The Big Issue – August 05, 2019

20 | BIGISSUE.COM 05-11 AUGUST 2019

Kasabiankingfyingsolo

letterto my

younger self.

Serge

Pizzorno

t 16I hadoutgrownthatperiodofgoingtotheparkon

mybikeandhavingthelocalbullythrowdartsatme.

I waslisteningtoa lotofmusic.Rave and drum‘n’bass

and Oasis. Oasis was my gateway into different kinds of

guitarmusicand then I started to get into psychedelic music. I became

fascinatedbythe psychedelic world, that kind of abandonment. I saw a

link between that and the rave community, Tribal Gathering, that kind

of thing. There wasn’t much to do in Leicester though. Lots of people

got excited about ‘going into town’ but that bored the hell out of me. I

didn’t care about anything except music. I felt pretty strongly that, oh

yes, I’ve found it, the thing I want to do. Amazing times.

I had to be savvy about things like the older lads and the fucking

local lunatics who’d single me out because of my Italian name.

And I had that big hair. But I didn’t cut it off, even though I knew, shit,

I’m getting it. Back seat of the bus, you know what I mean? People

throwing stuff at you. So I had to be streetwise. And I felt I didn’t quite

fit in. I was part of the group but I was also always a bit on my own.

When I was a kid I’m sure I was saying to my mum, what the fuck, why

did you call me that? Why couldn’t I just be Tony? Then when I got older

I got into Sergio Leone films, then Serge Gainsbourg, and eventually I

thought, actually, I’m good with this.

If you met the 16-year-old me you’d see a boy who was... shy,

definitely shy. Always observing. Not holding court, just sitting

quietly in the corner watching. Introverted, though that would

change if we became friends. But inside I was also full of confidence,

this energy, which came from nowhere really, just this feeling in the air

at that time of Britpop and this British art boom. It felt like Britain was

exploding with energy. I felt like I was gonna be in a band and take on

the world.

The gang thing is so important to our band. Having my boys. Sticking

together through it all. There’s something amazing about that. We

managed to find personalities who blended really well. We all knew

our jobs and there were no power struggles. It’s so like a relationship.

We’ve been on this journey for 20 years, from joy to disappointment to

ecstasy. And we still have that ‘the band comes first’ mentality. Like we

have to honour the band. And that total commitment – that’s actually

in the sound.

It would amaze the 16-year-old me that he got to make more than

one album. That was the dream, just that. I suppose if I told him that

one day he’d headline Glastonbury, his head would explode. But

then again, thinking about him now, he’d probably just say, yeah, of

course I’m gonna do that. He was innocent, full of that fucking mental

attitude. And I’d be like, mate, you do not understand how hard it is to

get to that point. And he’d be like, don’t worry, it’ll be fine. And I’d go,

listen, 0.1 per cent of bands get to do that. It’s only when you get to the

top of the mountain that you look back and say, wow, that was a long

old journey.

If I could go back and give myself advice... I suppose in the mid-2000s

I sort of strayed from the path of knowing that making the art is the

important thing. There were a few years of complete and utter excess.

But I defy anyone at that age not to... destroy themselves in some

way. So there’s half a feeling of telling my younger self, you might

want to think about that period. And half a feeling of, that was kind of

incredible. If you’re an artist and you’re an explorer maybe you have to

go to these places. So I don’t know if I’d change it, I really don’t know.

I got my head together after that period of excess. I just thought,

right, you’ve done that now. Partying is great but it had started

interfering with what I wanted most. It was like a proper realisation

• it’s making music that will make you happy. So I moved back to
  Leicester, got my studio sorted [‘The Sergery’] and I went there and
  just created every day, working on our third record, West Ryder [Pauper
  Lunatic Asylum]. I was waking up every day thinking, this is what it’s
  really all about. And that kept me away from all the madness.

Becoming a dad had a profound effect. Everything just became much

clearer. There was a point to everything. Once you see this little thing,

A

2016 With bandmate Tom

Meighan during a surprise

set at Leicester City’s Premier

League-winning parade

2014 On The Big

Issue cover with

pal Noel Fielding

2018 With wife

Amy White at his

Daft Apeth art

exhibition in London

Photo:

Lauren

ce Griffiths/Getty Images

Photo:

David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images