Live Review
Kasabian
O2 Newcastle City Hall 21st July 2025
Photos and Review: David Weddle @dweddlephotography
Kasabian’s return to Newcastle made a pretty standard Monday up until that point feel anything but routine. After seeing them twice in the past, I wasn’t sure what to expect this time around,it was my first without Tom leading the charge. But any hesitation faded the moment the lights dropped. The show was one of two intimate warm up gigs for the Kasabian so as you can imagine, the place was packed. What followed was a masterclass in energy, swagger and showmanship, delivered by a band that has found a new kind of fire.
Before we get in to that, The Royston Club opened the night with a set that landed harder than I expected. The Wrexham based indie rockers didn’t just fill the stage, they owned it. Far from being background noise, they drew vocal support from the crowd, with chants of “Royston! Royston!” echoing between songs. Their punchy, guitar-driven anthems hit home, and the atmosphere was already electric by the time their guitarist snapped a string during the final track, ending on a perfect burst of chaos. Nice one!
Before we get in to that, The Royston Club opened the night with a set that landed harder than I expected. The Wrexham based indie rockers didn’t just fill the stage, they owned it. Far from being background noise, they drew vocal support from the crowd, with chants of “Royston! Royston!” echoing between songs. Their punchy, guitar-driven anthems hit home, and the atmosphere was already electric by the time their guitarist snapped a string during the final track, ending on a perfect burst of chaos. Nice one!
Then came Kasabian.
Kicking off with Call, they wasted no time turning the already very hot venue into a sweatbox. Club Foot and Ill Ray (The King) followed, each one hitting like a just as hard as they ever have. Sergio, now firmly installed as frontman, hasn't just stepped into the role, he has exploded into it. He prowled, danced, jumped around and grinned his way across the stage, even taking time to get down to the barrier getting nearer to the very excited fans in the front row.
Kicking off with Call, they wasted no time turning the already very hot venue into a sweatbox. Club Foot and Ill Ray (The King) followed, each one hitting like a just as hard as they ever have. Sergio, now firmly installed as frontman, hasn't just stepped into the role, he has exploded into it. He prowled, danced, jumped around and grinned his way across the stage, even taking time to get down to the barrier getting nearer to the very excited fans in the front row.
The crowd were just as pumped for the show as the band were. People on shoulders, arms in the air, constant motion. At one point a circle pit broke out in the stalls, not something you expect at a City Hall show, but it made perfect sense in that moment. That’s the kind of night it was.
The setlist was a perfect storm of old and new: Days Are Forgotten slid in over the unmistakable intro of Still D.R.E., Re-Wired hit with its usual punch, and Coming Back to Me Good showed just how much groove the band still has. Kasabian's cover of Music Sounds Better With You was unexpected but strangely perfect, melting seamlessly into the wider mix of heavy basslines and spiky riffs.
By the time they launched into L.S.F. with a soaring trumpet intro, the place was bouncing wall to wall. And they still weren’t done.
The encore was exactly as you would have hoped for, the band saving an extra bit of energy to blast out Underdog, Bless This Acid House, and of course Fire, which detonated like the last round of fireworks on Bonfire Night. The crowd chanting "Here we, here we, here we f###ing go" at the top of their lungs as Serge built up the final chance to let loose to Kasabian, at least for that night.
This wasn’t just a good Kasabian show. This was one of those nights, the kind you walk away from drenched in sweat, ears ringing, and heart thudding, knowing you’ve just witnessed a band not just surviving, but thriving.
Kasabian are still a force. Possibly even more dangerous now.
The setlist was a perfect storm of old and new: Days Are Forgotten slid in over the unmistakable intro of Still D.R.E., Re-Wired hit with its usual punch, and Coming Back to Me Good showed just how much groove the band still has. Kasabian's cover of Music Sounds Better With You was unexpected but strangely perfect, melting seamlessly into the wider mix of heavy basslines and spiky riffs.
By the time they launched into L.S.F. with a soaring trumpet intro, the place was bouncing wall to wall. And they still weren’t done.
The encore was exactly as you would have hoped for, the band saving an extra bit of energy to blast out Underdog, Bless This Acid House, and of course Fire, which detonated like the last round of fireworks on Bonfire Night. The crowd chanting "Here we, here we, here we f###ing go" at the top of their lungs as Serge built up the final chance to let loose to Kasabian, at least for that night.
This wasn’t just a good Kasabian show. This was one of those nights, the kind you walk away from drenched in sweat, ears ringing, and heart thudding, knowing you’ve just witnessed a band not just surviving, but thriving.
Kasabian are still a force. Possibly even more dangerous now.
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