We've talked plenty in recent weeks, on and off-line, about our Leicester pride. Our home city has been buzzing since the football win and celebrations continue this weekend with a couple of hastily organised gigs at the LCFC stadium, headlined by locals Kasabian.
Tonight's gig is a big deal for the band. Yes, they've done Glastonbury - but this is the first time they'll be performing at the home of the club they've supported all their lives. No jumping on the bandwagon here.
I think it's fair to say we're both big fans. I've seen them perform live a fair few times now, three (soon four!) dancing alongside Elle.
Most recently we were lucky to see their surprise set at the Premier League victory parade (see video below), where we full-on sprinted across Victoria Park towards the stage as the band launched unannounced into their first song.
But it also includes that one time we pretty much on a whim - after watching them headline their own festival five minutes from my house - bought tickets to see them in Amsterdam. It turned out we weren't the only LE-postcoders who'd made the journey.
So why do we love them? Well, as I'm now getting a bit too excited to write in full paragraphs, here's a short list...
- Their music is great and very much "them" - it's instantly recognisable and instantly makes me feel upbeat and want to jump around the room
- Despite this, I can't honestly claim the band are on my "most-listened-to" list - BUT they are in my "most-seen-live" list, because they just put on such a brilliant show. I will always see Kasabian, Elbow and Laura Marling on tour.
- In fact, one of these instances probably tops my "best-gigs-ever" list, when I saw them in a hollowed out Boeing 747 - I genuinely had fears for the strength of the plane floor!
- They love Leicester as much as we do - they could've moved anywhere in the world, yet it's not uncommon to bump into any one of them in the street. Lead-singer Tom once literally ran into me at my local Sainsburys
- Not only this, but they share the local accent with the rest of the world - we will both be pulling onour Serge inspired Les-tah tshirts tonight (okay, I'm already wearing it)
- Finally - their track Fire is the best accompaniment I can ever imagine to the end credits to one of my favourite documentary films - TT3D: Closer to the Edge (don't be put off by the motorbikes if you Google it - you don't need to be a fan, I'm not)
