We've Got a Wah-Wah and We're Going to Use It!
Kula Shaker
with Headswim
Graceland
Vancouver, B.C.
Saturday, March 29, 1997
Review by Daniel Ewacha
Photography by Rodney Gitzel
The Next Big Thing from Britain recently kicked off their North
American tour in Vancouver to a sold out audience at Graceland.
No, it wasn't Oasis,
Pulp or Ocean Colour Scene. Nor was
it Supergrass, Suede, Blur or any other band that's been given this
title over the past two years. Actually, it was Kula Shaker --
and they may actually be just the band most worthy of this banner.
Their mix of ethnic Indian musical influences and their rebellious
form of rock and roll has been both magical and invigorating on
CD, as those crammed into Graceland were well aware of.
The transition from CD to live sound was, however, not a smooth
one, as all the Indian grooves, sounds and voices were pre-recorded,
leaving somewhat of a void that was not easily filled. In the
end, though guitarist/vocalist Crispian Mills, Alonza Bevan on
bass, Jay Darlington on the hypnotizing hammond and drummer Paul
Winterhart created their own magic with very solid and tight performances
of songs such as "Hey Dude," "Into the Deep,"
"303," and "Magic Theater," all the while
strutting their stuff across the stage and showing the audience
that they actually wanted to be there. An unfortunate version
of the band's first single (and my favourite song) "Tattua"
left a bit to be desired, but the band more than redeemed themselves
by ending the show with a powerful and truly inspirational performance
of "Govinda," dedicated to those who "believe in
the future." Whether it was the future of Kula Shaker or
one's own was not clear, but it would be a wise investment to
believe in both.
I had the opportunity to catch only the last three songs from Headswim,
tonight's openers. I was disappointed
I hadn't heard more. These guys were pounding out great solid
rock tunes filled with guitar hooks, melodic keyboards and a riveting
rhythm section work that created a perfect start to the evening.
First published in Drop-D Magazine on April 25, 1997
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