If memory serves me right, I don’t think I’ve ever been to a Kid Kapichi show in Leeds that hasn’t been a sell out. Tonight is no exception. With the release of their latest album ‘Fearless Nature’, they’re back up north again for a very intimate show at Headrow House. Despite the miserable weather, the attendees of the sold out show queued around the block, eager to bear witness to a stripped back acoustic set from their favourite Hastings Brit-punks.
It’s almost odd to see the band sitting on chairs when they take to the stage, rather than leaping and storming around like we’re used to. Diving straight in with ‘Leader of the Free World’, which is by far the most mellow intro to a Kid Kapichi show I’ve ever experienced, they then follow it up with ‘Intervention’, which harks back to the Kid Kapichi days of old. Bassist Eddie Lewis’ baselines still rattle through you and drummer Miles Gill’s pounding beats hit hard, proving to any of the potential naysayers of the new album that, live, the songs still slap.
One thing Kid Kapichi have mastered is their ability to unite their audience; previously with shared angst over the state of the country and the fat cats that run it, now with a look inward at struggles that all of us in the room have surely faced at some point. There’s no denying ‘Fearless Nature’ has been somewhat divisive; it’s a far cry from the energetic, punchier sounds of their previous albums, but I think it’s fair to say that sense of camaraderie is still alive and well in the room tonight. With frontman Jack Wilson making no secret of the fact that this album is their most personal one to date, it’s heartwarming to see the crowd reacting so positively to it.
The lads know this album is a departure from their previous ones, but they took a creative risk and it’s paying off. After all, how can anyone be mad at an album that’s so raw and open about the darker side of the human condition? It’s plain to see how much it means to Wilson to be sharing such an intimate look into his personal life, and to have the audience give it such a warm reception. Sure, there’s big cheers when he asks if we want an older song in the form of ‘Tar Pit’, but despite the album only being out for five days at this point, the crowd don’t hold back when he asks if we can help him sing along to ‘Worst Kept Secret’.
It’s clear to see that ‘Patience’, a song written by founding member and old guitarist Ben Beetham before leaving the band, is a poignant goodbye to the life they’ve all experienced together for the last twelve years. Jack takes this opportunity to reintroduce new members Gill and guitarist Lee Martin and, whilst their old band members are missed, it’s great to see that both new additions are really hitting their stride after playing with the band the last few months.
Finishing up the new songs for the evening is Wilson’s favourite track off the album, ‘If You’ve Got Legs’, a song heavily influenced by the ‘Humbug’ days of the Arctic Monkeys and ‘Rabbit Hole’, a song overflowing with equal parts nostalgia and existentialism. Knowing that they couldn’t possibly leave us without playing a couple of bangers from their previous albums, they launch into stripped back versions of ‘Working Mans Town’ and ‘Rob The Supermarket’, the former almost sounding a little country with Martin’s slide guitar intro.
It’s no surprise that tonight’s show at Headrow House sold out instantly, and when they come back again in October (keep your eyes peeled for that announcement), I’ve no doubt that show will do the same. Whether their music is a scathing indictment of 21st Century Britain, or a deeper look at the complexities of the human condition, as long as they keep putting out music as honest and open as this, Leeds’ Kid Kapichi’s fans are going to be here for the ride.
EMMA STONE
