Canterbury Scene

The musicians were not tied by very strong musical similarities, but a certain whimsicalness, touches of psychedelia, rather obtuse lyrics, and a use of improvisation derived from jazz are common elements in their work.

The scene had its roots in the Wilde Flowers[?], a band formed in 1964 which, at various times, was home to the founding musicians of both the Soft Machine[?] and Caravan[?], bands which in turn provided the musicians of several later bands.

The genesis of the Canterbury Sound may, in part, be traced back to 1960, when Australian beatnik Daevid Allen[?] lodged at Robert Wyatt[?]'s parents' guest-house in Lydden[?], ten miles to the south of Canterbury. Allen brought with him an extensive collection of jazz records, a different lifestyle, and the jazz drummer George Niedorf[?] who later taught Wyatt the drums.

In 1963, Wyatt, Allen and Hugh Hopper[?] formed the Daevid Allen Trio (in London) which metamorphasised into the Wilde Flowers when Allen left for France.

'Canterbury bands' and musicians include:

• Kevin Ayers[?]
• Camel
• Caravan[?]
• Comus[?]
• Egg[?]
• Gilgamesh[?]
• Gong
• Hatfield and the North[?]
• Henry Cow[?]
  • Lindsay Cooper[?]
  • Chris Cutler[?]
  • Fred Frith[?]
  • John Greaves[?]
  • Tim Hodgkinson[?]
• Steve Hillage[?]
• Matching Mole[?]
• National Health[?]
• Soft Machine[?]
  • Hugh Hopper[?]
• Wilde Flowers[?]
• Robert Wyatt[?]

External link

• Calyx: The Canterbury Website (http://perso.club-internet.fr/calyx/)