The Spill Canvas Review

“Take all excuses your fear produces, line ‘em up in a row. We’re gonna execute them and then salute them, let our courage grow” – Do these words send a shiver down anyone else’s spine? There is only one band in the world capable of such heartfelt lyrics, ladies and gentleman, The Spill Canvas!

After showcasing his music as a solo project over six years ago, lead singer Nick Thomas was accompanied by additional members to join him on what was to become one of the most inspirational musical journeys presented as The Spill Canvas.

Downtown Toronto, and we stand face to face with one of Canada’s most prestigious venues, The Opera House. Outside, around fifteen girls have been waiting in line since lunchtime, to guarantee their place at the front for what was to be, in my opinion, one of the best shows of the year. Having interviewed Nick prior to the show, it was clear to see that his love and passion for music stemmed fromearly on in life, and that some of the most heartfelt songs he produced were the result of not only going through all the bad situations life throws at you, but coming out of it standing a stronger person than before.

Most music gigs are determined by the type of audience that attend, and although for the majority of rock shows that take place, the fans are easily stereotyped by looking like little “emo” clones of each other, I found this show to be the complete opposite. From young girls who had taken the day off school, to grown men straight from work, it proved the simple fact that The Spill Canvas appeal to absolutely anyone and everyone.

Having been a huge fan of The Spill Canvas since a teen, I was extremely excited to see such a special band from my iPod play live right in front of me. Although the band aren’t too popular in the UK, across the pond it is a completely different story. With a venue fit for over a thousand people over three quarters full, the scene is set for The Spill Canvas to take the stage by storm.

As the band open with “Polygraph, Right Now” they instantly have the audience in the palm of their hands. Compared to the only other time I saw the band at Warped Tour 2007, it is easy to see that as a band they are much tighter, much more focused and just generally enjoying life. Around the time of Warped ’07, lead singer Nick had hit a wall with drug issues, and after attending rehab, the transformation is incredible. Looking much healthier, happier, and just generally appreciating every moment on stage, he really seems to have turned his life around!

Playing a variety of songs including the new single “Our Song”, previously released “Gateway Drug” as well as classics such as “The Tide” and “Lusta Prima Vista”, the band perform on such an outstanding level, feeding their high levels of energy and enthusiasm to the crowd. Well, you know what they say “Sharing is caring!”.

My personal highlight, was when Nick was to play “Self Conclusion”, a song which touches on the idea of suicide and saving someone’s life. With such a heartfelt performance, he shows that when you can create and perform good music to such high standards, you don’t need fancy lighting and effects to create the atmosphere. He was just a man with a guitar giving the people exactly what they wanted to hear.

I felt so privileged to get to see such an incredible band perform, and from the loud, positive responses of the crowd throughout the show, I can safely say I was not alone. Lyrically, The Spill Canvas are on a completely different level than just your average band around at the moment. They’re able to portray their songs in such a way, that almost anyone can relate some part of their life to the words. The only criticism I have is that it was sometimes hard to hear the band over the crowd belting the words out. But I can’t really complain, seeing as I was part of the problem!

Someone once said to me “even the greatest musicians don’t get discovered”, and as true as it may be, I’m pleased to say that this band are not victims of that. The Spill Canvas really are capable of climbing all the way to global greatness, and other bands would have a hard time competing with them. They truly are destined for great things in the future, so if they come to a town near you, you should consider yourself lucky to experience one of the greatest bands in music today.

The new EP’s ‘Abnormalities’ and ‘Realities’ are available for purchase here.
For more information and updates on The Spill Canvas check out their MySpace here.
To check out the interview we did with Nick Thomas before the show, click here.

Review by Tanu Ravi.