What’s the first thing that comes to mind when Brixton Academy is mentioned? Intangible nights where giants make their home in a venue of indescribable importance? The roll call of names is huge. To be able to headline here and deliver puts a band alongside the greats. For Sundara Karma, tonight is the night.
Thousands queue around the block hours from doors opening. Some have flown in from Brazil; some treat ‘Youth Is Only Ever Fun In Retrospect’ as a hallowed text to navigate the harsh realities of adolescent life by. Sundara Karma have captured an emotion so well, thousands are transfixed by them. And for good reason, too. A band that serves up banger after banger, tonight is their crowning moment.
Being first on is a tough task, but Willie J Healey’s blend of ramshackle tales and fire-side intimacy makes Brixton feel altogether different. ‘My Best Friend’ and the screaming daze of ‘Would You Be’ are just two moments in a set that wraps itself with Mac DeMarco-esque grit. Unlike anything else, it’s a reminder that Willie J Healey may just be the hidden gem of the 2017. It’s about time everyone wakes up.
Any bill with The Magic Gang on is throwing down the gauntlet with intent. A band that are not just promising, but set to be vital over the next twelve months, the sheer fever that greets them is powerful. With an arsenal of past and future hits, it’s an awe-inspiring set that doesn’t need bold theatrics. ‘Feeling Better’, ‘Your Love’, ‘How Can I Compete’ and ‘Alright’ are met with the sort of response that greets winning athletes as they pick up their medals. There’s no album yet. There’s no final statement, yet already they feel like champions. As the massed choir before them joins in ‘Jasmine’ and closer ‘All That I Want Is You’, one thing is clear – The Magic Gang’s first set at Brixton Academy will most certainly not be their last. Next time – they’re going for the name above the door.
For any other band, following such a display would be near impossible – yet Sundara Karma aren’t ‘any other band’. For this crowd, they’re altogether more vital than that. Tonight they seize their potential and morph it into dazzling technicolour. As a packed Brixton Academy calls back, Oscar & co feel destined for this moment. From a brooding ‘Another Word For Beautiful’ to ‘A Young Understanding’ and ‘Loveblood’, it’s very clear how perfectly the Brixton stage fits with Reading’s favourite sons. Every note is met with jubilant confirmation, from ‘Be Nobody’ to ‘Watching From Great Heights’, from early cuts like ‘Run Away’ and ‘Diamond Cutter’ to the drowned out chimes of ‘Vivienne’ and ‘Flame’. When Oscar shouts out ‘She Said’, the response is immediate – it feels like home.
Every song is bellowed back in unison. This doesn’t feel like a band with its back against the wall having to prove their place. Instead, it’s a coronation. By the time the emotional sucker-punch of ‘Happy Family’ and closer ‘Explore’ have worked their magic, there are no question marks surrounding Sundara Karma. By capturing youthful exuberance in a bottle, they’ve made a cocktail that can be poured in all conditions. As a toast to 2017, it’s near-enough unrivalled.
Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett / Dork