The last time I was in the crowd for Canterbury they were supporting British rockband YouMeAtSix at Cardiff University Great Hall. On that occasion, they warmed up the crowd and put a brilliant show on, and this time was no different.
In a short space of time the band have progressed from supporting such big names as Enter Shikari and Twin Atlantic to playing hundreds of shows as the headline act around the UK and Ireland, including their own gig at Clwb Ifor Bach, a smaller, darker venue with a distinctly grungier, cramped and intimate atmosphere.
I didn’t arrive in time to hear support band Straight Lines, so I’m unaware of how the crowd responded in comparison with Canterbury, though a number of people were sure to have attended purely to see them play due to their well-known status in the local area. In true character, Canterbury put on a perfectly executed, energetic live show. Initially the crowd were a little reluctant to engage and had to be drawn out of their shell, but as the band interacted with their audience vigorously, everyone became more relaxed. Perhaps it was the alcohol, but either way everyone got moving eventually. As for their performance, the band were pretty much on point despite the lack of a keyboard which is something that features heavily on a number of their tracks. However, they substituted it for a brilliant harmony between themselves and the crowd which in my opinion gave even more life to the already vibrant performance than any instrument could have done.
Vocals by frontman Luke Pebble and vocalist Mike Spark still held as much appeal as they did on their first album Thank You, suggesting the promise of future albums beyond the 40,000 downloads they have already amassed. Their new songs, played from their forthcoming album hinted towards another catchy and infectious work, just as good as the last.
They have received air-time from Radio One as well as rave reviews from Rocksound. Their first album is also available free from their website and it would be foolish to miss out.