Kula Shaker // SWG3 // 30.04.24
As Kula Shaker enter the stage to familiar Indian chimes, and a backdrop of Ganesh, the elephant headed Hindu god, I’m transported back to the simpler times of the late nineties and the Barrowlands in January 1997 – the last time I saw Kula Shaker live on stage.
Nearly 3 decades later the 4 piece band certainly still know how to play and the Indian influences that drew in their sizeable audience back then are still evident.
With Crispian Mills looking resplendent in his blue kurta, his mic stand entwined in a flower garland and a definite scent of incense in the air, the band kick off with Gaslighting – the first song on their new album Natural Magick. We’re told that as ‘Brothers and Sisters, we are gathered here together to witness the great congregation in the Aquarian age of communication and re-humanization’. A bold statement to a crowd of middle-aged Glaswegians but it’s a strong start and a good introduction to the new album that the band are promoting. Crispian rocks out his guitar solos and the Hammond organ gets its first outing…and who doesn’t love a Hammond organ?
Next up it’s one of the songs that defined Kula Shaker way back when – and as we’re informed, their only song with a drum intro. Those drums and the subsequent wah-wah guitars of Hey Dude get the crowd, many of who I suspect were also at the Barras in 97, singing along.
Back to the present day and three songs from their new album, starting with the sixties-influenced and sitar-led Waves before the title track, and the album’s first single Natural Magick. It’s a chance for Mills to show off his guitar skills and any songs that can rhyme sikhs, geeks, lepers, creeps, wizards, witches and Jesus freaks deserves credit! Next up – a Kula Shaker meets the Monkees sing-along with obvious reference to their cultural and musical influences – Indian Record Player – a song written by the Drummer Paul’s Brother has the crowd bopping along.
A walk through the band’s back catalogue now. Starting with the melodic and, I’ve always thought, a bit Beatles-Influenced (in a good way!) Start All Over from breakthrough album K. The Hammond organ gets a chance to shine as it accompanies the sitar on Infinite Sun as we are told to fly like an eagle. The balladic I’m Still Here from the album Peasants, Pigs and Astronauts leads us back to the 90’s. A change of tempo into the upbeat and well-received Grateful When You’re Dead with its sing-along ‘Bah-Bah-Bah’ chorus getting the Glaswegian audience going, before the haunting reprise of Gerry Was There brings the pace back down to a hypnotic-sway along, with its ukulele strings providing the background to Mills’ hippyish dance moves before the guitar solo kicks in & he’s giving Hendrix like guitar riff vibes.
Returning to the extensive back catalogue, Bringing It Back Home with its Pinball Wizzard-like crescendos and Shower Your Love have those loyal fans who have followed the bands journey over the last 3 decades appreciating the trip down memory lane. We’re then bang up to date with a trio of songs from Natural Magick. First up is Happy Birthday– an ode to Hare Krishna, Birthdays and Hallelujuahs before Idon’twannapaymytaxes a song that was influenced by the musings of Crispians son. As many of Kula Shaker’s songs do, it promotes peace and is anti-war – as is the next song F-Bombs, with its F-War chant. The Glasgow crowd need no excuse for the use of public profanity and are happy to get on board with the message.
We’re going old school again for the last 3 songs of the set. You can find your way home on the 303, Mills sings as the crowd remember which number of nightbus took them back to Drumchapel in the 90s, before the familiar guitar tones of Tattva kick in and have the crowd singing along in their fluent Sanskrit before trying their best Mancunian as it borrows a section of the Happy Monday’s Hallelujah. Finishing with probably their best-known song – the 1997 cover of Deep Purple’s Hush has the crowd rocking along, there’s a retro-tinged joy in the old Galvanisers yard as the band take their first bow.
Quickly into the encore (well we’re all a bit older now & need to get home for our cocoa) the boys kick back off with Great Hossanah followed by Govinda, it’s another chance for the crowd to get their hands in the air and sing about Hare Krishna so joyously it’s as if he scored the goal at Hampden to take Scotland to the Euro’s this summer.
Keeping to the joyous theme, the final song of the evening is a quite magnificent cover version of Dee-Lite‘s anthemic Groove is in the Heart. And with that I’m transported back to the 90s and dancing like no one is watching.
Words: Marie Hendry
Pictures: John Young
The Golden Bough 