Sundara Karma rocked in to Liverpool for their biggest headline show to date, fresh off the back of a highly accomplished debut album: you know, the one with long, yet deep, title: Youth Is Only Ever Fun In Retrospect. If that were true then virtually everybody in the sell-out, mainly 14 (12??)-18 year old,  O2 Academy crowd must have had a miserable time.  When I arrived half an hour before opening there was a seemingly endless line of about two hundred excitable representatives of “youth,” all desperate to be first in and to be crushed on the barrier or in the bruise-pit. One girl ran alongside the expectant queue, waving a large bottle of vodka, shouting “Free shots!” to her peers. I got the distinct impression that youth can be fun without the requirement of middle age to enhance the faded colours.

The place filled up really quickly and first support,  The Night Café -they supported Sundara Karma last year at the Arts Club-got a rapturous home crowd welcome. A local band with a unique opportunity to play in their own city to a huge audience. Lead singer, Sean, with a Luke Pritchard curly mop, admitted his excitement at playing here, but confessed likewise, “I ain’t half shitting myself.” It was not surprising but it didn’t show in what was a highly accomplished and energetic performance. In a cute moment at the end of the set, he returned onstage to take a photo of the audience- to show to his grandchildren, maybe, when he will appreciate the fun of his youth.  The band remind me of other bands such as Swim Deep, the Kooks, and there is guitar and vocal work similar to Viola Beach. Make no mistake, this wasn’t an unknown first support band. They had their own fans in abundance. There were girls on shoulders singing along enthusiastically to the words of Together. “We’re like family. We should stay together.”  This song epitomises the camaraderie of being in a band. “It’s the time we spend together that makes us such good friends.” There was some great wahwah guitar leading in to Addicted. The girls carried on singing. The sardines on the balcony looked down on the hoardes below. Hands were raised everywhere you looked. Clapping. Bouncing to the rhythm. Dynamics. Screams as the music slowed. And it ended as soon as it began. No wonder we heard this: “Nice one. Youse are fucking sick!” If you missed this promising young band, then catch them again at the O2 Academy on 5^th May.

The Night Cafe

Next on were Hampshire three piece, Blaenavon (Blaeners), Frank sporting a “Vinyl Matters” tee and Ben a retro tweed jacket that only lasted till the end of the first song. These two treated the audience to a highly energetic, synchronised, flailing warm up dance that served its purpose and drew the fans in to their world, Blaenersville. There is much angst in the songs and second song, Let’s Pray (for death) sounds like it comes straight from Morrisey’s pen. Anyone caught napping-though how could you in this highly charged atmosphere-would surely have woken up as Ben exclaimed, “There’s so much blood.” The banter was top notch: “We’re going to do a new song. Fuck it, no. We’re going to do an old one that’s really requested.” Cue Into the Night, with another deep, perceptive lyric à la Smiths, including the thought-provoking “all that remains is an emptier hole.” The song also showcased Frank’s bass prowess during a great break in the middle. For just three young guys they produce a sound that is ultimately fuller and richer and heavier than many bands twice their size. After paying homage to Sundara Karma and the Night Café they launched into   “My Bark is Your Bite” which has a very catchy opening guitar riff and highlighted a searing guitar solo. In I Will Be The World the gentle beginning lulls you into a false sense of security before you are assaulted by a  maelstrom of drums, bass, and fuzzy, sustained guitar, plus some crazy work by the lighting guy. Rock n’roll. They played just seven songs altogether. This was easily good enough to have been the headline part of the show. Luckily they will be back for more at Studio 2 on 4^th April, supported by another great band, Anteros.

Blaenavon

 

I will come to the headliners in a minute but there was a bizarre period of fill-in music as they got ready. You expect to hear music of the same genre as the bands you are seeing. This was anything but that. We had Kylie, Billy Joel, a little bit of Erica and a little bit of all the other girls of Mambo No. 5. As if this didn’t stop me in my tracks enough, what was more amazing was that the massed teenage hoardes started singing along to the songs and appeared to know every word. There again, Sundara Karma did cover Lionel Richie’s All Night Long later in the evening, so maybe there is a call for old n’ cheesies. Huge red and yellow balloons flew through the air to the refrain of Gwen Stefani’s Hollaback Girl, one of them exploding into a multitude of cheers. This was clearly all about the experience and not just the music. It was an audiovisual feast, only accentuated further by the arrival on stage of the band, and the photogenic and charismatic frontman. For the best part of the next hour the band, who already have too much class material for a show this size, went through the majority of songs from their recent debut album, along with older songs such as Flame and Indigo Puff. I’m sure all those young girls singing, “You’re the one, you’re the one…” believed that Oscar had heard their heart cry. Every song was received with a great deal of excitement. Perhaps the song from the album which seems to have most taken off is She Said, which people were still singing outside afterwards. It’s a great comeback anthem for girls who want to go out and dance and have fun and not be out chasing boys. Boys in convoy take note: girls you meet on nights out are not fair game.

Sundara Karma

As has been said so many times before, Sundara Karma are like an oven-ready chicken. The preparation has all been done. They’ve been clipped, trimmed and seasoned and are well and truly stuffed with great songs. This is a stadium-ready band, stuffed to the brim with heady, hollalong anthems. This was their biggest headline show to date but it will be by no means the biggest they ever play. Hopefully they are not too busy to enjoy their youth now and will not have to wait for times of retrospect to take in the rollercoaster.

Words and poor quality iPhone pics by Si ©Cre8ivation