One of the biggest new bands to emerge out of Britain in the first half of this decade, Kasabian formed when its members met while attending school near Leicester in the East Midlands of England. Taking their name from Linda Kasabian, Charles Manson's getaway driver, the band's sound is a cross-pollination of rock, funk, electronica, hop hop, indie and everything in between. Some of the influences consistently cited include The Stone Roses, DJ Shadow, The Rolling Stones, James Brown, Primal Scream and Oasis. Recorded in a country farmhouse, their self-titled debut featured the bass-driven anthem 'Club Foot' along with the stomping 'Reason is Treason' and 'Cutt Off' (still their highest charting single in the UK). As well as establishing themselves in the charts, with the album peaking at fourth in the UK album charts and four of the album's singles breaking the top 20, the group made a name for themselves with their striking live performances, especially at UK and European festivals such as Glastonbury, T in the Park and Benicasim. After extensive touring in support of the debut, including supporting their heroes Oasis on their 2005 US tour, the group went into the studio to record album number two. It was around this time multi-instrumentalist Christopher Karloff departed the band and drummer Ian Matthews became a full-time member. Karloff's position has been taken by Jay Mehler, an American whose previous band Mad Action supported Kasabian on one of their first US tours. Empire was met with glowing praise from fans and most critics upon its release in August 2006. Seen as a step up from their debut in terms of sound dynamics and song diversity, highlights include the stomping electro-rock of 'Shoot the Runner', the all-out rock assault of the title track. Upon release in the UK, Empire went straight to number one on the album charts. Following on from a UK arena tour in late 2006, including a night at the 19,000 capacity Earls Court Arena, Kasabian pay their first visit to Australia, touring with the Big Day Out.