KLASHABIAN

KASABIAN are heading for a clash with Kaiser Chiefs and Franz Ferdinand-by claiming the bands have no staying power.

Franz and Kaisers emerged around the same time as the motormouth rockers, but flopped with their recent albums.

But Kasabian reckon that-unlike their rivals-their new album, the barmily-titled West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum, is a sure-fire hit.

"The bands that came up with us aren't ones people can get passionate about," guitarist Sergio Pizzorno told Rated. "They all have one or two fantastic singles and that's it-their albums aren't amazing.

"They don't last the distance like we do.

"Half of music lovers think we're the best band of our generation. The other half think we're stupid, but that's fine by me. Bands should divide opinion."

Hated

Singer Tom Meighan agrees with his bandmate.

"I want to be loved or hated-people either think we're one out of 10, or 10 out of 10," he says.

"Too many bands are happy to be OK and average.

"You can have arguments about our music down the pub. The people who love us, they'd die for us. How many other bands of our generation can you say that about? None."

Best mates since growing up together in Leicester, Tom and Sergio, both 28, despair about current teenagers. They reckon they are being turned into social rejects-by the internet.

It's a theme that forms the concept of the new album.

"A lot of kids don't seem to have proper friends any more," says Sergio.

"They spend their time on internet chatrooms, and they're missing out on the simple pleasures of life.

"I drove down to my parents' the other day, and the park where me, Tom and our mates mucked about as kids was empty. That was really worrying-it was where generations of teenagers hung out."

Tom adds: "Now, they're on their computers-a generation of square- eyed geeks.

"The time will come one day when kids wake up and think 'Why did we get so obsessed by the internet, when we could have been out getting girlfriends?'

"That's what our song Happiness is about." But despite their feelings about the web, they both admit they're addicted to going online when they're drunk.

"I bought loads of crazy s***on eBay," chuckles Tom. "I've barred myself from going on it."

"Mine is buying weird songs on iTunes," confesses Sergio.

"A couple of days after a drinking session, I'll check my purchases and it'll be 'Bananarama? When the f*** did I buy that?!'"

Lounging on a sofa in their publicist's office, the pair are relaxed and killingly funny, talking at tangents about everything from their favourite sweets (strawberry bootlaces) to their acting ambitions.

Tom reveals he turned down a part in Sofia Coppola's film about the life of Marie Antoinette, and says of acting: "When I'm 40, fat, bald and our music's gone stale, I'll do it."

But that'll be a while yet, judging by new album, a sprawling, psychedelic classic. "We don't copy anyone," insists Sergio.

"The best musicians, like David Bowie, weren't like anyone of their time either."

Tom agrees, adding it's sad that more music isn't on TV. "Imagine a kid seeing David Bowie looking like an alien for the first time on Top Of The Pops. It'd blow your mind, and totally inspire you. There aren't any shows like that now, because music on TV has been taken over by bland talent show s***.

"Trouble is, no TV producer would make Top Of The Pops today, because there aren't enough exciting bands to be on it. There aren't enough aliens out there, man!"

West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum is out tomorrow.

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