Kaiser Chiefs frontman slammed for ‘forgetting’ and ‘slurring’ words on stage – before apologising

Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson has apologised to fans after footage emerged of him ‘slurring’ his words on stage.

The 44-year-old was also accused of being ‘drunk’ on stage while sounding like a ‘karaoke’ singer during the band’s O2 Arena gig. 

Concert-goers and online fans called Wilson’s performance ‘terrible’, a ‘shambles’ and ‘painful’. 

The artist has since apologised for ‘a mistake’ and relying on ‘old drinking habits’ on the evening. 

In a statement seen by The Sun published to social media which may now have been deleted, he said: ‘I don’t want to make any lame excuses, I’ve met some challenges in this life I’ve led, and stayed on top of them with the support I’ve always had around me. 

Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson (pictured left and right) was slammed by fans after footage emerged of him ‘slurring’ his words on stage.

Concert-goers and online fans called Wilson’s performance ‘terrible’, a ‘shambles’ and ‘painful’

Tickets for the band’s London arena show ranged from £33.75 to £55.75, according to the gigs and tours site

‘The truth is I made a mistake on Saturday night at the O2, and relied on old drinking habits, it’s a mistake that upset and disappointed many of you, and some of those closest to me.

‘I try to take pride in not letting people down and seem to have let myself down in that respect the other night. I’m doing everything that is necessary for me not to let that happen again. And will continue to.’

Tickets for the show ranged from £33.75 to £55.75, according to the gigs and tours site. 

Discussing the controversial gig online, one user put: ‘Feel so sorry for any real fans of his that paid good money to be there, never heard anyone mumble his way through a sell out show so painfully in my life.’

One more put: ‘Left [the] O2 [Arena] for the first time ever – Ricky Wilson absolutely bladdered.’

Another added: ‘Is Ricky Wilson okay… it was kind of uncomfortable to watch.’ 

Another angry fan tweeted: ‘Ricky Wilson wasted and comes out singing like he’s singing karaoke… people pay a lot of money for this.

This Twitter user wrote: ‘Is Ricky Wilson okay… it [the performance] was kind of uncomfortable to watch’

Discussing the controversial concert over the weekend, this user said he felt ‘sad’ and ‘cheated’

Other accounts defended the Wilson and the band, calling the fiery-haired vocalist ‘such a good performer’. 

In a statement the lead singer wrote: ‘I don’t want to make any lame excuses, I’ve met some challenges in this life I’ve led, and stayed on top of them with the support I’ve always had around me.

‘The truth is I made a mistake on Saturday night at the O2, and relied on old drinking habits, it’s a mistake that upset and disappointed many of you, and some of those closest to me.

‘I try to take pride in not letting people down and seem to have let myself down in that respect the other night. I’m doing everything that is necessary for me not to let that happen again. And will continue to.’

Wilson has suffered from crippling anxiety in the past and in 2019 admitted that he turned to alcohol to tackle it.   

In an interview he told the Guardian he was never ‘dependent’ on booze but was becoming more reliant on ‘finding ways to do it’.

He has been ’embarrassed’ and ‘ashamed’ about his drinking issues and said he never knew how to talk about it. 

Last week the Kaiser Chiefs sat down with NME and talked about their new album after releasing their new single How 2 Dance. 

Although the band expect to release the new album over the festive period they will not launch it until it is ‘brilliant’.

Kaiser Chiefs officially formed in 2003 and have produced seven studio albums spanning 19 years. 

Their Mercury-nominated debut album Employment has scored more than 2 million copies worldwide while the quintet’s second album Yours Truly Angry Mob went twice-platinum in the UK. 

During their brief hiatus period in the early 10s Wilson went on to co-present the singing competition The Voice between 2013-2016.