Rocking it in the UK
There can be few clubs in world football – if any at all – who have a major rock band named after them, but this is Amakhosi’s unique claim to fame. Britain’s indie pop band Kaiser Chiefs went storming up the charts when they released their first album and sold out concerts across Britain to rave reviews as they exploded on the scene in 2004. The five-man group from Leeds took their name from South Africa’s most popular club, even if they have managed to misspell ‘Kaizer’. All devoted football followers, they are big fans of Leeds United and Bafana Bafana skipper Lucas Radebe was their hero when they were on the terraces supporting their club. One of their highlights after breaking into the charts and becoming rocks stars was the opportunity to meet ‘The Chief’ himself and Radebe was also delighted at the connection.
“He was very pleased, actually. He said it made him feel good he was in Leeds so far from home, and here was this band called Kaiser Chiefs,” said songwriter and drummer Nick Hodgson after their first meeting.
But Radebe, to this day, remains diplomatic about whether he likes their brand of hard rocking music. Kaiser Chiefs’ top single was I Predict a Riot, which climbed in the top 20 in Britain, and the band won the best Rock Act award in the UK in 2006. The band members have all gone on to become millionaires and they were invited to play a concert at Leeds’s ground Elland Road for their centenary celebration two years ago. Singer Ricky Wilson is now also a club ambassador.
In 2008, the band visited South Africa and played a six-a-side game at Chiefs. Radebe, Fani Madida and coach Muhsin Ertugral were among those in Amakhosi’s line-up, which won 4-2. They also went to watch the team in a league game.
“It was wonderful finally getting to come to South Africa and meeting the Kaizer Chiefs football team, we really did not know what to expect when we got there but the reception was exceptional,” said Wilson.