Karnataka - Bristol Review

It is not uncommon for me to go to multiple gigs in multiple days, despite how tiring it can be, but rarely do I get to two gigs in two days by the same band. I have done it a couple of times for Mostly Autumn, in 2008 and 2010, attending combinations of Tavistock, Exeter, and Penzance when the band used to be a bit more experimental with their South West shows - and I have also done it for Glamour of the Kill in 2010 and The Quireboys in 2018. I also saw Armored Saint two days on the trot back in 2015, but that was somewhat different as that essentially happened by default due to the band being a support act one night at one of the bands at Bloodstock Open Air then next day. I know that some people like to follow bands around on tour, but I do not tend to do that. I much prefer to go and see as many different bands as I can, but sometimes it makes sense for whatever reason to see a band multiple times on the same tour - and occasionally that leads to me seeing the band twice in two days. I saw the Welsh progressive/symphonic rock band Karnataka twice on the New Light tour back in 2012, but the two shows in Tavistock and Lowdham were a couple of weeks apart. Doing so just made sense at the time, given how great it was to finally see Karnataka live - but since then I have only seen them live once per tour. With the current set of dates in support of the Requiem for a Dream album, I was only planning to see the band locally in Tavistock. Shows at The Wharf are always welcome and easy for me to get to - and the venue tends to attract decent crowds and generates a good atmosphere. Karnataka tend to visit the venue on every tour, too, so there is a strong chance that I will not have to travel. I do not think that the tour's Bristol show was announced as part of the original run of shows, and was one of a couple of others which were added later. I was already planning to be in Bristol the following evening to see Trivium, so it made sense to go up to Bristol a day earlier and see Karnataka again at The Fleece. I did not immediately make the plunge, but after considering the option for a while it made sense. I managed to get another night in the same Premier Inn for a low price, and I also managed to alter my train ticket for free. The Fleece is always a good place to see bands, too, so the additional show made sense. I do not recall the band playing in Bristol before, at least since I have been actively following them, so I did wonder what the turnout would be like. Bands like Karnataka do not tend to be that experimental with their venue choice these days, generally only playing in places where they know it will be worth their while, and Bristol is not generally on the UK progressive rock circuit despite the city being a great place for live music. Sadly, though, the turnout was quite poor. Tavistock the night before had been pretty well attended, but there cannot have been more than 40 people in The Fleece last night. The venue had put out a few tables and chairs, too, so most of those in attendance were sat about half way back - leaving just a few of us stood near the front. Despite the low numbers, though, those in attendance were all very appreciative - and the small crowd still managed to generate a good atmosphere.

As with the previous night in Tavistock, there was no support act. As such, the band hit the stage at 8:30pm to a warm greeting and launched into the smooth, twinkling All Around the World. An orchestral intro had set the scene, but Rob Wilsher (keyboards) soon took over with a keyboard motif - and Luke Machin (guitar) unleashed the first of the night's many melodic guitar leads. Unsurprisingly, the setlist was the same as a previous night - but this allowed me to focus on other parts of the songs or musicians this time around. The mix in Tavistock was good, but it was arguably better last night. Both the guitar and the bass were higher in the mix - and the sound was not as vocal-dominated overall. Frontwoman Sertari was still very present in the mix, though, but the overall balance was better. As such, Machin shone brighter - and his shredded solo which came around two-thirds through All Around the World roared out of the speakers. The pulsing bass tones allowed the tougher Look to the East to sound more powerful, too, and it is clearly a song made for the stage. Machin's mix of riffing and atmospheric note choices helped the song to shine, whilst bassist and songwriter Ian Jones held everything together. Sertari has impressed since she came onboard, and she sounded great again last night - with the relatively urgent chorus bringing out a slightly tougher tone, whilst the soaring melodic folk of The Night's Dance chorus saw her operating in a more typical manner. I feel that The Night's Dance is going to be ever-present in the band's setlists going forward. It was great to see the band produce a video for it, and the song is an excellent example of the band's simpler side - whilst sacrificing none of their core sound. A few older tracks followed, with the gothic strings of Road to Cairo perfectly introducing the punchy song - with the band's new drummer (whose name I still did not catch) giving the track some extra kick. Dreamer was a fun look back to the relatively early days of the band, before an acoustic rendition of The Journey acted as a bit of a breather. There was nowhere to hide for Sertari here, but she nailed the older track vocally - and the delicate acoustic guitars from Machin and Jones formed a simple backing for her excellent voice. The lengthy Forgiven then brought the band's first set to a close, with some excellent more operatic vocals from Sertari during the mid-section - and one of Machin's best solos of the night.

Following the break, the band came back with a four song set that rounded out the material recently released on Requiem for a Dream. At the Tavistock show I think I enjoyed the first set more generally due to the diversity - but I focused more on the second set this time, and each of the four songs shone. I enjoyed Say Goodbye Tomorrow more than I did on record again, but I think it was actually Sacrifice that perhaps shone the brightest. I have liked the song from the off, but the Bristol rendition was particularly potent thanks to a punchy drum performance and an extremely spirited Sertari vocal. She is a great and diverse frontwoman, but she really owned Sacrifice - with the anthemic chorus filling the venue. It is a song that continues to get better and better for me, and it was another song in the set which shone a light on the busy keyboard playing of Wilsher. The sombre ballad Don't Forget My Name followed, and acted as the calm before the storm of what was to come. Whilst the Requiem for a Dream album is generally on the slower and smoother side, Don't Forget My Name is the only song on the album which feels like a genuine ballad from front to back. It was a great showcase for Sertarti, with the rest of the band generally filling in the gaps around her emotional delivery - with lots of atmospheric keyboards and clean guitar melodies adding to the set. Much of the second set was taken up by the epic length Requiem for a Dream and seeing the song live for a second time made it make even more sense. The song is still bedding in with me, but it certainly already feels like a Karnataka classic. Despite the song lacking a big, central guitar solo - there was still a lot for Machin to do. Him being higher in the mix ensured that his contributions were much more prominent this time - and his slide solo was one of the song's overall highlights. Karnataka are not generally known for their slide guitar additions, so Machin's solo makes the song standout somewhat - but it still contains plenty of the typical Karnataka sounds such as swirling symphonics and more delicate folk-inspired sections. The closing section is one of the album's most melodic parts, too, and Sertarti's voice filled the venue as she belted out the final chorus - and the set came to an epic and orchestral close as a result. Following a brief step off the stage, the band returned to play one more - with the ever present ballad Forsaken wowing the crowd. I think the song has been played at every Karnataka show which I have been to, and I always enjoy hearing it. It is easy to just focus on its lengthy central guitar solo, which Machin handled with ease, but the main 'song' is a real emotional moment - which Sertari again really brought to life. Machin's solo still brought the roof down, though, and the show ended on a real high again - as is typical whenever Karnataka set onto a stage. The setlist was:

All Around the World

Look to the East

The Night's Dance

Road to Cairo

Dreamer

The Journey

Forgiven

-

Say Goodbye Tomorrow

Sacrifice

Don't Forget My Name

Requiem for a Dream

-

Forsaken

Seeing the band twice in as many days certainly gave me an opportunity to really indulge in the current setlist - letting it both wash over me and be a bit more forensic. I enjoyed both shows for different reasons, and I enjoyed having the second night to focus more on what some of the musicians were specifically doing - which has given me a better overall understanding of the new material. Following the Bristol show, too, I managed to get my copy of Requiem for a Dream signed by the band - to go with my other signed Karnataka CDs. The tour carries on over the next month or so, and I wish the band well with the remaining dates - and I hope that the turnouts going forward are more akin to Tavistock than Bristol!