Kasabian - ICA, iTunes Festival, 31 July 2007

My pass & the Setlist!
UPDATE:

NME review here

Review by Ben Graham on Glasswerk here. Also, check out his videos of Empire and Reason Is Treason

A really great set of pictures from the night can be seen on fellow Kasabian fan JenniferJ's Flickr album. She even got to meet them, lucky thing...

ORIGINAL POST:

Having entered just about every competition there was to win tickets to see Kasabian close the iTunes Festival at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in front of an audience of only 300 people or so (tickets were not for sale, the only way you were going to get in was to win a competition or ballot), I was not about to be defeated on the day itself. I had just won £7.20 on the Euro Lottery and was upgraded to Club Class on my flight to Brussels over the weekend, so I was convinced that my luck was turning for the better.

Around 1 p.m lunchtime, things were looking desperate as I faced the prospect of going to French class instead of screaming along to "LSF". I decided to check Ebay. Lo and behold, some guy had won a place on the guestlist for him plus one but could not make it. After a quick £20 payment via Paypal and a text to one of my classmates to say I was skiving French, UB and I were on our way to the ICA. There is a God after all!

We decided to watch the opening act, The Dead 60s, to secure our place at the front (well, second row to be more precise as a bunch of guys had already staked out the front row). What can I say about them? They're an adequate opening band but it's safe to say they won't be headlining Glastonbury any time soon.

Kasabian came on at 8.45 p.m. to the screaming delight of the 300 plus strong crowd. It was an intimate venue, something which Tom kept remarking on (at one point cheekily saying that it was like everyone was in bed with Kasabian. A few guys actually screamed before realising the potentially gay connotation of Tom's statement from a male perspective).

Ah yes, Tom. How can I review a Kasabian gig without inserting a few lustful comments about Mr Meighan. Light blue shirt, ubiquitous black skinny jeans and his thick-rimmed glasses (Burberry apparently - and he discarded them halfway through which must be his new thing), Tom looked lovely and indie as always and was the most theatrical I had ever seen him. Seriously, our lad was having the time of his life onstage, dancing and jumping away. During "Processed Beats" he even got his groove on and who knew Tom was quite the mover and shaker.

The entire band was on fire (if anyone knows who the new 5th guitarist is please tell me) [UPDATE: It is Jay Mahler] although I was really disappointed that it was a very short set. Put it this way, as soon as I heard the opening tune to "Club Foot" right after "The Doberman", I knew that I didn't have to worry about missing the last tube home. WHERE THE HELL WAS "CUTT OFF"????!! (There seemed to be 2 setlists for the night, one which had "Cutt Off" on it, so there was obviously a last minute change of plan).

I have to admit that I'm from the school of thought that the songs from the first album are far more superior live to the songs on the second album, BUT tonight, "Sun Rise Light Flies" and "Last Trip" sounded amazing, best live versions I've ever heard. Heck, even Serge's solo set blew me away tonight! Love the fedora by the way Serge.

Due to the last minute nature of my attendance at the gig, the best shots I have are from my crappy camera phone:

Tom yum
Serge
After the gig, Kasabian's equipment were being loaded onto a truck. Squint and brighten your screen and you can see the word "Kasabian" - exciting eh?
As always, Kasabian closed with "LSF" - Tom hardly had to do any of the "la la la" bits as the crowd sang it back to him the entire time. At one point, Tom yelled that he wanted the girls to sing it only and yes, as a fellow female who tried my best, we did sound pathetic and Tom hung his head and sniggered. When it was the guys' turn, well of course they bellowed it out with all their might and Tom's response was to say "As nature intended". Cheeky sod. I'll let this potentially sexist comment slide because you looked extra cute tonight.

Oh, and you know you've made it when you can chuck your sweaty towel into the crowd and have the fans fight over who gets to keep the secretion from your sweat glands as a memento. Which is what Tom and Serge did. For the record, if either of the towels had been thrown in my direction, I can assure you that I would have let someone else have it. My fanaticism does have its limits!!

One of the roadies was my mate Alex and he kindly handed me the above setlist so cheers Alex!

All in all, it was a great, intimate gig but waaaaaaay to short.

Kasabian - Somerset House, London, Friday 13 July 2007

(Unless otherwise indicated, all pictures courtesy of Nicole Lavery, fellow Kasabian fan. See more great pictures on Nicole's Flickr Album)
In Attendance: Me, Uncle Bazza, Matt "I've Now Been To Every Venue In London" Taylor, Nev "I'm Actually The Older Brother" Taylor and Ash "Don't Call Me A Metrosexual" Khan.

Setlist: Stay Away From The Brown Acid Part 2/Shoot The Runner/Reason Is Treason/Sun Rise Light Flies/Cutt Off/Me Plus One/By My Side/Empire/ID/Seek and Destroy/British Legion/Processed Beats/The Last Trip/The Doberman Encore: Apnoea/Club Foot/Stuntman/LSF

Kasabian at Somerset House as part of the Vodafone Live Music Summer Series = five Kasabian concerts which I have attended (well, six including Live Earth). Eyes rolled and sniggers weren't exactly stifled when I rather dramatically announced in the pub during the pre-concert drinks that this would be the last Kasabian gig I would ever attend. I may as well have declared that I had found the cure for cancer and the solution to world peace because who was I trying to kid? After the lads' blinding performance on Friday, you can bet your milk money that I will be attending every Kasabian gig I possibly can until that restraining order kicks in.

