THE last time Kaiser Chiefs were in town it was 2013 and they were playing the annual York Racecourse Music Showcase Weekend, an ever popular meeting in the racing calendar.

Between then and last weekend's return to Knavesmire they have released another album from their stable and the next is just about ready for the off, with Stay Together set to come out in October.

Ricky Wilson, the enigmatic frontman, can be heard spinning discs on Radio X and has become a celebrity in his own right through his appearance as a judge on The Voice on BBC1, training the most recent winner. Hiowever, Friday night proved he’s still at his best when performing with the Kaisers.

As soon as the Leeds band stepped on stage, Kaiser Chiefs grasped the attention of the post-racing crowd, with an energetic Ricky teasingly asking the crowd “Are you ready to party, are you ready for a good night?” Responding immediately with inescapable chants of “Yorkshire, Yorkshire” and arms aloft reaching out to the front, they clearly were.

Starting with a new track, We Stay Together, from the upcoming release, the Kaisers showed confidence in their fresh material which was warmly received before launching into the crowd-pleasing classics on which they built their fame. Inevitably songs such as Modern Way, Ruby and I Predict A Riot were highlights and provoked the greatest response from the racegoers.

By the end, it seemed Ricky’s offer of a refund for anyone who didn’t enjoy themselves wasn’t the biggest gamble of the evening.

Review by Kate Neighbour