Latest news with #RickyWilson
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Noughties rock legends announce two massive Scots shows on UK tour
HUGE noughties rock legends have announced two Scottish shows as part of their world tour. The Kaiser Chiefs are hitting the road AGAIN to celebrate their hit album Employment. 3 The Kaiser Chiefs will be adding more dates to their tour Credit: Splash 3 They will be performing two new Scots gigs Credit: Getty Advertisement The 2005 release was their debut studio album and is a classic favourite of fans. Employment went on to become one of the most successful debut albums from a UK band, hitting number two on the charts. It also went seven-times platinum thanks to belters like 'Oh My God', 'I Predict A Riot'. Twenty years after Employment hit the shelves the band went on tour back to celebrate the milestone. Advertisement But after a sensational run of shows this summer, they announced more dates for the anniversary tour next year. They will take to stages across Britain next year, including two north of the border. There first gig in Scotland will be in Dundee on February 17. The band will perform in the city's Livehouse for excited fans. Advertisement They will then head south for a show at Glasgow's Barrowland Ballroom will be the another stop on the tour. They are set to rock the iconic venue on Wednesday February 18 2026. Heartbroken band pulls out of Reading and Leeds Festival after 'running out of money' The 'More Employment' tour has 12 dates lined up. Kicking off in Bradford on February 13, they will head around the country finishing in Wolverhampton - including a show at London's Eventim Apollo. Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson said: 'This summer, we played a load of shows to mark the release of our debut album 'Employment'. Advertisement "It went well. Probably better than our first summer 20 years ago. It was the year after that first year that things really took off. Kaiser Chiefs' 'Employment' February 2026 UK dates 13 – Bradford, Live 14 – Manchester, O2 Victoria Warehouse 15 – Stockton, Globe 17 – Dundee, Live House 18 – Glasgow, Barrowland 20 – London, Eventim Apollo 21 – Hull, Connexin Live 23 – Norwich, UEA 24 – Swansea, Building Society Arena 26 – Bournemouth, International Centre 27 – Cambridge, Corn Exchange 28 – Wolverhampton, The Halls 'So we hope you will join us in February to help celebrate with us 'the year it really took off'. "If you were with us the first time, or unfortunately missed out due to other commitments, we hope you will join us for a joyous lap of honour. "Plus, I spent quite a bit on a new blazer and want to get my money's worth'. 3 They will be performing at Glasgow's iconic Barrowland Ballroom Credit: Getty
Wales Online
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Kaiser Chiefs announce big Welsh gig for 2026
Kaiser Chiefs announce big Welsh gig for 2026 Kaiser Chiefs will continue their tour celebrating 20 years of their hit debut album, Employment Kaiser Chiefs will be back in 2026, following a successful run of gigs (Image: Joseph Raynor/ Reach PLC) Indie band Kaiser Chiefs are heading to Wales on their extended run of dates for their More Employment tour, marking 20 years since the release of their landmark debut album, Employment. Following a triumphant summer of headline shows - including a standout set on Glastonbury's iconic Pyramid Stage, a dazzling headline performance at London's Alexandra Palace Park, and a massive homecoming gig at Leeds' Temple Newsam Park - the band will continue their anniversary celebrations into 2026 due to overwhelming demand. As part of this new leg, the five-piece will bring the More Employment tour to Swansea Building Society Arena on Tuesday, February 24, 2026. Fans can look forward to a full live performance of Employment, alongside a career-spanning set of greatest hits. Presale tickets will be available from 9am on Thursday, August 21, with fans encouraged to sign up to the Swansea Building Society Arena mailing list before 7.30am on the day to access the presale Click here to sign up now. General sale opens at 9am on Friday, August 22 via Swansea Arena and Ticketmaster, which can be found here. Originally released in March 2005, Employment was met with widespread acclaim and became one of the most successful debut albums by a UK band. Peaking at number two on the UK Albums Chart, it spent over 17 months in the Official Top 40, sold more than 2.1 million copies, and earned a remarkable 7× Platinum certification from the BPI. The album, which features anthems like I Predict A Riot, Oh My God, and Everyday I Love You Less And Less; was recently remastered at the legendary Abbey Road Studios. Its original release launched the band into global stardom and secured their status as arena and festival mainstays. Formed in Leeds in 2000, Kaiser Chiefs are widely regarded as one of the most exciting and consistently successful British bands of the 21st century. From superstar gigs to cosy pubs, find out What's On in Wales by signing up to our newsletter here Fronted by the ever-charismatic Ricky Wilson, and featuring Simon Rix (bass), Andrew "Whitey" White (guitar), Nick "Peanut" Baines (keys), and Vijay Mistry (drums), the band has released eight studio albums (two of which topped the UK charts). Together, they went on to achieve nine Top 40 singles, including the number one hit Ruby and received numerous accolades including three BRIT Awards and an Ivor Novello for Employment. They've also toured the globe with the likes of U2, Foo Fighters, and Green Day, and have sold over eight million albums worldwide. Reflecting on the tour extension, frontman Ricky Wilson shared: "This summer, we played a load of shows to mark the release of our debut album 'Employment'. It went well. Probably better than our first summer 20 years ago. It was the year after that first year that things really took off... Article continues below "So we hope you will join us in February to help celebrate with us 'the year it really took off. If you were with us the first time, or unfortunately missed out due to other commitments, we hope you will join us for a joyous lap of honour. (Plus, I spent quite a bit on a new blazer and want to get my money's worth)".
