Kosheen
'Resist' was one of the albums that I listened to tirelessly throughout 2001, packed full of trip hop beats, drum and bass, and delivering an almost spiritual vibe that lifted and enriched my soul in the wake of those half-cocked millenium celebrations. I never saw Kosheen play in a field in Somerset as the sun set in the western skies, but they did arrive at the UEA two years later, by which time 'Kokopelli' had been released, entered the top 10, and spawned another couple of banging singles. I, of course was there, and bloody loved it.
Although Kosheen maintained a loyal following in Europe, their glory days were all but over in the UK by the time 'Damage' was released in 2007. Another couple of albums followed before the band called it a day and split up in 2016.
I mention all of this because I don't normally 'do' tribute bands, revival bands, or acts where only one member remains from the original line-up. But Kosheen were special to me. They represented freedom, and a dream that, one day, I would buy a van, travel around Europe and wake each morning to the sound of bands playing in a field, the smell of freshly smoked grass, and a magical mushroom fry-up. So, when it was announced that a tour had been announced to celebrate the 20thanniversary of 'Resist', I was wary to say the least. Could Sian Evans, the music of Kosheen and Epic Studios in Norwich re-ignite that dream for me, even if just for one night?
Well, surpise number one was the demograph of the audience. I threw caution to the wind, and decided to pick a spot at the front, right against the barrier. To my left were three lads who, quite possibly, weren't even born when 'Resist' was released (although, to their credit, they knew their stuff, and were repeatedly calling out for '(Slip and Slide)' and really getting their shit together. To my right was a slightly older gentleman, who probably had woken up in a field or two in his time, but was equally enthusiastic in his appreciation. And behind us was this huge crowd, of all ages, going absolutely bonkers as the hits kept coming. 'Hide U', 'Catch', 'Hungry', 'Harder'. Plus, from 'Kokopelli', 'All In My Head' and 'Wasting My Time'. Kosheen had us waving our arms, shaking our heads, and singing our hearts out for the best part of an hour and a quarter.
Alright, so let's be totally honest here for just a minute. Apart from original drummer Mitch Glover (who, correct me if I'm wrong, was never an official member of Kosheen), and of course their enigmatic singer Sian Evans, all that we saw on stage was a live guitarist and bass player. Everything else seemed to be coming from a pre-recorded rhythm and breakbeat track. Having said that, Evans had the crowd in the palm of her hand from start to finish, and seemed to be loving the audience's reaction, and genuinely enjoying being on stage for the first night of this 2022 section of the tour. And she still possesses all the energy and charisma that I remember from back in 2003 (and enough rock and roll attitude to still drink her white wine straight from the bottle).
Would I go and see this version of Kosheen again? Well, it would be bloody hard to Resist.
