Who are Kula Shaker, you ask? Well, I'm guessing you weren't an indie/rock kid during the 90s, then.
Kula Shaker are a band from London, UK, fronted by Crispian Mills, son of award winning actress Hayley Mills and director Roy Boulting, who had great success in the late 90s with their throwback Indian inspired psychedelic rock. I was quite into them as a pre-teen, having liked their classics such as the more Indian influenced Tattva and Govinda and the more classic rock songs Grateful When You're Dead, Hey Dude and their cover of Deep Purple's Hush (although admittedly unaware for a while that it was a cover). The band split in 1999 but came back in the mid '00s. I'm actually pretty sure I won tickets to and went to see them at the ICA in London but it's all a bit hazy. 2016 sees the release of their long awaited 5th album, entitled K 2.0, in honour of their massive debut, K. The band have treated fans to a new track, Infinite Sun. Whereas the Indian influence was a little lost in later records, it seems to be back, as Infinite Sun uses sitars and chanting as well as pure rock to create a catchy song which harks back to the band's old sound. From this song alone, the new album sounds promising. Kula Shaker might still be playing a style which can be considered dated by some, but good music is good music!
The first time I ever saw either of these two bands was, funnily enough, also at a show they played together. It was some special event at a skate park in Tel Aviv. I had never seen or really even heard of these two bands before but I went along and even filmed part of both their sets. From thereon in, I've been quite a dedicated follower of both bands. Tonight, the two band's reunite to celebrate the Knee Please's debut album, Where's Ma Money.
The Great Machine
These stoners don't get enough recognition. The Great Machine are a band formed by two brothers, Aviran (bass/vocals) and Omer (guitar/vocals), who, at different points over the last few years, have also owned a venue and a rehearsal space. Many tend to class their music as "stoner", whereas others may say "psychedelic". In a way, their repertoire has consisted of a bit of both. Instead of the stage, the band are placed in a sort of triangle pattern on the dance floor. Although this makes dancing a little bit more difficult for onlookers, this is the way this kind of band should be playing. It makes it easier to focus on what everyone in the band is doing. Previously, they have been known to perform with female vocalist, Noga Shalev, whose enticing vocals made their sound go a little trippy at times. She seems to no longer be part of the band, resulting in the brothers and drummer Michael playing a heavier, more stoner and sludge influenced set. There's the odd song that I recognise from other shows, but the rest are either album tracks that I don't know or brand new songs. Either way, there is a fair bit of head banging as the trio rock out. Most of the time, Aviran's mic seems far too quiet and he is really only audible in parts of the song where he sings/talks over silence. Personally, it doesn't make that much of a difference as they could easily work just as well as a totally instrumental band. Vocals aside, the sound is fairly good and their playing over all is highly energetic and on point. I was entertained tonight. However, there was a point where I was so sure they were on a new song but they ended up doing the same bit from a good 3 minutes earlier. So this is either quite a progressive song or they added it in to confuse us. 3.5/5
Knees Please
The first time I saw this band play the skate park, they were a duo called Tape&Rape, a name which actually stuck until some months back, even after becoming a three-piece. Knees Please are essentially still the same band as back then, Alex (guitar/vocals) and David (drums), with a good amount of the same songs only with slight changes here and there. Bassist, Ben (Zaga Zaga), actually plays his last show with the band tonight and will be replaced by another Ben. The band prepare themselves in the same three pointed set-up as The Great Machine as more people start flooding in. After a few welcomes and stoned banter from Alex, the band kick off their set with album opener, Shit Back. This is a good example of the band's early grunge influences a la Melvins and Bleach era Nirvana; being all quiet one moment and then simply exploding into some very low and heavy riffs. Despite it's title, it lyrically comes off as one of the most serious and relatable songs they have. The band pretty much continues playing the whole of recently released debut, Where's Ma Money, in full, including other weirdly titled songs like I Came Blood and Sweaty Chicken in Ma Pants. Both songs are from the band's early days and also use that heavy grunge sound. I Came Blood has always been one of those songs that has lyrically made me go, "What on earth is this about?", as Alex seems to be describing a visit to the doctors because of bleeding genitalia. However, the lyrical content is so memorable that it get's people mouthing along. Sweaty Chicken.. still has Alex's mouth trumpet solo, which now works even better over their thicker and fuller sound. I would have loved to have seen someone actually turn up tonight with an actual trumpet... Other tracks from the album and the set that come from the Tape&Rape days include Ceiling, Mine and album closer Vacation. Ceiling is probably one of the band's most famous and popular songs, as drummer David pleases people everywhere by giving us "more cowbell" in both the intro. The song is pretty much how it used to be only with some lyrics changed. The song's groove has everyone in the place moving, whether it is just nodding their heads or fully dancing their socks off. Mine, originally "King Of The Garbage", has also had a bit of facelift, with some edited lyrics and added parts. The chorus still has that epic "I'm king of the wooorrld.." line, which gives the song the potential of being quite a hit if they ever get the right publicity.
