Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson “dreads” going on tour.
The ‘I Predict a Riot’ hitmaker hates the idea of getting out on the road but knows he will have a good time when he is on stage, but admitted his attitude has changed from when he was younger, when he used to get “really excited” about being away with bandmates Andrew White, Simon Rix, Nick Baines and Vijay Mistry, but then not enjoy the experience at all because it was too much “hard work”.
He told The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre column: “It’s always fun [with the band] and I don’t laugh as much when I’m not with them.
“When I was younger I used to get really excited about going on tour but then I’d hate it when I was there. I hated it.
“It was hard work, I was tired and it was awful.
“Now I’m older, I really dread going on tour but love it when I get there.”
The 46-year-old singer tries to stay sober before gigs now, even though it is an “easy” way to combat his nerves, because he felt so bad after “disappointing” fans at a show in Leeds in 2002 when he had drank too much ahead of going on stage.
He said: “I have always been a nervy guy and sometimes you make bad decisions.
“It is a very easy way out of a hard situation. It always had bad consequences.
“I would love to say it won’t happen again. The fact of the matter is I am in a band and we go on tour.
“I really have a fear of disappointing people and that was really [bad] when I disappointed people.
“But you know things happen in people’s lives, they mess up.
“I have also never put myself out there as being perfect so I don’t think it really matters.”
The group have just released their new LP, ‘Kaiser Chiefs’ Easy Eighth Album’, but Ricky admitted making new music wasn’t a priority following the birth of his and wife Grace’s twins nearly two years ago.
Discussing working with producer Amir Amor on the record, he said: “I’m confident but I can’t back it up. Amir is confident and he can back it up.
“Working with him was incredible because he was enthusiastic about our band and what we can achieve.
“It’s not that I wasn’t excited about making the album. It’s just that I’m not 20 years old any more and, it sounds bad, but it’s not my main priority because I’ve got kids.
“But then you think, ‘My kids are my number one priority, so I should probably provide for them’.
“And the only way I know how to provide for them is by making records.”