Music

Kasabian in Leicester

Renowned for being 'the people's band', Kasabian playing to an intimate crowd in their home town was always likely to be something rather special. Do they live up to expectations? Have a guess...

The Leicester-raised band formed over nine years ago, but only started to infiltrate our consciousness three years ago, with the release of their 2004 self-titled debut album – and, famously, not thanks to any help from the music critics but purely as a result of the adoration of their loyal fans. Since then they’ve gone from making an underground buzz to being absolutely massive, shifting over one million copies of ‘Kasabian’, with the follow-up album going straight to number one last year, as well as supporting the Stones and performing to an audience of over two billion at Live Earth.

Accordingly, their sound is suitably stadium-sized – all the more exciting in a teeny venue like Leicester's Athena. Even before the boys get their instruments out, the atmosphere is fizzing as a dramatic score from 'The Good, The Bad and the Ugly' (epic, operatic, ethereal, in case you're unfamiliar) blasts out. A piece of music that Metallica, no less, have been known to stride on stage to. "Come on, let's raaaawwwwk!" announces lead singer/motor-mouth/swaggering frontman, Tom Meighan. Several hundred camera-phones rise above the crowd, as ‘Shoot the Runner’s bassline grinds dirtily in, and within seconds we’re all shouting the chorus back at him. In acknowledgement, he pouts, sticks out his skinny-jeaned butt and has a Jagger moment.

"I like this. It's like 'An Audience With...'," he announces with a huge, naughty grin. "...with me and Leicester," - a whiff of Meighan's now legendary swagger. The band has become almost as famous for being mouthy as for reinventing the baggy Madchester sound for the Nu-Rave noughties generation. Particularly Meighan. He might posture like Jagger occasionally but, for example, on the topic of supporting the Stones last year said, ‘It was like playing in front of a bunch of f***ing yachters,’ – while The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas was "a posh f***ing skier", the Automatic "horrible", Justin Timberlake a "midget with whiskers". Sure, it could all be for the column inches that such soundbites tend to generate – but something tells you it’s not quite that contrived - just about the last word you'd use to describe the band on stage.

Kasabian exclusive footage

Check out exclusive video from Kasabian's Vodafone TBA gig at Athena in Leicester.

View Kasabian footage

Kasabian ooze charisma: with moustachioed co-vocalist Sergio Pizzorno a bit of a Noel to Meigher’s livewire Liam, guitarist Jay Mehler win-milling at his instrument dementedly and big-haired drummer Ian Matthews and bassist, Chris Edwards, masterfully at the helm of the band’s trademark instrumental interludes and dramatic mid-song tempo changes. But more than anything, the band make damn fine tunes which work spectacularly well in the flesh.

The revival of rock music that makes you want to dance is a Very Good Idea, and dancefloor highlights include ‘Cutt Off’, by which point there is already some serious moshing going on, while Meigher stands at the edge of the stage, arms outstretched: “Oh come ON!” he enthuses, before managing to combine excitable bouncing with a monkey-like swagger to worship at the altar of Matthews’ drumkit.

"I’ve seen them seven times, but this was the best by far. I’ve always wanted to see them play somewhere really intimate. And I’ve always wanted to see them do a hometown gig, so tonight was absolutely fantastic."
Helen, Swindon

"They were fantastic. He’s got a real connection to the audience - gets everyone well and truly roused."
Will, Leicester

"That’s the best gig of theirs I’ve ever seen. Shoot the Runner had to be the best moment."
Dan, Leicester

Processed Beats' - during which a spaceship seems to take off and Matthews does something very clever with his cymbals - is very high on the favourites list. ‘Club Foot’, meanwhile, is an exercise in surprise trumpet solos, huge drums, fat, farty synths and shifting tempos – and the band use a quiet moment to tease us mercilessly by waving goodbye and shutting off the lights. But then they’re back, with the stupendously energetic finale ‘LSF’, which seems to provoke collective euphoria. The oldies (a surprisingly good show for such a young band) revive some Madchester moves, while everyone else bounces about freestyle. It’s impossible not to dance.

Each Kasabian song takes you on a journey – to the backdrop of Roses-esque janglings, rumbles of Oasis, lavish Zepplin riffs and Primal Screams we’re led into sweaty house clubs, empty fields where spaceships land and through a secret door behind which the Who’s rock-opera Tommy is being performed. But to label Kasabian simply as revivalists ycats would be to do them an outrageous disservice. Their sound – as their performance – is deliciously fresh. Can’t wait to catch the next one!