Anyone remember Kula Shaker?

[Rufus]

Crispian Mills and co hit the road in February – hear hint of upcoming release
Kula Shaker have announced a 2016 tour and released a teaser for an upcoming album.

The English group's fifth album – the follow-up to 2010's Pilgrims Progress – is expected soon, although no official title or release date has been confirmed. A teaser clip can be viewed below.

Crispian Mills and co will hit the road in February, starting with shows in Glasgow, Manchester and London before dates across Europe. They say: "The time has come. Kula Shaker have finally emerged from the silence and mark their return with live dates throughout the UK and beyond."

Tickets for the UK dates go on sale tomorrow (October 2) at 9am.

KULA SHAKER LIVE 2016
Feb 15: Glasgow Oran More, UK
Feb 16: Manchester Ritz, UK
Feb 17: London Roundhouse, UK
Feb 18: Brussels AB Club, Belgium
Feb 20: Paris Gonzai, France
Feb 21: Amsterdam Paradiso, Netherlands
Feb 22: Berlin Heimathafen, Germany
Feb 23: Munich Freiheiz, Germany
Feb 25: Milan Alcatraz, Italy
Feb 26: Rome Orion Club, Italy
Mar 03: Moscow Yotaspace, Russia
Mar 04: St Petersburg Glavclub, Russia

[martiprog]

Good band, but I saw them live just as they released their 2nd album and their set was around 35/40 minutes long! If anyone has seen them more recently and can confirm that they'll actually play a decent length set, I'd be tempted to go see them on this tour.

[spacefreak]

I'm one of the very, very few that haven't forgotten them and own all their 4 albums. Their first two are fantastic, and I also liked the change of direction towards a more folkier/psych they took with the Pilgrims Progress album. Strangefolk was OK but not that memorable i.mo. Peasants Pigs and Astronauts is the best album they ever did, a lost retro-rock treasure.

I'll try to list some reasons for their abrupt disappearence. Their first two albums showed enormous potential but at a time when playing retro 60s/70s stuff was extremely underground, it was uncool to like them (regardless the fact that "Govinda" was a mega-hit). Several critics hated the first two albums as being too derivative of 60s and 70s rock; had they come out today, they might be embraced along with Tame Impala and Temples. In hindsight, the the overexposure of the Indian influence was their strength and weakness. It may have got them some attention but also was somewhat very gimmicky. Plus the fact that in a trendy England guitar bands were out of favour by 1999, selling far less with any subsequent release. They were in the post-britpop and pre-Coldplay/Strokes gap. A lost era.

Additionally, the main reason behind their quick fade-out is linked, I think, to Crispian Mills personality. A polarizing figure. The ruthless mainstream British music press killed this band and Mills gave them all the weapons they needed. Flirting with swastikas and coming off as a clueless upper-class hippie twit, certainly didn't help.

Last but not least, the reunion record Strangefolk paled compared to the first two, as I foretold and missed the opportunity to revitalise any interest.

[snowsnow]

I also loved their first 2 albums - though I can understand the derivative complaint.

Another vote for the wonderful Peasants Pigs and Astronauts as their best. I liked the NME's review of this album on its release calling it nonsense but enjoyable nonsense.

[Sunlight Caller]

Additionally, the main reason behind their quick fade-out is linked, I think, to Crispian Mills personality. A polarizing figure. The ruthless mainstream British music press killed this band and Mills gave them all the weapons they needed. Flirting with swastikas and coming off as a clueless upper-class hippie twit, certainly didn't help.

100% the main reason, he was pilloried by the UK music press, and mostly it was a class warfare attack, resenting his background of privilege.

I only have the first album, which I really enjoyed at the time, but never followed through on subsequent releases, but I feel I must listen to the second one especially. I saw them live once, at an outdoor festival and they were pretty enjoyable.

[lovecraft]

Caught them live a couple of times but outside of the singles did not really have the compositional chops to maintain my interest. A fun idea but thats all.....IMO.

[spacefreak]

I feel I must listen to the second one especially.

I think you'll be rewarded. Especially if you 're an admirer of the Crazy World of Arthur Brown and late 60s-early 70s UK psych gone proto-prog. A very underrated album.

[Sunlight Caller]

I think you'll be rewarded. Especially if you 're an admirer of the Crazy World of Arthur Brown and late 60s-early 70s UK psych gone proto-prog. A very underrated album.

That's good enough for me, thank you for the recommendation, I just grabbed the penultimate copy on Amazon, looking forwards to blasting this out.