The Brighton Centre, that concrete behemoth squatting by the sea like a particularly surly brick, could have easily gobbled up and spat out the Kaiser Chiefs.

It's not often bands with only one album under their belts get to play there, for very good reason.

Any filler, or dud new material, can waft into its vast interior and disappear into the rafters, ignored by an impatient crowd too busy trying to crane their necks to get a better view.

Much the same as The Kinks, the Kaisers are a great singles band and the best moments of their debut album Employment hit enough nerves to make tonight a sell-out.

But, for a shaky opening period, which kicked off with a jittery Every Day I Love You Less And Less, the Chiefs came across as though they'd suffer from the Brighton Centre's atmosphere more than most.

Lead singer Ricky Wilson's voice appeared weak and his rhythm section didn't help. Only Peanut, the cute, Trilby-hatted keyboard player who resembles a Pete Doherty addicted to strawberry sherbet instead of smack, made much of an impact.

As the night went on, however, Kaiser Chiefs got better and better. The turning point was not what you would expect from the band which Predicts A Riot it was when Wilson grabbed an eager fan and sang her the touching pop-ballad You Can Have It All.

It was a moment which showed the Chiefs are more than just rousing choruses which bellow into a crescendo. It revealed Wilson to be a great showman and he was at it again after the aforementioned Riot, popping up at the engineer's booth between the fans at the back and those in the gallery.

This blistering song, along with celebratory closer Oh My God, exposed the secret of the Chiefs' success. Somehow they've managed to combine heavy-metal lite with Inspector Gadget cartoon riffs into tracks which demand to be sung along to, jumped along to and gone mental to.

If they can produce the goods in their second album, the Chiefs will be more than able to show the Brighton Centre who's boss.