The Sun
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Ricky Wilson misses out on huge jackpot as he struggles through Celebrity Catchphrase – would you have done better?
RICKY Wilson missed out on a huge jackpot on Celebrity Catchphrase. The Kaiser Chiefs frontman struggled through the finale of the hit ITV game show. 7 7 7 Catchphrase usually sees contestants from the public try to identify famous phrases by guessing visual riddles that are posed to them. Ricky, 47, made it to the Super Catchphrase final round for a chance to win the £50,000 jackpot and a bonus prize. He breezed relatively quickly through the first two layers of the pyramid on the celebrity version of the show. The first riddles represented the phrases 'dog biscuit' and 'brain fog' which Ricky correctly guessed with 44 seconds to spare. However, when he moved to the third layer he was left completely stumped by box number 11 - which also contained the bonus prize. The first visual clue saw four medieval knights in full armour sitting around two differently shaped tables. Initially he passed to choose another box before going back for a second guess. When he still couldn't guess the answer after more deliberation, he chose box number 10. Once again he was left stumped when the miniature cartoon was circling round the bush whilst playing with a handheld drum. Ricky unfortunately ran out of time, meaning he had only won £5,000 of the available prize. Looking fuming with himself he stated: "Sorry about that," as Stephen Mulhern tried to console him. The host explained: "Listen, you don't need to apologise about anything. "The reality is, it just shows and I say it a lot of times. But this is the proof. One of our best players we've ever had and the Super Catchphrase just gets ya." Ricky then practically threw himself onto the ground in frustration when he realised to himself what the second phrase was. Stephen Mulhern's career so far The presenter is a mainstay on various ITV shows, but how did he become one of Britain's most well-known faces? Stephen first gained an interest in magic and tricks from his father who taught him as a kid. After performing at Butlins, he became the youngest member of the Magic Circle and even made an appearance on Blue Peter in a piece about Harry Houdini. His career started in Children's TV when he presenter the show Finger Tips in 2001. After four years, he launched Tricky TV on CITV in 2005, which he presented until 2010. During this time, he was handpicked by bosses to front the ITV2 spin-off for Britain's Got Talent. He presented Britain's Got More Talent until the cancelation of the companion in 2019. But it's not all bad news for Stephen who is known for his duties on a number of quiz shows. In for a Penny, a format originally launched on Ant & Dec 's Saturday Night Takeaway was launched the same year. Before, he was chosen by bosses to host Catchphrase in 2013 and has been fronting the show ever since. Other huge shows he presented for ITV included Big Star's Little Star, Rolling In It and the reboot of Deal Or No Deal. He also made regular appearances on This Morning in 'The Hub' segment between 2011 and 2014. After the Philip Schofield scandal rocked ITV, he was chosen to reunite with his former CITV co-star Holly Willoughby as the host of Dancing on Ice. He declared: "Beating about the bush," as he threw his hands on his knees. Stephen continued: "I'll tell you what. You're gonna kick yourself when you realise the other one as well!" Ricky laughed at his original guess of 'drumming round the hedge' as he thought too literally. Stephen then pointed out that the second table was circle-shaped as the first phrase was actually 'Knights of the round table'. The musician furiously remarked: "I didn't even see the round table!" 7 7 7
Metro
04-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Kaiser Chiefs were 'glad something terrible happened' to their Glastonbury set
The Kaiser Chiefs' Glastonbury 2025 performance was a highlight for many at Worthy Farm, but 'something terrible happened'. As the Ruby hitmakers opened the Pyramid Stage for day two of the festival (Saturday, June 27), complaints flooded social media. It turned out the BBC had no plans to air the set, which marked the iconic band's 20th anniversary. Lead singer Ricky Wilson saw the outcry but admitted it doesn't feel like a Kaiser Chiefs show when everything is going right. 'We're most comfortable when things are going wrong, even like when we were the Glastonbury and it was, like, my favourite show ever,' the 47-year-old musician shared. Speaking on Radio X with Dan O'Connell, Ricky continued: 'Best day. I loved it. The crowd turned up. There was like 100,000 people in the field. Amazing. 