REVIEW: Kaiser Chiefs, Preston Guild Hall

Songs like “The Angry Mob” spoke to a generation and the anthemic “I Predict a Riot” became the cri de guerre of a million beered-up British lads.

The Leeds rockers may no longer be the vanguard of Indie music since their mid-Noughties pomp, but the years have done nothing to wither the resonance of their music.

The two totemic tracks were among the Kaiser Chiefs’ greatest hits performed during a stunning show at a packed-out Preston Guild Hall.

The machine-gun drums of “Thank You Very Much” kicked off the gig at 100mph and the pounding pace never relented for the full 90 minute show.

Two tracks in, with the suave “Kinda Girl You Are”, and frenetic frontman Ricky Wilson was swinging his mic and scaling the speakers above several thousand swaying fans.

The moshpit below was a swirling maelstrom of indie kids, one-time students and ageing hipsters ­– a mix testament to the punk-inspired pop rockers’ widespread appeal.

By the time shout-along hit “Everyday I Love You Less and Less” dropped, there was frenzy. Just the first few drum beats and unmistakable synth sound had the hordes baying at the barriers, whipped up by the riotous Ricky.

The melodic arm-in-arm anthem “Modern Way” was followed up by a brand new and unfinished track christened “You’ve Got The Nerve” which was frothing with verve, energy and aggression.

The foot-stomping “Never Miss a Beat” pushed the tempo again after the eerie and ethereal riffs of “Loves Not a Competition.”

The roof was raised to festival favourite “Ruby” and if that was boisterous and brash, then “I Predict a Riot” was pure pandemonium. The venue seethed and pulsated as thousands of mouths screamed the iconic words. It was 2005 all over again.

A towering performance of “The Angry Mob” brought down the curtain before the encore which climaxed with the rousing and raucous “Oh My God”.

The show proved a shotgun blast to shatter the silence of the band’s recent hiatus. Let’s hope they are ready to reload.