Following their huge homecoming show in Leicester and a knockout Glastonbury performance over the Summer, as well as a string of arena dates over the last few weeks with more to follow, Kasabian opted for something a little more intimate for their return to the capital. Rather than a couple of nights at the O2 Arena, the band opted for Brixton’s O2 Academy for a week-long residency, allowing for the huge techno/rock beats of 48:13 to play out in a venue that may have been the only option to show off Empire just a few years ago.
But while the venue was smaller the show was eez-ehly as big as anything else they’ve done this year. Not only for the huge screen and its random words (‘aerosol’, anyone?), a laser-like light show or Serge’s tail (fox, if I’m not mistaken), but for the music too. Despite those Oasis comparisons, there was always something more to Serge’s compositions than laddish indie/rock; take the four-minute dance breakdown of 48:13 album track ‘treat’, the hints of krautrock in ‘Switchblade Smiles’ or the tribal yelps of ‘Days Are Forgotten’, not to mention Cameo’s ‘Word Up’ making an appearance during ‘Re-Wired’ and Fatboy Slim’s ‘Praise You’ during closer ‘L.S.F.’
As their first decade together comes to a close, Kasabian remain at the top of their game and are stronger together than ever. While the cracks were starting to show in those aforementioned Gallagher bros by album #5, the bromance between Meighan and Pizzorno is clearly authentic, brought together by a love of the music they create and clearly loving every second as if this was their first time selling out the venue. Their rise to the top may not have been as fast (fused) as others – I can’t have been alone in wondering whether Glastonbury were ever going to ask them to headline – but with show starters as strong as the heavy bounce of ‘bumblebeee’, and encore openers with the unapologetic, anthemic euphoria of ‘stevie’ (complete with a string section, and both from an album ten years into their recording career) it’s beyond deserved.
For most acts this size you’d assume that this sort of date would be a one-off, before heading back to the arenas – or perhaps stadiums next – more suited to the size of their fanbase. But with Kasabian you imagine that these gigs are the real treat; the venues filled with history, the entire audience within spitting distance and the chance to stand on the stage again and again. The banter might be arrogant but the truth is in their arsenal, and when you have ‘Empire’ and ‘Fire’ to bring the main set to a close, your always going to be winning. Kasabian – 2014 is yours.
Dan Bull
@danbull
Dan Bull
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