The Witch

Reviewed by Mr Hippy Dave
After the show at Crewe the day before, I have to admit I was expecting a lot of this, the last date on Karnataka's Autumn tour. The Point is a fantastic little venue, too - one of my favourites, if I'm quite honest - so I... [more]

Event Date: October 27, 2008
Event Venue: The Point Cardiff

Reviewed by Mr Hippy Dave
After the show at Crewe the day before, I have to admit I was expecting a lot of this, the last date on Karnataka's Autumn tour. The Point is a fantastic little venue, too - one of my favourites, if I'm quite honest - so I was in a great mood from the moment I walked through the doors. Perhaps this all coloured my thoughts on the show, but for me this was definitely the best I've seen the band since the fracturing of the original line-up.

Clearly there was something in the air. Perhaps it was merely the absence of the technical issues that had dogged the band's set at Crewe, perhaps it was because the show probably qualified as a 'homecoming' gig for Welsh Karnataka founder member Ian Jones, perhaps the band just sensed the positivity being broadcast loud and clear by the small but hugely appreciative crowd... perhaps it was a combination of all these things, but it was clear as soon as the band took the stage and launched into a very powerful and assured rendition of the new instrumental track State Of Grace that they were out to make a point. I had very much enjoyed the band's 2007 tour (which they mounted with a different drummer and no backing vocalist), but this was quite evidently a whole new band, not in terms of personnel, but in their attitude and self-belief. There was a very different vibe coming off the stage: it reminded me instantly of the feel-good up-and-at-'em vibe of the best shows by the original line-up - and there's no more fulsome praise than that.

The whole show was simply a string of highlights. The new material was every bit as impressive as it had been at Crewe; more so, in fact, since the technical issues that had affected that show were entirely absent here, meaning that State Of Grace and Your World (the two tracks most affected by the problems at Crewe) sounded even more convincing and powerful than ever. In fact, Your World is such a memorable and contemporary-sounding song that I'm surprised the band haven't picked it out as their forthcoming single (having opted for the beautiful but perhaps less immediate Moment In Time), with a chorus as addictive as crack cocaine. It was quite evident that vocalists Lisa and Philippa love performing it, too. All seven new tracks were a real treat, particularly the passionate Moment In Time, the aforementioned Your World and the fabulous The Gathering Light, clearly a fan favourite in the making.

That's not to say that the older material suffered by comparison, though. Whilst it lacked a little of the variety of the new material, there's no arguing with the widescreen drama of songs like After The Rain and The Journey, the epic celtic rock of The Storm, or the effortlessly moving and highly emotive balladry of Heaven Can Wait or the sublime I Should Have Known (back in the set after the unexpected substitution with The Right Time for the Crewe gig). The current line-up really have reclaimed these songs - their performances of some of them (notably the songs from the Delicate Flame Of Desire album, for some reason) were rather tentative on the 2007, but on this tour the band's performances of these back catalogue favourites was nothing less than stellar. Perhaps this, more than anything else, is indicative of the band's growing confidence in their own ability to do the material justice. Particularly impressive tonight were the renditions of Time Stands Still, which has never rocked harder; I Should Have Known, which possessed an electricity that I've seldom heard it equal before; and an absolutely blinding, show-stopping performance of The Journey, a simply stunning rendition that even Sirius-era Clannad would have envied.

The regular encore of The Serpent & The Sea brought things to a close with some style - initially probably my least favourite of the new songs, repeated live performances have brought out the strength of the sea shanty-style melody and a lyric I can really identify with. By now the crowd were well and truly won over, if they hadn't been already, and as the band took their traditional stage-front ensemble bow, it was evident from the wide smiles and laughter that the band were well aware that they've taken a giant leap forward with this string of dates. At the end of the day, it's been over 4 years now since the dissolution of the original line-up, and the new-look band have essentially had to re-construct an audience from scratch, a challenge which they've risen to with real style and a commednable can-do attitude. On this form, the sky really is the limit!

Roll On 2009 for the release of the new album "The Gathering Light" With a bigger UK tour and some festival appearances to follow! [less]