THEY are one of the biggest bands in the world whose live shows have taken on semi-legendary status.

Headline slots at Glastonbury and most recently at Leeds and Reading Festivals have cemented their position as a live act not to be missed.

Not bad for a bunch of friends from Leicester who first decided to get together as a band 20 years ago.

As Kasabian prepare to come to Manchester next week as part of an arena tour, guitarist Serge Pizzorno reflects on the special bond between the band and their fans.

"When you first start, you just play," he said. "It comes naturally and you really don't have to think about anything too much.

"But as you get bigger, you get to the stage where you have to put on big shows. There are thousands of people in front of you, so there has to be a different approach.

"You have to work out how you can do it and retain your integrity. What bands tend to do is get to a bigger size and lose what was great about them in the first place. They feel as though they have to do all the tricks and then it all turns a bit cheesy and a bit stadium and a bit boring.

"You have to figure out a way of being entertaining but keeping what was cool about it in the first place. That's certainly what we have tried to do."

For Serge, the aim on stage is to create lasting memories - both for the fans and the band themselves.

"It's all about creating moments, moments that we can share," he said. "All too often moments are getting stolen from us. But we want people to be able to come to a show and create an experience that they will always remember."

Serge said that the key to that in part is that the members of Kasabian are music fans at heart.

"We always imagine we are in the mosh pit with everyone else," he said. "There's a moment where you get this ricochet effect where the crowd are so into the show that you are getting as much back from them as they are getting from you. It's almost like a loop effect so by the end of the set it's pure euphoria."

Earlier this year Kasabian released their sixth studio album, For Crying Out Loud, which became their fifth consecutive number one album.

"We have that connection as a band where it's almost telepathic on stage," said Serge. "It's great having that history. There is something amazing about people who met at school and are still together. There is something so beautiful that in spite of all the ups and downs they are still together."

Serge admits that it is only relatively recently that he has really enjoyed the live shows.

"For me the studio has always the place in which I feel at home," he said. "For me the creation is what works. I like the idea of something that didn't exist in the morning but come the afternoon it's there.

"The live scene came later, initially I never saw it as a place of creation

"Don't get me wrong. It was always good and I enjoyed it but then as the years went by I learned about watching people and how they owned a crowd and were in control of so many people.

"Then it almost became play time. I realised we can go on stage and just try things each night.

"As chaotic as that sounds it's actually when you're at your most calm. You spend all day with a thousand things to think of but when you get on stage that is the moment when none of it matters any more and your brain can switch off - it's beautiful."

Kasabian. Manchester Arena, Thursday, November 30. Details from 0844 847 6000 or www.manchester-arena.com