are Kasabian having an awesome autumn?

Kasabian have just dropped a brand new release ‘ALYGATYR’, amidst a tour in which guitarist and songwriter, Serge Pizzorno has taken over as the band’s frontman. How’s that working out for them?

2021 - A surge of Serge appreciation

Picture report from Nottingham

by John Springett of Spring Image Photography www.springimages.co.uk

As if 2020 wasn't traumatic enough, Leicester's indie icons had left a question mark hanging over their future when pre-pandemic front man, Tom Meighan, left under a dark cloud of consequences.

The band carrying on, after that was a decision that split opinion in the music world and their fan base.

Autumn 2021’s return was always going to be a make or break moment.

As these UK tour dates were sold out in advance, on the strength of their songs and past achievements, half the battle was won.

The real proof (and future) would be in the audience reaction to the new Kasabian’s live performance.

Yes, a huge band who obviously have so many fans, are already ahead of the game but music is a funny old business and nothing can be taken for granted.

Although Serge had previously proved capable of going “solo” when the band took some time out, that this would translate to the very real skill of fronting a rock band.

Additionally, Kasabian needed to live up to the “saving guitar music” claims and “where are the new rock n roll bands?” challenges that some of the biggest artists were making - and being reported on (mostly for clickbait) - over the last couple of years in what’s left of the national music press.

In short, there was a lot to live up to.

With all the above, and more, it wasn’t a given that Kasabian would walk back on stage and be greeted, again, with the affection and respect that audiences reserve for a favourite band.

Also, it’s 2021.

After a year and a half lost of humanity’s collective life lost to the upheaval and tragedy of the pandemic - including the shenanigans required to attend a live music show safely - music fans want actual bangs for their bucks.

20th October, Nottingham.

Kasabian are back on home county (East Midlands) turf for the Rock City show

Relief.

By all accounts (mates, live reviews, social media feedback) so far, word is that the gig not only went with a bang, but that Serge is such a stage-craft honed, genuine front man, that the crowd were chanting his name during their set.

Shout-along-with-joy mosh pits mirrored the musicality of the band and adrenaline rush in the air.

It's true to say that Kasabian fans are more than on side.

Up and down the country, fans of this band are witnessing something special rising like a phoenix.

These reactions had been hard earned, not taken for granted. Some “Team Tom Meighan” fans refused to come to these dates.

Maybe they missed something essential?

The thanks from the stage to this evening’s audience acknowledged the amount of appreciation felt for their support.

Maybe the uncertainty before facing their audience added to the flame of their performance but the Kasabian of this post lockdown world are obviously a new favourite band (with a six album back story!) who are literally on, ahem, 'Fire'.

As the band tweeted the day after the show:

“Nottingham, still trying to get our heads around last night, WOW!!!!!! Absolute scenes”.

Fast forward a week.

Alongside it’s first live performance (at the home town show in Leicester on day of release, October 27th) the new single, ‘ALYGATYR’ is #1 on Spotify’s Transistor playlist. https://kasabian.lnk.to/transistor

2021

Q: Are Kasabian having an awesome autumn?

A: Yup, looks like it.

…and to answer those “where are the guitar bands” questions, Kasabian have done the right thing at the right time by taking The Skinner Brothers on the road as special guests.

TheZineUK is a documentary of music movement threads weaving a tapestry.

Our ace, Louise Schofield, recently interviewed Zach of The Skinner Brothers before their Isle Of Wight Festival show for This Feeling.

As @TheSkinnerBros tweeted (rightly) in September:

“We will be joining @KasabianHQ as main support for their entire UK tour! This is massive”

Really is. A month later they are tweeting:

“Shoutout all the new followers coming in from the @KasabianHQ tour”

On tour in Liverpool. Not gonna lie, tho, Katie Owen’s #StageStyle often give me boot envy. It’s a real thing.

Not only that, the true story of Katie Owen (a Kasabian fan from school!) being the tour DJ is what rock n roll dreams are made of.

Katie came into the cast n crew of our situationist story in 2017, again, courtesy of This Feeling and being a fab DJ!)

Making a party, Katie also DJ’d TheZineUK’s first #MusicPeopleParty that December (and presented her first filmed interview in January 2018, for us).

It’s just heart warming to see so many people coming along in these hard-as-f days.

