“Me, Serge and Chris started this band in a shed in 1997,” a clearly overwhelmed Tom Meighan tells 60, 000 revellers in Leicester’s Victoria Park, following thanks and praise to the crowd from other members of the band throughout the night. While more traditional pagans may have ventured to Stonehenge for the Summer Solstice, it’s unlikely that there was anywhere in Britain as euphoric and joyous as the venue where Kasabian held their anniversary, celebrating not only a decade since the release of their debut album, but also the #1 position of fifth album 48:13 that week. This was their homecoming, held less than a week before their first headlining slot at Glastonbury, and their chance to share the moment with the town where it all began for three college friends, 17 years ago.
While the last-minute announcement of the support acts caused some controversy amongst fans, they succeeded in warming up the sun-soaked crowd with songs and sounds that have either influenced Kasabian’s output or that share elements of it, whether during their earlier anthemic glam/indie rock/pop years or the current dance-heavy album (the first to be solely, Serge-ly produced).
Zane Lowe spun vinyl webs of genres that clashed and interlinked to give a fairly good impression of Kasabian as a band; From Nirvana to Chic and Fatboy Slim to The Beatles, his ability to merge music that might not be obviously suited is faultless, providing an effortlessly cool soundtrack to a scorching afternoon. Rudimental took to the decks themselves, with their own tracks (‘Waiting All Night’ and ‘Feel The Love’) undoubtedly providing the biggest buzz, while Jagwar Ma played in between, with rhythms that were equally infectious and an upbeat, experimental sound somewhere between Tame Impala and Temples.
Following huge black numbers on a neon pink background counting down to zero, Tom, Serge, Chris and Ian (who wasn’t in the shed in ’97 but has been with the band since the release of their self-titled debut) took to the stage, opening with new-album track ‘bumblebee’ – a stomping, raucous chorus linked by sparse, keys-starring verses – before jumping straight back to ‘Shoot The Runner’. With five albums-worth of anthems to select from, the set-list provided the expected tour-de-force of sing-along choruses and jumping beats which failed to filter out as it travelled from the stage to the food vans circling the park. From ‘Underdog’, with its timeless riff, to the majestic production of ‘Days Are Forgotten’ and the unapologetic pound of ‘eez-eh’ (its title chanted throughout the night), it was a lecture in giving an audience anthems delivered with swagger without creating pricks swapping hits for something more pretentious, before completely disappearing up their own arses.
While the (as of yet, uncollected) greatest hits were always going to cause choruses that almost drowned out the band, album tracks from 48:13 received just as much enthusiasm. ‘stevie’’s orchestral chorus (backed by live strings on stage) and lines of “All the kids they say live to fight another day” made it a clear contender for future single and forever live favourite, while ‘treat’ – with a transition into an actual dance number for the final four minutes – transformed a Glastonbury-like crowd into a Creamfields one, with chants switched for beats impossible not to move to. ‘Empire’ and ‘Fire’ took the set into seventh gear (not to play on Billy Bragg’s recent Spinal Tap comments) before an encore concluding with ‘L.S.F.’ It’s unlikely that when the band wrote the Primal Scream-like track they knew they’d written an anthem, but it’s overtaken ‘Movin’ On Up’ to become our most euphoric, rhythmic sing-a-long for many years. More energy than Oasis’ attempts and with wider appeal than Alex Turner’s tales of Dancefloors and Mardy Bums (having seen Arctic Monkeys at Finsbury Park, it’s Kasabian who come out on top for sheer energy and atmosphere) it will undoubtedly be the melody that echoes around Pilton Farm this weekend, finding and uniting lost souls, forever.
When you stop to think about how many huge bands failed to grow in scope and sound beyond a decade after their debut together, there are surprisingly few who managed it. Kasabian are an exception, and one who look set continue providing the hits (although not in cars and involving dads) and the huge, headlining events for a few more decades yet.
Dan Bull
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