Karnataka

Oran Mor, Glasgow, 20/11/2024

 Karnataka, Sertari, singer, Luke Machin, guitar, Ian Jones, bass, Rob Wilsher, piano and keyboards, Jack Summerfield 

 On a freezing November night in Glasgow, 70 plus souls braved the frigid weather to make their way to Oran Mor, on Glasgow’s Byres Road, where the prog band Karnataka were playing. Of all the things I didn’t expect that night was to describe it as giving Three Bears vibes - The venue not too hot, not too cold. Not too loud, nor too quiet. The music not too difficult and challenging, nor too soporific; not too prog, not too metal. Throw in the visual spice of the captivating singer Sertari and guitarist Luke Machin, who clearly was enjoying using his hair to best effect when headbanging, and stage lighting that captivated the imagination (was that the keyboardist in the back or an evil genius wreathed in smoke?), it was easy to see the draw of both the band and the venue. Ian Jones on bass, Rob Wilshire on keyboards and piano, and Jack Summerfield completed the quintet on stage.  

The band ran into technical difficulties just as they were starting, but the bassist Ian turned the small hitch into an opportunity to chat with the audience, setting a friendly, welcoming energy between band and their supporters. An energy that continued through the performance when Karnataka would stop to introduce songs in a relaxed, welcoming and personable way, creating the feeling of being accessible to their audience. It was clear they are musicians and performers in their element - commanding a stage seemed second nature to them all. 

Never having heard Karnataka before, the first third of the songs had the feel of familiar crowd favourites - heads were nodding in time to the music, arms raised from time to time in joy, bodies warming up and moving; however, singer Sertari really started to shine with the song ‘Sacrifice’. She has a powerful range of voice which blossomed, and her use of dynamics was attention grabbing as her strong projection mixed with soft oscillations. It was also very clear that she thrives with the stronger, more theatrical songs in the line-up. When the music demanded more of her voice, more of her expressive choreography, she delivered effortlessly. It would have been pure delight if she had more of these intense, vocally challenging songs to bring her talents to.  

There was an effort made to bring in a bit of stylistic diversity by including one of the band’s early songs, which will be 25 years old in 2025, and was a refreshing change. With a somewhat slower tempo it was clearly in keeping with the style of the band as it is now, yet offered a noticeably different register of song. It showcased Sertari’s range well and gave a more peaceful interlude as if the song itself were modulation in the dynamics of the performance. 

The finale, ‘Requiem for a Dream’ was another piece which brought in more musical diversity to the performance with its change of time signature (⅞ rather than the standard 4/4). Though at 25 minutes long it struggled to keep up the intensity and creative interest generated in the first half of the song. There was a point in the middle of the song in which it died down, nearly completely, with Sertari using the microphone against her chest to create a visceral heartbeat. A poignant stillness. A stillness in which the audience was left to absorb all the artistry that had come before… and could have been the end. But it was a stillness that did not last. 

That said, the guitar solo at the very end was a long awaited delight, as Luke Machin finally explored a much larger range of both his and the instrument’s capabilities. The technique and musicianship were commendable, and there was certainly room for him to be given more space to shine. Machin’s quality is a match for Sertari’s, and while it would be nearly impossible to match her commanding visual presence, Karnataka could have some great, creative fun upping the intensity and dynamics with the pair of them. They also have the talent to further explore different time signatures to the classic 4/4 which characterized their performance, as well as how their music could expand into various areas of Metal.

Photo credit: Nadir Khan