On Wednesday night fans said farewell to beloved indie-band Sundara Karma at their final gig at Manchester’s O2 Ritz – supported by Birmingham band Overpass.
Packed to the brim with sweaty but adorning fans, Sundara Karma started out with a bang as they played ‘A Young Understanding’ for the final time to the Manchester crowd.
Undoubtedly one of their most popular songs from their first album ‘Youth is Only Ever Fun in Retrospect’, the shoulder-to-shoulder sea of people swayed energetically as lead singer Oscar’s distinct voice bounced throughout the venue – kicking off what was to be an electric farewell gig.
With the band being prominent on the indie-scene since their first EP release in 2014, it was an emotional night for long-time followers of Sundara Karma. And as a nod to their roots, Indigo Puff from their very first EP made it onto the setlist – which had the crowd roaring with delight.
The Reading-based band did not, however, ignore their newer songs from what turned out to be their final album ‘Better Luck Next Time’ – released last year. And so old and new fans alike got to hear ‘Friends of Mine’ and ‘Baby Blue’ for possibly the first, but definitely the last time on Wednesday night.
Whilst they rattled through many fan-favourites, Sundara Karma made sure to leave no stone unturned and tracks from their 2019 album ‘Ulfilas’ Alphabet’ flooded the venue. ‘Greenhands’, ‘Illusions’ and of course the crowd-pleasing ‘One Last Night On This Earth’ ramped up the energy twofold as the concert began to come to a close.
But of course, no gig is complete without an encore – and as Sundara Karma came back to the stage for one final song, the fans cheered and screamed their lungs out to ‘Flame’ – t is safe to say that there were many sore throats to come.
So, what can only be classed as one hell of a send-off, fans say goodbye to yet another nostalgic indie-band and hope for a reunion in the future.
Images and featured image by Meghan Glover.