Gig: Karate @ The Fleece, Bristol
Karate by Ross Peacey
Boston’s Karate returned this October with Make It Fit, their first record in two decades, released via Numero Group—the label behind recent reissues of their back catalogue. Their show at Bristol’s The Fleece on 16 December kicked off a five-date UK tour, joined by South London’s Tangled Hair as support for the entire run.
Tangled Hair
It made perfect sense why Tangled Hair were chosen to open for Karate. The two bands share a similar sonic DNA, effortlessly shifting from subtle, restrained moments to explosive bursts of volume. I’d seen them earlier in the summer playing with Sweet Pill, and had been looking forward to catching them a second time.
Though the venue looked half empty as Tangled Hair began their set, the space steadily filled as they played. The crowd remained quiet but attentive, hanging on every note. Toward the end of the set, drummer James Trood joked about not having the energy to play their final two songs—one of which stretched to nine minutes. Singer Alan Welsh took a moment to name-check Karate as one of the band’s biggest inspirations.
Despite some of their songs’ extended runtimes, the set felt like it flew by. Here's hoping Tangled Hair return next year—perhaps with some new music in tow.
Karate
By 9 o’clock, The Fleece was nearly packed, and it was time for the headliner—Karate. The band reminded us it had been since the 90s that they last played Bristol. Someone in the crowd shouted they’d been waiting 20 years to see them again—though, if my math’s right, it could well have been 30. Geoff Farina reflected on how lucky they felt to be back out playing shows and that people are still listening to their music after all this time.
Early in the set, we were treated to the classic “Gasoline,” followed by “Defenders” from their latest album. What struck me was the band’s unwavering conviction, whether performing a newer track or a deep cut. Geoff shared a story about the release of their second album, recalling how a popular UK publication poked fun at the band for having two members named Geoff and even joked that the name Geoff, was “too emo.”
For me, the highlights of an already stellar set were “Small Fires” and “Sever” from Unsolved—both incredible examples of Karate’s signature slowcore jazz fusion. Having been a fan of their music for the past few years I’d pretty much given up hope of see them play live. It was certainly worth the wait.
