"You're burying Reading already. The fuckin' North eh?"
Kasabian destroyed Leeds Festival tonight with an all-conquering performance that proved exactly why they were invited back for a second stab at the top spot.
From the moment they open with ‘Ill Ray (The King)’, they’re relentless in ensuring that they never lose the attention of the crowd, and it’s duly repaid with a reaction that is, by their own admission, better than the one they received at Reading.
“I tell you something! You’re burying Reading already. The fuckin’ North eh?”, Tom Meighan screams at the Leeds faithful early on.
It’s also a performance that proves that their new songs are as stadium-ready as ever, with ‘You’re In Love With A Psycho’ receiving a deafening reception from the crowd as it’s sung back at the band.
Later on, Kasabian find time to indulge their love of the surreal, with ‘Treat’ seeing guitarist Serge Pizzorno busting his best moves as he briefly takes over frontman duties from Meighan, his feet flitting between lasers.
One of the more intimate moments comes late on, with a cover of Nirvana’s ‘All Apologies’ that reduces the crowd to the briefest of silences.
It doesn’t last long though, with the cover immediately followed by a rendition of L.S.F which receives one of the biggest reactions of the night as countless fans clamber onto the shoulders of the person standing next to them
Serge was on top form during Kasabian’s Leeds performance
And as their 90 minute set draws to a close, it’s ‘Fire’ that appropriately ignites a handful of flares and brings a set of complete triumph to an end.
“You have been outstanding, thank you Leeds”, Meighan tells the crowd.
It’s a huge occasion – and you wouldn’t bet against it happening again by the time their next album rolls around.
The post Kasabian destroy Leeds Festival with all-conquering headline set appeared first on NME.