The show we thought was never going to happen finally happened as Kula Shaker made a stop at Chicago’s Bottom Lounge.
Regardless of the smaller-than-expected crowd, Kula Shaker put on a performance worthy of a sold-out room. Crispian Mills proved once again that he was born to be the frontman of a band. While this was a relatively chilled evening, Crispian was a ball of energy the moment he stepped out onto the stage. Along with the voice, which sounds exactly the same now as it did when they first appeared on the scene, Mills is an underestimated guitarist, as he proved when he would let rip.
It’s impressive after all of this time, that all four original band members are still touring together. Paul Winterhart may have been difficult to see at the back of the stage, in the shadows, but he certainly made his presence known. Alonza Bevan on bass was completely in sync with Winterhart. Jay Darlington, who had a prime position up front, often looked lost in the music.
Despite Crispian bringing the energy on stage, this was a very chilled-out and mellow affair, in all of the best ways. This wasn’t a huge production show, and it didn’t need to be, but what they did do was extremely effective. Instead of your typical stage and spotlights, a psychedelic sea of lights was projected from the back of the room. The light danced across the top of the audience, across the ceiling, and down across the stage, bathing the band in an almost tie-dye effect. While it wasn’t always easy to see all members of the band all of the time, it was a very cool, unusual, and fun effect.
Just hours before the show, it was announced that they would be releasing their latest album, Wormslayer, on January 30. They also released a single from it, “Good Money,” which they performed for the Chicago crowd. It was exactly 29 years to the day since the release of K, and the setlist was heavily dominated by songs from the hit album. They included “Hey Dude,” “Govinda,” “Tattva,” and “Hush.”
This headlining North American tour consists of just five dates ahead of them joining The Dandy Warhols for a further 10 dates stateside. The Chicago show marked the kickoff for their headlining shows.
There’s definitely something in the air at the moment, with the influx of British 90s bands touring the US recently. Oasis, Supergrass, and now Kula Shaker, to name just a few. Here’s hoping there’ll be more to come, too!
