At the moment You've got this massive arena tour starting with Kaiser Chiefs, how did that come about?
I think a couple of them came and saw us play at leeds festival, or heard some of our tunes and said they liked us. Last year we did a show with them at the forum and they asked us to come on tour! So its good to know they actually like us.
Will you be adapting your stage performance for the likes of your last date at wembley arena?
Ive never really been to arena venues before, so we didnt realise how vast they actually were. I dont know what we are going to do, but try and communicate to that many people. Its the simplest things in songs that might work the best I suppose Stadium bands like Queen, we'l have Hands in the air and claps!
Your single 'lets work it out' is out tomorrow! (23rd FEB) Can we expect the debut album very soon ?
I think its out in late April some time soon, along with it we'l be releasing another single. Im already working on new material, so when the album is out there'l be a new EP almost ready.
You spent two years drumming for Ladyfuzz - were you playing your own material back then? When did you decide to start writing for yourself?
Not really, I was playing in other bands at the time also and writing, I think its all part of developing and everything ive done up until now has been experience. Im really lucky in that respect, as alot of new bands come into the industry with no experience and Ive already had the opportunity to tour and record.
Is it true that you used to play in a covers band who did Butlins?
Yes, years ago! You defiantely realise what you dont want to do or end up being, but yeah it was good fun. You did get the experience of touring though - apart from you had to play two 45 minute sets of bad songs.
Your bands seems to have a big mix of styles, who or what would you say is your greatest inspiration?
Yeah, Ive gone through stages of liking different styles and listen to as much music as possible. But because this is my first album, all the music ive listened to from what my parents used to listen to and what ive discovered in electronic music have in some way ended up on the album. Either directly sampling them onto the record or just different records being a big influence on our sound.
What are essers plans for 2009?
I think we are pretty much touring for the whole of the year. The headline tour starts in april. Im going to be working with afew other people and doing some writing. Ive just sent some beats to Cee-lo (Gnarls Barkley) which should be interesting and just trying to write on tour as well.
I really like your song 'headlock'. what would someone have to do for you to put them in a headlock ?
(laughs) I dont know. Whoever has made me ill, surely deserves some kind of punishment.
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ESSER
black kids + kasier chiefs
@ Nottingham Arena
22/02/09
Arena tours are always momentous occasions and tonight sees a bafflingly eclectic line up of bands on tour together, but with the Kaiser Chiefs at the top of the bill one can only predict something riotous.
For London new comer Esser, who has had a rollercoaster-like ride in 2008 to earning a slot with internationally successful bands, an arena tour would seem quite daunting. But clearly Esser has not left any opportunity for holding back, as he decides to tackle any arena nerves by arriving on stage complete with pearly-king jacket and attire, brandishing his own name on the back. An image that is far from the quietly confident posture that he would otherwise confide in. His own brand of ‘wonky-pop’, a genre that could well reach sincerity in 2009, appears to bemuse most but does not lack lustre or any substance like so many other young pop hopefuls.
His sounds are at the very least eclectic, a universal mix of classic pop tones with his own electronic edge. It is not hard to something that you will unashamedly like, even if it might annoy you for days after, to arduously remove the shards and hooks of melody embedded deep in your head. The ska-tinged ‘I love you’ and new single ‘We can work it out’ shine effortlessly with enough bleeps and glazed hooks to please the otherwise indifferent audience. Esser are not exactly masters of the stage and they should not be, at least not yet. They still have a long way to go in crafting a convincing stage performance, but that should be far from their concerns when they are still yet to release their debut album.
Black Kids play through a solid set of songs that are more familiar to tonight’s audience, for a band of well, kids they fill the arena stage with a grand presence. Singles ‘hurricane Jayne’ and ‘I’m not going to teach your boyfriend’ still allure and have not lost any of the charm felt for them since their release.
The thousands of hungry fans finally feast on their northern pinups Kaiser Chiefs, who take to the stage as clear veterans of ridiculously big stage performances. Ricky Wilson, ever the ringmaster, directs traffic and conjures the arena to near eruption as he takes fans through selection of Kasier Chief’s anthemic repertoire. Despite the total commercial failure of their last album, tracks ‘Oh my god’ and ‘Modern way’ still shine relentlessly.
By Tom Walmsley
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