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GUITARS TUNED… AMPS ON… GO!
Nothing – not even being bottled – could stop Kasabian from becoming the most thrilling live band of ’05. So who better to give their verdict on the year’s top gigs?
For Kasabian, 2005 has been all about meeting their people. Kicking off with a headline set at the NME Awards in February, the ’Bian have established themselves as a live powerhouse with gigs everywhere from Glastonbury to a baseball stadium in Japan. Frontmen Tom Meighan and Serge Pizzorno agree this year has been “fucking empire!” So they talked us through the gigs that made it so.
1: THE PRODIGY at V Festival, Stafford
Serge: “Fucking incredible. Absolutely incredible! As a dance outfit, or whatever you like to call them, the energy and the tunes -‘Out Of Space’, ‘Smack My Bitch Up’ – is insane. They had loads of extra bass up at V, which was mental. You go to a gig to be blown away, and they did that. They took the crowd to another level.”
2: THE MARS VOLTA at Winter Sonic 2005, Japan
Tom: “Wicked! They’re just incredible, it’s pure enthusiasm. It’s like Led Zeppelin on speed. They’re just pushing the boundaries of rock’n’roll. They’re a great live band because they’re wonderful performers – that’s what rock’n’roll is all about, just pushing it to the limit. They’re outstanding. When I was watching them I was just massively pumping, they really get you into the zone. When they hit that sound and that feel they’ll just drive you mad.”
3: OASIS at Benicassim
Serge: “I’ve got to say this gig, just because it was a moment for us as a band. They were fucking incredible, man, and then to go on after them… wow! You don’t usually get that sort of buzz going on after a band. We were told a couple of days beforehand they’d switched slots with us, but we all thought it was someone taking the piss. The presence that Liam and Noel have, I can’t say enough about how real they are.”
Tom: “You get people slagging Oasis off, but I don’t see any other rock stars commanding the stage like they do. You name me a rock star like Liam. They’ve brought out a new album. Some people are liking it, some people think it’s wank – whatever. The thing with Oasis is they’ll always do that thing live, they bring people together. It’s a power.”
4: THE DEAD 60S at Glasgow Barrowlands
Serge: “That was a fucking good gig. They supported us. The whole vibe and the attitude of that band is great. They just got the crowd moving because there’s so much energy with them and they’re good boys. They’re great musicians and what they can do live to a crowd is brilliant. They get everyone going on the same heartbeat.”
5: IAN BROWN at V Festival Stafford
Serge: “That was mental! Brownie at V was great – that pink tracksuit! He’s the only cunt alive who can get away with away with it. He’s a legend just for that!”
6: HOT HOT HEAT at Street Scene, San Diego
Tom: “They’re fucking great, man. I just love the way their singer, Steve [Bays], does it, they’re great live.”
7: KAISER CHIEFS at T In The Park
Tom: “I like Kaiser Chiefs. T In The Park was the first time I’ve really got to see them play and they were fucking brilliant. I like Ricky Wilson as well, he’s a good cat, man! A lot of people think he’s a cheesy, cheesy monger but I think he’s charming and he’s having a bit of fun. It was funny watching him with the crowd playing that ‘I Predict A Riot’, it was a moment. He was saying to me, ‘Come on do it with us’, I was like ‘No, it’s your thing, enjoy it!”’
8: COLDPLAY at Glastonbury
Tom: “I caught them just after we’d finished playing the Other Stage this year. I only saw a bit but it was so atmospheric – one of those warm moments when you feel all lovey. It was weird because we’d just finished and you don’t really want to do anything else apart from get mashed, but their set was beautiful.”
9: ARCADE FIRE at Lollapalooza
Tom: “They fucking blew my mind! They were in a monster zone, they were in the biggest zone.”
Serge: “Strange boys, but good. They’re like fiddlers – you could imagine going to a Western saloon bar and seeing them in there.”
Tom: “You ain’t going to get the aggression and the sweat and the fury from them, but as a piece to look at it was interesting – refreshingly breathtaking. They look like they’ve been hijacked from [‘80s film comedy] Porky’s and put onstage!”
10: ARCTIC MONKEYS at Sheffield Leadmill
Serge: “We dig their attitude, we like what they’re about. They’re a top band and they’ve got a good attitude. They’ve got some balls.”
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THE TOP FIVE GIGS KASABIAN HAVE PLAYED THIS YEAR…
1: GLASTONBURY
Serge: “It was our fucking Glastonbury! We went on before Razorlight and it went from 15,000 kids there to 40,000. ‘Club Foot’ that night I’ll never forget. Looking at Tom, looking at the band and just going, ‘Fucking hell, lads!’ The crowd was insane. We’re not one of these bands who don’t care what the crowd think of us. We’d die for our fans and that gig was a celebration of all that.”
2: CARLING WEEKEND: READING AND LEEDS
Serge: “Those gigs were like a fucking rave. This band is about vibe, it’s the feeling we give people. After Leeds, that came to me. I was trying to work out why are we doing this? We create this energy, this ball of fucking fire and people come to feel it.”
Tom: “Reading was just indestructible. You’re forced to surrender. I honestly believe we’re one of the best live bands in the world, you ask anyone who was in that tent.”
3: NOTTINGHAM ARENA
Tom: “It’s the closest to home we can do at the moment – the nearest we got this year to the people who’ve been supporting us from the start.” Serge: “All our friends and family were there. It felt incredible, like a homecoming.”
4: ALEXANDRA PALACE, LONDON
Tom: “The White Stripes and Franz are doing it now, we did it in April. It speaks for itself.”
Serge: “I’ve got to say this gig, just for the sheer size of it, and the audacity of booking it. A few months earlier we played Brixton then we were suddenly doing this huge garden centre. It was a fucking victorious gig. We went off and people were singing ‘LSF’ back to us. We were almost crying. When the fans give it back to you like that – those are the memories you take home with you. It’s a ‘Hey Jude’ moment.”
5: BENICASSIM
Serge: “Just ask Noel Gallagher about that gig!”
…and the one where Serge got bottled
GLASGOW BARROWLANDS
Serge: “It’s weird. I was just playing and then suddenly got hit on the bonce. What was the story? Fifteen stitches and it sent me cross-eyed (laughs). I think everyone just got a bit too excited – well, one guy certainly did.”
Tom: “This year has been so amazing for us. Will we miss it? Nah, I’m looking forward to recording. The album is going to be Marc Bolan smoking crack with Dr Who – it’s the only way to describe it. Fucking empire!”