NOEL: “KASABIAN ARE THE BEST BACK IN ENGLAND!”
From chapels to arenas, the Leicester lads are “on fire every night”
“We need to be seen in front of lots of people with their hands in the air” – Serge
Kasabian warmed up for their biggest ever tour with a surprise gig supporting their hero Noel Gallagher last week (Nov 26).
The band kick off their UK arena tour in their hometown of Leicester this week (December 5), but made a surprise appearance playing in front of just 400 people – and the Oasis guitarist – as part of Mencap’s Little Noise Sessions at the Union Chapel in London (above).
“It was fucking awesome, the church was a beautiful place,” declared guitarist Serge Pizzorao. “We didn’t really do much preparation for the gig, we just turned up, rehearsed in the dressing room, proper old school! We were only just back from the States, so we were a bit jetlagged.”
However, despite the band’s confidence, even their biggest fan wondered how they would fare without their usual chemical beats.
“Noel was saying to us, ‘What’s going to happen, you boys going to be alright?’ and I was like, ‘Yeah, yeah, don’t worry. ‘LSF’ was written on an acoustic, so don’t worry, it’s good, man!”’ explained Serge. However, with a set including stripped-down versions of ‘The Doberman’, ‘LSF’ and Beatles cover ‘I’m So Tired’, they clearly impressed, with the Oasis man declaring Kasabian “the best band in England” from the stage.
“It was incredible that Noel called us that – when we go out next year we’ll have that on the billboards!” said Serge. “It’s fucking great that both Noel and Liam have said they like us, but we’re mates now. You stick together, don’t you? Have I signed them up for the Kasabian fanclub? I don’t know if we’ve got one, there’s an internet one, but I don’t think they’re on it much to be honest (laughs).”
However, having enjoyed the unusual show, the band quickly began rehearsing for their tour proper, which climaxes with their biggest ever gig at London’s Earls Court on December 19.
“We’re smoking fags, drinking beer and just cracking on really,” said Serge of the band’s week of rehearsals. “We’re playing the ‘Empire’ album in its entirety plus all the favourites from the first, so it’s a good hour and a half. It’s all done up to be a good fucking trip man, it’s quite Floydy in places. We’ve really stepped it up. When you play Earls Court you can’t just turn up and play, you have to go and be as big as the fucking arena. I think in a lot of ways as a band it’s where we belong. Not in terms of ‘We think we’re great’, but our set needs to be seen in front of a lot of people with all their hands in the air.”
The guitarist added that the combination of playing London’s Roundhouse in November backed by an orchestra and then heading out to America to play small venues had really inspired the winter dates.
“It was mind-bending,” said Serge of the symphonic collaboration. “I told you in the summer I’d like to play the album with an orchestra some day, I didn’t think we’d be doing it so soon! That shot in NME when we were there rehearsing – what a great photo! It just looks how it fucking should be!”
Meanwhile, the guitarist added that playing small venues in the US had helped them get to grips with ‘Empire’.
“It was nice to have these tunes and learn them like a garage band, like we were starting out again,” he said. “It was nice playing them like that because you know when you get to Earls Court you’ve done all your fucking doggy work. We still play as if we’re playing those small shows because we’re young lads. We’ve still got the fire every night! Now our tour is starting, this is where it goes mental! It’s going to be a great way to end the year!”