Karnataka - Tavistock Review

Seeing how active the Welsh progressive/symphonic rock band Karnataka have been over the past year or so has really brought them back to the forefront of my mind. Whilst their latest rebirth was halted due to the pandemic, the New Dawn Rising tour last year saw the band's first live activity since 2017 - and it also saw them debuting three new songs, all of which appeared on Requiem for a Dream which was released into the world properly back in July. I think it is fair to say that the New Dawn Rising tour was not exactly a perfect experience, but it certainly showed that the latest incarnation of Karnataka had plenty of promise. Much of the tour was played without a keyboard player, due to Gonzalo Carrera's surprise departure after the first show, and this certainly hampered the band's performances. They soldiered on though, relying on pre-recorded keyboards, and the reaction to the shows and the new songs were largely positive. I think that people assumed there would be better to come, though, and following the tour's conclusion the band hunkered down and finished Requiem for a Dream - which has been well-received by the band's fanbase over the past few months. It is clear that the band really want the album to be a success, too. The New Dawn Rising tour was pretty extensive, and another extensive tour has is planned over the next couple of months to bring the new material to the fans. The band also filmed their first ever music video for one of the new tracks - so they are doing all they can to reach a new audience and make as big a success of Requiem for a Dream as they can. Karnataka are a band whom I will see on every tour assuming that I am able to, so as soon as a date at The Wharf in Tavistock was announced I picked up a ticket for the show. I have seen Karnataka at various venues, but saw them for the first time at The Wharf back in 2012. I also saw them at The Wharf last year, so it was great to see the band return just over a year later. The Wharf is a great venue, and shows there are always a good experience. The PA system in the venue is great, and the stage is a good size which allows bands to really stretch out. Tavistock is always a nice place to visit, too, and as the weather was good I enjoyed a couple of drinks in the venue's courtyard area by the canal following an excellent curry at a local Indian. Karnataka have never attracted the largest of crowds to The Wharf, but they clearly attract enough to make the trip to Devon worth their while. The venue seemed a bit fuller than usual, though, which was good to see - and this meant that the atmosphere was great throughout, with near-silence from the crowd during the songs and plenty of cheering and applause at appropriate times.

As is generally the case with Karnataka shows there was no support act, so the band took to the stage at 8:30pm following a lengthy orchestral intro tape. The setlist was very forward-looking, and all eight songs from Requiem for a Dream were played throughout the night's two sets - with a handful of older tracks filling the evening out. Three of the new songs were rolled out to the crowd from the off, with the album's opener All Around the World getting things off to a great start. Now with a keyboard player in the form of Rob Wilsher, as well as a new drummer whose name I didn't catch, the band were firing on all cylinders from the off - and it was clear that this show was going to be a step up from last year's efforts. Frontwoman Sertari's voice was high in the mix, and she powered through the whole set with ease - and was very much the focal point throughout. Luke Machin (guitar) occasionally took the spotlight thanks to some excellent solos, but generally the set was very vocal-focused and atmospheric - and the symphonics of All Around the World filled the venue. The tougher Look to the East continued the symphonic rock vibes, but also introduced some crunch. Machin's guitar and the bass playing of Ian Jones drove the track, and Machin found time to include a few pretty knotty and shredded leads. Despite knowing of his talents, I was unconvinced by Machin within the context of Karnataka last year, but this time he felt right at home. His soloing throughout was excellent, and he just seemed much more settled overall. Having a live keyboard player to play off likely helped, but I also feel like he now has a better understanding of the band's overall vibe. A few choice leads also were found during the poppier single The Night's Dance, but this was a song which showcased the keyboard and piano playing of Wilsher - whilst the hooky chorus was belted out with real power by Sertari. Three songs in, and the set was already a winner - but the crowd were about to be taken back in time for a trio of older cuts to spice things up. The harder rock of Road to Cairo returned to the vibe established earlier on Look to the East, but an early highlight for me was an up-tempo rendition of Dreamer - the first of two songs from 2000's The Storm played. I had not seen the band play Dreamer live before - as I sadly could not make any of the shows on the 2016 tour when it was last played. The poppy song has always been one of my favourites from The Storm, and it was followed up by a fan-favourite from the same album in the form of The Journey. I saw the band play the song a few times in 2012, but I do not think that it has been featured in the setlist since - and this time the song was played in a fully acoustic manner, with Sertari accompanied only by Machin and Jones on acoustic guitars. The song worked well in such a gentle arrangement, though, but the band's bigger sound soon returned as an excellent rendition of Forgiven brought the first set to a close - with a big solo from Machin showcasing his talents.

Following a 20 minute break, the band came back for a second set which was entirely made up of songs from the new album. The second set only consisted of four songs, but no-one went away feeling short-changed given that one of the four was the album's lengthy title track. The only slightly weaker track on the new album, in my opinion, Say Goodbye Tomorrow opened the second set - but the song came across live stronger than it does on the album. In my recent review of the album I said that I did not feel that the song's chorus was all that powerful, especially compared to some of the others on the album, but live the chorus felt a lot more melodic. The whole song just seemed to have more of a punch to it overall, too, so it may well be that it still has a chance to grow on me further. The piano-led Sacrifice followed, and it was the track in the second set which showcased the band's poppy side in the biggest light. The song's chorus is another big one, and the band powered through the emotionally-charged piece perfectly - with Wilsher again getting plenty of time in the spotlight thanks to his piano playing. The slow-burning ballad Don't Forget My Name acted as a bit of a breather between the melodic feast which preceded it and the epic track which was to follow. The song is another strong one in its own right, though, and it was one of the set's more atmospheric moments - with some sombre vocals from Sertari and plenty of keyboard depth from Wilsher. It was left to the 25 minute long Requiem for a Dream to finish out the main set, and, of course, it was easily the most impressive song of the night. Due to its length, it is not a song which has fully bedded in with me yet - but there are a lot of memorable sections throughout, and it came across well live despite its complexity. Sertari showcased a lot of vocal diversity during the piece, whilst the folkier side of the band was also shown thanks to Troy Donockley's additions played over the PA during the appropriate moments. Brief moments of smouldering lead guitar and walls of strings filled out the varied song - but the overall highlight for me was the busy instrumental section towards the end which featured some excellent drum barrages as well as some lead bass playing from Jones. The melodic closing section was an excellent way to close out the set, too, and there were huge cheers when the song came to a close and the band walked off the stage. There was time for one more, though, and the ever-present ballad Forsaken worked well as an encore. Sertari and Wilsher were spotlighted during the song's opening and closing sections, with the mid-section turning over to Machin for his longest and best solo of the night. The song has always been a great showcase for guitarists, and Machin really stepped up to the plate here - bringing the great show to a melodic and fluid close. The setlist was:

All Around the World

Look to the East

The Night's Dance

Road to Cairo

Dreamer

The Journey

Forgiven

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Say Goodbye Tomorrow

Sacrifice

Don't Forget My Name

Requiem for a Dream

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Forsaken

Having been a big Karnataka fan for over a decade at this point, it was great to see the band back to their full power again last night - and having the confidence to play all of the new album in the set. Given that it was the current line-up's second only show, there was little sign of nerves - and there was a real confidence coming from the stage throughout the night. Given the performance last night in Tavistock, I am sure that the rest of the tour will be a success for the band - and I am already looking forward to seeing them again tonight in Bristol, as I have decided to see the band twice in two days due to other plans making doing so make sense.