20 February 2026 (gig)
4 h
Corella and Kaiser Chiefs arrived at the Eventim Apollo in London with very different career mileage - but by the end of the night, both had left their mark on a venue not always known for emotional spontaneity.
The Apollo does grandeur well. What it doesn’t naturally do is intimacy. There’s a faintly executive air to proceedings - immaculate ushers, orderly bars, seats that suggest compliance rather than chaos. If the atmosphere is going to bloom here, the bands have to plant it themselves.
Corella - the Manchester four-piece who’ve quietly amassed a loyal following through persistent touring and streaming-era momentum - approached the task with polish and poise. Do You Want It? wasted no time, bright guitars slicing cleanly through the room. Drifting and Head Underwater showcased their talent for marrying open-hearted lyrics with radio-friendly lift, while Waterfall carried that easy, arms-aloft sheen built for larger stages.
More intriguing were the unreleased Lost a Friend and Rewire, which hinted at a band keen to introduce a little abrasion into their otherwise glossy framework. Bloom and Come Around kept things buoyant without tipping into saccharine, and Barcelona Girl closed their set on a wave of melodic confidence. No grandstanding, no gimmicks - just a group steadily earning its place.
Then came the seismic shift. The entrance of Ricky Wilson transformed the mood in seconds. There’s still something slightly unhinged - in the best way - about the way Kaiser Chiefs launch into a show. Nearly two decades on from their breakthrough, they play as if they’ve something to prove. Everyday I Love You Less and Less snapped the room to attention, and I Predict a Riot followed like a civic ritual rather than a throwback.
The band’s set was augmented by a striking visual backdrop: the front of a house emblazoned with "Employment", its windows and doors coming to life with brief videos that punctuated the songs, adding a theatrical layer without ever feeling overdone. Modern Way, Na Na Na Na Naa and You Can Have It All triggered mass participation on a scale the Apollo’s plush seating probably didn’t anticipate. Deeper cuts such as Time Honoured Tradition and Caroline, Yes added texture, while Take My Temperature came on pleasingly raw.
The encore opened with a breathless charge through the Ramones cover Blitzkrieg Bop - gloriously direct, no irony attached. From there, escalation felt inevitable: Never Miss a Beat, Ruby, Reasons to Stay Alive.
And finally, The Angry Mob - a finale that pushed the atmosphere into overdrive before cutting it off at exactly the right moment.
For a venue that can sometimes feel a touch businesslike, this was anything but. Two bands, two different trajectories - one very loud reminder that live music still works best when it feels slightly out of control.
Corella:
Do You Want It?
Drifting
Head Underwater
Waterfall
Bloom
Lost a Friend (Unreleased)
Lady Messiah
Rewire (Unreleased)
Come Around
Barcelona Girl
Kaiser Chiefs:
Every day I Love You Less and Less
I Predict a Riot
Modern Way
Na Na Na Na Naa
You Can Have It All
Oh My God
Born to Be a Dancer
Saturday Night
What Did I Ever Give You?
Time Honoured Tradition
Caroline, Yes
Team Mate
Take My Temperature
Encore:
Blitzkrieg Bop (Ramones cover)
Never Miss a Beat
Sink That Ship
Hole in My Soul
Ruby
Reasons to Stay Alive
The Angry Mob
