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Kent’s most famous cathedral city can lay claim to many accolades not least Geoffrey Chaucer’s great
literary work ‘The Canterbury Tales’, the first book ever to be printed in England. That was in 1476.
Tonight, Canterbury’s finest sons
are among us for a much-awaited concert of quaint English songs both old and new. Formed in the cathedral city in 1968, Caravan
were then, Pye Hastings (guitar/ vocals), Dave Sinclair (keyboards), Richard Sinclair (bass/ vocals) and Richard Coughlan (drums).
Thankfully, the band kept
to a strict diet of making music which made people smile. Their particular brand of Kentish humour was never in question with album titles such as ‘If I could do it again, I do it all over you’, ‘For
girls that grow plump in the night’ and ‘Blind dog at St Dunstans’.
Caravan 2005 brings some changes in personnel. There is no Richard or
Dave Sinclair but founding members Pye Hastings and Richard Coughlan are here tonight.
Geoffrey Richardson on viola is well-known to fans through his term of
office in the mid-70s. Jan Schelhaas’ keyboards are back in the fold too, after a 23-year absence, as part of the essential Caravan sound, as found on 1976’s excellent ‘Blind Dog’.
Jim Leverton is Caravan’s bass player of some ten years standing, since the band’s ‘Battle of Hastings’ set. Guitarist Doug Boyle completes the line-up providing some edgy lead breaks.
The gig showcases material from the band’s latest CD ‘The unauthorised breakfast item’ served with liberal helpings of Caravan’s earlier and most famous dishes. Indeed,
it’s the songs from ‘Girls who grow …’ and ‘Land of grey and pink’ that get proceedings off to a great start. Pye and Geoffrey share duties on the inter-song dialogue with the audience.
The musical highlights are ‘The dog, the dog, he’s at it again’, ‘Golf girl’ and ‘Nine feet underground’. Geoffrey swaps his viola briefly during the proceedings first
time for a pair of garden shears, second time for a set of spoons.
Songs from the new album include ‘Smoking Gun’, ‘Here above the clouds
’ and the title track with its humorous ‘story of greed on tour’ introduction. Allegedly, one band member got carried away with more than his fair share of fried food in a plush hotel once.
Second half highlights include ‘For Richard’ and ‘If I could it all over again, I’d do it all over you’. It all
ends too soon but Nic, Tony, Melvin and I are heading home with smiles on our faces. Thank you, Caravan.
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