Thursday 20th November 2025 saw my very good friends Kev, Simon, and I travel east to Acapela Studios to see Karnataka live, where we met my equally good friends Fiona (bassist and founding member Ian Jones’s sister), her husband Caron, son Huw, and, looking absolutely wonderful, Ian & Fiona’s mother, so good to see her recovering following a recent fall.
Before we discuss the gig, a word about the venue. Acapela is a converted chapel in South Wales, located at the roughly halfway point between Bridgend & Cardiff in the nice village of Pentyrch. It is by some margin my favourite live venue, intimate, with exceptional acoustics, and warm & friendly staff who treat patrons as adults and not yobbos to be tolerated or abused as they see fit. We had a table directly in front of the stage, and the deal at this venue is that customers are asked to have a pizza, or salad, when they arrive, the pizzas cooked in a genuine stone oven (pity I can’t eat cheese, really), and the salad to compare with the finest I have eaten in the Mediterranean. It is these meals, together with the accompanying drinkies, which serves as the foundation of the business model for this venue which enables them to not only survive, but to prosper, attracting the finest independent artists the world over in addition to an impressive roster of some mean tribute acts. Other smaller venues, in a very challenging live music environment, would do well to examine and emulate.
This was my third time seeing this lineup of the band, and they get better with each visit. The two plus hours spent in their company was as tight and enjoyable live experience as veteran prog fans could possibly hope for, musically spot on, acoustically perfect, and warm, intimate, in the company of musicians who genuinely care about their craft and enjoy playing to fans. It was nice, as well, to see some younger faces in the venue, the future of our beloved music, I think, becoming more assured with each passing year as a new generation turns away from the corporate mush on offer in the mainstream.
As is usual, I took no notes, no photos, or videos during the show. I find mobile phones or tablets an utter pain the backside at live events, which are designed to be an immersive experience, something to be cherished and remembered by a human mind, not a machine.
A few words about the lineup.
Experienced progressive rock fans will know that Andy Tillison of The Tangent and Francis Dunnery of his eponymous It Bites do not recruit sub-par musicians. Luke Machin is a virtuoso and shone again, his dexterity on the fret mind boggling at times.
Rob Wilsher on the keyboards is a player with impeccable pedigree, guesting on far too many albums to list here, but also familiar through his work with Multi-Story and Steve Harris’s British Lion.
Jack Summerfield is from London, a young drummer with an increasing reputation for excellence, and he has clearly bonded with Jones to form a very tight rhythm section.
Lead vocalist Sertari is simply a revelation to me. She is following in the footsteps of (in reverse order) Hayley Griffiths, Lisa Fury, and Rachel Jones, the latter especially holding a special place in many prog fans’ hearts with the voice of an angel. Sertari is her equal. Most importantly, this hugely talented musician does not attempt to emulate the style of her predecessors. It is her imprint on classic tracks from the band, it is her style, her vision, with a classic mix of power, emotion, sensitivity, and love of her craft. I cannot speak highly enough of this talent.
The lynchpin of the band is Ian Jones, of course the only remaining founder member. It is his band, his vision, his sheer dogged determination really that ensure that twenty-eight years after its formation, and some “difficult” reorganisations, we are still able to see this music. When introducing him, Sertari said “without whom, none of us would be here”. Correct, of course, but I know that Ian would also acknowledge that the four who play with him are as integral a part of the continuing story of this band.
The setlist was divided into two parts (us oldies need a pee halfway through, bladders not being what they were in our yoof). There was a strong rendition of old favourite, Delicate Flame of Desire, and it is here that you know that Sertari brings her presence to the canon. She sang it as Sertari, not Rachel, and it was all the better for it.
From the superb 2023 release, Requiem for a Dream, we had Say Goodbye Tomorrow, which my album review described as a song of hope and positivity for the future, despite everything. I think, though, that the night truly evolved from excellent to unforgettable with Forgiven, the epic track in which Sertari belts out, and I mean belts out, Sanctus dominus et spiritus requiem, the mass for the dead certainly never having been heard in this non-conformist chapel, but absolutely perfect for its modern setting, the applause at the end following a respectful pause achingly genuine.
To close, a real surprise, introduced by Ian as being from his formative years listening to music with Fiona. I have been fortunate enough to see Yes with Jon Anderson perform Gates of Delerium as a whole piece, and with the truncated end suite, Soon. That unique track and suite (from easily my favourite Yes album) ought to be utterly off limits for anyone else, and I include in that the present lineup masquerading as Yes. It wasn’t though. Machin showed just why he is perhaps the finest young guitarist around in the modern scene, because his rendition of the Howe bar on the pedal steel fretboard was stunning. Jones channelled his inner Squire, and I mean that. The melody produced rivalled that of the great man. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up when Sertari delivered the Anderson La, La, La, La, La hymnal cry at the closing sequence. Spine chilling, and worth the entrance price alone.
Moments like the highlights I describe above have an audience totally onside, without question. The band went from strength to strength, the second half of the set delivered with an ear-punching confidence. The interactions between Wilsher and Sertari, especially, provided some lush soundscapes, Sacrifice a prime example, and my friends were introduced to the (unique progressive rock) art of performing, and generating joy, from a twenty-minute-plus epic, the title track, of course, from “Requiem”. On the album, it is exceptional, live it is brought to new heights, the guitar solos soaring, the keyboard interaction between Rob & the singer crackling with frisson, the pipes providing a critical background of the Celtic roots of the band, and the jaw dropping vocal denouement.
I believe that the band’s 2025 live itinerary is now at a close, but they will be returning in 2026, so for those reading this review, if you get the chance, please do go and see/support a band at the top of their game.
To close, a plea to Mr Jones. As a now retired chap (I’m only jealous – I am only partially there!), surely more time to give us a brand-new Karnataka album? The creativity, togetherness, sheer joy of performing we witnessed this week deserves a new work.