Tom Meighan
Encyclopedia
Thomas Peter Meighan is an English
musician
, best known as the lead vocalist for Indie Rock
band Kasabian
.
Meighan has also contributed lead vocals to the songs "Viva La Revolution" by Superevolver and the Lysergic Suite's "Ghosts on Crusade." He sang backing vocals on the Jersey Budd single, "She Came Back."
In addition to the numerous musical awards he shares with the rest of Kasabian, he was named the nineteenth best frontman of all time by a Q Magazine Readers’ Poll.
In early 2011, Meighan took his first acting role as Terry Graham in the sitcom pilot Walk Like a Panther. Reportedly, he had previously rejected offers to play in Marie Antoinette
due to being committed to his band-mates.
"a posh fucking skier", Pete Doherty
"a fucking tramp", and Justin Timberlake
"a midget with whiskers".
Regarding the reportedly depressing nature of emo music and its listeners, he has said: "Teenagers are better than that. I want to tell them to be positive about life. You've been brought up well by your parents, so don't sit around in your bedroom cutting your wrists. Grow up."
He also offered more serious critiques of the effects of the internet upon the music industry and was one of a number of celebrities to criticize Simon Cowell
's handling of Susan Boyle
, stating "It will torture her for the rest of life. She is not ready for it and she is not made for it. She is being manipulated. It's horrible."
As of 2009, Meighan has made an attempt to tone down his controversial image. "When we released the first album, it didn't help in interviews that we slagged everyone off. We were only messing about, we were having fun but everyone took it a little too seriously…We did it for effect but we were portrayed as monsters instead of just a bunch of lads in a band. They got us so wrong. I don't regret anything we said but it was ridiculous.”
Meighan’s outspoken attitude, on-stage antics and hard-partying reputation have tended to overshadow more positive aspects of his public image. He has given his support to numerous charities including Oxfam, UNICEF and the Teenage Cancer Trust. In support of the latter, he assumed the role of Ace Face in the Who’s benefit performance of Quadrophenia.
His status as both a fashion icon and well-known football fan led him to be chosen to unveil Umbro’s England away football jersey in 2010, the first singer ever to do so. He has also modeled for award-winning fashion label Pretty Green, Gio-Goi, and Deadly Sins.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, best known as the lead vocalist for Indie Rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band Kasabian
Kasabian (band)
Kasabian are an English rock band formed in Leicestershire in 1997. Originally comprising vocalist Tom Meighan, guitarist and keyboardist Christopher Karloff, guitarist and backing vocalist Sergio Pizzorno and bassist Chris Edwards, the band has released four studio albums – Kasabian , Empire ,...
.
Career
Meighan has been the lead vocalist of Kasabian since the band's inception in Leicester in 1999. He sings lead vocals on the majority of the band's recordings and does not play any instruments within the group, apart from tambourine on occasion and guitar on live renditions of 'Night Workers'Meighan has also contributed lead vocals to the songs "Viva La Revolution" by Superevolver and the Lysergic Suite's "Ghosts on Crusade." He sang backing vocals on the Jersey Budd single, "She Came Back."
In addition to the numerous musical awards he shares with the rest of Kasabian, he was named the nineteenth best frontman of all time by a Q Magazine Readers’ Poll.
In early 2011, Meighan took his first acting role as Terry Graham in the sitcom pilot Walk Like a Panther. Reportedly, he had previously rejected offers to play in Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette (2006 film)
Marie Antoinette is a 2006 biographical film, written and directed by Sofia Coppola. It is very loosely based on the life of the Queen consort in the years leading up to the French Revolution. It won an Academy Award for Best Costume Design...
due to being committed to his band-mates.
Media image
Early in Kasabian’s career, Meighan earned a reputation for media provocation, especially concerning other musicians. He became well known for his insults, such as calling Julian CasablancasJulian Casablancas
Julian Fernando Casablancas is an American singer-songwriter and musician of The Strokes. Casablancas pursued a solo career during The Strokes' hiatus, releasing the album Phrazes for the Young on November 3, 2009....
"a posh fucking skier", Pete Doherty
Pete Doherty
Peter Doherty is an English musician, writer, actor, poet and artist. He is best known musically for being co-frontman of The Libertines, which he reformed with Carl Barât in 2010. His other musical project is indie band Babyshambles...
"a fucking tramp", and Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
"a midget with whiskers".
Regarding the reportedly depressing nature of emo music and its listeners, he has said: "Teenagers are better than that. I want to tell them to be positive about life. You've been brought up well by your parents, so don't sit around in your bedroom cutting your wrists. Grow up."
He also offered more serious critiques of the effects of the internet upon the music industry and was one of a number of celebrities to criticize Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
's handling of Susan Boyle
Susan Boyle
Susan Magdalane Boyle is a Scottish singer who came to international public attention when she appeared as a contestant on the TV programme Britain's Got Talent on 11 April 2009, singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from ...
, stating "It will torture her for the rest of life. She is not ready for it and she is not made for it. She is being manipulated. It's horrible."
As of 2009, Meighan has made an attempt to tone down his controversial image. "When we released the first album, it didn't help in interviews that we slagged everyone off. We were only messing about, we were having fun but everyone took it a little too seriously…We did it for effect but we were portrayed as monsters instead of just a bunch of lads in a band. They got us so wrong. I don't regret anything we said but it was ridiculous.”
Meighan’s outspoken attitude, on-stage antics and hard-partying reputation have tended to overshadow more positive aspects of his public image. He has given his support to numerous charities including Oxfam, UNICEF and the Teenage Cancer Trust. In support of the latter, he assumed the role of Ace Face in the Who’s benefit performance of Quadrophenia.
His status as both a fashion icon and well-known football fan led him to be chosen to unveil Umbro’s England away football jersey in 2010, the first singer ever to do so. He has also modeled for award-winning fashion label Pretty Green, Gio-Goi, and Deadly Sins.