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Hundreds of lucky Kasabian fans who managed to get tickets for the band’s sold-out home-town shows descended on De Montfort Hall last night for the first night of a “three-day party” in Leicester.
The local heroes are playing three gigs in the city to kick off their 20-date UK headline tour.

For loyal fans, it is a welcome return for the band – Tom Meighan, Serge Pizzorno, Chris Edwards and Ian Matthews – whose last Leicester gig was a secret show at Athena almost two years ago.
Around 6,000 people will get to see Kasabian at the gigs, which are promoting their upcoming third album West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum.

Fans last night said they were one of the best acts about.
Claire Gray, 22, from Hinckley, who went to the gig with Arron Smith, 33, said: “It is so good because it is their homecoming gig. I have seen them lots of times before, in Amsterdam and at the V-Festival. Their music is top notch.”
Arron added: They’re one of my favourite bands. Their music is so cool, it’s just my type of music. They’re a top band.”

Giovanni Corbo, 28, from Knighton, and friend James Gray, 28, from Whitwick, said: “I have followed them from when the first album came out.
“We’ve been to lots of festivals but never managed to catch them, so it is great to come and see them play at home.”
Support act and close friend of Kasabian Jersey Budd said prior to going on stage: “It is an honour and a privilege to be asked to play with the guys at De Montfort Hall”.
Singer Tom told the Mercury: “To start off the tour in Leicester is amazing.”
Kasabian are also due to play at De Montfort Hall tonight and tomorrow.

Source//This is Leicestershire

Kasabian launched their new album ‘West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum’ last night, with an intimate secret fan show at the London Forum.

The venue was re-branded as the ‘West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum’ in honour of the band’s forthcoming new album (review HERE), with each audience member given a medical-style wristband bearing the logo ‘Day Patient’.
The band have recently cited the LP’s more psychedelic direction came from a huge range of influences, from The Wizard Of Oz to hip hop and Syd Barrett, among others.
New tracks such as ‘Underdog’ and forthcoming single ‘Fire’ saw the band joined by a trio of female singers as fans went berserk, with drummer Ian Matthews’ gong at one point also colliding with singer Tom Meighan’s head on stage.
Kasabian are now set to embark on a massive UK tour which will also see them play Glastonbury and support Oasis on their massive stadium gigs over the summer. Their third album is release on 8th June.

Source//Clash Music

Kasabian helped to bring the final day of the 2009 Great Escape Festival to a close in Brighton (May 16).
Headlining the Club NME event to a packed crowd – some of whom had queued all day to get in – at the Dome Theatre, the Leicester band played a storming set that mixed crowd favourites with a series of new songs.

Among these was ‘Where Did All The Love Go?’, taken from their forthcoming third album ‘West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum’ (out June 8).
Opening with new track – and former free download – ‘Vlad The Impaler’, the band immediately had the crowd on their toes, creating a rave-like atmosphere that lasted for the entire show.
The band then dipped into the likes of ‘Shoot The Runner’ and ‘Cutt Off’ from their first two albums to keep the sweaty audience dancing.

With frontman Tom Meighan praising the crowd’s enthusiasm, the band then launched into new single ‘Fire’, its schizophrenic verse and chorus sending the venue wild.
Following first album track ‘ID’, Kasabian played ‘West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum’ opening number ‘Underdog’ plus former limited edition single ‘Fast Fuse’.
“You know what, you’re a gold medal,” Meighan told the crowd. “You’re fucking gold!”
Closing the set with ‘The Doberman’ the band returned for a euphoric encore, kicking off with ‘Club Foot’.
Including a few bars from The Source And Candi Staton’s ‘You Got The Love’, the band then wrapped the set up by getting the whole venue to loudly sing along to customary closer ‘LSF’, with many fans still chanting well after the group left the stage.

Kasabian played:
‘Vlad The Impaler’
‘Shoot The Runner’
‘Reason Is Treason’
‘Cutt Off’
‘Fire’
‘Processed Beats’
‘Sun/Rise/Light/Flies’
‘Where Did All The Love Go?’
‘Me Plus One’
‘ID’
‘Underdog’
‘Empire’
‘Fast Fuse’
‘The Doberman’
‘Club Foot’
‘Stuntman’
‘You Got The Love’
‘LSF’

Source//NME