Of course, there are people who doubt that the newer wave of guitar music artists and allies are creating a #FertileEnvironment in a hostile environment - and each to their own opinion - but look and listen again, friends. Especially on the grass roots music venue circuit being culled.

When bands like Kasabian use their platform to give the up and comers on this rising star circuit, extra support, the musical eco system of alternative rock gets a boost just when we all need it. Even the biggest bands started somewhere and got some help.

2022

Kasabian are playing the Neighbourhood Weekender in May, supporting Liam Gallagher at Knebworth Park in June (with Michael Kiwanuka, Fat White Family and Goat Girl) then headlining the Isle Of Wight Festival next autumn.

Come back and beyond.

Seeya later ALYGATYR!

https://www.kasabian.co.uk/

All images by kind permission John Springett (c) https://www.springimages.co.uk/

Extra news/words Caffy St Luce/Events Dept.

Thank you Stasi at MBC PR for the photo pass.

Don’t stop starts the Music People Party

Cue BUGEYE’s ‘Don’t Stop Reset’ remix by FERAL FIVE

Download or stream via https://kycker.ffm.to/dontstop * Lift your heart and soul - maybe with some glam disco moves.

The following was inspired by hearing this song which (for me) evokes images of a space ship in bright Bugeye grrrl colourful riot shades. It hovers above parks where humans are allowed outdoors, at main stage level and the band travel around lighting up hearts and souls into their brightest moves and shapes in their least-lockdown-look gear. It’s not more improbable than what passes for real life. Taken from their 2020 world class debut album, ‘Ready Steady Bang’ (Reckless Yes) and given a Duranesque feral energy of beats that turn your speakers or headphones into your personal nightclub. The LP is a year old this month. It’s a home grown classic in every sense.

If you want an entry point to the kindness, collaboration, gifted musical activism, artbeat and multi talent tasking that has made all the difference to the last few years, then newer wave faves, Bugeye, are your arts initiative point of call.

Download the song and all profits go to The Magpie Project community who help parents and young children at risk of homelessness. In a rich country, go figure. Poverty is something that more than a few of us can relate to.

Uniqulture: ‘Don’t Stop Reset’ Remix by Feral Five. Mastered by Paul Tipler. Art by 31% Wool.

Alongside founding involvement with Cro Cro Land (how to festival) and their always engaging Rock Pop Rambles podcast (recently endorsed by Radio X’s ace John Kennedy in Clash Magazine) there is a whole remix album to follow on July 9th! Bugeye are one of TheZineUK story fuelling power points - with stem-level tunes and musicality.

Inspired by the above (further doc update below)

June 2021: Started the next picture book diary, recording a tiny fraction of TheZineUK interactions from mid April when lockdown started to unlock. Even in these few months it’s so obvious that misgovernment HATES music, musicians, music venues, music fans, music socials, music festivals, music education (for us “povs”), music tourism, live music and music festivals. It’s time that “hands in the air”, “singing along”, “buying music/merch” and “moshing” became sports. Music Fan Olympics are GO. As we emerge from our virtual yellow submarimes, far queue, blue meanies! *(Alien hearts ain’t too keen on women/womxn or even the planet, to be fair).

After the sold out Polarized Eyes headline, June 2021. Access All Ages Amersham Arms - Generation Tremorists power.

We are so obviously on our own, the parallel dimension where the biggest arts movements are soundtracked in the smallest venues. A genuine starmaker circuit that the selfservatives attempt to cull, consistently, for years now. In the last six years new possibilities and hopes have seeded against a backdrop of climate emergency. In the last five years kindness has proven itself a super power as hate multiplied five fold since the brexshit “win”.

School children see through the bullshit of Murderoch’s propaganda empire. (What has he GOT on the hisstablishment?). Adults who have “Seen/Done It All” ain’t so bright. I’m vintage and I think we are often just twats. Note how teen media editors Scarlet of Mash Zine and Arlo of Pint Sized Punk ain’t hung up on which decade musicians are born (that is SO last century!) but are inspirationally clued up on the music that they make. I dig that Punk Word Legend, Bruno Wizard said “punk is dead, let’s start something new” at Dizzy’s Bowie night (in, erm, Amersham Arms a few years ago), Gwan Generation Tremorists, all…

Kerrie & Angela Bugeye, with inspiring friends (including Kat Five of remi(n)xers, Feral Five) out in support of Kick Out The Jams, monthly music social June 2021. Amersham Arms is part of a nationwide grassroots circuit renaissance. Thank you Music Venue Trust.

