Rip It Up
It’s been a slow start at Guilfest on Friday so we’re more than ready for some dirty rock and roll and fortunately Karn8 are on hand to deliver the goods.
This Hampshire based three piece centre around drums and guitar (courtesy of Leigh and Bones respectively) with singer Kirst providing the vocals and occasional additional guitar duties. The music is upbeat rock and roll leaning distinctly towards the garage end of the genre populated by the likes of MC5, although to bring it up to date they remind me of Juliette & The Licks. Kirst has some well practiced moves straight from the Debby Harry book of stage craft and she makes a compelling figure.
They mix up styles nicely with songs like ‘Old No.7’ dipping into smoke filled blues bars, whilst ‘Where the Fires Play’ rips it up like the Stooges at their most intense. The set isn’t without it’s problems however, the horrendous drone that plagued this tent last year threatens to return and it’s just not loud enough. The problem with this is firstly that it prevents Kirst’s voice from carrying too well and secondly that what should be bold slabs of rock and roll fall a little flat. That aside though it’s an assured and confident performance and they even pull off a passable version of The Door’s ‘Wild Child’.
All in all it’s good stuff but they really need to be seen in a club venue with the volume cranked to the max.