Kasabian biography

Possibly the most famous thing to come out of Leicester, England since Walkers Crisps (or Gary Lineker for the football fans among you) Kasabian have become an extremely welcome addition to Britain’s fine history of experimental rock bands.

Named after Charles Manson’s getaway driver turned state witness (as you do) Linda Kasabian, lead singer Tom Meighan has proclaimed to the press (who quickly adopted him as their darling) that he entered music because he found so much of it uninspiring. His influences fuse Madchester – to wit, the Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, Primal Scream – with Manchester’s more traditional Charlatans and Oasis. At the heart of everything appears to be a nod towards California too as DJ Shadow’s electronic twiddlings became aped by these Midlanders.

2004 was the band’s breakthrough year. A succession of singles such as ‘Club Foot’, ‘L.S.F’ and ‘Processed Beats’ came out, not just to widespread acclaim but incorporated with fascinating cover artwork, fold out poster sleeves and – gasp – hand-stenciled covers. Their eponymous debut album, meanwhile, hit the UK Top Five. You can’t help but feel that a band named Linda would have made music of an entirely different kind.