On the Road Again
Live Review

Kula Shaker
Opera House, Toronto
Feb. 17, 1997

    After interviewing this chart-topping foursome phenomenon this afternoon at their hotel, I was more eager than ever to bear witness to the band's live prowess. Having played Kula Shaker's debut album, K, more than a few times since its release last fall, I was waiting with baited breath for this postponed gig (the band left a November '96 North American tour early to head back to England to capitalize on its success there of some new singles). Self-confidant but without the arrogance of most Brit-pop bands, Kula Shaker came across in its interview as a very centred, together unit, and I was extremely pleased to find that the same feeling exists in the band's live set. Playing a mere hour-long set due to the fact that singer Crispian Mills had a sore throat, the capacity crowd warmly received the guests of honour. Kula Shaker has a palpable energy and driven purpose that is sorely lacking in most live bands. In fact, the four members manage to bring a dated sound up-to-date without coming off as rip-off artists or pretentious gits. Instead, Kula Shaker know how to play their instruments; they know how to convey a sense of appreciation for '70s-era Hammond organ sounds and mix in some swirling guitar that runs circles around Suede. They bring together three decades of music into one sweet concoction and they do it well. A wonderful cover version of Deep Purple's "Hush" (which is the next single the band will release here in North America) will introduce a whole new generation to Deep Purple, and that's not a bad thing - that's a good thing. Hailing Ritchie Blackmore as one of his greatest influences, Crispian Mills plays guitar like he has studied most of the guitar virtuosos, really. And bassist Alanza plays his bass sideways in a stance that just adds to the cool nature of this band live. Crispian's voice is great, sore throat or no sore throat. "Tattva," the first Canadian single, was played about half-way through the set, with much of the album covered by the end of it all. "Planet Earth" was dedicated to the planet as a whole, in keeping with the band's spiritual take on life. And the song "Govinda" was transformed from an Eastern meditation to a universal theme with Crispian's lengthy introduction to it. He said he had been reading in the local Toronto paper that the government is putting a ban on dumping toxic waste into Lake Ontario. He pondered aloud the idea that no-one ever puts a ban on governments... "I think what we need is a good and righteous king," said Mills. "So Elvis, if you're out there... I'd like to do this song for Elvis, wherever he may be. It's called Go-vinda," he enunciated slowly and the crowd cheered as madly as every other song the band played this night.

-Karen Pace