Sundara Karma are a four piece group hailing from Reading known for their indie rock/pop tunes that have helped sell out the main room of The Leadmill and many of their gigs on their current tour in support of their recently released debut album "Youth is Only Ever Fun in Retrospect". The frontman; Oscar Pollock; comes out and mentions that he needs some help from the audience because he's a bit sick. Dave Grohl played with a broken leg I think to myself as Pollock is met with a smattering of boos from the rowdy crowd who have been chanting "Yorkshire" all night long, feels more like Oscar Pillock at this point. Once the music starts however the good vibes start to flow. Sonic references to bands ranging from "Foals" to "Arcade Fire" and pretty much any band that can be seen at their hometown festival are evident throughout the 15 song setlist and whilst the band may not have a universally loved crossover hit like a "My Number" that you often hear at The Leadmill's club nights, I very much doubt it'll be long before they do. Most of the songs throughout the set get a strong reception from the crowd; a testament to the rabid following the band have cultivated; but songs such as "Flame", "She Said", and the closing number "Loveblood" really hit that sweet spot, igniting mass mosh pits and crowd singalongs. Also whipping out a cover of "Never Too Much" by the incomparable Luther Vandross on the night before Valentine's Day was a stroke of genius and had many a couple dancing to the grooves. This is a band who like to do things their own way; as evidenced by the somewhat androgynous look of Pollock; and as a result have developed a strong, dedicated following. There's still quite a bit of filler in the set list for my taste but that is to be expected of a band this early in their career. They do have a magnetic stage presence however and are worth seeing on this tour to watch them develop their style and grow into what many of their fans think can be the next big band in the UK indie rock scene.