Jxdn and Nessa Barrett perform on stage during Lollapalooza 2021 at Grant Park on Aug. 1, 2021 in Chicago.
Kevin Mazur/Getty ImagesIn late September, punk quartet The Linda Lindas played their first headlining gig since their performance of “Racist, Sexist Boy” at the Los Angeles Public Library went viral in May. Held at DIY space The Smell in their hometown of Los Angeles, the gig sold out within minutes. “It was really exciting to see that [fame] come offline and into a small venue,” says the group’s music agent, Carly James, at Creative Artists Agency (CAA).
Translating virtual success amid a pandemic into triumphant live shows is a conundrum many young artists now face. This year, over half of those included in Billboard’s 21 Under 21 list identified touring as a field they want to learn more about. Meanwhile, agents and managers understand there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy for a successful first run.
For example, with The Linda Lindas ranging from ages 11 to 17, a tour has to wait until summer 2022 once they’re out of school. (It will also, according to James, have to include parents and chaperones.) 24kGoldn, however, is jumping right in. Following an opening slot on Cordae’s 2021 tour, the 20-year-old rapper will kick off his El Dorado dates at the 1,500-capacity House of Blues in San Diego in November.
“The main preparation is the grueling long haul of the travel that he might not be used to,” says 24kGoldn’s manager, David Waltzer, of Electric Feel Entertainment. “The most trying hurdle he has to overcome is how to take care of himself [and] his voice to perform night after night.” Waltzer adds that 24kGoldn played a series of festivals this summer, including New York’s Governors Ball, to fine-tune his set for larger crowds.
That tactic has also been utilized by Tate McRae, whose 2021 has been full of festival appearances, from Lollapalooza and Firefly to Austin City Limits. Next year, she’ll launch a headlining tour in the United Kingdom before returning to North America for 25-plus dates. “Festivals have kept her really busy, raised her profile and given her a chance to meet her fans in real life for the first time,” says manager Matt Feldman of Hard 8 Working Group.
By the time McRae hit the festival scene this summer, fans were singing her lyrics back at her despite only playing a handful of shows before the pandemic. “Coming out of the pandemic we’ve had to quickly scale up the shows, and every time she gets better.”
TikTok star Nessa Barrett is scheduled to perform her first headlining shows in New York and Los Angeles in November — both of which sold out within minutes, according to agent Matt Galle at CAA. Given the sales — and the fact she performed alongside jxdn in front of 50,000 festivalgoers at Chicago’s Lollapalooza in August — Galle believes she’s already a headlining artist. Even so, he says the plan is to avoid more than three shows in a row to save her voice.
But his most vital advice? “You only have one first tour. Remember to enjoy it.”
This story originally appeared in the Oct. 9, 2021, issue of Billboard.
NEWS
Kaiser Chiefs have announced a 20th anniversary reissue of their seminal debut album, ‘Employment’. Find all the details below.
The Leeds band released the seven-times Platinum, UK Number Two record back in 2005. It features the classic singles ‘Oh My God’, ‘I Predict A Riot’ and ‘Everyday I Love You Less And Less’.
‘Employment’ was named Best Album at the NME Awards 2006 – beating competition from Oasis, Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand and Babyshambles – and has sold more than 2.1million copies.
Ahead of their huge 20th anniversary homecoming gig at Temple Newsam Park next Saturday (May 31) – where they’ll play ‘Employment’ in full – Ricky Wilson and co. have shared details of a special reissue to further mark the milestone.
A year typically commemorated with china, the group will celebrate two decades of their debut full-length with three brand new expanded ‘China Anniversary’ formats – which will arrive on July 18. Pre-order/pre-save here.
The 1LP edition is pressed on white vinyl and features the bonus track ‘Take My Temperature’, while the 2LP set contains 15 additional tracks, including a selection of B-sides and CD single bonus tracks, plus two previously unreleased songs, exclusive to this format.
On the 3CD set, alongside the original album, the band have added 40 tracks, including previously unreleased demo recordings, remixes, radio sessions, and a selection of live tracks that “chart their rapid rise from small club dates in Leeds, to festival headline act”.
The original album has been remastered at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London, with the bonus material being curated by the band from their own archive.
To preview the forthcoming release, Kaiser Chiefs have shared ‘I Predict A Riot (Big Nurse Remix)’. Listen here:
The tracklists for Kaiser Chiefs’ ‘Employment – China Anniversary Edition’ are:
1LP:
Side A
1. Everyday I Love You Less And Less
2. I Predict A Riot
3. Modern Way
4. Na Na Na Na Naa
5. You Can Have It All
6. Oh My God
Side B
1. Born To Be A Dancer
2. Saturday Night
3. What Did I Ever Give You?
4. Time Honoured Tradition
5. Caroline, Yes
6. Team Mate
7. Take My Temperature
2LP:
Side A
1. Everyday I Love You Less And Less
2. I Predict A Riot
3. Modern Way
4. Na Na Na Na Naa
5. You Can Have It All
6. Oh My God
Side B
1. Born To Be A Dancer
2. Saturday Night
3. What Did I Ever Give You?
4. Time Honoured Tradition
5. Caroline, Yes
6. Team Mate
7. Take My Temperature
Side C
1. Less Is More
2. Wrecking Ball
3. Brightest Star
4. Not Surprised
5. Think About You (And I Like It)
6. Hard Times Send Me
7. Sink That Ship
Side D
1. The Letter Song
2. Seventeen Cups
3. It Ain’t Easy (Demo)
4. Run Again
5. People Need Light
6. Moon
7. Formative Years*
8. Don’t Get Me Wrong*
(*previously unreleased tracks)
3CD:
CD1
1. Everyday I Love You Less And Less
2. I Predict A Riot
3. Modern Way
4. Na Na Na Na Naa
5. You Can Have It All
6. Oh My God
7. Born To Be A Dancer
8. Saturday Night
9. What Did I Ever Give You?
10. Time Honoured Tradition
11. Caroline, Yes
12. Team Mate
13. Take My Temperature
CD2
1. Wrecking Ball
2. Brightest Star
3. Not Surprised
4. Think About You And I Like You
5. Hard Times Send Me
6. Sink That Ship
7. Less Is More
8. The Letter Song
9. Seventeen Cups
10. It Ain’t Easy (Demo)
11. Run Again
12. People Need Light
13. Moon
14. Another Number
15. I Heard It Through The Grapevine
16. Modern Way (Rhythms Del Mundo Version)
17. You Can Have It All (Light Orchestral)
18. Oh My God (Demo)*
19. Born To Be A Dancer (Demo)
20. Caroline Yes (Demo)*
21. I Predict A Riot (Demo)*
22. Modern Way (Demo)*
23. Saturday Night (Demo)*
(*previously unreleased tracks)
CD3
1. Everyday I Love You Less And Less (Spike Stent Remix)
2. I Predict A Riot (Spike Stent Remix)*
3. Na Na Na Na Naa (Polysics Remix)
4. Everyday I Love You Less And Less (Boyz Noize Remix)
5. I Predict A Riot (Big Nurse Remix)*
6. Sink That Ship (BBC Radio 2 Session for Mark Radcliffe 17/10/2005)*
7. Modern Way (BBC Radio 2 Session for Mark Radcliffe 17/10/2005)*
8. Everyday I Love You Less And Less (Live at The Mod Club, Toronto 29/05/2005)*
9. Hard Times Send Me (Live at the Academy, Birmingham 24/01/2005)*
10. Na Na Na Na Naa (Live at Glastonbury, Worthy Farm 25/06/2005)*
11. Oh My God (Live at Georg-Elser-Hallen, Munich 04/11/2005)
12. Born To Be A Dancer (Live at T In The Park, Kinross 10/07/2005)*
13. Saturday Night (Live at Joseph’s Well, Leeds 28/09/2003)*
14. Sink That Ship (Live at The Cockpit, Leeds 13/12/2004)
15. Take My Temperature (Live at the Fillmore, San Francisco 25/07/2005)
16. Time Honoured Tradition (Live at the Metro Theatre, Sydney 29/11/2005)*
17. Caroline, Yes (Live at the Metro Theatre, Sydney 29/11/2005)*
18. I Predict A Riot (Live at V Festival, Hylands Park, Chelmsford 20/08/2005)*
19. Take My Temperature (Live at Leeds Town Hall 11/05)*
20. Oh My God (Live at the Metro Theatre, Sydney 29/11/2005)*
(*previously unreleased tracks)
Speaking to NME upon announcing their big ‘Employment’ gig in Leeds – where they’ll be joined by the likes of Razorlight, The Cribs and We Are Scientists – Kaiser Chiefs said they’d be “doing nostalgia properly” at the event.
“We wanted to try and focus in and make it like a celebration of 2005 or 2006-ish,” said bassist Simon Rix.
Wilson also teased that fans could expect “songs that we wouldn’t usually play” at Temple Newsam, and promised some onstage nods to the ‘Employment’ era. “The beard’s coming off and the eyeliner is going on,” the frontman told NME.
He also looked back on playing on the NME Tour and said he was “surprised” to learn that ‘Employment’ had won the Best Album prize at the NME Awards.
In addition to next week’s Leeds show, the Kaisers have dates scheduled for Port Talbot, Bristol, Edinburgh Castle, London’s Alexandra Palace Park, Brighton Beach and other locations as part of their 2025 outdoor ‘Employment’ tour. You can find any remaining tickets here.
They’ll also make appearances at various summer festivals, including Glastonbury, Latitude, Boardmasters and Kendal Calling.
The band’s latest full-length record, ‘Kaiser Chiefs’ Easy Eighth Album’, was released last year. Speaking to NME last October, Wilson revealed that he’d already “thought of a good title” for its follow-up. “It always starts with the title,” he added.
