Live

Kasabian

Emma Murphy 22/11/2009

Those old enough to remember when Oasis first came out will remember that it created a buzz amongst us then young teenagers, Liam Gallagher's words resonated through our bedrooms - Yes, Liam, we hate everything, so drinking and a return to laddism was ahoy. Of course, with the recent split of Oasis it made a lot of us cool Brittania era lot wonder who was going to come along and grab hold of the music scene with a total arrogance that you could admire. Never fear, Kasabian are here (have been here for a while but you get the gist). Third album in and West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum is - although the most sensible of the albums - having seen Serge lay off the acid this time around, an album that seems to show Kasabian have grown up since being cast into the limelight in 2004.
Having seen the guys previously, even their live shows are louder and prouder and when I say loud I mean loud! Songs like Vlad the Implaler (Vlad being the guy who Bram Stokes loosely based Dracula on), LSF, Fire, Underdog all shake the arena and the whole crowd is bouncing because they all know what we are witnessing in front of us is a band that are the lifeline to keeping the swagger alive. Where Kasabian have matured is shown through songs such as Ladies and Gentlemen, where Tom Meighan takes control of the crowd and quips: 'get your lighters out, Cardiff' and 'I wanna see your arms in the air'. In all fairness everyone follows orders because Kasabian put on such a mind-blowing performance that anything the crowd can give back they will.
A genuine feeling of being proud to have a British band like Kasabian was felt thoroughout and I will literally eat my own eyeball with a spoon if the fourth album isn't as good or even better than the previous three because that's how much confidence I have in these guys and more importantly how much confidence they have in themselves. What makes Kasabian the boys to fill the shoes now Oasis have gone their separate ways is that Kasabian will always strive to make a better album, not interested in getting out two albums a year and a Best of CD in time for Christmas but a real attention to music and wanting to make it great. Kasabian have a huge weight to carry on their shoulders but they can do it with the ease and swagger that got them here I the first place.