'Then they said it wasn't on iPlayer. And I was like, 'Well, that's really rubbish.' 'I'm glad something terrible happened, because it wouldn't be the Kaiser Chiefs if it all went to plan.' He added: 'The thing is, bands that everything goes really well, then just to suddenly disappear. But bands that go up and down have a need to fight back all the time. 'It's weird, because we're very happy being the underdogs.' Those underdogs were marking two decades since the release of their debut album, Employment, which was the fourth best-selling album that year. The record produced iconic hits like Oh My God, I Predict a Riot, and Everyday I Love You Less and Less. It was shortlisted — as Ricky said it 'came second' — for the Mercury Prize that year but the singer revealed he couldn't appreciate the success at the time. 'It was weird,' he shared. 'We knew it was going really well; you can't really compute it when you're so tired. 'And I think any new band who aren't feeling like on the verge of death with tiredness, you're not doing it properly!' While the set did appear on iPlayer later, fans were furious it wasn't aired live and were particularly vocal about it on X at the time. Ninety_88 questioned: 'How can you put Kaiser Chiefs on to open on a Saturday and not televise it?' More Trending 'BBC iPlayer stating they are live, when in actual fact it's 2 presenters talking and showing the acts from last night, when we have all tuned in to watch Kaiser Chiefs who are actually live on stage now! What a let down,' added melcastle1875. The I Predict A Riot hitmakers even addressed the drama on their Instagram, writing: 'Apologies to everyone who attempted to tune in yesterday, we appreciate you wanting to join the party from home alongside the almost one hundred thousand of you who filled the field! Such a lovely crowd!' Kaiser Chiefs' Glastonbury set has since been removed from iPlayer, along with other 2025 sets. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Lewis Capaldi reveals why he had to leak his surprise Glastonbury 2025 set MORE: This might be the first Glastonbury 2027 performer as rocker teases plans MORE: Police drop Glastonbury investigation into Kneecap's performance
Irish Times
03-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Kaiser Chiefs' Ricky Wilson: ‘Ryan Tubridy? I love him'
As with many rock stars who've been around a bit, Ricky Wilson of Kaiser Chiefs has a Bono anecdote. 'I was sat at a table with Bono , his wife and Stella McCartney. Everyone's chatting. And I hadn't got anything to say,' the singer says from his home in London . 'I was thinking, 'I've got to have something to say. I've got to bring things to this. So what do I do? What do I say?' And there's a lull in the conversation. I thought, 'Now's my chance: say something.' And I don't know why – I think I heard about it the other day – that Pringles, when you set them on fire, they burn with a blue or green flame. So I said, 'Has anyone ever set fire to a Pringle?' At which point there was a resounding 'No'. I got up and left and went back to my room. Embarrassed.' The story is a nice party piece, but it also articulates a fundamental truth about Kaiser Chiefs – or so Wilson feels. They've been in glamorous company – Pringlegate happened when they were supporting U2 on tour – clocked up three Brit awards and two number-one albums. Yet they have always felt like outsiders, gatecrashers who might be shown the door at any moment. 'We don't introduce ourselves to famous people. We prefer twitching the curtains of our dressingroom, looking at all the famous people walking past. Not feeling that we're part of that. I find it exhausting talking to people. I'm a classic introvert. That's not a famous person saying, 'Actually, I'm shy.' I do find it exhausting. I don't find being on stage exhausting. That's different. That's performance on my terms. I'm there to entertain people. I get off and I don't go to the after-show. Because that would be exhausting.' READ MORE Kaiser Chiefs are preparing for a show at Collins Barracks, part of the Wider Than Pictures series of events at the historic Dublin venue. The concert marks the 20th anniversary of their debut LP, Employment, which has sold two million copies and spawned the timeless indie-disco smashes I Predict a Riot – a song that also became a Leeds United terrace anthem – and Oh My God. 