Last updated 05:42, Friday, 22 August 2008

Kasabian, The Sands Centre, CarlisleA capacity audience of 1,200 is small fry to the Leicester band, but they launched into 2006 single Shoot The Runner with cheerful confidence for the Cumbrian crowd.

Defiant: Kasabian lead singer Tom Meighan

Saturday night’s gig was not only a pleaser for county rock fans, but a crucial fundraiser for a new hospital which will treat children from the county.

Money raised from the concert will go towards the £1m still needed to create a new £1.9m children’s ward to treat teenagers with cancer at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary.

Lead singer Tom Meighan oozed charisma, singing and shouting over dirty, electro-tinged chords – wearing shades and a top with a huge, red rose on it, he spurred the crowd on with unprintable encouragements.

His voice defiant and gravelly – like Liam Gallagher crossed with Bobby Gillespie from Primal Scream.

As the set moved on, songs such as Sun Rise Light Flies had a prog-tinged, psychedelic feel, backed up with huge decks of colour-changing lights. The audience was hypnotised, cheering and clapping along.

The electronic sounds and space-age samples of Processed Beats built up to a sneaky peek at the band’s next album.

New songs revealed impressive musical skill, with plenty of tempo changes and ambitious instrumentals.

Empire was a high point of the set, a statement of conquering hedonism set to irresistible riffs and dizzying strings.

Meighan had the crowd in the palm of his hand as it swelled to a sing-along chorus.

The band continued its tour of musical styles with more traditional rock ’n’ roll and blues-tinged numbers. There would have been lighters in the air – if it wasn’t for the smoking ban.

Kasabian left the stage early, returning for an extended encore of crowd-pleasers.

The infectious L.S.F. was difficult to ignore, as Meighan wailed: “We’ve got our backs to the wall!”

With a new album due out in January, this is a band on the verge of global conquest.

And Cumbria is finally part of the Empire.

MEG JORSH