Glasto Interviews: Kasabian

United Kingdom | by Ross Purdie | 25 June 2004

Virtual Festivals: You've just got the opening set of the festival under your belt. What now for the weekend?
Tom: We're going for a little lie down now, I think. It's a big, old, hot day and one where you've got to pace yourself. We're definitely staying for the whole weekend but will possibly leave Sunday, depending how monged we get. Glastonbury is brilliant, the best part of being in a band. But we're just doing what we've been doing since we were 16 really, just on the ultimate stage. It's by far the best gig we've ever done and such a buzz.

VF: Your slot was the same one The Darkness played this time last year. After their success since then, has it put you under any pressure?
Serge: No, if you're a good band it doesn't really matter when you play. We perform every gig like we're headlining, and we played alright as well, I reckon. The crowd were really cool and welcoming to us. We weren't expecting so many people to be up and about really.

VF: We hear you're both Glastonbury virgins. What does it mean to you to be playing here on your first visit?
Tom: This gig was really important to us because yes, we are Glastonbury virgins. We've done V and Reading but this is the best one we've been to, I can tell that even already. Everyone just vibes with eachother, so to be playing and truly become a part of it all is amazing. It's what we're all about. Glastonbury is a huge part of the British music scene. It's got a magic, a mystique - it's almost telepathic. For one weekend everyone seems to tune into eachother. That's a very special thing.

VF: Who are you looking forward to seeing?
Serge: Paul McCartney, Oasis, Scissor Sisters - we're influenced by them all.
Tom: Yeh, them and LSD!

VF: Yes, we noticed you dedicated your upcoming single, LSF, to "the mushroom-heads".
Tom: Well 'shrooms are on the come-back aren't they. They're everywhere, especially here. But it's like you can buy them on the high street now.
Serge: It's like popping into Miss Selfridge to get them these days. 

VF: A lot of people slag off your home town Leicester. Do you think you've perhaps lifted it's profile?
Tom: Someone once said that we are the best thing to come out of Leicester since Englebert Humperdinck and we're happy with that. We have marked our territory and want to put Leicester back on the map.

VF: So what now for Kasabian?
Serge: We've got an album coming out in September and then we're going to tour. It's what we love. Our music needs to be played live, it's part of us. We want to show people how it's done. 
Tom: Yeh, music needs a kick up the arse at the moment. It needs to be slammed in a microwave and put on 20. It's crazy, all these bands who are famous but can't play. We were lucky - we were all born with talent. 

VF: OK, you can go and lie down now.
Tom: Well, maybe not just yet. We haven't had any substances yet. We got here this morning, played, and now we just want to wade about and take it all in. We'll chill later, keeping to our motto which is simply to 'stay alive'.