It’s been 30 long years since Therapy? last played a show in Britain’s oldest town, but on the 14th of December, the band finally made their long-awaited return to play a jam-packed show at the Colchester Arts Centre.
Therapy? – Rews
Colchester Arts Centre – 14 December 2022
Words and Photography: Lawrence Potter
As the clock struck half past seven, the small queue of people waiting outside trickled into the converted church. To anyone who’s attended a show at the arts centre, you’ll know of the unique atmosphere of the venue. There’s always a great sound because of the stunning natural reverb, but at the same time, this iconic mini-arena always has a very intimate feel to it.
Rews
After the usual mingling and finding a good vantage point to the stage, the first band, Rews, make their way up to kick-start the night off in good fashion! With Sian Monaghan on drums, Mel Pereira on bass and – at the helm of this three-piece – Shauna Tohill, the band waste no time bursting straight into their opening song, The World That You Left Behind.
High energy, rocking guitar riffs, and I love it already. Shauna’s voice is a stunning combination of elegance and pure rock grit. Since the band’s inception in 2017, they have shared the stage with the likes of The Darkness and Halestorm, to name a couple, as well as performing at Glastonbury.
Rews play a great set that kept the crowd on their toes from start to finish, and, just before they go, they end on their hit number, Shine.
Therapy?
At this point in the night, the last members of the crowd make their way into the venue as it’s time for our headline act of the evening, Northern Ireland’s own Therapy? As the group enter the stage and play the introduction to their set, followed by Meat Abstract, it becomes very clear the crowd are well and truly in the mood for this one.
The booze and maybe something more has well and truly set in for some of the attendees as a couple of early-stage divers march up the steps towards Therapy? But the crowd aren’t having any of it yet, and they land straight on their backsides! Better luck later, I guess.
A well-stacked setlist kept the crowd going absolutely nuts the entire night. Countless stage dives, crowd-surfing along with plenty of moshing were on display and kept the audience absolutely rammed to the stage.
One of the highlights, and probably for many of the previous Therapy? gigs, had to be during their little Irish ditty, Potato Junkie, which had the entire crowd shouting, “JAMES JOYCE IS FUCKING MY SISTER!”
The band went off-stage for a brief break near the end of an already extremely generous serving of bangers from the Northern Irish trio, but as they proceeded to do so, they were met with a mighty and rock-affirming roar from the crowd!
Encore time! To see the rest of the night out, they give the crowd the tracks they’ve been desiring, starting with Teethgrinder then into the aforementioned Potato Junkie.
Then Knives, shortened versions of Killing Joke’s Requiem and Judas Priest’s Breaking The Law, before ending on the band’s biggest hits to date, Nowhere and Screamager.
What a crazy night out in Colchester, and here’s hoping the band doesn’t leave it so long again before coming back.
