Kasabian channel the spirit of rock even without a beer
Kasabian
Eden Sessions
Review by Lee Trewhela
DESPITE 2009's first Session being an arms-in-the-air, all-out rock 'n' rolling delight, it will probably be remembered as the "beer queue" concert.
It would be glib to accuse Eden of being unable to organise a piss-up in a biome, but for the first couple of hours that's exactly how it felt.
The queues for two al fresco bars and one inside, were frighteningly long, taking many people not minutes but hours to be served.
There was genuine dissent in the air – as everyone knows you can't truly enjoy a gig without a bit of booze on board. Sorry, designated drivers...
I've received lots of missives from unhappy punters. Doug Griffiths, of Newquay, reflected the general view: "The Eden beer tents were a bloody disgrace! Two hours in a queue for a beer is not funny. Two tiny beer tents for a capacity crowd is a complete joke, everyone was complaining and how there wasn't a riot I'll never know. Totally ruined my evening."
Peter Hampel, Creative Director of the Eden Project, responded to the criticism: "We are really sorry that people had to queue for far too long for drinks at the Kasabian Session on Saturday night. We pride ourselves on getting all aspects of the Sessions experience right and this time we let you and ourselves down.
"Lessons have been learned and we are doing everything we can to get the bar set-up right in time for Thursday's Razorlight Session, Friday's with Paul Weller, Oasis (July 14) and The Kooks (July 18).
"Sincere apologies once again – we hope that it didn't spoil people's experience of what turned out to be a fantastic show."
So on to that fantastic show – after a support slot by indie warhorses The Hours, which saw many people unfairly lumping them in with the likes of Keane and Coldplay and which I missed on the search for cider, Kasabian took to the stage like all-conquering heroes.
The band are on a roll after a delirious Glastonbury slot, tickets selling out for Wembley Arena shows and the fact that West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum will be one of the standout albums of the year even if no one can remember its convoluted title.
Now with rock-god long hair and a swagger nicked off his mate Liam Gallagher, Tom Meighan has developed into the consummate frontman, channelling the hedonist wiggle of Mick Jagger and Bobby Gillespie.
Meighan is what sets the band apart – despite the musical firepower of guitarist/singer Sergio Pizzorno and, erm, the other two, there isn't a lot of charisma there.
Knowing how to play an audience, Meighan had a pulsating 6,000 sell-out crowd in the palm of his Leicestershire hand.
They may not be wholly original – the dance moves of the Happy Mondays forged on to the more rockist aspects of the Stone Roses/Oasis – but they do it so well.
At times it felt like a greatest hits show – Empire, Shoot the Runner, Cutt Off, Club Foot, Processed Beats were all massive.
It's the new songs that are becoming the high points though – Fast Fuse is a mad, manic mix of that other Sergio, Leone's spaghetti western twang, and Syd-era Floyd, while the gospel roll of Fire is as perfect a soundtrack to the Eden experience as it's possible to get.
The now de rigeur crowd sing-along during rave-tinged closer LSF lasted a good 20 minutes after the band had left the stage – spine-tingling.
One question though, Kasabian fans – if it's taken you two hours to get a beer why then throw it over the audience?
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7 Comments
by Denzil, Cornwall
Friday, July 10 2009, 8:47AM
“I'd love to go and see Oasis next week, shame I cannot afford the absolute rip off prices being charged by the touts on ebay.”
by Grace, Truro
Wednesday, July 08 2009, 12:00PM
“Kasabian was my first experience of an Eden sessions & the parking & direction was spot on, the stage looked fab & the sound was superb. Yes the queues for drinks were awaful. Took me 45mins for 2beers & bottle of water but it was expalined (however not early enough) that the band themselves had requested no bottles to be served as at thier previous gig people kept throwing them at the band! so they had to pull all the bottled stock last minute so all you idiots who thought it was great to throw drinks did it to yourselves! the concert was good, ive got tickets for Weller & lucky enough for Oasis. What ruins it is the vast amount of 'tryhard' festival wannabes who were treating it like a mini Glastonbury! The image, the fowl language, throwing drinks oh & must no forget the vast amount of people (all guys 18-30) urinating in the bushes. But these aren't any bushes its the damn Eden Project! the only thing of its kind in the world & people treated it like a dumping ground, it was heartbreaking to see it in such a state esp with grown ups thinking it was great fun to run through the plants. Everything was right except 90% of the people who went. Their rubbish attitude bewilders me as its £40per ticket. I just hope that the next two gigs have more serious fans & not pathetic tryhards..........you know who you are, get a life & stop ruining it for others!”
by Mark, Camborne
Wednesday, July 08 2009, 11:02AM
“The beer tent situation was rubbish, whilst Kasabian's performance was good it was marred by poor sound and the fact that morons were chucking beer around. I get hit square in the face by a full pint - left with a black eye and covered in beer. Why Eden's security goons didn't do anything about the idiots I have no idea. I won't be going back - and I normally love the Eden Sessions.”
by Dooby, Cornwall
Wednesday, July 08 2009, 9:40AM
“They'd better get their act together for Oasis! Mind you, £3.50 a pint is fairly standard for a gig this year, and it can't be stewarded any worse than the Sunderland gig in June.”
by robert clarke, herefordshire
Tuesday, July 07 2009, 2:40PM
“i drove 4.5hrs on sat to be the gig then had to queue for 2hrs to get a pint disgracefull as i missed all of the support slot which by the way sounded pretty good from the queue. i was there last yr when the verve played and if i can remember queued for no more than 15 mins, the gigwas amazing but just ruined by the queueing would probably think twice about going to another eden session”
by Bob, Cornwall
Tuesday, July 07 2009, 12:31PM
“The Eden venue is fantastic in terms of a visual and audio experience. The crowd numbers are just right, big enough to get a great atmosphere but small enough to still be able to see the stage. Management of parking etc was excellent and got out of Eden very quickly indeed. But I had to wait just over an hour for a drink which started to make me a bit tetchy on a night that was supposed to be nothing but good times. Also, I do think that £3.50 a pint is slightly too much - it was £3 a pint last year and I thought that was bang on the money, the extra 50p this year makes it feel overprcied.
Basically Eden, drop your price back to £3 a pint, ensure I can get a beer within a 15 minute wait and you'll have the best venue ever”
by Andrew Dear, Bournemouth
Tuesday, July 07 2009, 12:04PM
“Travelled down on Saturday, pitched tent at Gorran (usual summer holiday haunt) and after a pasty at Meva headed to Eden. Drink not an issue as i was driving and my 13 yr old son doesnt drink (Yet...). The Hours were excellent, but Kasabian were superb. Got quite near the front and bounced the night away. High points were Sun Rise and Fire.
I do agree with the point about chucking beer though. What is the point? Beer at Festys is overpriced anyway, so why buy it and then throw it over people who dont want to get covered in it? Morons, i'm afraid.
Anyway, excellent shuttle service to the car park, and back in my tent by 11.45.
The best of the four Eden sessions i have seen so far.”