Fans complain after Kaiser Chiefs’ Ricky Wilson was “slurring” and “forgetting lyrics” at London show
Fans have shared their disappointment and concern at Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson “slurring”, “stumbling” and “forgetting lyrics” at the band’s London show this weekend.
Kaiser Chiefs performed at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday night (November 5), with a number of fans taking to social media during and after the show to share their reactions to Wilson’s performance.
“At the o2 watching Kaiser Chiefs and Ricky is clearly very drunk and acting pretty odd, it’s actually quite concerning tbh,” one attendee wrote on Twitter.
Another added: “Real talk: is Ricky Wilson okay??? Either he was completely off his nut on something throughout tonight’s Kaiser Chiefs show, or he’s got some really worrying behaviour going on. It was kind of uncomfortable to watch.”
One fan asked how they could get a refund for “such a shocking performance”, adding that they were “truly disappointed”. They added, “as I say to my children I’m not angry just disappointed.”
You can read more fan reactions below.
At the o2 watching Kaiser Chiefs and Ricky is clearly very drunk and acting pretty odd, it's actually quite concerning tbh
— ???? ?????? (@cursedcadaver) November 5, 2022
Real talk: is Ricky Wilson okay???
Either he was completely off his nut on something throughout tonight's Kaiser Chiefs show, or he's got some really worrying behaviour going on.
It was kind of uncomfortable to watch.
— Dr Natt Day (Dilemma Framework) (@nattatouillez) November 5, 2022
What an absolute shit show! @KaiserChiefs @TheO2 tonight. Ricky Wilson was absolutely wasted. Slurring, forgetting lyrics, stumbling all over the place, repeatedly telling the crowd that he didn’t want to be there. Never seen an arena empty out early, so quickly!
— ❤️ Fran ❤️ (@frankie_franks1) November 5, 2022
How do I get a refund for last nights disaster of a performance from @KaiserChiefs. Absolutely battered and wankered on stage from the start. Embarrassing @TheO2
— Matt Thornton (@GoonerMatt1066) November 6, 2022
@KaiserChiefs anything to say about last-night? EVEN an apology for what we had to endure ?.
We all support you and are fans but this followed by Ricky announcing he didn’t even want to be there was not great.
I just pray whatever was wrong with Ricky he is ok now. ❤️? pic.twitter.com/pylzzhdItj
— Charl H (@Ruck_09) November 6, 2022
@Rickontour Saw you and the @KaiserChiefs last night in London. You are all clearly very talented, but I do hope you are ok. Sending you good vibes during what I’m sure is a tough time.
— Dawn O'Connor (@DawnOConnorHere) November 6, 2022
A number of fans also showed concern for the frontman, sending him “good vibes” and well wishes after what appeared to be a concerning performance.
NME has reached out to representatives for comment.
Last week, Kaiser Chiefs shared their new single ‘How 2 Dance’ and spoke to NME about their forthcoming new album.
“I think I have December to finish the record,” Wilson said. “I guess we’ll have something early next year. But it’s so different than it used to be. It’s amazing: we don’t have any homework to hand in – it’s not like school. There’s no time limit, and I can do what I want. But I reckon I’d like to have a record out next year.
“We’re gonna make it easy on ourselves. It will be out when it’s brilliant. Like, label dates don’t matter any more. It’s really weird, because we’ve never really signed a [record] deal since our first deal: we just keep making records and someone puts them out. It’s just really cool to be a musician right now, because no-one’s telling you what to do. It’s fantastic: long may it last. No-one’s stopping us.”