I Predict a Riot


"I Predict a Riot" is a song by English indie rock band Kaiser Chiefs, appearing on their debut album, Employment. It was originally released as their second single on 1 November 2004 and was the band's first release on the B-Unique label. It entered at number 22 on the UK Singles Chart. When re-released in 2005 as a double A-side with "Sink That Ship", it peaked at number 9 on the UK chart.

Background

Drummer Nick Hodgson used to DJ at a club in Leeds called the Cockpit. He would often drive home past another nightclub called Majestyk's which often had people and police fighting each other, and sometimes drunk clubgoers would even bang on the windows of his car at 3am. He took inspiration from this one night and wrote a riff on the piano when he got home. The "friend of a friend who got beaten" was a friend of a fellow DJ at the Cockpit. The title came from an event Hodgson DJed at a different club called Pigs, where a band called Black Wire was playing. The crowd was so chaotic that he said to the club's boss, "I predict a riot".
The song makes a reference to John Smeaton , a civil engineer born in 1724 and a former pupil of Leeds Grammar School, the same school attended by the band’s singer, Ricky Wilson.

Music videos

Two music videos were released for "I Predict a Riot", one for the original 2004 release and one for the 2005 reissue with "Sink That Ship" as a double A-side. The first video was directed by Charlie Paul, who in between had also worked with the Kaiser Chiefs on both music videos for "Oh My God", and filmed on 3 September 2004, depicting the band performing the song intercut with footage of fans having a pillow fight. The second video, the "New Lighter version", was directed by Swedish production company Stylewar, and shot in black and white, which depicts the band in the United Kingdom in the Victorian Era.

Live performances

"I Predict a Riot" was one of the three tracks the band played when they opened Live 8 in Philadelphia, alongside "Everyday I [Love You Less and Less]" and "Oh My God".

Track listings

UK 7-inch single UK CD single
  1. "I Predict a Riot"
  2. "Wrecking Ball"Australian CD single
  3. "I Predict a Riot" – 3:54
  4. "Wrecking Ball" – 3:50
  5. "Take My Temperature" – 2:35
  6. "I Predict a Riot" UK CD1 and 7-inch single
  7. "I Predict a Riot" – 3:54
  8. "Sink That Ship" – 2:38UK CD2
  9. "I Predict a Riot" – 3:54
  10. "Less Is More" – 2:52
  11. "Everyday I Love You Less and Less" – 5:26
  12. "I Predict a Riot"

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart Peak
position
Australia Hitseekers 5

In popular culture

When Liz Truss gave her farewell speech on 25 October 2022, the song was heard playing in the background. The incident was orchestrated by activist Steve Bray.
Leeds United fans often sing along to the song during matches held at Elland Road. English professional darts player Luke Humphries uses the song as his walk-on music due to his support for Leeds United.