CityLife

Kasabian

Kasabian

Kasabian
MEN Arena
November 20, 2009

FIVE months in music is a long time. Since the Oasis concerts at Heaton Park in June, Kasabian’s stock has risen considerably while Manchester’s finest are no more.

A Mercury Prize-nominated album, Q awards and a No1 have seen the Leicester four-piece’s popularity take-off.

If anyone was going to challenge Oasis’ mantle in their own backyard it would be Tom Meighan and his troops.

A blistering set in front of super-fan Noel Gallagher confirmed their role as the natural successors to the swagger, sound and success of Oasis.

By the time the cannons fired out paper confetti during last song L.S.F it was clear the crowd were witnessing the coronation of the new kings of British rock.

Touring their critically acclaimed and award-winning third album West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum, Kasabian were cheered as if they were Manchester’s own.

Heady

Taking on their new roles as the city’s adopted sons Meighan and talisman guitarist Sergio Pizzorno would occasionally step forward from the band’s giant picture frame set to soak up the adoring applause.

If there is ever a way to endear yourself to a few thousand Mancunians then Meighan’s declaration to turn the MEN Arena into the biggest “Hacienda on the planet” is not a bad place to start.

And rave the crowd did as they bounced to hits from Kasabian’s impressive back catalogue which they have built steadily since 2004’s self-titled breakthrough album.

Songs such as Processed Beats and Club Foot had the crowd going as if it were a winter’s night during the heady Madchester days.

A sense of delirium had filled the arena, apt as their lunatic asylum set was manned by stage hands with the word ‘SANE’ emblazoned on their backs – as the crowd had gone in the opposite direction.

And by the time Meighan belted out the chorus to 2009 hit Fire there was not a soul who wasn’t on their feet.

Kasabian have worked hard to dispel the notion that they are just a ‘lad band’, performances like this one will go a long way to scrapping that theory and place them on the road to perhaps surpassing the achievements of those brothers from Burnage.