Kula Shaker

Very occasionally, a gig reaches far beyond any expectation that you set it before you actually witness it. Very, very occasionally a gig takes you with such simplicity, to the very core of what live music is all about, it produces that magical X factor that draws you back time and time again.
Tonight was one of those nights.
Kula Shaker simply enraptured the Exeter University Lemongrove, it was as tightly packed as I have ever seen it, absolutely nobody wanted to miss a thing tonight! With front man and driving force Crispian Mills in awesome form, produced a set, a show, an aura, a charismatic display of such sublime quality, you just know that in years to come when asked if you remember Kula Shaker at the Lemongrove, memories of the night will all come flooding back.
Not for one moment did the atmosphere drop, from the opening number, Kick off the Jams, to the grand finale of Govinda, Crispian prowled the very small stage, oozing intensity and passion, feeling every note and lending them a meaning and purpose. Probably it was thier most successful single, Hush that got the best reception, but it was difficult to say for sure as the crowd were slightly more than highly excitable throughout the whole set.
It seems amazing that it is 20 years since the arrival of Kula Shaker onto the music scene, and it has not been a straightforward journey with them courting their own fair share of controversy along the way. A split in 1999 saw a five-year gap which was broken with a reformation which was officially announced with “Kula Shaker has arisen from the bottomless pit” and the release of only their third album, Strangefolk in 2007.
The blend of spiritualistic influences and Indian undertones that drives Kula Shaker, make for a musical blend that is such a joy to witness in the live arena, whether it will again hit the charts again as it once did is yet to be seen, but to this point Kula Shaker must be one of the most underrated bands I have ever seen, it was unexpected, but a great night.

Greg Taylor