Facelift Magazine - The Canterbury Scene and Beyond

For a Canadian far away from Canterburyland it's something of a challenge

to draw a list of five favourite gigs. Does listening to Robert Wyatt sing

along to the melody of "Slightly All The Time" while drinking and watching

the Soft Machine Beat Club 71 video clip together count? I've been

fortunate over the years in having visited England several times and it was

tempting to include a great gig by Steve Hillage at Sheffield City Hall

back in 76, or for that matter the undoubtably great gigs I missed by a

day, ie Nick Evans' Dreamtime! Then there's the many wonderful gigs from

musicians who fall under the umbrella of "and beyond..." So I stuck as

close as possible to those we've come to tag rightly or wrongly as

"Canterbury" and came up only with great memories.

1- National Health- Roundhouse, London Oct10/76

My wife was sweet sixteen when I brought her to England for a taste of

the culture I'd discovered when biking there the two summers previous.

Through a mutual friend we meet a young Mick Dillingham, who suggested we

all head up to the Roundhouse to check out a new band with Bill Bruford and

Dave Stewart, who were - get this - opening for Kraftwerk! We sat front and

centre where I soaked in the most delighfully complex progressive music I'd

yet encountered. Amanda was a beautiful singer. But the continuous kinetic

"dancing" from the hippie beside us got on my nerves - that I can remember

though our smoke filled room. And why was the bar so bloody loud? We

retired to the one across the street ourselves before the headliners hit.

Thanks Mick!

2- National Health- The Edge, Toronto Nov7/79

This time I thought I knew what I was in for, and was promptly proven

wrong. First there was Alan Gowen behind the keyboards, and when they slid

into "Play Time" off the second great Gilgamesh album I nearly soiled

myself! Greaves was/is the the most frightenly brilliant bass guitarist

I've ever seen/heard. I guess you had to be there but trust me the energy

in that tiny packed room was nothing less than ferocious. After their two

hour long sets we all packed their dressing rooms where handshakes and

autographs were sought after. I remember Phil Miller being surprised that a

Canadian would have brought a Matching Mole LP to be signed. What's really

amazing is that for years afterwards I'd continue to meet various people

who were also at this concert, two of whom are now good friends.

3- Shortwave- The Forum, London Oct /94

Speaking of good friends... it was stage front elbow to elbow with Nick

Loebner, Phil Howitt, Martin Wakeling, Harold Luss where the Shortwave boys

strutted their stuff and slacked our collective jaws. I thought I'd gone to

fuzz-bass heaven! More important was the wonderful musical interplay within

their compelling compositions. Is there a mellifluous saxist/flautist around

that can hold a flame as bright as Didier Malherbe's? This is a highly

tuned listening band that had their own conception of groove. A twisted

one, as refected so intensely on "the face". Afterwards I remember babbling

something like "now I can die". Unforgetable.

4- Manifestival- Convication Hall, Toronto Apr 79

Imagine a call from a friend telling you that both Daevid's New York Gong

and Mother Gong are appearing in a 1,500 seat university hall that very

evening! Now imagine walking into the hall and counting yourself amongst an

audience total of nineteen. Brought new meaning to embarrassing, especially

when local pop-punk band The Poles meet with complete silence after each of

their songs. Zu Band (Kramer,Laswell,Maher,etc) did a great set which

included Eno's "Sombre Reptiles", a pair of saxophonists chrarged around

the open spaces blowing up a storm (Yochko Seffer & ?) before Mother Gong

played a twelve minute set (there's a tape to prove it). Then Zu Band

became N.Y.Gong and Daevid toppled the evening. As their set continued

roadies began to break down the P.A. system. One by one the band fell into

silence as their eqipment was unpugged and amplifiers hauled off. In the

very end David remained alone on a near empty stage, and when his guitar

was unplugged he continued acousticly, though not for long. None of this

was "part of the act", and was extrordinary to witness.

5- Richard Sinclair- Cameron Hotel, Toronto Dec/94

Richard had played a couple of nice solo gigs in Toronto circa 92,93, but

this night was memorable as he performed both solo and with our own

Bananamoon. Led by drummer/composer Charlie Ringas (who can be heard with

friends singing "Phlakaton" on Health's "Missing Pieces" CD from

aforementioned Edge gig) they joined Richard, stormed through some Hatfield

classics, and bashed out "Nan True's Hole" as though they'd been waiting

their lives for this chance. This came out of a reportedly tense rehearsal

that put Richard back onto bass guitar, where he shines brightest, and into

kicking overdrive. The resulting music for us 50 or so fans was at times

ragged yet always exhilarating. It was a cold winter night in a decrepit

downtown hotel corner but the King of Canterbury was back on form.

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