凯撒首领

The Kaiser Chiefs are an English indie rock band from Leeds who originally formed in 1996 as Runston Parva, before shortening their name to Parva in 2000, and releasing one studio album, 22, in 2003, before renaming and establishing themselves in their current name that same year. Since their formation, the band has consisted of lead vocalist Ricky Wilson, guitarist Andrew "Whitey" White, bassist Simon Rix, keyboardist Nick "Peanut" Baines and since 2013 drummer Vijay Mistry, who replaced founding drummer Nick Hodgson following his departure from the band in late 2012.

Primarily inspired by new wave and punk rock music of the late 1970s and 1980s, the band has released eight original studio albums: Employment (2005), Yours Truly, Angry Mob (2007), Off with Their Heads (2008), The Future Is Medieval (2011), Education, Education, Education & War (2014), Stay Together (2016), Duck (2019), and Kaiser Chiefs' Easy Eighth Album (2024), one EP: the Japan-only Lap of Honour (2005), one compilation album: Souvenir: The Singles 2004–2012 (2012) and numerous singles, including the number one hit song "Ruby" (2007).

Their album Employment enjoyed critical and commercial success with over three million copies sold. It has won the band three Brit Awards, including the award for Best British Group, a NME award for Best Album, and was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize.

Their UK hit singles include 2004 and 2005 number 9 hit "I Predict a Riot", 2007 UK number 1 hit "Ruby", which has sold over 461,000 copies, from their platinum album Yours Truly, Angry Mob plus a further two Top 20 singles in 2007 with "The Angry Mob" and "Everything Is Average Nowadays". Their singles "Ruby" (2007), "I Predict a Riot" (2004), "Everyday I Love You Less and Less" (2005), "Never Miss a Beat" (2008) and "Oh My God" (2004) had sold a combined total of 1.1 million up to August 2012.

History

Runston Parva (1996–2000)

When they were around eleven years old, Nick Hodgson, Nick Baines and Simon Rix met in the same class at St. Mary's Catholic High School, Menston, West Yorkshire. After leaving school, Rix and Baines left for university in 1996 whereas Hodgson remained in the Leeds area, meeting both Andrew White and Ricky Wilson. Hodgson, White and Wilson formed the band Runston Parva, a deliberate misspelling of a small East Riding of Yorkshire hamlet called Ruston Parva. After Runston Parva failed to secure a record deal, the group re-formed as Parva upon the return of Rix and Baines from university.

Parva and 22 (2000–2003)

Parva's career went beyond the boundaries of Leeds, and the band was able to obtain both a record and publishing deal. However, after Beggars Banquet closed the Mantra label, Parva were dropped and without any direction after the release of an album (22) and three singles ("Heavy", "Good Bad Right Wrong" and "Hessles").

According to manager James Sandom in an interview with HitQuarters, as a dropped band they had become damaged goods, "No one would touch them because they had a history. A lot of people used their history against them." The band decided that they would aim for a longer-term record deal and started afresh with new songs and a new name: Kaiser Chiefs. The new name was taken from South African football club Kaizer Chiefs, the first club of ex-Leeds United captain Lucas Radebe.