DIY x Dr. Martens’ #STANDFORSOMETHING Tour Lands In Bristol

The crowd quickly fills the venue as Armchair Committee open proceedings; they’re an impressively noisy addition to the line-up. Next up, Canterbury emerge on stage with their lively brand of pop rock. The four-piece prove to be well-honed as they dip into the different eras of their discography.

They also premiere some new tracks, which bear a lot of promise for album number three. Closing the set up with the dreamy ‘Gloria’ before the anthemic ‘Friends? We’re More Like A Gang’, the crowd are left pumped and ready for what’s to come.

By the time Young Guns are due on stage, there’s an element of hysteria in the air. Whether it’s the heat, the alcohol or the fact that this is the band’s first headline show in goodness-knows-how-long, the packed-out room bursts with energy when the band start up. The crowd instantly have their hands in the air, voices raised high.

Their hour-long set marks a celebration for the fivesome. Having spent the majority of 2013 – and a good chunk of 2012 too – in America, tonight is a return to arms, and it clearly feels like it’s been a long time coming. Finding themselves back in the tiny, sweaty confines where they cut their teeth, the boys truly come to life. They know every trick, and feel every nuance.

Songs like ‘The Weight of the World’ and ‘Dearly Departed’ transform into entirely different beasts in this environment; they’re massive but meaningful: something this band has always done well. By the time the epic ‘Bones’ brings the set to a close, it marks the end of a show that feels like both a triumphant return, and the perfect ending of a chapter.

Young Guns
“It was brilliant. It was so nice to reconnect with a select amount of our core audience. We saw people tonight, in the audience, that have been been with us for the past four years, since we were playing our EP. That just feels so amazing, that they’re still with us, and I’m so excited about the next chapter of our band. This was a really nice way to remember how good it’s been, but also to really remind ourselves how lucky we are, and how much we have to look forward to.” - Gus Wood

Armchair Committee
“It was very warm, and there were lots of girls very close to the stage, which is not something we’re actually used to! And it was in Bristol, which is where we’re from, so that’s cool.” - Tom Hackwell

Canterbury
“It was loud, and it was great fun! The whole thing was really cool, and it was good vibes from the start.” - Mike Sparks

Tags: Canterbury, Young Guns, News, #SFSTOUR13