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Kasabian are an English rock band from Blaby and Countesthorpe, near Leicester, formed by Tom Meighan (vocals), Sergio Pizzorno (guitar and vocals), Chris Edwards (bass) and Chris Karloff (guitar and keyboards), who met while attending Leysland High School and Countesthorpe Community College. The band is named after Linda Kasabian, a member of the Charles Manson cult (aka the Manson "family"). In an interview with Ukula, bassist Chris Edwards explained how the former guitarist Chris Karloff picked the name. Reading up on Charles Manson, the Kasabian name stuck with Karloff. "He just thought the word was cool, it literally took about a minute after the rest of us heard it…so it was decided,” says Edwards.^[1]

The band have been compared with the likes of Primal Scream, with whom they share an electronica-indie rock fusion, The Stone Roses and Oasis, with whom they share confidence, swagger and rough vocal style. ^[2]

Kasabian were a supporting act for Oasis during their 2005 Don't Believe the Truth tour, and have been described as "Music made by the people for the people."

Kasabian's latest album, titled Empire, was released in the UK on August 28, 2006. During its recording, Christopher Karloff, one of the band's chief songwriters, left the band due to musical differences and is pursuing music elsewhere. He contributed his writing skills to three of the songs on Empire including the title track - which was the first single released from the album.

The band recruited once temporary drummer, Ian Matthews, as a permanent member of the band.

The song "Empire", a self-described 'call to arms' and the first single from the album of the same name, reached #9 on the UK charts, based on downloads sales alone, and with only six days airplay. It stayed in the top 10 for 4 weeks. The album seems to focus on the horrors of war, and the problems of waging it. "Shoot the Runner" reached #17 in the British charts. "Me Plus One" is the latest single, which was released on January 29th, 2007.

Discography

Albums

Kasabian (September 13, 2004) RCA Records (UK) / BMG/RCA (US) #4 UK, #94 US
Empire (August 28, 2006) Columbia Records (UK) #1 UK

Live Albums

Live From Brixton Academy (July 4, 2005) Arista Records (UK) / BMG/RCA (US) Download only

Singles

Year	Title	Chart Positions			Album
Year	Title	UK Singles Chart	UK Download Chart	US Modern Rock	Album
2004	"Reason Is Treason"	-	-	-	Kasabian
2004	"Club Foot"	19	-	27	Kasabian
2004	"L.S.F. (Lost Souls Forever)"	10	-	32	Kasabian
2004	"Processed Beats"	17	-	-	Kasabian
2005	"Cutt Off"	8	18	-	Kasabian
2005	"Club Foot (reissue)"	21	36	27	Kasabian
2006	"Empire"	9	8	-	Empire
2006	"Shoot the Runner"	17	29	-	Empire
2007	"Me Plus One"	22	-	-	Empire

Notes

Re-issue of "Club Foot" / "55" featured in a racing video game called "Juiced". As did the Jack Knife Lee remix of "Reason Is Treason" in "Gran Turismo 4".

Compilations

Music from the OC: Mix 5 (2005 · Warner Bros./Wea)

Members

Line-up:

Tom Meighan - Lead vocals
Sergio Pizzorno - Guitar, Synths, Backing vocals & Lead vocals
Christopher Edwards - Bass
Ian Matthews (Joined in 2005) - Drums & Percussion
Jay Mehler (Live replacement for Chris Karloff, formerly of the band Mad Action) - Guitar

Past members

Christopher Karloff - (2003 - July 2006) Lead Guitar, Bass, Synths & Omni Chord.
In July 2006, while recording for the second album Empire songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Christopher Karloff had "artistic and creative differences" and was asked to leave the band, according to the band's website. ^[3]

