The Kaiser Chiefs rock Eden (From Falmouth Packet)

The Kaiser Chiefs rock Eden

12:13pm Wednesday 23rd July 2008

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The Kaiser Chiefs predicted a riot and that's what we got - a riot of colour, excitement and top-quality tunes.

Clearly up for it from the very start, the moment front man Ricky Wilson stepped on stage he was working the capacity crowd at the Eden Project.

We were encouraged - nay, demanded - to sing to our lung capacity and generally dance, jump and wave our hands in the air at every opportunity. With not a little irony, Ricky told all of us "Cornish surfers" to "let our hair down for once."

As one of the headline acts of this year's Eden Sessions, this gig was sold out months in advance.

It wasn't hard to see why. The Kaisers have a strong reputation for giving stonking live performances and at Eden they didn't disappoint, with the high octane energy in the first song building to an all-out frenzy by the final song.

Put simply, the Kaisers gave us what we wanted - all the old favourites interspersed with the odd song from their forthcoming new album, which were well received by the crowd.

Particular high points were the crowd-pleasers Ruby and I Predict a Riot. There were also the moments when Ricky climbed the stage rigging and then clambered into the crowd to be held up by the people in the front rows.

The piest de resistance however was the final song. Giving good value for money - having already sung for 75 minutes with just a short break midway - the quintet (Ricky was joined as always by guitarist Andrew Whitey' White, bassist Simon Rix, keyboardist Nick Peanut' Baines and drummer Nick Hodgson) treated a screaming crowd to a 15-minute encore.

They saved the best for last. A raucous version of Oh My God had the outside stadium on their feet and rocking, hands in the air and hollering along with the words, right through from the moshing front row to those perched on the bank at the back.

Just one word: electrifying.

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