Songs like Motherboard, Sleepy Time and I Lie are what I consider the highlights of the album and their set. New bassist, Ben (Belial), joins the band for Motherboard, a song I had never heard before listening to the album, despite apparently being an old one. Like with Ceiling, it has the most ridiculously cool groove that I had to bust some sort of move. After grooving in the intro, the band then plays a lot of heavy synchronised "stabs", which on first listen sounded sort of lazy and unimaginative but when played live, it makes you want to break stuff. Sleepy Time is a tune I recognise from previous shows, because I always mistook the intro for that of Teenage Kicks, only played in a slightly different rhythm. The song throughout has a bit of a swing to it, which is refreshing compared to the rest. I Lie is almost the band's quintessential grunge track, based on a steady rock beat but freaking out with an explosive chorus. It has an QOTSA feel to it; you can imagine yourself driving 100mph down a motorway in an open top car to this. In their set, the band also plays some brand new songs not on the record, such as Muddy, Barry The Lizard,The Sun and Go In Piss. Barry The Lizard especially stands out, with Alex's crazy vocals jumping along with the bouncy rhythm. There seems to be more of a sludge feel in the newer ones which makes the wait for the next album more exciting. After about an hour of rocking out, the band finish, all sweaty and tuckered, as the crowd beg for more. Ben bows out gracefully but the original 2 members take us back to their Tape&Rape days with We Said and its infectious "La la la-la" chorus. This was a nice way to end a set, showing how far they've come and that what they were is still a big part of who they are. I've got a lot of love for Knees Please, especially as a live band. Although the album still has some great heavy stuff to rock out to, there are songs that sound a little bit too similar. For example, Sleepy Time and Mine have the same starting chords, making the latter sound like an extension of the former, especially on record. This could have been done to create some sort of underlining theme, but on first listen sounds sort of lazy. The quiet-loud-quiet method also seems a little bit overdone here, despite it's proven effectiveness for decades. If you like bands like Melvins, The Jesus Lizard and even Helmet, check out these guys some time. Live: 4/5 Where's Ma Money?: 3/5
Tonight, I come back to Koro to check out some bands I haven't seen before for an event entitled Happy Slayer Day, despite not really having any connection to Slayer. It is actually a mixed bag, featuring some death metal, rock and roll and fairly more traditional punk rock. I'm going to keep this as short a review as possible.
Sadistikus
Sadistikus are a (seemingly) young band from somewhere around these parts who play blasting death metal. They, of course, all have amazing hair and have donned death metal t-shirts for tonight's performance; nothing new there. The actual songs have impressively heavy riffs and generally had me and many others headbanging. Most of the band seem pretty static, which is a bit of a let down. However, I guess, when the music is this heavy, you don't really need to move. I did worry about the drummer, though. Poor bugger! Have any of you tried playing blast beats over and over again? You have to be strong for that kind of thing. I can't do it. Unfortunately, I could see the effect it was having on the drummer, as he sometimes fell out of time and even had to stop and get back into the song at some points. That aside, I was actually disappointed their set was short. I was into it. 3/5
The Turbans
Now we get to the rock and rolllll!! The Turbans are a trio from Jerusalem, consisting of two guitarists, Eyal and Gilad, and drummer Yadin. They are one of those bands whose name I have heard and seen listed for shows but I have somehow not seem them yet. I'm glad to have finally managed to watch them because they scratch that little psychedelic rock itch I get from time to time. The band have an interesting stage presence. The two guitarists actually place themselves in front of the stage, with Gilad having his pedals and tiny keyboard on a stand next to him. Both guitarists sing (although Eyal seems to be the lead) as Yadin, from his spot on stage, does some simple yet perfectly impactful drumming.
The songs themselves run in the psychedelic garage rock vein, with good usage of cool melodies, grooves, noises and joyous dual vocals. They're one of those bands your parents could definitely dance to. In fact, a part of me would have really liked to have bust a move but I think a lot of us there (which wasn't very many) felt restricted due to the band being "in our area". But that's more our problem than theirs. I've seen footage of hardcore shows where the crowd is "moshing" right in front of the band and even knocking into them....but everyone's having a blast! It shouldn't really be a problem. Despite not really knowing the words, I have had the melody of their song entitled I Should Have Known in my head ever since the show. That's a sign of a good song. 4/5
Hayehudonim (The Yids)
Whether it's a playful take on the more popular Israeli band Hayehudim (The Jews) or simply a something that sprung to mind, you got to hand it to Hayehudonim on their name choice. This is another band whose name I have come across, although I am actually not too sure if I have seen them before.
