Rock legend lifts the lid on becoming Kasabian’s frontman after disgraced Tom Meighan left
COMING home to Leicester to watch local lads Kasabian, I’d forgotten that everyone who lives here somehow knows Serge Pizzorno.
“His dad Richard was a scout for Leicester City,” one fan tells me on the bus to the gig. “Serge was a great player but he’ll have a longer career in music than he would in football.”
Standing in the packed Bar Dos Hermanos, which soon ran out of pint glasses thanks to the 35,000 fans who wanted to watch England win before the gig, a friend reminds me she too knows Serge and his family.
“We’d see him taking his kids to swimming lessons,” she tells me.
“Everyone loves him. He is just a normal man.”
But there was nothing normal about Serge when he kicked off their Summer Solstice show, the first since their huge concert a decade ago in Victoria Park.
For a man who told me two years back that he harboured no desire to be the face of the band, he has masterfully evolved into a sensational frontman who, in my opinion, outshines his predecessor Tom Meighan with ease.
Flares were burning in the crowd from the off, with Serge kicking off the set with Call, a brilliant track from their latest album Happenings.
And the lights continued to burn throughout bangers including Club Foot, Underdog and You’re In Love With A Psycho.
Serge moved like magic on stage, running and dancing from end to end before heading out into the crowd to meet fans.
His voice didn’t falter either, and with the help of his adoring supporters, he sounded better than ever.
Before playing top track LSF, the enormity of the show and what it meant for Serge and bandmates Chris Edwards, Tim Carter and Ian Matthews bubbled to the surface.
Sitting on the stage, he reminded us of the last Victoria Park gig and said: “I’m just going to sit here for a minute and take it all in.”
His voice cracked when he then uttered: “Every single one of you — I love you all.”
Tom’s departure from the band four years ago is still talked about but any question marks over whether Serge could carry the group have now long been erased.
And the pressure of fronting the chart-toppers — who formed in 1997 — must surely now have eased, too.
“It keeps me awake thinking about it,” Serge told me about having to take on the former lead singer’s role.
“I didn’t need the frontman job. I was very happy just being at the side.”
From the smile on Serge’s face as he took in the sights of his hometown, I think he’s found his happy place again — front and centre where he totally deserves to be.
KATY PROMISES JOY - AND FILTH
KATY Perry finally makes her long-awaited comeback on Thursday with new single Woman’s World.
The track is set to be the lead release from her upcoming sixth album – which I can reveal also features a positively filthy collaboration with Kim Petras.
Insiders tell me their song is an electronic club banger that doesn’t hold back when it comes to suggestive lyrics.
A source said: “Katy has been a fan of Kim for some time and everything they stand for.
“Both of them have worked with producer DR LUKE in the past so the collaboration happened quite organically.
“Lyrically it’s a very tongue-in-cheek track which is sure to raise a few eyebrows.”
Rather than being a single, the X-rated song looks set to remain as an album-only track, so fans will have to wait until autumn to hear it.
The album is rumoured to be called 143 – a reference to the number of letters in the phrase – I Love You.
Revealing the release is her most positive offering to date, Katy, left, said: “I have yet to make a record from a place of feeling really happy and whole and full of love.
“Sometimes artists are like, ‘Oh, that’s boring, you want to make music from a tougher place’, but actually it’s very bright and joyful, like pure joy and fun and playful and celebratory and a real party.”
That’s just what we all need right now.
Robbie is well reared
ROBBIE Williams sure knew how to shake a tail feather Blues Brothers-style at BST Hyde Park.
The former Take That star and his back-up dancers got the crowd going with some saucy moves on stage – while A-listers Cara Delevingne, Jonathan Bailey and Hugh Skinner were up front watching.
And he wasn’t the only singer at the festival to gives fans a laugh.
Seal headed out on stage wearing what looked like an apron.
As fans chanted “Take it off”, the Killer star joked: “Take it off? You guys are filth.”
KELSEY'S FESTIVAL FOR KIDS
KELSEY Parker is holding a huge “Kidchella” festival to celebrate her daughter Aurelia’s fifth birthday – with the late Tom Parker’s Wanted bandmates and other stars on the guest list.
In an exclusive chat, Kelsey, who was with her husband from 2018 until he died in March 2022 following a brain tumour diagnosis – told me the support of her pals including Cara De La Hoyde helped her keep going.
“We are having a big kids’ festival – Kidchella,” Kelsey said.
“Cara’s little one, Delilah, is turning four and then my best friend, who is also called Kelsey – her little girl Winnie is turning one, so they’re all sharing it. I think that’s what gets me through – amazing friends and family like Cara and Kelsey. They’re there for me and we’re all doing it together.”
Speaking to me at the Tom Parker Foundation Celebrity Fathers’ Day Football Match, sponsored by Grove Gallery, Kelsey added: “I can’t believe how my life has changed in five years. I was going into parenthood with Tom and now, on Aurelia’s fifth birthday, I’m doing it on my own. I am Mum and Dad.”
Kylie raises the bar
THIS weekend Kylie Minogue will take to the stage for a huge gig at London’s Hyde Park as part of the annual British SummerTime series.
It’s set to be her biggest UK show of the year – after the star, right, wrapped up her Las Vegas residency in May and quietly prepares to embark on a huge tour next year.
And keen to make sure everyone gets into the party spirit, I’m told canny Kylie has bagged herself a deal to stock the venue’s backstage and VIP bars with her ever-popular wine and Prosecco range.
According to reports, the booze, which is now in every supermarket after initially being snapped up exclusively by Tesco, racked up a staggering £30million in sales last year alone.
A source said: “Kylie is business- savvy and knows her market and how much her fans love her booze.
“Kylie’s rosé and Prosecco will be available at the bars during her Hyde Park gig, much like she did during her Las Vegas residency.
Previously talking about her love of her own-brand plonk, the star admitted she’s not tried rival celebrity wines from the likes of Gary Barlow but genuinely loves her own.
She said: “I love the Prosecco rosé, I love the . . . actually, all the roses – even the zero per cent!”
A MADGIC RECOVERY
SHE could have died after being struck down with a life-threatening bacterial infection last summer.
So it put a big smile on my face to see Madonna speaking about the “miraculous recovery” she has made one year on.
In an emotional post online, the Queen of Pop said she could “barely stand holding one sparkler” after returning from hospital on July 4 last year.
She spent days in intensive care and her Celebration Tour was postponed due to the illness.
But in her new post, the star went on to say she’s had an “amazing year”, adding: “Life is beautiful.”
As are you, Madge. Keep doing you.