Caravan - Canterbury Westgate Hall 26th October 2022

Watching Pye Hastings straighten his glasses, I note they’re not the coolest band I’ve ever laid eyes on. But appearances can be deceiving. The catchily named Memory Lain, Hugh/Headloss makes a spectacular introduction - all 10 minutes of it. For me it is everything that is wonderful about prog rock. For others, I imagine it’s everything that makes the genre so abhorrent! It’s largely instrumental and starts surprisingly funky with some incredible bass magic courtesy of Lee Pomeroy, a man whose CV boasts stints with Jeff Lynne’s ELO and Steve Hackett, to name just two. There’s various sections, a lovely flute interlude and such incredible musicianship that I find myself wondering why I ever bothered picking up a guitar. 

In the Land of Grey and Pink sounds faster and rocks harder than ever before; maybe thanks to drummer Mark Walker, who looks like he may combust from the joy of performing and radiates infectious energy with every beat. There’s a distinct vocal effect that features in the original recording of this track (if you know, you know!) and we’re encouraged to make it at the appropriate moments. I refrain - but it’s hard to resist the charismatic Geoffrey Richardson, an extremely talented multi-instrumentalist and engaging raconteur who throws in anecdotes from his 50 years in the band. 

Golf Girl is also an up tempo version of its studio counterpart. It sounds buoyant, fun and is enhanced with the best spoons performance I’ve ever seen. Admittedly it’s probably the only spoons performance I’ve ever seen! But a bit of eccentricity is always welcomed and there’s plenty of that tonight. 

Having somehow overlooked the smutty nature of The Dog, The Dog, He’s At It Again, it’s a bit of a surprise to have it highlighted. I suddenly hear the lyrics in a totally different way - the laid back, beautiful harmonies cleverly disguising the sexual connotations. 

The first half concludes with A Hunting We Shall Go, a startling and dramatic piece of work played in some mind bending time signature. It’s then that I realise this is a predominantly male audience; I’m not sure what it is about prog that turns women off but there’s a huge queue for the men's toilets and pretty much nothing for the ladies. Maybe they hear this extensive noodling as a bit of a racket. Which is exactly how Geoffrey Richardson describes For Richard, the first song after the interval. To these ears it’s anything but, and, followed by the quirky If I Could Do It All Over Again, I’d Do It All Over You, I’m in prog heaven. 

Latest album It’s None of Your Business is represented here by the title track and Ready or Not. Both feature viola prominently, an instrument sorely under represented in the world of rock and roll! The latter is the closest Caravan get to pop with an unexpectedly catchy chorus that’s hard to resist. 

We are told that Winter Wine gets requested at every show, everywhere in the world. It’s easy to see why, and though the song perhaps shows the limitations in Pye Hasting’s vocals, it’s still beautiful and melodic. 

When most bands announce they’re going to play their final song, you think they’ll be done in five minutes or so. I should have known better, and, with my grandad waiting outside to drive me home, Caravan launch into Nine Feet Underground. It’s more than twenty minutes long, an incredible musical journey and somehow utterly compelling throughout. 

I didn’t anticipate that there would be dancing in the aisles, but that’s just what happens during I’m On My Way, an uncharacteristically straightforward rock and roller that serves as an uplifting encore. 

Unique and interesting, Caravan certainly deserve more recognition than they get. Make it your business to know them better!