Exams loomed at the start of May but revision came to a
brief pause for the return of the city’s biggest music festival
City.Sound.Project, which saw the likes of George Ezra, Gorgon City and Blood
Red Shoes storm stages all across Canterbury.
The weekend was kicked off by “colourful, energetic and
crowd-stamping” Coco and the Butterfields at The Jolly Sailor, who describe
themselves as “pioneers of a newly found musical genre, ‘Fip Fok’”. The
Canterbury act, unique in their blending of folk and hip hop, were truly
fantastic in creating a lively and colourful vibe, playing covers of Flo Rida’s
‘Low’ and House of Pain’s ‘Jump’ with
their own impressive material, their track ‘Five Bells’ being a particular
highlight. Check them out on SoundCloud here:
www.soundcloud.com/cocoandthebutterfields
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| bbc.co.uk |
The crowd for four-piece act Alphabetic in Bramley’s was
much smaller but the band certainly held their own, blending synth riffs with the gorgeous resonance of female vocalist Rebecca and lead guitarist Walter. They could be
compared to Two Door Cinema Club in their happy, upbeat indie vibe with an
added similarity to Foals in the gradual build-up of each track. www.alphabeticband.com.
Mas Agua
Canterbury and London-based Mas Agua, also featured on the line
up of this year’s Christ Church Summer Ball, is a contemporary
music project offering a unique mix of looping vocal harmonies and synth
sounds. The project, founded by singer-songwriter David Ellis, were impressive
in giving a truly captivating performance in cocktail bar Bramley’s on the
second day of the festival, an almost ideal choice of act to match the mood of
the very hungover 50 or so music fans in the audience. www.soundcloud.com/masagua.
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| Light Tone Studios |
George Ezra, the up-and-coming King of Cool accompanied by a trusty guitar and a vocal range to make you melt, was a top choice of
headline act as he took to the stage of the Christ Church Student’s Union on the Sunday. Performing
his already well-known hits ‘Budapest’, ‘Did You Hear the Rain’ and ‘Cassy O’’,
the crowd fell in love with Ezra’s charming stage presence, that winning smile and sexy,
deep vocals (I won't deny the crush while it remains overtly
obvious). His debut studio album Wanted
on Voyage will be out June 30th and I speculate it will be a big
hit. www.georgeezra.com
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