CityLife

Kula Shaker @ Academy 3

ANOTHER band making a comeback then eh? It's almost becoming a cliche to see musicians now well into their 30s trying to recapture some fleeting fame. Or to make a few quid, whichever is the priority.

In the case of Kula Shaker, it's hard to know which.

For a short time, of course, they were relatively big news. Crispian Mills, son of Hayley in case you didn't know, was an unorthodox character, creating a highly infectious, trippy brand of prog rock/pop that clung onto the coat-tails of Britpop to bring them success.

They were always a bit Marmite-y though - you loved them or you hated them, and after splitting the public in such a way they never again got close to the dizzy heights of debut album K and scuttled off into obscurity.

So what of their return, set in small, low-key, stiflingly hot surroundings in front of a few hundred of their hardcore all hoping for a return to form?

After a late start, it begins promisingly - Sound of Drums is brooding and uplifting, and 303 is still the highly pleasing glam stomp it was ten years ago, and Mills is still the consummate, and highly-talented frontman.

Strangefolk

The new tracks aired tonight from forthcoming third album Strangefolk are, well, Kula Shaker - certainly nothing new or earth-shattering to bring to the table and, Great Dictator aside, don't suggest a return to the radio any time soon.

Mills and co only really catch fire when they launch into the sublime Tattva, easily their best effort, and tonight including a neat and appropriate insert of Happy Mondays' Hallelujah.

Their triumphant cover of Hush follows, making the crowd party like it's, erm, 1997.

But after a brief two-song encore, they're gone, after less than an hour.

With crowd-pleaser Hey Dude inexplicably pulled from the setlist at the last minute, the punters who'd paid their hard-earned £15 (!) to see their past heroes left feeling a little short-changed. A few boos resonated as the room emptied.

Not exactly a sound that accompanies a stunning comeback, and if they carry on in this vein, the sound of cash registers ker-chinging might not be heard enough for Kula Shaker either.

What do you think? Have your say.

Buy their new LP from Amazon.