You're not the law

Isn't it strange...

...when the opening act excites you so much, you don’t even wanna bother about the main band? It happened before and it will happen again, oh yes. This time I am referring to The Dead 60s opening for Kasabian back in 2004 (Birmingham Carling Academy, December) when they blew me away...far away (tomorrow I will refer to something heavier and more recent), so this short piece is dedicated to this band from Liverpool.

I was really looking forward to see Kasabian performing their first album which I was listening to non-stop since its release that year. I arrived at the Academy without a ticket but we all know what you can get in the black market outside venues...and I was really lucky as I paid only a 10er extra. Time passes, lights briefly go down and the Scousers are hitting the stage with “Riot on the Radio”. Nobody knew The Dead 60s in Birmingham back then but that upbeat ska/punk/rock reggae mix they were playing was really catchy for the difficult Brum crowd (I remember all the bottles thrown at another opening act for NIN in the same year). We all loved them (!) and jumped around during all songs of their set. I ended up not having any energy left for Kasabian...Jokiiiiiiing! There’s always something left for the great Kasabian. Favourite moment of the night: “You’re not the law” with its groovy rhythm and hypnotic Hammond riff...Top notch!

Following the gig, I got the album and thought it was really amazing, reliving the amazing concert I experienced every time I listened to it – the album produces almost the same energy as the band showed during their live show. Second album in 2007 though and...Disappointment (Kasabian on the other hand went massive). No upbeat rhythm, no imagination, singer sounds like he’s bored to death...”disaster” in one word. But then again, some people like it so...what can I do? I’m “not the law”, right?

PS. The band called it off a year later...was I right when I felt they sounded bored on their 2^nd and last album?