Interview With Kasabian’s Tom Meighan: “On our day, we’re the best band in the fucking world”
By: Thomas Moorcroft
Tags: Tom Meighan, Rock, Interview, Kasabian, Music

In an intimate interview hosted over at OnLocationLive, I was able to listen in on the ever energetic Tom Meighan, of legendary Leicester-based rock band Kasabian. Sporting a tiger print top and a self-induced lockdown haircut, he promised fans that there were few questions he wouldn’t answer.

The interview happened on the expected day of Kasabian’s ‘Victoria Park’ gig, cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. Over the 40 minute interview, which was followed by a private ‘meet-and-greet’ with die-hard fans, he talked about a variety of things such as lockdown listening, his passion for football, and his pet guinea pig Dave.

The conversation was opened with Tom talking about how he’s been coping with lockdown. The universal nature of the virus means we’ve all been affected, from rock-icons such as Tom, to the stressed student writing this article. “I’m good, thank you. I’ve been writing loads of music”, he said. “Trying to stick to the two meters and keeping on with my life. It’s such a strange and awful time for us all. It’s brought us all closer together and we appreciate things a lot more”.

This prompted Meighan to discuss some of the music in which he’s been listening to during lockdown, with such acts as ‘The Beatles’ and ‘The Monkees’ held to high accord: “I’ve been listening to a lot of Vera Lynn. What a beautiful woman and what a wonderful person she was. Performing for the soldiers and stuff. Everything about her, and 103 [years old], bless her heart. I’ve [also] been listening to some Beatles and Eric Clapton stuff. And there’s a great band called Easy Life from Leicester, who are amazing.”

Source: Tom Meighan via YouTube

Kasabian’s history was covered in detail, with Meighan discussing dizzying heights and one rather inspiring low. He mentioned how every time they used to practice, he’d jokingly say “good evening, Glastonbury”. Who knew that, in 2014, they’d be headlining the Pyramid Stage.

“We’re blessed for the gigs that we’ve played. It fills you with a lot of pride, especially in front of the Leicester crowd. Me and Serge sometimes have a tear before we go on stage, as we’re overwhelmed by all the people who put the effort in to see us,” Meighan said.

As soon as I walk on that stage that’s my theatre. That’s my Colosseum. That’s where I feel like a king. There’s something magic about what we do on that stage. Tom Meighan

However, he also talked about an early Kasabian gig, on a rainy night in Stoke, where no-one turned up. “We got our fucking kit nicked, so whoever took it, send it back! Who’s gonna come to a gig at 12 o’clock at night, on a Tuesday, in Stoke?”. The evolution of this band is testament that if you try hard, then dreams really do come true. Meighan said: “I’m a strong believer in fate, not luck. I believe that if you stay on the Yellow Brick Road, you will make it to the Emerald City”

Teasing an upcoming 7th album for the rock foursome, he also discussed recent events in his solo career, with personal music in store.

“It’s a great way for keeping busy, and writing a diary of my life. The only way to express it is through music. It’s a biography. I get a feeling and I write it down”.

Whilst there was some stellar music chat, Tom also laid back and entertained some rather relaxing questions. When asked if he had any pets, he went into detail on the number of obscure creatures he has back home. His two tortoises, for which he says he “can’t remember their names”, happily roam around the back garden, accompanied by “a sphinx cat” and his “guinea pig Dave”.

One of my favourite moments, and one which I haven’t stopped grinning over, was when he answered my own question. Kasabian are a band which I’ve always had a soft spot for, often listening to their hard hitting beats and overdriven tone when I’m needing some extra energy. So, when I decided to prompt Meighan with two scenarios, and ask him which one he’d rather re-live, he was, in his own words, “tongue tied”. The two scenarios in question — headlining the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury and Leicester City winning the Premier League — were such significant moments in the 39 year old front-man’s life. I was desperate to discover which one trumps the other. His response of “I mean, I mean, that’s a sickening question that is”, just goes to show the magnitude of the events.

“[They] mean so much to me. Fucking hell man. I can’t say. Both”

Furthermore, his response of “Who asked that?”, and his statement of “Mr Moorcroft, you’re in a lot of trouble mate”, was class. To have someone I hold in such high esteem banter with me like that was definitely a bucket-list moment.

A huge shout-out to Tom, for getting involved in such an amazing opportunity for fans who, now more than ever, would’ve been craving the Victoria Park experience. It was an amazing opportunity to listen to a man fully devoted to his trade. With exciting music up ahead, in both his solo and Kasabian avenues, you should definitely keep your eyes peeled.

Words by Tom Moorcroft