KULA SHAKER LIVE AT THE LIQUID ROOMS, EDINBURGH

You may well remember Kula Shaker from the Britpop explosion of the mid-nineties. John Scott goes to see them at  The Liquid Room in Edinburgh

Kula Shaker emerged with their debut album K in 1996 just as the Britpop bubble was looking like it might finally burst.  A handful of earwormy singles helped propel the album to the top of the UK charts but the critical backlash wasn’t long in kicking in.  The band was seen by many as a plaything for its entitled frontman Crispin (son of Hayley) Mills whose evident enthusiasm for Indian mysticism and Holy Grail mythology was considered to be thirty years past its sell-by date.  The band split in 1999, re-forming ten years later, touring and releasing albums without, it seems, anyone really noticing.

Despite their recent low profile, Kula Shaker has drawn a sell-out crowd to The Liquid Room and the band seems to be out to have a good time.  From the first notes of the early single Hey Dude, Crispin Mills throws himself into each song, whipping the crowd up, conducting sing-alongs, and throwing himself around the stage while slashing out rhythm and lead licks from his psychedelic Stratocaster.

Mills, bassist Alonza Bevan and drummer Paul Winterheart have recently reunited with original keyboard player Jay Darlington.  The band are touring their latest album 1st Congregational Church of Eternal Love and Free Hugs, mixing new songs with tracks from across their catalogue and a couple of covers. New tracks like Whatever It Is (I’m Against It) and The Gingerbread Man show that the band has stuck firmly to their original template – sixties psychedelic-tinged pop rock. The Kinks, Beatles, and Stones are never too far away but the band respects their influences too much to descend into pastiche, John Lennon’s Gimme Some Truth fitting seamlessly into the setlist.   The Prodigy’s Narayan, for which Mills originally provided the vocals, is given a makeover that is more Woodstock than Glastonbury and Joe South’s Hush, as filtered through Deep Purple’s own cover, is driven by Jay Darlington’s Hammond groove.

Big hit Tattva makes an interesting sing-along: “ Tattva, mumble mumble mumble, Tattva!” as does the equally uncertainly-lyriced Govinda but the audience throws themselves in, undeterred. Kula Shaker are far from just a rich kid’s plaything, they are a seriously good band and a great night out.

Setlist 

Hey Dude

Sound of Drums

Whatever It Is (I’m Against It)

Gaslight

Infinite Sun

Grateful When You’re Dead / Jerry Was There

Gimme Some Truth

Into the Deep

Farewell Beautiful Dreamer

Taxes

Gingerbread Man

Narayan

303

Tattva

Hush

Gokula

Great Hosannah

Govinda

John Scott