Canterbury rock the Underworld
When I first witnessed Canterbury doing their thing on stage at the Barfly back in March 2009, there were sparks flying and you knew straight away you were watching a band that would grow into greatness. Now, nearly two years later and one man down (Ben left this year to pursue other things), the band is still continuing to grow and are putting on a performance that is even better than ever!
For tonight's set the band was out to make it a night to remember and as it turns out, it certainly will be for both the fans and band. Performing tracks from their debut album 'Thank You', which can be downloaded for free from the bands Myspace, each and every individual in the building couldn't help but be catapulted into world of Canterbury. Through the screaming of the lyrics the fans were just as loud as the music, at some points probably even more so.
If you had previously seen Canterbury perform you were probably not expecting what you got for your money on this night. With a bassist down, Luke, who usually takes to the keys, now took to the bass giving the set a little, actually a lot more, of a punch. There was a static energy, a rawness and power that gave them a much more mature and rockier sound. On some tracks such as 'Take Me Out Of The Wall', which relies on a keyboard melody, the fans stepped in with their vocals and it just added to the intimate feeling.
Typically, with two or three tracks remaining the band usually walk off stage, the fans scream something along the lines of "We want more", "encore" or the bands name. However, this was not needed. As Mike pointed out, the band were having such an incredible time, the best night of the tour so far (and by the energy and enthusiasm emitted from the stage this was not an overreaction), they stayed put and gave the last few songs everything they had left with one heck of an ending.
The only thing that spoiled this incredible evening of music was the incessant stage diving by a few individuals, which on numerous occasions caused the band to take a step back and in one moment caused Mike's microphone to go flying and his guitar to get a kicking. The band didn't let this stop them, although by the look on Luke's face at one point he could have screamed. They continued on and created their finest performance to date and one that has left the fans screaming for more.