KASABIAN ARE ON FIRE WITH NEW TOUR AND LINE UP
A new era for Kasabian began in Glasgow. A new tour, a new line-up and a promise of new material on the bands return to the city. Let’s just get this gig over with first guys!
Big rumours before the gig were about who would take over lead vocals following the dismissal of previous singer Tom Meighan, with The Music’s Rob Harvey the outstanding favourite, and although at lights out time he did indeed join the band on stage, he was well away from the centre forward position as main man duties were left to Serge Pizzorno, and what an admirable job he did too. A position that only he could fill perhaps?
The atmosphere was already reaching fever pitch after a support set by The Skinner Brothers, and a short top up by the house DJ cranked the excitement levels to bursting as the lights finally when down and the band took to the stage, with Serge grabbing the mic as if it had his name on it. Patrolling his domain in a manner an primed lion would be proud of, ready to pounce at any second, he belted through opener Club Foot, Ill Ray (The King) and Underdog, the band demanded a bouncy in the pit, and the crowd duly obliged, putty in Serge’s hands.
Bumblebeee, Stevie, Fast Fuse all followed as the sell-out crowd lapped up every second. I.D, Ladies and Gentlemen, Empire and Vlad the Impaler all kept the Glasgow audience on their toes throughout, and some on their mates shoulders too, as every song was met with roars of approval, and a sea of arms in the air, the band were certainly welcomed back to the live circuit by an appreciative set of fans who simply couldn’t get enough.
An encore followed with four tracks, Bless This Acid House, Happiness, L.S.F and a barnstorming finale of the anthem Fire was the icing an a very big cake. A fantastic gig, a rocking crowd and band on point. As the amps died down and the feint echoes of Fire died away, the crowd filtered out to the cold Glasgow evening, and the evening was at an end.
Kasabian were back, but to be fair they hadn’t really been away. Some said prior to this evening ‘no Tom, no Kasabian’, but these predictions couldn’t have been further from the mark. The band were on top form and Serge was a more than able stand in at the front of the stage. Harvey stood in for Pizzorno when he was on the mic away from guitar duties, and no one really spotted the difference. This was a tremendous gig, an electric atmosphere and top tunes, mixed with the best crowd in Britain (who doesn’t love a Glasgow audience?) and you have all the ingredients for a five star performance.
Kasabian were on Fire!! Tom who?
Review and Photographs by Stephen Wilson
