Up until the 15th December, I was indifferent to Kasabian’s existence, but what I saw on that Thursday night changed my opinion for good.
Supported by The Penguins (the less said about them, the better) and Miles Kane (definitely one to watch), Serge and co. gave me and the rest of the O2 a night to be remembered. To the sound of ‘Days are Forgotten’, out strode Tom Meighan, clad in scarlet jeans and a white leather jacket. Immediately, the band’s powerful presence was established. Followed quickly by ‘Shoot the Runner’, the crowd was already on a high. Perhaps it was the potent combination of heavy drums and carefully honed lyrics in the opening two songs, or something else that made me and everybody else think that these chaps mean business.
For two hours, they continued reeling off their impressive repertoire with gems such as ‘Empire’, ‘Underdog’ and everybody’s favourite Impaler, ‘Vlad’. Not once did I feel that before me, stood a band lacking ideas, originality, inspiration or pure talent, as has been unjustly said by the media.
Yet despite being able to lead a mighty mosh pit, the band indulged us every so often with a song that was that bit more relaxed. With an excellent rendition of ‘Thick as Thieves’, came a taste of their new album, Velociraptor!. ‘La Fée Verte’ and ‘I Hear Voices’ were stuck in my head for the following week; but what really impressed me was ‘Goodbye Kiss’. Used toward the end of the set, this track showed just how versatile Kasabian has become. With genuinely beautiful lyrics and the addition of a string quartet, this track touched the heart strings of even the most die-hard moshers.
Let it not be said, though, that Kasabian has gone all soft and gooey – far from the case. Tracks like ‘Re-Wired’ and ‘Velociraptor!’, performed live, are testament to rock and roll credibiltiy.
They rounded off with an encore of the legendary ‘Fire’ where, in the crescendo to the last chorus, the auditorium was told to sit down. Upon the scream of ‘I’M ON FIIIIIIRE’, everyone leapt up in unison, making for a ballistic atmosphere.
All in all, brit rock is back! Thanks Kasabian, keep up the good work.