I don't know whether it's the great big pillars blocking everyone's view, the bizarre bar-queuing system, the epic journey required to reach the toilets or just the rubbish sound but the Refectory has never been a favourite venue of mine. I was therefore a little worried I might not enjoy tonight's gig as much as I should.
The evening got off to a disappointing start when word went round the venue that The View had pulled out of their support slot at the last minute. Their replacements The Enemy weren't great - though given the short notice it must have been difficult to find a quality act to step in. The singer's attempts at portraying Liam Gallagher-style attitude failed to wash and their set could only be described as bland.
Anyway, regardless of the first act's performance and my reservations about the setting, there was a buzz about the place as we awaited the arrival of the main act. They eventually took to the stage to rapturous applause and kicked off with instrumental 'Brown Acid'. This was quickly followed by the awesome 'Shoot The Runner', which was the cue for the room to go crazy. By the time 'Reason Is Treason' was in full flow it was clear this was going to be a top night.
Anthemic dance track 'Sun Rise Light Flies' and forthcoming single 'Me Plus One' sounded excellent in a live environment, as did old favourite 'Cutt-Off'.
The strobe lighting suited Kasabian's electronic beats perfectly and the band were in fine form. The set, which featured just about every song from the new album, went down a storm and the band really seemed to be enjoying playing to a smallish crowd prior to their full UK arena tour. Their Oasis-like ability to turn a room into music's equivalent of a football terrace made for an electric atmosphere which remained even after the group had left the stage.
'The Doberman' and 'Empire' were highlights, although the biggest cheers of the evening inevitably came for the band's two debut album classics: the euphoric 'Club Foot' and set-closer 'LSF'.
This may well be the last time we see Kasabian in Leeds until we finally get a stadium big enough to do them justice, but they left us with a performance to remember.
Gig Date: Sunday, 10th December 2006 | 1,101 page views.
