Sun 14 11 2004 20:17:24 PM
Artist Interviewed:: KASABIAN
I’m sitting in a mangy tour-bus with Karloff from Kasabian, guerilla
rock group rising in fame from their top 20 hit, Club Foot and support
from XFM. Whatever. What I am struck by is how the guys are into easy
reads in a big way, with at least three television magazines scattered
about the bus, as well as the Sun, and some Mr. Men books. Maybe I
need my priorities straightening out. Maybe this wasn’t what I was
expecting from young, anarchistic guerilla rockers. Where’s Young
Socialist? These are boys described by NME as `Edgy, euphoric and
electrifying.’
Kasabian came to fame in May when their song Club Foot became a
surprise top 20 hit, and more success followed when their album was
released in September. Kasabian had a top summer, playing at
Glastonbury and Summer Sonny in Japan, and are invading Great Britain.
Twenty minutes ago Kasabian were playing in their home town, Leister
at the Summer Sundae event to a large, openly enthusiastic audience,
not to mention a few besotted female fans. But while the other members
of the band are enjoying a beer in the sunshine, Chris Karloff has
kindly agreed to give me a few minutes for questions before they all
head-out to perform at Reading.
First of all, I ask Karloff about the unusual name for the group. The
group’s name was actually taken from Linda Kasabian, the star witness
who put Charles Manson in jail, but as Karloff tells me, it also has
“the significant meaning of `butcher’ in Armenian.” Their website,
which suits their music, is built out of a self-confessed `obsession
with guerilla shit’.
So how was the set?
My electrics blew up in stage in the first stage ‘cos my synth blew
up… But it’s good to come back at home. Generally it’s better to
play later, which would have been better. But it was good fun, I saw
people really getting into it.
Do you have a favourite track?
I love all of them, I do like Club Foot, because I like playing the
bass. I do also like Reason is Treason. It’s cool and good exercise
for my wrist.
Who’s the most famous person you’ve met ?
It would have to be Roger Daltry and Pete Townsend. It was unreal, we
were going to walk off and Roger Daltry carried on speaking to us. You
know – normal bloke after everything he’s done. And he’s done a lot.
Who’ve you been influenced by musically?
Everything from Jimi Hendrix to the Beatles to the Stones to Bob Dylan
– to name the obvious ones, to Pink Floyd pretty things, to film
scores: John Williams, Bernard Herman… loads and loads of stuff.
How do you come up with the music?
Me and Serge mainly. We just sit around on the computer and get
something down, a loop, a riff, whatever and add things on from
there. It’s just like a snowball.
So what’s with all the T.V. magazines?
We really like T.V.! Don’t get a chance to watch much of it though.
Final Life message:
Don’t be a miserable bastard, anybody do what you got to do, don’t
bottle it in. Cos you will regret it
And don’t listen to other people unless you know you can value their
opinions.
May the power of revolution stay with you, Kasabian.