Trivia

The video for the song "Club Foot" is dedicated to Jan Palach. It is now featured in the popular football (soccer) game Pro Evolution Soccer 5, the racing game Midnight Club 3, the UK version of karaoke game SingStar Rocks and also appears in the video game Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure. "Club Foot" has also appeared in a trailer of the movie Serenity, Goal!, Tony Hawk's Project 8, an episode of Threshold, and episode of the UK soap Hollyoaks and episodes of Smallville and CSI:Miami and the trailer for the fifth season of 24.
The song "L.S.F." featured on the popular football game FIFA 2004 and in the movie Stealth.
The song "Reason is Treason" is on the opening video of the best-selling racing simulator Gran Turismo 4 and in the movie Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (The version of "Reason is Treason" featured is the original mix which can be found seven minutes and seven seconds into the final track, "U-Boat," on Kasabian's self-titled album.) The song was also used in From ___, With Love a snowboarding film from Mack Dawg Productions.
The song "Me Plus One" features on BBC2's Match Of The Day 2, during the Saturday round up, as does "Processed Beats" during the section "2 Good 2 Bad".
The song "Stuntman" is used on Sky Sports live football programmes.
Kasabian recorded the theme tune for ITV's coverage of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, a cover version of the David Bowie song "Heroes". It was given away with the digital download of the single 'Empire'.
Tom Meighan is notably famous for calling The Strokes' lead singer Julian Casablancas a "posh fucking skier", the now defunct London based trio - Test Icicles as "King's Cross rent boys", Pete Doherty as "a fucking tramp" and The Automatic as "horrible" in an NME interview. Kasabian also criticised My Chemical Romance in a October interview by Bizarre in the Sun after being told the quintet were heading for No. 1 in the UK, claiming that they should "get out more" and that their lyrics were depressive and negative to youth as part of the emo phenomenon. Tom Meighan also called Justin Timberlake a "Midget with Whiskers" and a "Puppet in a million dollar suit".
The single Empire was exclusively played on BBC Radio 1's Zane Lowe show in July 2006 and immediately made available for internet download.
They are all big supporters of Leicester City F.C. and their songs are sometimes played before matches at the Walkers Stadium.
The band is hugely supported by weekly morning show, Soccer AM, and have appeared on the show many times. On the episode from 26th August 2006, Serge Pizzorno scored a spectacular goal in the "Road to Wembley II" competition, which was dubbed "the best goal ever" scored on the show by host Helen Chamberlain. ^[4]
Sergio Pizzorno and ex-member Christopher Karloff appear on DJ Shadow's album The Outsider on track 12 The Tiger.
Fans of the band include, Arnold Schwarznegger^[5], Noel Gallagher,William Shatner Mani and Bobby Gillespie from Primal Scream, Michelle Lewis, Fearne Cotton, Brian Wallace, Paul Weller and also Alphabets bassist Stephen Donovan. ^{[citation needed]}
During the recording of "Kasabian" the band lived in a farmhouse, in Normanton, Rutland, so as not to be disturbed. ^{[citation needed]}

References

^ "Kasabian interviewed at Ukula".
^ "Lazy-I Interview". Retrieved 2005-05-26.
^ "Kasabian Official Website". Retrieved 2006-07-17.
^ "YouTube". Retrieved 2006-12-30.
^ "Rolling Stone". Retrieved 2007-01-07.

External links

[1] "Kasabian interviewed at Ukula".

[2] "Lazy-I Interview". Retrieved 2005-05-26.

[3] "Kasabian Official Website". Retrieved 2006-07-17.

[4] "YouTube". Retrieved 2006-12-30.

[5] "Rolling Stone". Retrieved 2007-01-07.

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@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 | Label               = [[Sony BMG Music Entertainment]]<br/>[[RCA Records]]
 | Associated_acts     =
-| URL                 = [http://www.kasabian.co.uk/ Official website]
+| URL                 = [http://www.kasabian.co.uk/home Official website]
 | Current_members     = [[Sergio Pizzorno|Serge Pizzorno]] <br />[[Tom Meighan]] </br>Christopher Edwards <br />[[Ian Matthews]]
 | Past_members        = [[Chris Karloff]]