Canterbury have been a band since 2006, but they recently announced that they’d be calling it a day. We were deeply saddened to learn that we’ll be losing yet another talented band who never quite got as much recognition as they should have. The band are currently amidst their last ever tour across mainland Europe, and we were lucky enough to catch them one final time as they made a stop in Arnhem.
Quite frankly, the crowd that night was rather disheartening. The room was not even half filled with no more than 50 people being in attendance. Surely, a band like Canterbury should be able to attract much more people, and play bigger rooms. No band should be sent off with a crowd that small. Being on stage and seeing the lack of people present can really drag down your excitement, but the biggest respect goes to Canterbury for delivering the same way they would if they played to a 500-cap room.
Seeing the band live is always a reminder of just how talented they are. Their records are great, but it doesn’t do quite as much justice as their live performances do. Kicking off the night with Dark Days album opener and single ‘Expensive Imitation’, they waste no time to get things started. Characterised by their upbeat, fun vibes – as you’d notice in ‘Satellite’ and ‘More Than Know’; it made it easy for the crowd to either dance or simply nod along. There were a couple of dudes up front evidently having the time of their lives, jumping around with their hands in the air. The setlist was a perfect mix; making way for relatively slower tracks ‘All My Life’ and ‘By The Trail’ as well as oldies like ‘11,12’ and obviously, ‘Friends? We’re More Like A Gang’.
It’s always a pleasure seeing Canterbury play, and we will sure miss seeing them up on the stage. If they are hitting your town or anywhere near you on their last batch of shows, we recommend you drop by and give them the send off they deserve. It’s been a good eight years, boys!