I had decided very early on that, for this concert, I would take a leaf out of the Cubans and thoroughly enjoy it without any encumbrances i.e. any attempts to record video clips and pictures which will inevitably come out shaky and blurry. My trusty Canon Ixus therefore had the night off.

Kasabian only come on at 10 p.m. because apparently, they wanted it to be dark when they emerged onstage. Fair enough. They were introduced by Danny Dyer who was greeted with chants of "Danny! Danny! Danny!". He is so cool that all he had to say was "Kasabian!" and the crowd went mad. He could have pissed on the crowd and they still would have loved him. Lesson learnt: Danny Dyer is the fuckin' man!

Danny "I am The Man" Dyer
Serge, Chris and Ian kicked off with the instrumental "Stay Away From The Brown Acid Part 2" before the luscious Tom Meighan appeared onstage for the rapturous "Shoot The Runner". Tom, looking very much like Austin Powers in his thick-rimmed specs (which was discarded halfway through the gig) and a 60s inspired patterned shirt, ensured he emphasised the "bitch!" part with gusto.

"Do I make you horny?" - Affirmative!
The fans lapped it up as Tom screamed "Hello Somerset House London!" and the guys ripped their way through their repertoire of crowd pleasing songs from their two albums. "Cutt Off" (a personal fave of mine and also my ring tone) was preceded with Tom telling the crowd that it was a song they wrote when they were stoners (yeah, like I'm going to believe they've stopped smokin' da reefer). At Tom's command to "Sing it!", the crowd bellowed the "ah ah ah ah ah" chorus in full force, arms spread out like Moses parting the Red Sea (short clip here). It was beautiful, siiighhh...


The stadium anthemy "Empire" was one of the highlights and throughout the concert, the crowd not only showed their appreciation by singing along to every word but even chucking beer at the guys, which they didn't seem to mind (it's all booze innit?).


At one point during "I.D.", I swear to God, Tom pointed and blew a kiss at me which was witnessed by Uncle B, Matt & Nev. Don't deny it guys.

Serge, as always, did his solo stuff. I give him great credit for being a brilliant song-writer but I always notice a lull in the crowd when he does his slot but I don't think he's going to give up the singing just yet. In all fairness, "British Legion" was quite good and better than what I'd previously experienced.


The last song before the encore was "The Doberman" which Tom dedicated to Kasabian's biggest groupie, Mr Noel Gallagher (unconfirmed whether NG was in attendance).


Whilst waiting for the encore, the crowd started singing the "la la la la la la" bit to "LSF" and, I don't know how Kasabian felt but if it was me and my band, I'd be feeling mighty damn proud.

I decided to go crazy for the encore and proceeded to jump, mosh, dance (moves included The Running Man and the Beyonce booty-shake for comedy effect) and essentially go absolutely mental, at one point nearly collapsing when I ran out of breath and realised that this was the most exercise I had ever done in, well, ever (My calves were killing me for the next few days. Lesson learnt: Converse do not have any support or shock absorbing qualities). Nevertheless I soldiered on, a potential heart attack wasn't about to stop me from enjoying myself.

The finale was of course the now permanent "LSF" and out of all the Kasabian gigs I have been to, this was by far the best one I have ever experienced. I found this video on YouTube so check it out (I have no idea who the couple is but they're funny) and, if you have never been to a Kasabian gig before, you really need to sit down and ask yourself why not? By the way, in case you were looking for us in the video, we were right at the front to the right-hand side of the stage if you're facing it. We should be easy to spot, we're the ones jumping...


The look on the guys' faces, especially Tom's, at the end of the gig was priceless - a mixture of sheer delight, happiness, amazement and gratefulness that they had made it this far. Tom thanked the crowd profusely.


As the crowd spilled onto the Strand, high as kites, everyone, including us, continuously sang the "la la la" bit from LSF, knowing that that feeling of elation stemmed from experiencing something truly amazing and special. Kasabian is a fantastic live band who leave you wanting more and at the end of the day, I genuinely believe that the core of their success is down to the fact that they have bloody good songs.

Me and Ash - mosh buddies!!! (Picture: Matt "I Jumped Really High" Taylor)

Kasabian – Live Earth, Wembley Arena, London 7/7/07

Kasabian (Setlist: Empire/Club Foot/LSF)

My boys! My darling Kasabian! They were a last minute addition to the show so good call on the organisers' part! My future husband Tom Meighan & co swaggered onstage, Tom wearing a funky Union Jack shirt and did what they do best - rocked the stadium! Rating: 9/10 (honestly, I am not being biased, check them out live and you will see)

Me so close yet so far from Tom
Tom remembered to do our secret hand and face gestures when he spotted me in the stands (Pic Source: The Sun Online)
A full account of my Live Earth experience can be read here

Kasabian - Royal Albert Hall - Teenage Cancer Trust

(Picture courtesy of Sathish)
Errmm, yes I did see Kasabian again. This time at the Royal Albert Hall in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust. Sathish came along. We couldn't get seats right at the front but our seats were good enough and we had a great view. The concert was good; personally I think Kasabian were on fire that night but the crowd didn't do them justice. The ones at the front were probably industry types or people involved in the TCT and so weren't really fans from what I could tell as they weren't rocking along like the normal Kasabian crowd would. I actually felt bad for the teenage boys in the balcony who were screaming and moshing away; THEY should have been at the front. But it was still a good gig nonetheless and Tom looked fine, as always.