Time travel

2017’s rock n roll zeitgeist - where we shrugged off seeking interest, let alone approval, from the mainstream for a newer waver wave of generation tremorist graced, genre/gender fluid music industrious (r)evolution. Yeah, guitar bands ARE back. So what if they’re virtually banned from day time TV this century and the streets aren’t as clothing bright with music tribes - children got YouTube and don’t all see lying bully bigots as role models. The audiences are more reflective of the 21st century than profile artist/events based Arts Desks have experienced.

TheZineUK Punk Takeover of St Paul’s. The Blinders/485C after party AFTER party at Abbie McCarthy’s Good Karma Club and a cast and crew party on This Feeling Stage at Isle Of Wight Festival.

In all the noise we romance and giggle. It’s almost as if Earthlings are animals connected to a living organism planet that communicates with them through music and more, while celestial forces inspire water beings who also have weather (moods). Up yours, alien hearts.

Stick with the Zeenagers, we are hell bent on having FUN and may be as imperfect as any band, cos we are natureal - but we mean well and have LOVE at heart. ArtBeat heartbeat.

There is room for us all. Interdependent media support the artists that this new, skint, diverse, friendlier and rebelliously fun community recommend. We trickle up the talent, baby. Interdependent. Collaborative. Multi talent tasking. The #MusicPeopleParty years were born when Dizzy Spell used working class woman power wonders to learn website tech etc fro m scratch.Our allies complete the cast and crew picture. December 2017 first Party. Our friends, The Velvet Hands and Katie Owen topped and tailed the live music/DJ hosting).

Season 2 of TheZineUK doc (2018 onwards)

laid some surreal, apocalyptic foundations …but so many wonderful campaigns and creations had pumped kindness and hope into the either, also.

A 2018 trip to Genesis Cinema (Eastenders Land) to see sparkle queens, Bugeye, play a Genesisters event with Lilith Ai and more at the L7 screening added a whole new tangent. In 2019 another musical trip to the movies with Simon Baker for his movie ‘90 Minutes’ produced by Rio Ferdinand and soundtracked by MOSES. Was it watching the Star Wars finale triple until the early hours, there, or their Chadwick Boseman display outside that endeared them? Either way, TheZineUK started 2020 with a collaboration of the Velvet Goldmine film, cocktails and photo session.

Season 3 of TheZineUK doc begins as humanity is adapting to the trauma of 2020 and 2021 Planet Earth (also on line, if they can afford it).

Ha, when you started a situationist tapestry about how good gigs can propel great potential and it turns into The Dystopian Rocky Horrow ShitShow.

Would always rather SEXit that Brexit. Compassion and courtesy are SO attractive that I fancy you all (good people). Onwards darlings, onwards, stay strong, we got this. Together. Don’t Stop.

July 2021: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Hallo Bright Pink Catwalk.

It’s the 21st year of the 21st century and we’re trying everything to Revive Live amidst a barrage of bad news, environment fears, financial stress and then our mind/spirit-medicine; gigs and festivals, cancelled, postponed, cancelled, postponed, cancelled, postponed while the crime ring continue their herd immunity eugenics.

There’s more of a war cancelling culture and being aware, than there is (the destruction distraction of) “cancel culture”. Ain’t having it. Gotta ROCK, Gotta DANCE, Gotta LAUGH. Can’t hug? No problem. We’ve got a friend who is (literally) named Massive Hugs! amidst a cast, crew and story who often sound made up.

So we spend last month inspired by movies, by the live streams unification of Balcony Festival last year and having Music Venue Trust as our actual government since 2014. The force is strong in all of us and we have the very best tunes and pop stars. Yeah, you heard me, STARS. I don’t know the name of every bint in the sky but they still all twinkle. The Music People Party will be a multi dimensional December and we have no idea how it will need to be staged but as a Twitter survivor I know we will try to find a way to share JOY. come with. Don’t Stop.

Music Tourism: “The brilliant thing about a Bugeye tour is that no stage style is too glam to wear while shimmying to their sparkling Top Of The Pops/BBC Later-worth alternative art rock disco punk!” @TheZineUK tweet 29th June. Truth.

Tickets are on sale - NOW! Ready Steady Bang! https://linktr.ee/bugeye - photography by Keira Cullinane (bring your own spaceships)