In Living Karma

In Living Karma

By Jozef L.K.

http://whereintheworldismojo.blogspot.com

Down the dimly lit stairway and into the crimson-red catacomb of Madame Jojo's, Coppers for Karma is about to take the stage.  

The night is young and the crowd at Madame Jojo's is still shuffling in.  People are buying their drinks, finding their seats and chatting with friends.  A few have made it down to the pit in front of the stage--  but a few is not enough for lead singer and guitarist Richard Soward:

"Come down here!" he says into the microphone, pointing to the floor below him.  "Come down here if you want to have your socks rocked off!"

A thunderous fury from Wojciech Hydzik's drums, Andy Hill's bass and Richard's guitar kick off the night.  The intro to Another Day Another Dollar attacks the crowd before transitioning into a swing-like groove that draws people down to the pit like the work of the Pied Piper.

Richard is the classic frontman.  Good looking.  Charming.  And most importantly; talented.  He jams on his sunburst guitar with precision and sings with a unique sound.  Full of emotion, full of life, and with his London accent always evident. 

Andy is dawning a Superman necktie and appears to have the ability to contort his body faster than a speeding ska beat and leap over tall amplifiers.  He is the most animated member of the group, entertaining the fans with his intricate bass-lines as well as his elastic facial expressions and spastic body movements.

Wojciech, the Polish Man-Mountain lives up to his moniker with not only his size but his steady-as-a-rock drumming.  Powerful and skilled, throughout the night he shows off his diversity on the skins.  The big man was the last piece to join the C4K puzzle and he truly completes the band.

Throughout the show, Coppers for Karma blend together elements of rock, funk, reggae, ska and even 1960's-style ballads (notably at the end of the song Flowershop) to create what has been referred to as "funk-a-billy".  Their lyrics are like a peephole that let the listener peer through and see the clever way the boys look at everyday life.  This allows their songs to be both poetic and relatable.

The band loves playing to the crowd which fills the night with memorable moments, such as opening the song Femme Fatale with a few bars from You Are My Sunshine.  Or Richard changing his voice and singing in a high falsetto to mimic a girl in Talk to Frank.  Or Andy, who constantly appears to be having wordless conversations with members of the audience strictly using his eyebrows.  It's obvious that they are truly enjoying every moment, as is everyone in crowd.

C4K closes the set with Is it Enough? and has the whole crowd belting out the final words.  With their arms in the air and their voices full of conviction the crowd chants, "Too much is not enough, too much is not, too much is not enough..." over and over.  When the song ends the fans proceed to demonstrate that they have not had enough of Coppers for Karma and they incessantly call for an encore.  The boys agree to play one more song on the condition that the crowd join arms and sway along to the music.  As Richard sings the words, "When talking I slip into a haze...", everyone-- the band, the crowd, the bartender, the sound guy-- is rocking back and forth in unison.  Everyone can feel the good Karma.

After the set, the boys come out and visit with the crowd before leading a mass of people back to their place for one of their legendary after-parties.  

Coppers for Karma is a true live band.  To get the real C4K experience you have to see them in person.  And it really is an experience--  from the very first note at the club to the very last drink at their flat.

Visit www.coppersforkarma.com