Kasabian - Earls Court, London 19 December 2006

By now the one thing you should have realised about me is that when I like a band, I try and see them as much as I can (case in point ,U2). I can't help it, it's a compulsion! So yes, I have seen Kasabian a number of times now and I just can't get enough! Me and Matt went to their Earls Court gig and managed to get right up to the front (towards the right of the stage) and they did not disappoint (although whenever Serge does his solo stuff I'm tempted to go for a toilet break - leave the singing to Tom Serge). The atmosphere was blinding although the crowd consisted mainly of pre-pubescent boys body surfing. I didn't quite know how old to feel at that point. My future husband Tom Meighan was yummy as always and yes, they ended with L.S.F. Enjoy the short snippet of "Empire" above where I swear to God, Tom pointed at me during one of the choruses (Matt will deny this but he knows it's true). My old camera was crap by the way so the sound quality is a bit dodgy.

Kasabian, Brixton Academy, London - 15 August 2006

Brixton Academy, London - 15 August 2006

"It's me, Renton"

Picture taken on my camera phone - well you had to be there

Tout poster Matt bought me after the gig (£2)

UPDATE: Reviews: The Sun, NME, The Telegraph and The Independent

Also, enjoy a clip of the Club Foot performance. Can you feel the mosh?




ORIGINAL POST:
My my, how these lads have grown. Playing Ibiza, appearing on David Letterman, touring the UK... and they've only just finished puberty! The first time I saw them was last year at the O2 Wireless Festival (see below) and even though I only knew 2 songs, by Lord they blew me away. Tom Meighan, lead singer extraordinaire, was humble and had amazing stage presence - would they deliver again? Has rock superstardom gone to their heads thus effecting their performance?

First up, Tom Meighan looked different - he came onstage in a red sweater and tight drainpipe jeans - very Renton-ish off Trainspotting. And boy did he swagger about onstage - definitely at the Jim Morrison phase of his career. The boys did not disappoint and the crowd went wild! If you ever listened to Kasabian on your radio, you would never think that their songs would attract a mosh-pit crowd. But their songs, when transferred on to a live stage, made every person want to body surf, and the crowd up-front surely tried, much to the annoyance of security who had to pull quite a number of body-surfers out of the crowd. I was at my usual safe spot to the right side of the stage standing on the podium-ish bit where I could see it all unfold.

The boys definitely did have more cock in their rock and churned out the hits as well as songs from their new album. It never dawned on me that they had a lot of stadium-anthemy songs (e.g. Butcher Blues - "I just Can't Stop Losing Control" over and over again) . Tom Meighan - well I couldn't decide if he was drunk or high - like I said, his mannerism was very Renton-ish but he is still a humble boy from Leicester deep down as he thanked the crowd profusely after each song and dropped to his knees several times as if thanking the Lord for all of the band's success (high??). In a surprising twist, instead of ending with "Club Foot", that was the penultimate third last song and they ended with a rapturous performance of "L.S.F ("Lost Souls Forever)". Long after the concert ended, the crowd were still wailing repeatedly all the way to the tube station.

They only played for an hour and a bit which was quite disappointing but I guess being a warm-up gig, that was the whole purpose. Andy, who was with us, enjoyed the gig despite not knowing that many songs and moshed away with Matt and the rest of the crowd.

Oh and Tom Meighan, despite the skinny drug addict look, well, I still would.

See you at Earl's Court in December hopefully!!

"I'm on it, get on it"

Kasabian - Wireless Festival 2005

UPDATED 16.8.06: I found this well-written review on the web on Kasabian's performance. Glad I wasn't the only one who noticed how humble the guys were

ORIGINAL POST:
Having chickened out on Glastonbury in favour of Paris, I figured I should start slow with all of this Festival malarkey. So the Wireless Festival in good old Hyde Park seemed a safe bet. Kasabian were headlining on the day I went. Matt got a fake tattoo of my name before I arrived, bless, but of course Suchen and Diego later teased and accused me of pussy-whipping him (not true). I met "Craig David". We inhaled laughing gas. We got soaked. Pete Doherty and Babyshambles were terrible, shame we weren't near enough to chuck things at that pointless druggie. Kasabian were awesome. Lead singer Tom Meighan was fiiiiiine. And humble. And really young but that didn't stop me from lusting after him. If all festivals were like this I would be happy. Apart from the expensive crepes.

A few more pictures can be seen on My Flickr Photo Album