Weird. I turn up and the place is packed already. Mostly it's loud college kids (ok, I'm old. I think that's well established now), but a fair few are obviously older than I am, too. Either Canterbury are far bigger than I'd realised, or the supports - of which there are three - have a lot of mates and have brought a lot of mates and all of their dads along.
The rush for the stage five minutes before Winters play a note confirms it's the latter. After a fifty-second burst of speed metal with atrocious 'go mental!' lyrics, they kick out a punchy set that's pure punk. Not in the contemporary sense, but in the vein of vintage acts like early ATV and UK Subs. It's strange think that they're so heavily influenced by bands that they've probably never heard of, that are too old for even their parents to be into, but pains me as it does to say it, they're really good. The moshpit down the front - teenagers with their collars popped - are clearly enjoying it, and I might've thought I was witnessing the birth of a new youth culture had it not been all so obviously contrived, so obviously staged. Still, great fun.
Herbal T and Pornography is a really lousy name, which is a pity, because these guys do a pretty good line in energetic punky rock. The front man's presentation may be a little dubious - not only does he sport a New Romatic tassled scarf and knitted striped fingerless gloves, but is prone to prancing about the stage in a less than butch manner - but he compensates for this with a genuine stage presence. What's more, the cover of Rag Against the Machine's 'Bulls on Parade' really kicked, before they lurched into a closer that married Sabbath with Faith No More. Not bad. Not bad at all.
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If the tassled scarf had made me feel like a daytripper in retroland, still nothing could have prepared me for Lights Go Blue. I mean, really, what the hell is this? I feel like I've been zapped back to a version of 1985 in which the iPhone has been incongruously added due to come glitch in continuity. Or something. A duo whose front man stands behind a keyboard and does occasional buts of guitar while the other guy drums and tends the bass sequencer, Light Go Blue are every 80s synth-pop band ever rolled into one. I really can't see the need.
Canterbury, who are currently giving away their debut album, 'Thank You' as a free download, are nothing if not big on energy. The dual vocal interplay between Luke (vocals and keyboard) and Mike (vocals guitar) - who, in all honesty, sound very similar - give a melodic edge to the sound, which is built around twin guitars and a throbbing bass sound, while the keyboards remain somewhere off in the background. Although what they do is fundamentally and overtly rock, the songs are instantly catchy, with some huge hook-laden choruses, and it's a form that works well. In short, a seriously entertaining and enjoyable set. Thank YOU, Canterbury, thank you.
http://www.canterburythankyou.com/
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