Kasabian are rumoured to have hired former The Music bandleader Rob Harvey as their new touring singer.
After it was previously reported that guitarist Serge Pizzorno was set to take on lead vocals at the rock band’s upcoming first tour since the departure of lead singer Tom Meighan, it has now been claimed that they have recruited a new frontman for the concerts.
A source told the Daily Mirror newspaper: “Rob is a good friend of all the Kasabian band members, and they’ve all toured together in the past, and he’s a great frontman so it seems like a no brainer to try him out up front.”
When he signed a new deal with publishing label B-Unique in the summer, the 38-year-old musician-and-songwriter – who has penned hits such as ‘Real Love’ for Clean Bandit and Jess Glynne and ‘Lonely’ for Joel Corry – hinted at his plans with the ‘Empire’ band.
Rob is also a touring guitarist in The Streets alongside Mike Skinner.
The run kicks off on October 13 at the O2 Academy in Glasgow and concludes at London’s O2 Brixton Academy on November 2.
Tom was let go from the band and sentenced to 200 hours of unpaid work in July 2020, after pleading guilty to assaulting his spouse, Vikki, who was left with bruises and “a reddening around her neck” during the incident in April that year.
The ‘Club Foot’ singer later broke his silence on the charge in a joint interview with his other half, who he moved to Cornwall with in a bid to put the “drunk squabble” behind them.
He said at the time: “We had too much to drink. I regret everything that happened that night – what I can remember of it. I don’t condone it – it’s horrific. I love my partner to pieces.
“I was at a boiling point in my life – I didn’t know where things were heading. I was drowning myself with drink because of my problems and things going on around me. We had a fight and I took the brunt for it. I was fully responsible for what happened but we love each other and we’re getting over it.”
Vikki claimed it was nothing more than a drunken fight that got out of control and insisted it “wasn’t domestic violence”.
Tom had just been diagnosed with ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and had been to rehab to get help with his long-standing alcohol addiction.
And his wife said a lack of support for his mental health condition had a lot to do with his actions.