Oh my God I can’t believe it… the Kaiser Chiefs were in Margate and smashed it even more than I was hoping for.

Three months later than expected - the original gig in April was postponed until Sunday night - the indie band rocked out to a sell-out crowd in the Hall by the Sea at Dreamland.

Currently on tour promoting their eighth album - titled the Easy Eighth Album which was “anything but” as frontman Ricky Wilson told the audience.

Admittedly, I was a bit nervous as to whether their well-known and most-loved anthems would be belted out from the stage or whether there would be a heavy focus on the new album.

But I needn’t have worried and clearly the lads know their audience.

A set list mixing in old classics everyone remembers with songs from the new record, it was the perfect combination to excite and delight.

The Leeds-based five-piece showcased tracks from the new album - produced by Nile Rogers, who incidentally is also performing on the Scenic Stage at Dreamland this Saturday.

Naturally, over the course of 19 years (since debut album Employment in 2005) a band’s sound changes.

It is more of a mix of funky basslines and a bit more of a dance feel than the early rock style.

But there’s still the nod in the lyrics to working class themes and their punk rock and new wave influences - particularly The Job Centre Shuffle which even Ricky had to get his cheat sheet out to remember the words.

Easily the best 10 minutes of the gig - in what was a packed and very hot venue - was the back-to-back trio of Everyday I Love You Less and Less, Ruby and then I Predict a Riot.

This was what the fans had come for and boy it was rocking… and loud.

It must be an incredible feeling as a band to hear a crowd belting your songs back to you and singing along.

But that’s the beauty of a crowd knowing every lyric and being as Ricky pointed out, “the world famous Kaiser Chiefs” - somewhat sarcastically, it must be added.

And in true rock star form during I Predict a Riot, Ricky climbed the sound tower to huge cheers - although perhaps in 2024 rock star style the act might have been planned as it looked like he was clearly wearing a wire!

Still it made for a brilliant moment during the song I’d been waiting for most for months to hear live.

Every song felt like a proper event and Ricky really is a great showman and performer - constantly throwing the mic stand, jumping around the stage and engaging with the crowd.

Support act Youth Sector were a great warm-up with their eclectic indie sound mixing saxophone, synth keys, guitars and drums into syncopated riffs and fast tempo beats.

I might be a little older, but listening to the Kaisers’ back catalogue took me back to my teenage years when I’d listen to Employment on repeat.

With a show, performance and set list like they put on, there’s certainly no danger of loving the Kaiser Chiefs less and less.