'We must have been doing something right for 20 years. In between doing some things wrong. That's what makes it last for 20 years. If you're consistently not making mistakes, that's how you disappear. Your graph will go up and up and then you drop off. Ours has gone up and down, up and down. At the time you don't think you're making a mistake. Looking back, there are whole albums where I think, 'That isn't as good as it could have been.' We're in the privileged position of making albums that weren't as good as they could have been. And I'm glad of it. We're still going, still searching for that perfect thing.' As he says, they've had an up-and-down time since Employment: it was long voguish to deride Kaiser Chiefs as pub rockers who'd got too big for their boots. But that's all vitriol under the bridge, and Wilson and bandmates are today celebrated for their great tunes. Just how completely they have been rehabilitated was underlined when they played the main stage at Glastonbury this year to a huge audience. 'It was kind a validation, because a f**king s**tload of people turned up. I had no idea our songs have become household songs.' He points out, however, that nothing is ever simple for Kaiser Chiefs. There's always that sting in the tail, that wrinkle that won't be ironed out. For instance, although the set was a triumph, the BBC didn't see fit to record it. Kaiser Chiefs' Ricky Wilson: 'There's been many times I've wanted to leave [the band]. But the alternative for me has never been as good as what I've got 'I have no idea why. It's crazy. We're not going to do a Kneecap or anything,' he says, referring to the controversial Belfast/Derry rap trio, who led chants of 'F**k Keir Starmer' at the festival. 'Maybe we should have. Even if we had done it, no one would have seen it. My mother was furious.' [ Kneecap will face no further action over Glastonbury performance, police say Opens in new window ] Wilson is friendly, but the 47-year-old has been through the mill. Though hugely acclaimed early on, the tide quickly turned against Kaiser Chiefs. Cheery chaps from Leeds, they were an easy target for the London music press, and the backlash was pitiless. 'Humdrum, ambition-less,' the website Drowned in Sound said of their second LP, Yours Truly, Angry Mob. Noel Gallagher of Oasis was even more scathing, saying, 'I did drugs for 18 years and I never got that bad as to say, 'You know what? I think the Kaiser Chiefs are brilliant.'' Boris Johnson, of all people, labelled them 'the weeds from Leeds' in a newspaper column. Many reviews also focused on Wilson's appearance and his fluctuating weight. He's had the last laugh – but there is some scarring. 'The press used to be a weird thing. Because it was, like, you have some success; then, obviously, with success comes the press turning on you. The thing is, it got personal,' he says. 'Could you imagine [nowadays] a review of a band going deep into how ugly or fat they were? It would be career suicide for the journalist. I still have a little chuckle to myself. The internet lasts forever. People don't look good, do they, in respect of some of the things they said?' Wilson dealt with insults by turning them into positives. They were a reminder that, regardless of how many records they sold, Kaiser Chiefs would always be scrappy outsiders. 'We like being the underdog. And even when we're top of the world, there was always that element of not being that happy. I mean, even Glastonbury ... the fact it wasn't filmed by the BBC. If it had been, everything would have been perfect – and I probably wouldn't have come away as happy, because something has to go wrong. We have to still be striving. As soon as everything is perfect, what's the point in carrying on?' The rise of Kaiser Chiefs coincided with what was regarded as a musical low point – the heyday of 'landfill indie'. These were the glory days of meat-and-two-veg merchants such as The Pigeon Detectives, Razorlight, The Kooks and The Fratellis. Kaiser Chiefs rubbed shoulders with them all, but they were always aware of not being cut from the same image-conscious cloth. 