Newmarket Nights - Kaiser Chiefs
Newmarket Nights drew to a close on Saturday night with headliners Kaiser Chiefs entertaining another glamorous looking crowd
This year's season of Newmarket Nights drew to a close on Saturday night with headliners Kaiser Chiefs entertaining another glamorous looking crowd, following an afternoon race-card that produced seven winners, although none for me. It was certainly a more comfortable ride than it had been last time I was here. Back in June, on a day when Basement Jaxx produced the most amazing show I have ever seen at the Newmarket racecourse, the temperature hit 37 degrees during the afternoon. This time around, the mercury was registering just half of that figure, meaning that more horses were willing to come out and play, and we all had a splendid afternoon sipping champagne and guzzling oysters, whilst the on-course bookmakers attempted their gallant best to rip the shirts from our backs.
It is twenty one years since Ricky Wilson and co. released their debut album, Employment, and also made their first appearance at the NickRayns LCR, opening for The Futureheads, Bloc Party and The Killers, as part of the 2005 Shockwaves NME Awards Tour. That was the first time that I saw Kaider Chiefs live. The last time was their Saturday night slot on the main stage at last year's Latitude. In that time, the band have released eight albums (nine, if you include '22', the 2003 debut under the band's original name, Parva).
Not surprisingly, five tracks from Employment are peppered throughout tonight's setlist, beginning with 'Everyday I Love You Less and Less', and working their way through 'Modern Way', 'Na,Na,Na,Na,Naa', 'I Predict A Riot', and saving 'Oh My God' for the encore. And it is these songs, along with 'Never Miss A Beat' and 'Ruby' from 2007's 'Yours Truly, Angry Mob', that really stand the test of time, define the Kaiser Chief sound, and get the biggest reaction from the evening's Newmarket crowd. Wilson, who turned 48 in January, looks lean, and at least 20 years younger, but I noticed that his trademark acrobatic aerial leaps and side-kicks have become less frequent (I counted just the one in this show), and some of the newer songs now lack the energy and drive that the band built their reputation on. The giant double-decker bus graphics that dominate the stage also seem to detract, rather than add, to the performance.
Yet, despite being a tad disappointed by the Chiefs' set, I was completely surprised (and in a good way) by opening act Scouting For Girls. Having dismissed them back in the Noughties as a frothy power pop band known for the infectious earworms 'She's So Lovely' and 'Elvis Ain't Dead', and their sentimental No.1 hit 'This Ain't A Love Song', I was genuinely impressed by the charisma, the enthusiasm, and yes even the songs, that singer and main songwriter Roy Stride and his band members produced for a clearly excited crowd. OK, it may not be what I would listen to at home, but for a sunny afternoon on the Newmarket racecourse – absolutely perfect.
So, that brings this series of Newmarket Nights to a close for another year. As well as Basement Jaxx and Kaiser Chiefs, the July Course also played host this summer to FIVE, Madness, Aitch, Jessie J, and Craig David. For a Summer treat that is less than an hour's drive from Norwich, keep your eyes peeled for the announcement of 2027 dates and names, and book yourselves a day out to remember.
