Kasabian

Kasabian talk Stones, aliens and microwave cuisine ahead of their big return to gigging...

Is it nice to just do the occasional big show instead of touring endlessly?

Serge: It is. You really cherish the gigs when they happen.

Tom: We stopped touring last f*cking November. We had been on the road for 18 months and it gets quite repetitive. We needed a break, but when you’re away for a bit you want to go back.

How’s the new album going?

T: It’s good. We’ll be recording something in the studio by July or August.

Guitarist Jay Mehler left you to join Beady Eye. Liam told ShortList that it was “like Van Persie going to Manchester United”. Agree?

T: Yeah, I can’t top that quote [laughs]. That’s f*cking amazing. The thing with Jay is, we haven’t got a lot on this year and we’re not on the road very much, whereas Beady Eye are going out touring. I know all of them and I’m close to Liam, so fair play to Jay, and I wish him all the best.

The Rolling Stones faced criticism for the price of tickets to their shows. Were they charging too much?

T: Don’t you think they make enough money anyway? If you want to burgle people, then do it, because right now, in a recession, people can’t f*cking afford it [laughs]. I’m not saying anything bad about the Rolling Stones – don’t get me wrong. People are mugs and will pay [high prices], so it’s nothing to do with me.

Do you see yourselves ‘doing a Stones’ and continuing to tour well into your sixties?

S: I don’t know about that. I can’t see past an hour, never mind 50 years.

T: I don’t think I can do the ‘Mick Jagger’ phase. My body can only take so much. I still want to be singing, but if I make it to Mick’s age then it’s a f*cking godsend.

Serge, is it true your son only sleeps to Kasabian tunes?

S: It’s what calms him down. He’s three in August – he’ll be producing music by the age of five. But I have to censor some of the lyrics for him.

What do you wear when you’re at home?

S: I might do a leopard-skin trackie. I’d wear that down to the Co-op, without a doubt [laughs].

T: I don’t wear anything.

Nice. We hear you take a microwave with you on tour. Your favourite microwave meal?

T: Uncle Ben’s chicken flavoured rice.

S: I hate microwave food.

Why bring the microwave?

S: We play big festivals in places like Poland and Ukraine. So, you can either go for meat you’re not sure of, or a Heinz chicken soup.

How has your rider changed over the years?

T: What’s on my rider at the moment? A good night’s sleep. It’s changed a lot. I’m not 22 any more; I’m f*cking 32. We all grow old, we all die.

Bleak. What perks you up? Star Wars, maybe?

T: I like Star Wars, but people think I’m a fanatic and I’m not. I’m fanatical about ET, not Star Wars. I don’t sit there and do the A-Z on the f*cking website.

How many times have you seen ET?

T: In the past year I’ve watched it about 20 times. Normally I’ll watch it with our security guy Marty at about 2am while we’re drinking champagne and doing other things… [laughs].

Kasabian headline Hard Rock Calling at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on 29 June; hardrockcalling.co.uk

Image: Rex