Cats, cuddles and lots of coffee seemed to be the order of the day as former Kasabian Hellraiser Tom Meighan posed for a surprisingly passive new photoshoot this week.
The singer is making a tentative return to music after leaving the Leicester-based band he managed for 23 years in 2020 while awaiting trial for assaulting then-fiancée Vikki Ager during a drunken argument.
He was sentenced to 200 hours of unpaid community service and sentenced to five days of alcohol rehabilitation and three months of alcohol treatment, but his relationship with Ager weathered the storm and the couple married last July.
Meighan’s debut solo single “Shout It Out” was released on September 30, and he’s since accompanied the track with a domestic shoot staged solely at the home he shares with his wife.
Everyone’s changing: Cats, cuddles and homemade cooking seemed to be the order of the day as former Kasabian Hellraiser Tom Meighan posed for a surprisingly passive new photoshoot this week
Meighan, 41, who is famous for his tough lifestyle, said times have changed significantly in the past two years and new pictures captivated him as he rustled up dinner in the family kitchen, relaxed in the garden and their pet cats cuddled.
Meighan even has time for a massage courtesy of Ager, a self-employed reflexology therapist, with unexpectedly candid pictures of him sprawled out on a large table as she arrives at work.
The singer pleaded guilty to hitting Ager during a drunken row in her back garden on April 9 as Britain languished in lockdown. A judge sentenced him to 200 hours of unpaid labor after hearing “she wanted him back”.
Hours before his court appearance, Kasabian – the band he formed with Serge Pizzorno while he was at school – released a Facebook statement in which they confirmed Meighan was leaving due to “personal issues” and “would not comment further”.
Rest and relaxation: Meighan took part in a domestic shoot, which took place exclusively at the home he shares with Ager, who stood by the singer after he pleaded guilty to assaulting her in 2020
Closing: Famed for his tough lifestyle, Meighan hinted that times have changed significantly in the last two years, with new pictures catching him in a hug with Ager
Stay off the weed: The couple relaxes in the garden as Meighan prepares to launch a solo career with debut single ‘Shout It Out’
They later said they had “no choice” but to ask him to leave, branding the incident “completely unacceptable.” They also accused him of “misleading fans” in his statement.
Meighan has since accused former bandmate Pizzorno of having an ulterior motive when asking him to leave the group.
He told Andy Mac: “He’s an alchemist, all right. I bet he’s pretty euphoric now too. He always wanted to be behind the microphone. If he doesn’t want to get into ‘Tit for Tat’, then he’s going the wrong way. He’s rewriting the history of Kasabian.’
Clubfoot and fries please: The singer fills the kettle as he ventures into the family kitchen
Family: Meighan and Ager pose with their pet cats in another photo from the new shoot
Company of three: Meighan with Ager and his daughter Mimi, from a previous relationship
He added: “The longer I look back on it, the more I knew what was going on. That’s why my drinking got so bad. It’s not an excuse. But because of this. It was a damn foreboding. Because I had this feeling – when will this end?
“And I knew it would end. I could feel what was going on and I knew I was being pushed out of Kasabian.’
Meighan also claimed Pizzorno pushed to be the band’s frontman for more than a decade before finally breaking through.
Speaking of which, Meighan has since accused former bandmate Serge Pizzorno of having an ulterior motive when asking him to leave the group.
Opening: “Serge always wanted to be the lead singer. Always! He’s got a front that says he didn’t do it,” the singer said in a recent interview with Andy Mac
He said: “Serge always wanted to be the lead singer. Always! He has a facade that says he didn’t. Fans would have seen it at the shows. On stage he moved more and more towards it.
“His ten minutes in the spotlight turned into twenty minutes and then twenty-five minutes. He would grab the microphone. and running around, jumping into the crowd and doing his look at me thing. Twenty-five minutes long! Noel didn’t even brush Liam aside for that long.
“Well, I could feel it coming. It was a premonition. It was written what would happen.’
Unexpected: Meighan has called his departure from the band a “premonition” and claimed he knew the end was near
Support: Ager stood by him throughout the case and asked the police to drop the charges against him, but they had already been referred to prosecutors
In December 2020, Meighan told Cornwall Live he hopes he can rebuild his life after the court case and continue his music career.
Ager stood by him throughout the trial and asked the police to drop the charges against him, but she had already been referred to the prosecutor, who continued the trial.
She claimed the attack was a “one time” attack and she had never used violence against her former fiancé before.
Love: Meighan married Ager last July, a year after she pleaded guilty to assaulting her in a wine-fueled lockdown assault
Back on track? Ahead of the singer’s court appearance, the band issued a statement on their Facebook page, saying he was leaving because of “personal issues” and that they “would have no further comments” (pictured with the band in 2019 ).
He told the publication: “We had too much to drink. I regret everything that happened that night – as far as I can remember. 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 I was going. Because of my problems and the things going on around me, I drowned myself in alcohol.
“We had a fight and I took the brunt of it. I was entirely responsible for what happened, but we love each other and we’re getting over it.
Trial: Meighan appeared in Leicester Magistrates Court (pictured) and pleaded guilty to beating Ager