Canterbury at the Camden Barfly
I had heard about Canterbury before attending this gig at the Barfly in Camden, so after checking out the tracks on the bands myspace page, I was intrigued by what I was going to experience through the night.
It is one thing to hear a song or see a music video for a band and enjoy what you hear, but a completely different reaction is created when seeing them perform the same tracks live on stage. The energies become three fold, especially on occasions such as this where the fans go wild and support the band to great lengths. I was taken back at how brilliant their set was. The guys went all out, moving back and forth and really made best use of the small stage.
The tracks they performed are incredibly catchy, but it was three in particular that grasped my attention that night and ever since. ‘Set You Right’ is a riff-riddled masterpiece you can’t stop singing along to once you hear it. It is the perfect song to get the crowd singing along. ‘Take Me Out Of The Wall’ is another heart stopper you fall in love with from the first second you hear it, and ‘Friends, We're More Like a Gang’ catches your attention from the start with its gradual build up and eruption of excitement and liveliness. One thing that each of these three tracks had in common is the overwhelming choruses; they explode.
As the vocals and lyrics are split between guitarist Mike and keyboardist Luke, the tracks come alive with talent and make some wonderfully vibrant tunes even more enjoyable to listen to and watch them perform. These are five ambitious, energetic and enthusiastic musicians who are able to play off the crowd’s attention, pulsating hearts and trembling postures with their own passion for performing.
The guys had the venue heating up like a fire on a winter’s night, showed a real passion for something they enjoy and I can’t wait to hear more from them in the coming months. They are on schedule to support Hundred Reasons at the Islington Academy in April. I highly recommend Canterbury as the band to watch out for in 2009 and lads; I can’t wait for the album!