Only 2 Proper Rock Bands Left After Oasis Split


Serge Pizzorno

Serge Pizzorno




Mercury nominated and Q award winning songwriter for adored Leicister City rockers Kasabian, Serge Pizzorno,  sat down with clickliverpool recently to talk about a year to remember. The band is coming off a highly successful one with a number one award winning album ‘West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum’ and a sold out arena tour ahead of them.

“This is it where it starts man,” Serge exclaims. “This is it where it all kicks off. Playing a stadium tour is just the beginning for us and I don’t want this to be the peak – there’s work to be done!”

Playing to huge crowds is nothing new for the guys as they had joined their mentors, super stars Oasis, on a massive stadium tour as support band .

“I’m not scared at all about playing arenas but it’s a difficult thing – you’ve got to be careful. They’re big buildings so you’ve got to put on a show but also keep the vibe going. I think it gives us more of a chance to do everything bigger – make it a real psychedelic trip. It will be a beautiful show.”

Pizzorno was surprised to hear about the recent crowd trouble at Liverpool’s Echo Arena which saw Morrissey leave the stage after being hit by a plastic pint glass. Accustomed to their own beer drenched audiences he had this to say about the incident:

“I know how he feels man. I needed six stitches in my forehead after being hit with a bottle up in Glasgow. I wanted to get back out there but there was a doctor there who said I really shouldn’t.”

“Personally I’d always want the show to go on but I’m not gonna tell Morrissey what to do – he’s a 50 year old bloke and didn’t he have a heart attack recently?” (Serge is referring to when Morrissey actually collapsed due to ‘breathing difficulties’ on stage a few weeks ago)

“We have shows that are pure chaos but what I don’t understand is why you’d queue up for 3 hours to get a pint and then throw it? Why not just drink it?”

He also swiftly kills the rumours that their gig at the Echo Arena might even be ‘dry’ by adding : “I’m not having that – it’s wrong to ban drinking at a gig. I think there’d be more trouble caused by banning beer to be honest.”

Both the NME and tabloid the Sun recently proclaimed Kasabian the biggest band in the UK now that Oasis are no more. But are they merely lad rock staples stepping into the gap left behind?

It’s a problem that Serge seems sensitive to as he counters:“We’re certainly not pub rock or just a lads’ band. You could play Status Quo stuff by us and it would blow their minds. Anyone with any nous could see the shows and realise there’s more to it than that.”

“We never actually said we were the biggest band in the UK but what we did say is that now with Oasis splitting up, there aren’t many proper rock n roll bands left. Can you name one?”

Serge answers this one for us : “There are only us and the Arctic Monkeys. All the rest of them have released shit albums or didn’t care enough in the first place.”

Music fan Pizzorno has even less good things to say about current music shows such as the X Factor and its currnent stars of the moment, the Jedward twins:

“It goes over my head to be honest – I’ve no interest whatever. It’s for kids and I know my sister’s kids swear by it so why should I have an opinion? When they get older I’ll play them some Hendrix or some Amon Duul – that’s my job!”

Kasabian are set to headline at the Liverpool Echo Arena on Mon 16th Nov.


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One Response

  1. Craig 6 December, 2009