| FEATURES
Kasabian Kicks Out The Jams |
|
Launching their first full US tour in New York last month, UK radio stallions Kasabian met with Sellout prior to the gig at Irving Plaza opening for The Music. It wasn't the self-described "dirty British rock 'n' roll" band's first time in the Big Apple, however. Six months ago, they headlined their first NYC show at Bowery Ballroom to an unbelievably responsive audience. "It was great, 'cause we were warned that it can be very much of a chin-scratching crowd," says Sergio Pizzorno, the main man behind the music. "But by the third or fourth song, we kind of won people over. So it was a nice, pleasant surprise, because a lot of bands can fall on their ass when it comes to New York." The band, whose music is much more polished than they'll lead you to believe, has had little expectations for this spring's tour, just taking it day by day in a much more relaxed approach to what could be called a viable attempt to conquer the U.S. "It's gonna be nice to go out into America," Pizzorno offers in typical northern British fashion - frequently swearing, and often dropping the ends of his words. "It's going to be nice traveling around. As far as the gigs are concerned, it'll be nice if we're well-received and sell a few albums." And what an album it is. A fury of guitars and vocals and synths and beats, Kasabian's self-titled debut is a defiant fist-shaking to the majority of music coming out right now. Disgusted with mainstream pop, as well as the state of indie rock, Pizzorno succinctly declares, "The innovation's left the building." According to this particular band, who cites classic influences - The Stones, The Beatles and The Who - right alongside modern ones like Blackalicious and DJ Shadow, it's not just the music executives who are to blame for the downfall of popular music. "I just get wound up when a band's doing it for the wrong reasons," says Pizzorno. "It's not about being cool or joining a band for all the strange reasons that people join bands…our whole point of being in a band is it's who we are." But they're not about to let the suits off the hook. "I think the industry's wank," he continues. "There's nothing you can do about it, because they've taken over. But to get your music heard by a lot of people, which is what it's really about, you've got to sort of give in on certain things. Because it's more important that people hear the music." Kasabian's love for the art of music, as well as this sophisticated understanding of how the industry works, enables them to use the established, yet faulty, system without "selling out". The band defends their decision to sign with a major label (RCA, a division of Sony/BMG) because, as they say, "We were very conscious that we were signing to a big label, and we made sure that when we signed the contracts, we signed for full control. We didn't get a lot of money, so they didn't have a lot to lose, and we got the advantage of being able to fucking be paid to make albums. They're only buying the tapes." In fact, Pizzorno asserts that any particular record label is essentially meaningless. "People are always looking on the back of CDs to see what label they're on. To be honest, if that influences you on whether to buy a record or not, then you're a prick." To him, and the band, it's not what label you're on that defines who you are as a band and the music you make. Though obviously outspoken about many things, Kasabian always puts politics in the backseat when it comes to music. "We're not a political band," Pizzorno avows. "[Politicians] don't speak for me or anyone else in this band. It's all too dirty and fucked. It might sound selfish, but you kind of just have to get on in your own little world. You pay the taxes to keep them off your back, and you hang out with your friends, try to sail through life unharmed." And when you begin to see the universe how this band does when they're on tour, that's when you begin to realize how ridiculous politics are in a world where "from Tokyo to New York to London to Paris, the kids are not that different. The people who come to our shows, and even the people you actually get to spend a bit of time talking to, there's not a lot of difference," explains Pizzorno. "We all have the same dreams and hopes and fears. It blows your mind to think what everyone's all freaked out about." For a band that's here to prove their worth to an audience known to be harshly critical, Kasabian shows an unusual level of comfort with who they are and what they're doing. The band view music as a way for them to have fun, and they enjoy sharing it. But they're not about to let their U.S. fans determine what they do. "We've gotten our foundation back home," declares Pizzorno. "If you like us, then thank you, but if you don't, there's plenty of other places we can go and play." March 2005
|