KULA SHAKER + THE DHOL FOUNDATION – CONCORDE 2, BRIGHTON 7.2.26
‘K’ is one of my CDs that lives in my car which I play to death at regular intervals. My brother’s copy has currently resides jamming his cassette player. Old tech, an old album or an analogy for how long Kula Shaker has been around and how old ‘K’ is. It’s also a testament to how long Kula Shaker have been around. They kicked off their ‘Wormslayer’ tour at Brighton’s Concorde 2. Garlands were placed around the keyboard, the drums, the amps, and the stage is set for Kula Shaker, but first we have to deal with their special guests!
The Dhol Foundation begin proceedings at 6:30pm and we are in their company for the next hour. This evening is their only appearance supporting Kula Shaker. They take their name from the double-sided barrel drum with a strap across one shoulder. It is synonymous with Punjabi music and bhangra. There are four members of this band led by the charismatic Johnny Kalsi previously of Transglobal Underground fame. Three are on drums and one of them is on the decks.
They perform some nifty choreography to drumming to some well- known tracks, such as ‘Punjabi MC’, for some of us who were a bit older will remember it as the theme from ‘Knight Rider’. An instant crowd pleaser. They combine drumming with heavy bass for Indian style house music. The crowd were waving their arms in true bhangra style. It was vibrant and energetic and loud but such great fun.
The Dhol Foundation have already quite a following; their music has been featured on soundtracks such as ‘The Gangs of New York’, the ‘Incredible Hulk’, ‘Blood Diamond’, documentaries and royal events such as the Jubilee celebrations. The standout track was ‘After the Rain’. It was atmospheric with a violin for a fast-paced but sometimes melancholic beautiful Celtic sound. It had all the vibrancy of something that could be played at a ceilidh. The crowd absolutely loved it . A support acts go The Dhol Foundation was the perfect opening for Kula Shaker.
The lighting of the incense on stage heralds the band’s entrance. Kula Shaker are back with its original line-up of Jay Darlington on keyboard, Alonza Bevan on bass guitar, Paul Winterhart on drums, and Crispian Mills lead guitar and vocals. The debut album ‘K’ is nearly 30 years old and it still sounds as fresh today as it did back then. Kula Shaker combined Indian sitar ragas, lyrics based Hindu mysticism, 60s and 70s psychedelic rock and the swagger of Britpop. They made singing in Sanskrit cool.
Kula Shaker could be accused of cultural appropriation but I disagree. The references to eastern mysticism are central to Kula Shaker’s identity, their now beloved trademark. The band have gone full tilt with this. The album cover and merch have emblazoned upon them what seems to be the well-armed goddess Durga and on t-shirts and the backdrop features the huge childlike eyes of the god Jagannath. I did wonder whether the audience questioned the meaning of these images.
They had a set that ran for an hour and a half (from 7:30pm to 9:00pm) featuring tracks from the new album, ‘Wormslayer’ as well as tracks from ‘K’ and other albums. The Mad Alchemist liquid light show provided the kaleidoscopic backdrop that complements the music perfectly. Crispian Mills still looks amazing, with his blonde hair and the stripey red and black trousers accentuating his long legs. As a frontman, he’s still got it. His powerful vocals, killer riffs and energetic stage presence make this a vibrant and engaging gig. Their music as ever catchy and uplifting with nuance and meaning.
The band were joined on stage by a female vocalist called Tripana or Trippy. She was dressed in a black sari, clearly of Indian descent providing the vocals for ‘Infinite Sun’ and ‘Govinda’. Her elegant presence and beautiful soaring vocals show off Kula Shaker’s rich texture to their music. The music seems to have matured with more of a depth covering a variety of influences and lyrics on social commentary (‘Idontwannapaymytaxes’).
Some of the songs were performed as they were written and in some cases stripped back, such as ‘Into The Deep’, which seemed slower and more reflective as though the songs themselves had matured. Much to the crowd’s delight, ‘Good Money’ incorporated the Stone Roses riff from ‘Fool’s Gold’; this works amazingly well. The eponymous song, ‘Wormslayer’ is an epic belter of a track with the storytelling and drama of a rock opera. Check out the video. The last song was ‘Govinda’, which on first impression might not be the first choice to go out with a bang to, but with Trippy, the call and response from the crowd and The Dhol Foundation, this made for a tremendous and joyful end to the evening.
As to whether the crowd appreciated Durga or Jagganath on their merch, I don’t suppose it matters. Kula Shaker are back sounding fantastic, the album is a triumph and the t-shirts are pretty cool. In days such as these, where it’s easier to sow division, it’s amazing to see a band not just appreciating other cultural influences but wholeheartedly incorporating them.
Kula Shaker:
Crispian Mills – vocals, guitar
Alonza Bevan – bass
Paul Winterhart – drums
Jay Darlington – Hammond organ
Kula Shaker setlist:
(Intro tape) ‘Radhe Radhe’
‘Lucky Number’
‘Charge Of The Light Brigade’
‘Broke As Folk’
‘Mystical Machine Gun’
‘Tattva’
‘Shower Your Love’
‘Natural Magick’
‘Good Money’ (contained elements of ‘Fools Gold’ by Stone Roses)
‘Chura Liya (You Stole My Heart)’
‘Infinite Sun’
‘Into The Deep’
‘108 Battles (Of The Mind)’
‘Idon’twannapaymytaxes’
‘Be Merciful’
‘Shaunie’
‘The Winged Boy’
‘Day For Night’
‘Wormslayer’
‘Hush’ (Joe South cover)
(encore)
‘Govinda’
