By Desh Kapur, Rock At Night Manchester Correspondent

I do love those times when I am asked to photograph and review one of my all time favourite bands and so it was, an excited me, going to see the mighty mighty Kasabian live! Yes!

To start the proceedings however we had to get past Cabbage. No, not the green vegetable with its child hating wrap around leaf cabbage, but the band Cabbage. Apparently, to the man they understand it is a crap name but insist they don’t particularly care…or words to that effect! Now I have read and heard rumblings about this band and I was keen to find out for myself what all the fuss was about, yet after hearing and seeing their set I became even more bemused! Pigeon hole them at your peril, because Cabbage sound like…Cabbage in a word. A chaotic celebration of the chaos theory to be exact. Musically clever and half naked, with insightful current lyrics, some dark, some funny. Punk married to pop with a buxom Indie on the side is all I can say, but I would add that to truly make up your own mind I would go and see them…if you dare!

Soon though the stage went dark and it was time, time for our main event, Kasabian. Striding on stage with the confidence and style of a band in their prime, Tom dressed in a long, flowing cream coat, bespectacled in red Lennonesque glasses and Serge keeping it simple in dark combats and white t-shirt they grinned loudly to all and sundry. ‘Comeback Kid’ was swiftly launched into coming from the new album ‘For crying out loud’ released next month, followed by a wave of brilliance including ‘Bumblebee’,’Underdog’, ‘Eez-eh’, ‘Shoot the runner’ etc etc. The band bounced from track to brilliant track effortlessly and with the musical abandon of a band giving their all. They loved North Wales and North Wales loved them back. Don’t be swayed by other reviews, I was there, I know and it rocked! A set list that blended the old and the new perfectly with a stage presence to match anyone on their day. Soon the inevitable encore was upon us. Three songs finished unusually with an acoustic performance of ‘Put your life on it’ ended the night but I had loved every minute of it. Needless to say I would have to revisit Cabbage again, just to make sure they are real!, but Kasabian took my breath away and from all who were there in North Wales we say thank you and oh yes, thanks for the fish!

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