Gig Review: The Commoners, The Old Brewery Store, Faversham, England

Gig Review: The Commoners, The Old Brewery Store, Faversham, England

By Simon Green

One thing you can’t criticise The Commoners for is a lack of effort; this was the fifth time I’d seen the band in the last couple of years. For a Canadian band to make the long haul to the UK and to Europe so frequently is pretty impressive. There’s certainly a demand in the UK for the brand of classic rock that many Canadian bands play; bands like the Sheepdogs and The Damn Truth who equally go down a bomb over here. In fact, the Commoners toured as support for the Sheepdogs in the UK at the end of 2024, culminating in a memorable last night of the tour at the Islington Assembly Hall in London. So successful was that tour that the Commoners decided to record some of the final shows, which they have very recently released as a nine-track album, Live In The UK.

Back on the road again and over this side of the pond, the five-piece were in the middle of a 19-date European tour, including several in the UK, one of which was the venue for this performance in an historic town in the county of Kent, 45 miles south of London. The brewery in question is Shepherd Neame, the oldest brewery in operation in the UK. The venue is one of several used by Rockin Roots Events to host performances in the region, the owner of which, Mark Mathews, was one of the first UK promoters to put the Commoners on the bill, a favour which is no doubt now being returned. The venue has a very nice vibe, a high ceiling and bare brick walls lined with enormous old signs of public houses that create an excellent audio experience. The stage is about two feet off the floor, so the audience is within touching distance of the performers, resulting in an intimate atmosphere. There was an expectant buzz in the crowd before the band appeared on stage, following a punchy set from Tom Killner and his band, a UK five-piece influenced by 70s Southern rock.

The Commoners don’t hang about when it comes to stage dynamics and pumping up the volume. They crashed into their set with the assurance of a crew that have gigged solidly for the last two years following the release of what they consider their debut album, Find A Better Way, in 2022. They have become tighter and more assured in that time, not that singer and front man Chris Medhurst gave the impression of ever being anything but totally confident and in control in the centre of the stage as he sang at full throttle, eyes closed and hair flailing.

With the exception of the ballad ‘Restless’, the title track of their second album, when Medhurst strapped on an acoustic guitar and strummed to the number, the whole set was played at ninety miles an hour. Their songs like ‘Shake You Off’, ‘Who Are You’ (not a Who cover), ‘Fill My Cup’ and ‘Find A Better Way’, are anthemically huge, characterised by crashing chords and powerful, driving riffs that morph into exciting solos courtesy of the band’s guitarist and producer, Ross Hayes Citrullo. He was an interesting watch during the set as he threw some great shapes, arm and guitar held aloft, frozen for a moment before he locked into another riff, moved centre stage and played off against the singer. Curiously though, his features remained almost emotionless while his guitar was speaking most eloquently, almost as if he was focusing on some other astral plane (or maybe just thinking about the next leg of their tour). Among the now familiar tracks that are featured on the live album, they included a couple of new tracks; ‘Black Gold’ and ‘Going Down The Highway’, which sounded as strong as anything else they played on the night, boding well for their third album.

The rhythm section of Adam Canon on drums and Ben Spiller on bass were a tight unit, and at times carried the weight of responsibility for propelling the songs forward. The guitarist held back on the verses of songs in order to create space for the vocals, as well as creating a nice contrast when the riffing and power chording resumed. The sound was filled out by fifth member Mike Evans Branagh on keys. It’s not music to dance to as such (more to play air guitar to in the anonymity of your home) but was electrifying and enjoyed with great enthusiasm by the audience. There were plenty of comments after the show ended, talking about the quality of the performance, which was anything but common. It was loud (my ears were still buzzing as my head hit the pillow later, as well as the following morning), exhilarating and a testament to the redemptive powers of well-played rock’n’roll music. This band doesn’t need to find a better way; they have already found the formula to win hearts and minds, thousands of miles from their homeland.

Watch “Going Down The Highway”

 
The Commoners website