Review - Kasabian - London 02 Arena - Wednesday 14th December 2011

Having hated their most recent album Velociraptor! and only really liking a handful of their tracks as a casual listener, to say that I was not really up for seeing Kasabian live would probably be a bit of an understatement. However, as my mate really wanted to go and see them, I was not going to turn down the chance of going to a gig. As it turns out, it was the best decision I could have made, considering Kasabian were on top form, and put in one hell of an entertaining shift.

Up first though, before we get to the main attraction, the crowd are forced to endure the best part of 30 minutes worth of the god-awful The Penguins. Noise-core, with pseudo Elvis impressions from a woman in a penguin suit, is not really something to get the crowd excited; the fact that they play to about 12 people (ok, a slight exaggeration!) really doesn’t help their cause.

They are terrible, and their set cannot end quick enough.

Miles Kane fares a lot better, and with a lot of hype surrounding him, he goes down well. It is clear that to date he only really has one truly great song in Come Closer, but if he gets it right on his next record, he could see his profile grow and grow. It’s Indie rock guitar music, which slots in well supporting Kasabian, and there will be a big market for him. He is also the epitome of Indie cool, so he should do fine. However, it is hard to get away from the music, which, albeit on the whole generally listenable, is somewhat forgettable at this stage.

Still, he was MUCH better than The Penguins.

As Kasabian take to stage to a packed 02 Arena, they see their journey towards the apex of the Indie scene reach a thrilling climax, as they slot in seamlessly as the heirs-apparent to Oasis’ vacated throne. Only The Killers can surpass these boys on the Indie scene these days, and they rightfully sit atop of the pile otherwise.

That terrible new record really does not do them justice, making you forget just how many hits they really do have in their collective arsenal. It all makes for a thrilling live experience. The view from the nose-bleeders means the action down the front is witnessed from a perfect viewpoint, with the packed crowd going crazy for them throughout a 90 minute set.

The only good song on Velociraptor! opens proceedings, Days Are Forgotten, before Shoot The Runner really sees the night take flight. The crowd go nuts for the god-awful title track from that new record (with some truly horrific lyrical content) but Underdog follows quickly after to rescue things.

That is often the theme of the night in that when there is any danger of it veering off track, there is an enormous Indie floor-filler there to pick it right up, and put it back on track. Club Foot is huge, as is Re-Wired, and Empire is a real moment for fans and band alike, front man Tom Meighan dedicating it to the crowd, calling them the Empire.

He is brilliant throughout (and thankfully takes off his sunglasses sooner rather than later), working the stage and leading the crowd every step of the way. Serge Pizzorno is the real star of the show though, oozing charisma and effortless cool while playing lick after lick on his guitar.

Goodbye Kiss is a tender moment which Meighan dedicates to his father in attendance (by chance, his favourite song of theirs) and L.S.F. (Lost Souls Forever) is simply electric. The pit goes into overdrive for this too, exploding into life to close the set proper. The fact that the crowd carries on the integral hook acapella, long after they exit the stage to rapturous applause is testament to how big a song it really is.

As the band return for a forgettable Switchblade Smiles (the less said about that song the better) it takes the likes of the simply enormous Vlad The Impaler and Fire to close the night in style. The place erupts, and it is a fitting way to close proceedings for a band who really proved their staying power tonight.

They have hits in abundance, and yes, although there is a little filler, live, it is barely noticeable, which makes for a very entertaining evening out.

Much better, and much more enjoyable, than I ever could have thought it would be, Kasabian were a class act tonight, and proved that any doubters (me included) really have no idea just how good they really are. In the live environment, they own it, and tonight was a brilliant show from Indie’s upper echelon. A phenomenal performance.

Setlist - Days Are Forgotten / Shoot The Runner / Velociraptor! / Underdog / Where Did All The Love Go? / I.D. / Man Of Simple Pleasures / Thick As Thieves / Take Aim / Club Foot /Re-wired / Empire / La Fée Verte / Fast Fuse / Misirlou (Dick Dale and His Del-Tones cover) / Goodbye Kiss / L.S.F. (Lost Souls Forever) / Switchblade Smiles / Vlad The Impaler Fire

Setlist – Miles Kane - Better Left Invisible / Counting Down The Days / Rearrange /Telepathy / Kingcrawler / Quicksand / Woman's Touch / Come Closer / Inhaler