Kasabian frontman takes centre stage at University of Leicester graduation ceremony
It was a home-coming gig like no other for Kasabian singer, songwriter and record producer, Sergio ‘Serge’ Pizzorno when he stepped up to receive an honorary degree from the University of Leicester.
The 45-year-old co-founder of the world-famous Leicestershire indie rock outfit has racked up seven UK number one albums, putting them on a par with the likes of Blur, Muse, The Prodigy, Paul McCartney, Barbra Streisand, Elton John and Ed Sheeran.
Sergio took to the stage at De Montfort Hall, on Wednesday 16 July, to accept his honorary Doctorate of Music at one of the University’s summer graduation ceremonies.
Upon receiving his award, Sergio told the audience: “I’d like to give a huge thank you to the university for this incredible honour, and all of you graduating today, nice one, let’s have a round of applause for you all.
“Here you are gloriously robed, cap on head and brilliant. Also, a shout out to the lecturers, professors and academic wizards who guided you, to the parents and friends and families who sent you beer money thinking it was for text books.
“This is your life, not mine, your path will be beautifully different. Change is growth, it isn’t failure, it means you’re alive, you’re learning, you’re paying attention – never be afraid to change your course.
“Embrace the scary stuff, because that’s where the magic lives.
“You are capable of more than you think, you won’t find that by staying in your comfort zone. Also, play. Play with ideas, play with failure, play like it matters and sometimes play like it doesn’t. The outcomes will arrive, the joy is in the process and that’s where the real gold is.
“Dedicate. When you find something you love, pursue it with everything you’ve got. There’s no deadline on discovery, embrace that chaos.”
Kasabian’s members met while attending Leysland High School and Countesthorpe Community College, both in the village of Countesthorpe, south of Leicester.
Sergio has been with the band since 1997 with notable highlights including a 2014 Glastonbury headline spot and three appearances at Victoria Park, next to the University campus – one of which was to celebrate Leicester City FC’s Premier League title in 2016.
Reflecting on his time with Kasabian, Sergio once told a journalist: “Kasabian is my life’s work. I’ve written every song, every lyric. The one thing I knew was that there was power in my words. They flow through my body and I can connect with them. Music changes my whole physiology; it’s like the atoms in my body react to it when I hear something I like. I’m not an extrovert. I’m not that guy standing up at the dinner party giving you the stories. I’m a songwriter. That’s what I live for.”
In 2010, Sergio composed the music for the movie London Boulevard, starring Colin Farrell, Ray Winstone and Keira Knightley. In 2011, he joined forces with friend Noel Fielding to create music for his new E4 sketch show Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy. They formed a project called Loose Tapestries. Together, they also wrote the music for the second series of the show, which aired in 2014. Sergio is also listed as an executive producer on the film Walk Like a Panther (2018). In 2019, he released his first solo album, THE S.L.P.
University President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nishan Canagarajah, said: “This homegrown talent has not only delivered his iconic brand of music to vast audiences worldwide but here too in Victoria Park – helping Leicester celebrate huge moments of joy through our local football team and adding to the fantastic vibrancy of our multi-cultural city. Sergio has undoubtedly helped put the city of Leicester on the map and this accolade today is our way of acknowledging this and our sense of pride in his achievements.”