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Manchester Evening News

Entertainment

Thomas Molloy

Serge shines as a born frontman as Kasabian bring the 'Fire' to AO Arena

Serge Pizzorno AO Arena Manchester

When former Kasabian frontman Tom Meighan left the band by mutual consent in the midst of the first lockdown, the question of who would replace him immediately cropped up. There was no doubt that guitarist and singer Serge Pizzorno had the charisma for the role but there were concerns within the fanbase that his vocals may not quite match up - especially on some of the older tracks.

His more electronic solo project The S.L.P had also been greeted with quite a lukewarm reception upon its release in 2019. Minutes into a blistering 90-minute set at the AO Arena, any such doubts about Serge’s suitability are put to bed.

Starting with ‘Rocket Fuel’ from the band’s most recent album ‘The Alchemist's Euphoria’ is a brave choice but a clever one, with its punchy synths and chanting vocals are getting the crowd pumped, before they come unglued when second song ‘Club Foot’ begins. Serge proves he’s a born frontman and he is clearly having a great time as he jumps around the stage in a very big coat that only a rockstar can pull off.

The 2004 banger that is a staple of every indie disco DJs playlist is followed up with ‘Ill Ray’ and ‘Underdog’ to get the gig off to an extremely strong start. The coat comes off and Serge addresses the crowd: “It’s Friday night in Manchester and we’re all together, here now, let’s sing our f***ing hearts out.” They happily oblige.

A born frontman (Manchester Evening News)

With the seventh album coming out just two months ago, a number of the tracks from The Alchemist's Euphoria’ get a run out, with mixed results. ‘Scriptvre’ and, in particular, ‘Chemicals’ get a very positive reaction from the crowd, but ‘The Ultraview Effect’ brings with it the biggest lull of the night.

There are some nice surprises - debut single ‘Processed Beats’ gets a rare run out, complete with snippets of ‘Cutt Off’ from their eponymous debut album and ‘Waterfall’ by Stone Roses. There’s also a bit of Daft Punk classic ‘One More Time’ during ‘You’re in Love with a Psycho’.

Earlier in the evening, Manchester band Rolla got things underway. The five-piece are clearly inspired by Oasis and have some monster choruses.

They are followed by festival circuit favourite The Lathums, who will no doubt be headlining arenas themselves before very long. The Wigan lads are given 45 minutes to shine and are watched by a sizable crowd. They manage to get thousands singing along to their catchy melodies despite being a support act.

Serge waving some massive hands about (Manchester Evening News)

As is usually the case with Kasabian gigs, the lighting, overall production and staging are superb. There is even a platform built onto the front of the stage that allows Serge to get closer to the fans. During ‘Treat’, he gets out a pair of massive hands and starts waving them about, before jumping up the stage and climbing stairs into the seated area.

The main set is brought to a close with a one-two of ‘‘Empire’ and ‘Vlad The Impaler’, leading Serge to call for mosh pits. Minutes later the band return for a sensational encore consisting of ‘Bless This Acid House’, ‘L.S.F’ and ‘Fire’.

Serge thanked the Manchester crowd and asserted: “The vibe tonight is the best f***ing thing I’ve ever seen.” If anyone in attendance still had doubts about him being a frontman, I don’t think they will anymore.