Christmas came early for those in attendance last night, as Kasabian kicked off the London leg of their UK tour at the O2 arena. The Leicester posse swaggered on stage, led by lead guitarist Sergio Pizzorno, and ripped into Days are Forgotten. Front man Tom Meighan, sporting a gelled back coif and dark sunglasses, stood at the edge of the stage, in front of an eager audience and beckoned his onlookers to let loose and give into the music. His vibrant on-stage persona works a charm, as he coaxes an energetic response from the crowd.

After an emphatic rendition of Shoot the Runner, which had everyone stomping their feet and straining their vocal chords in unison, the band introduce some of their fresher material and launch into the title track from their most recent album, Velociraptor.

“This one is a classic,” declares Meighan, before Where Did All the Love Go? You almost feel guilty for forgetting how many anthemic classics Kasabian have produced over their four-album career. Their repertoire of songs are diverse, from guitar-shredding rock anthems, they transition into melodic dance-infused indie beats, then treat the crowd to the retro sounding Goodbye Kiss, which Meighan dedicates to his father who is in attendance somewhere.

The highlight of the night was, without question, an amazing and highly energetic performance of fan favourite track Fire. As the song builds up – just like a pressure cooker about to explode – the chorus kicks in sending every person in the crowd into a rapturous and wild frenzy. Then just as you think an encore couldn’t get any better, Sergio and Tom bow down on their knees, encouraging the audience to follow suit; before you know it, the mosh-pit is cleared, the crowd stop thrashing, everyone settles down and is on their knees, gently humming the chorus. As the climax intensifies, Sergio and Tom jump to their feet and launch back into a blistering reprise of the chorus, with a sea of thousands of people mirroring their efforts. As the band hug each other and thank everyone for coming out, the crowd begin to file out of the exits as echoes of Fire ring out underneath the canopy of the Millennium Dome.