Newsam, we are delighted to be back,” say Ricky Wilson (vocals), Simon Rix (bass), Nick “Peanut” Baines (keyboards), Andrew “Whitey” White (guitar) and Vijay Mistry (drums).

“Last time we played there [in their days as Parva], we joked we were on after Guns N’ Roses, who had played the previous night, so it’s been a long wait to finally actually headline the Park.

“We are a band that historically always looked forwards, but after 20 years of people telling us how important Employment is to them and how it soundtracked people’s lives, we felt we had to organise a celebration.
 
“We’ve managed to get a few of our old touring friends to come and celebrate with us and of course everyone is invited. Come celebrate the 2000s, Employment, When Leeds took over the World. See you all in May.”

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REVIEW: Paul Rhodes’s verdict on Futuresound presents Live At York Museum Gardens, Jack Savoretti, July 18

Jack Savoretti: “A typically charismatic, energetic performance” at York Museum Gardens. Picture: Paul Rhodes

FUTURESOUND’S inaugural Live At York Museum Gardens festival got off to a stellar start on Thursday. Headliner Jack Savoretti gave a typically charismatic, energetic performance that had the sell-out crowd in the palm of his Anglo-Italian hand.

The setting framed the evening to a tee, the musicians played in front of the Yorkshire Museum, with St Mary’s Abbey off to the side. No-one was looking at the ruins, however, and Savoretti had everyone’s attention.

He has gained a large and passionate following, with back-to-back number one albums. The women in the audience especially adore him, and it’s easy to see why. Blessed with good looks and the ability to write songs with broad appeal, he’s also a natural showman.

Homeward bound: York-born Benjamin Francis Leftwich, now based in London, returns home to sing of New York in old York. Picture: Paul Rhodes

“Singing for strangers” may be his daughter’s way of describing her dad’s job, but he has the master’s gift of shrinking an arena so everyone in the audience feels he’s singing to them.

The evening had begun slowly with opener Ellur, from Halifax, starting proceedings early, followed by Benjamin Francis Leftwich. Originally from York (and conceived in a haunted house nearby, he told us, perhaps with a wink) Leftwich is not an obvious party starter. Yet he provided an ideal accompaniment to match the early evening vibe.

Playing with Jamie Squire (touring keyboard player for The 1975), Leftwich’s confident set was mellifluous and tuneful – with New York the highlight. Paul Simon he isn’t, but his hotel-room confessions were played with endearing conviction and the old York links went over well.

Foy Vance: “Performing solo, he demonstrated that with a large crowd, a big voice is not enough to guarantee a successful performance”

Foy Vance by comparison was a disappointment. On record, this Irish lothario’s songs, in Tom Waits/Joe Henry territory and bubble wrapped in Muscle Shoals high-quality packaging, are highly listenable.

Performing solo, however, he demonstrated that with a large crowd, a big voice is not enough to guarantee a successful performance. The audience chatter continued uninterrupted. The queue for beer and wine lengthened. Further back, someone did the crossword. Vance still got a big hand – but this was not his night.

The crowd (some having travelled from Swansea and beyond) wanted something, anything, to get them moving. An outdoor concert, after all, is as much an occasion as a gig, and it needs something special.

As the cloudy light slowly dimmed, the real star turn emerged. Savoretti’s performance was day to night compared to what came before.

Jack Savoretti: “His songs are naturally big, more romantic than the Milk Tray Man, and crowd pleasing”. Picture: Paul Rhodes

His songs are naturally big, more romantic than the Milk Tray Man, and crowd pleasing. We Are Bound was typical while The Way You Said Goodbye is everything Savoretti does best.

Well accustomed to playing concerts on this scale, the set list was a masterclass; mixing audience favourites with new material off this year’s Miss Italia album, even getting the crowd to sing in Italian at one point. The stories may not be new, but Savoretti told them like he meant it.

The 16-song set steadily built up to a wonderful finale. Tie Me Down was unrestrainable and Dancing Through The Rain superb. Then to close, and underline his star credentials, You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me. Made famous by Dusty Springfield, then Elvis Presley, the song began life as the Italian Lo Che Non Vivo (Senza Te).

Savoretti channelled all three to set the seal on a wonderful performance. Bringing his son on stage for the ovation melted even the coldest of hearts still intact. Un tocco perfetto, maestro.

Review by Paul Rhodes