'There was a real facade. Being 'traditional cool' comes with a lot of facade and a lot of effort. When we went to the NME Awards there was lots of being cool … by the traditional use of the word cool and also pretending they didn't want to be there. I thought, 'It's not very cool if you're pretending you don't want to be here. If you don't want to be here ... don't go.' Going and pretending, 'I don't want to be here.' Well, why are you here if you're so cool? And that must have rubbed people the wrong way. Even people I know in other bands. The fact that we seemed to be having a good time – because we were.' The wheels came off in 2008 with the band's third album, Off With Their Heads. It had all the makings of a huge hit. The Amy Winehouse collaborator Mark Ronson was producing and Lily Allen guested on the single Never Miss a Beat. But the album proved to be plodding and directionless – the work of musicians asked to go to the well once too often. [ Mark Ronson: 'I wish I'd been more upfront about Amy Winehouse's addiction' Opens in new window ] 'Mark Ronson was a weird one. We were friends with him. We made the record and I think we hadn't finished writing it. I listen to it now and there are some good moments. It has Never Miss a Beat on it, which is a classic. But there's a lot of stuff on it which needed finishing before we went in the studio. Maybe needed playing live. We didn't play any of it live. First and second albums we played live a lot before we recorded. 'We should have spent a bit more time in the rehearsal studio. We didn't have time. Nick' – Hodgson, then Kaisers Chiefs' drummer and songwriter – 'was doing a lot of the hard work. Usually with an album I know what it is about. With this album it was the first time I didn't know what it was about. You can tell if you listen to it – a lot of the lyrics are all over the shop. A lot of them are just things that sounded cool.' Things got even worse in 2012 when Hodgson left. He and Wilson, who went to school together, had started Kaiser Chiefs in 1996 (when they went as Runston Parva). But Hodgson, who wrote their 2007 number-one Ruby, had become disillusioned. And, much like Roger Waters leaving Pink Floyd, he had assumed that the band would not continue without him. Wilson had other ideas. The relationship turned frosty, though there seems to have been a reconciliation when Hodgson joined the Kaisers on stage in Leeds this summer, playing guitar on Oh My God. 'It was very disappointing when he left. He thought it was broken. He was probably right,' Wilson says. 'But we fixed it. In that way it was a break-up. I didn't want to break up, and he did. He did the best thing and the right thing for him, and fair play to him. There's been many times I've wanted to leave. But the alternative for me has never been as good as what I've got.' Touring Employment has been fun, though Wilson does have to remind himself that the album came out 20 years ago. 'It's weird. In 2005, 20 years ago was 1985. If there was a band from 1985 playing the same festival as us I'd be, like, who are these old geezers?' Wilson is in a healthy place where Kaiser Chiefs are still his day job but not his whole life. Around the time of Hodgson's departure he replaced Danny O'Donoghue, of The Script, as a judge on The Voice UK. He has gone on to play the Artilleryman in a touring production of Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds and has worked as a presenter on BBC children's TV. He currently has a side hustle as the host of the drivetime slot on Virgin Radio UK, where one of his colleagues is the Irishman abroad Ryan Tubridy. He perks up at the mention of Tubridy's name, praising him as a respected colleague and style icon. 'There's someone that's good at conversation. I love Ryan Tubridy. Like most people in England, I didn't know who he was. I knew him from The Late Late Show. We'd been on his show. I'd no idea how huge he was. I have good conversations with him. He's recommended books. I've recommended books to him – he's never read them. But I do like him. He always looks impeccably ironed. Amazing. Everything about him looks like it's straight out of the shop, apart from the battered old leather bag he takes everywhere. Always a fresh haircut. He looks incredible.' These are heady days for live music. Kaiser Chiefs are on the march again – and Oasis's comeback tour is introducing a new generation to the joy of living it large in a big field with your friends. There's still that tetchy history – in addition to Noel insulting the Leeds band, Liam Gallagher once labelled them 'naff c**ts'. But Wilson is delighted the Gallaghers are back, louder and lairier than ever. 'It's exciting, and I understand why everyone's going. I think it's brilliant. And I saw Oasis many, many times from the mid-1990s on. Then we started playing with them on the same festival bills. Incredible just to be around them – even as people, there's this buzzing energy. People will always like live music. There's something about bands like that. It's almost as if it has to be live. It's like an animal in the zoo: it has to be in the wild. That's where it will thrive.' Kaiser Chiefs play Collins Barracks, Dublin, as part of the Wider Than Pictures series, on Saturday, August 23rd
