Concert: Kasabian

Indeed - the eagle-eyed amongst you will have noticed that Kasabian is not what I had predicted going to, last night. Well, y'know, that's what happens when I haven't booked! So there I was, literally on Sunday night, looking at what was on yesterday. And Kasabian kept coming up. Honestly, I've never paid them any mind, so I had a look on YouTube to see what sort of stuff they do. And I really liked it.. thought to myself, "I can get into this!"

Well, they're playing the O2 Academy in Brixton till Friday. Completely sold out. Mind you, that rarely means you can't get a ticket. Still, it wasn't easy - Viagogo had tickets, standing only, and SeatWave was the only outlet for seated tickets. And I'm decrepit, so SeatWave it was. Now, they had two types of delivery options - collection, or download. The collection tickets were 10p cheaper. However, the service fee for those was about £5 more, plus you have the added inconvenience and expense of heading to their office in Moorgate. So, download it was. Not cheap, with a non-negotiable £10.99 booking fee on top of a £4.95 service fee, plus the markup the original purchaser requests. Hey-ho. It's ages since I've been to a big, rock gig, and I was dying to go. So I did.

The link to the downloadable ticket was emailed to me yesterday morning, and I was set. Helen assured me - and Google Maps agreed - that the venue was a short and easy walk from Brixton Tube Station. I could also see, from Google Maps Streetview, that there was a Nando's across the road, so that was my plan for eating.

The hard sell started before I'd left the Tube station - "Anyone buying or selling a ticket?" and similar. Touts all over the place. It's only a short walk - turn right from the station, pass under two bridges, and it's the third left, visible from the main road, just down Stockwell Road. Crowds everywhere. The doors weren't open yet, and the queue stretched down the lane beside the theatre. So I went in search of food, knowing I was in the less popular, seated, circle, and shouldn't need to queue. Nando's was, indeed, just across the road, and I crossed - only to find another massive queue, just inside the door. I joined it, and was duly ignored by the guy with the clipboard, who went straight to the group who'd come in behind me, and asked them whether their name was on the list. "No? It'll be a 15-20 minute wait." I left, figuring there must be other options.

I returned to the main road, and saw a fast-food chicken place - Roosters Spot - just to my left. So I went there instead, and had a 1/2 grilled chicken meal, which was served to me, and I had taken my seat and started eating, in the time I'd have been waiting for a table in Nando's. And it was very tasty - pretty close to what I'd have had in Nando's, and at a fraction of the price. Frankly, I'd choose that in future..

Fed, I headed for the theatre, which was open by now. I didn't have to queue by this stage. Ladies were directed to the left for a bag search, gents to the right for a body search. Inside, I glanced at the merchandise, but I'm not a Kasabian fan, and didn't fancy paying for a t-shirt. And indeed paying extra, because I hadn't enough cash and would have had to use a card, which incurs a fee. Knowing I was seated in the circle, I headed up the sweeping stairs that skirt the lobby. I checked out the bars, but they only seemed to have beer, which I don't drink - so I passed. My ticket was checked, and I was in. At least nobody checked the name on it - I doubt I'd pass for a "Karl"!

It was open seating, so I just picked a free seat that looked in an ok position - about central, not too far up so not many steps to navigate. Very comfy seats, I might add. I had a look around - very curious decor, although it was tricky to see the details in the dim lighting. Seems that the decor along the walls is modelled to represent clustered buildings, with trees reaching to the ceiling! It'd be great to see it in proper lighting, but I guess I never shall. Still, it presented an eerily curious backdrop to the show.

Ah yes, the show. What can I say? It's literally years since I've been at a gig like this - does the soul good. Feels weird to go to one in winter though - I generally associate them with summer music festivals, and it's hard to know what to wear in winter, not to be too hot. Support was ably provided by The Maccabees, whom I'm not familiar with either (mea culpa!). Then we were presented with a countdown clock, displayed on the screen at the back of the stage. I love this device, think it really adds to the tension. Mind you, numbers seemed to be a feature of Kasabian's performance - the main drum bears the legend "48:13", which is apparently the name of their new album. (Again, what can I say - I'm just not familiar with them!) And one song had a series of countdowns, displayed on that screen again.

From the moment that Kasabian came onstage, sitting was not an option. They blasted their way through a blistering set, filling the space with thundering sound and the most spectacular light show I've seen (some pictures here, although my phone camera mostly couldn't cope with the lights on stage). Sadly, of course, I mainly wasn't familiar with the material, although I did recognise some. But I couldn't name any of them, apart from those whose names were displayed on the screen behind. Fuller, more informed, review here. My, there are a lot of them on stage though - although for much of the show, the four lasses in skeleton outfits that comprised the string section were somewhat redundant, as you couldn't hear them over the cacophony around them. But it was a cool show. Not on a par with U2, of course, but good training for their upcoming tour!

What was also extremely cool was the way the crowd started singing the chorus of the last song as we wound our way out. I really miss that from U2 shows - they ended it years ago, by blasting recorded music at the crowd on their way out, so they wouldn't be tempted to have a sing-song and the neighbours wouldn't get annoyed. It lends a real air of cameraderie. And when we were crushed at the entrance barriers to the station, they started up again. The jolly crowd packed its way onto a train, but so many were keen to cram on that the doors wouldn't close. After several attempts, an exasperated driver appealed to passengers, saying, "You all want to go somewhere, right? So PLEASE let go of the doors so the train can leave!" (Or something like that - my hearing wasn't the best at that point. The middle-aged couple beside me, whom I'd also seen at the concert, had sensibly brought earplugs.)

The train I later changed onto was much more sedate. Ah yes, a great night - and as the lead singer remarked at the end, "Same time tomorrow night, eh?" Imagine, they're there till Friday! Highly recommended. And then I was too late to go online, and only got round to finishing this now.

Music is definitely the theme of this week. Tonight, I'm off to another concert. Thankfully for my still-buzzing ears, this one's acoustic - Nina Nesbitt, at Union Chapel. It was selling out, so I booked. I haven't been before, but I hear good things. An easy walk from Highbury & Islington station, it looks like - seems you can see the chapel spire once you round the corner to the right. They only sell through agencies - I got my ticket through SeeTickets. At least the fees are much less than with SeatWave!

Tomorrow, I've booked for a Christmas carol concert in aid of Hope & Homes for Children - my ticket arrived by post while I was in Ireland last weekend. It's in St Mary Abbot's Church, and I can walk from work - get something to eat locally beforehand. On Thursday, I'm off to the opera again - L' Elisir d' Amore, in the Royal Opera House. Last time I saw this was in the back room of a pub, but I'm sure this performance will be as much fun! Then I'm back to Ireland again for the weekend - and on Saturday, there's yet another concert, candlelit, in a local church: a fundraiser. Oh, and on Monday, I'm off to the Cirque Berserk at Winter Wonderland again.. also a chance to do some Christmas shopping. Phew!