Some of the songs in the set sounded quite familiar. They play very fuzzy and distorted rock and roll. (That's not just the sound tonight, it's how they sound on record too.) Compared to the rest of the bands and even crowd tonight, Hayehudonim seem to be of an older generation. The drummer, who looks like a more muscly and tattooed version of well known actor and Simpsons cast member Hank Azaria, isn't the best drummer I have ever seen or heard. His playing seems very stiff at times and he drops his sticks on occasion. The rest are also not all that impressive, but what they lack in technical ability they make up for in pure energy. Although still pretty static, everyone is playing like their lives depended on it as the vocalist uses his full lung capacity to project his venom, as echoey and inaudible as it may be.
Hayehudonim have been around for many years, as is seen by a few people here tonight singing along. Unfortunately, being veterans does not always mean that you're the best. That said, I have checked them out on record and it sounds a whole lot better. The songs are there, it was just an awkward performance. 3/5 Special thanks to Aviv Liplis Hadar on the use of his camera which is a good deal better than mine.
Arriving a little bit late to the show (which i genuinely didn't think was possible for an underground Israeli show), I was told by those at the door that the band Mongar had just started. I had no previous idea who Mongar are. I could have checked, done a bit of research, watch the videos that were posted on the event page....but I tend to not do that so much anymore. Not for a brand new band. I like to be surprised and just see how well they can hold my attention in person. As I enter the stage area, I see a 2 man act on stage; a guitarist with a pedal board and a laptop and a drummer listening through headphones. I have definitely seen the guitarist around. Always assumed he was a German tourist or maybe a German volunteer living out here. Definitely looks German. Anyway.... I digress. The music these guys play is experimental instrumental rock. They swerve in and out of being more in the vein of 65daysofstatic to heavier vibes not too dissimilar to Lightning Bolt or even Animals As Leaders....only with less musical masturbation. Obvious instrumental bands references aside, there are moments that sound Tool-esque in timbre, and although I am not a massive fan of Tool, I admire the musicianship. Mongar as a team are absolutely flawless. Their laptop seems to be utilised as their metronome and providing backing tracks. The guitarist is relying on the drummer to keep time with the whole track and he doesn't disappoint. The drummer is absolutely incredible. He isn't just playing standard experimental jazz beats that you would expect in something like this, but he plays my favourite beats to play; Drum n Bass beats. I love just about anything that uses dance/dnb/jungle/sometimes even dubstep style rhythms into primarily more rock orientated songs. That is what truly classes as "experimental". When you bring different things to the table. These guys had me tapping my feet, nodding my head and in total awe of their playing, their melodies, their beats and their overall creativity. 4.5/5
Zaga Zaga
What can I say about Zaga Zaga? They're just bloody nuts. They like wearing smart shirts when they perform. Nothing wrong with that. Tonight, they have made and hand drawn their own banner which they tape to the back wall. Nothing wrong with that either. Their music, on the other hand, is just barmy. Including members of Mad Choice, Knees Please (ex-Tape&Rape) and whatever else the drummer might be in (haha), these guys play something quite different to their other bands. They themselves don't even really know how to describe it.
Basically, if you ever liked The Locust or early DEP, you will like Zaga Zaga. They are a punk band, essentially, who just happen to play totally fucked up hardcore. The songs are really short and played really fast, apart from their opener which has an epic beginning where they are all shouting together. Every member gets to do vocals. Everyone. Sometimes in other bands, the drummer won't want to sing, sometimes the bassist doesn't. In this case, everyone is the frontman. This adds to their intensity and the enjoyment of watching them. They feel the music they play too. What's the point in playing music this chaotic and energetic without flapping about like a fish out of water? It took me a while to really appreciate this band from when I first saw them live, but I have begun to enjoy them for the mentalists that they are. 4/5
Megason
Tonight's show at the Koro finishes with psychedelic stoner rockers Megason. I have seen these guys a few times before....but seem to always forget that I did. I don't know if it was because I was quite tired or because I wasn't really in the mood for this kind of thing, but it didn't really do anything for me tonight. They are great musicians and their music is enjoyable to listen to, but when watching them live, there's nothing memorable about them. Maybe I just need to get more used to their material and watch them live a few more times to really appreciate them. 3/5
