Canela Party 2026 Review: A Genre-Bending Opening Day
By Tom Meenagh
Day 1 of this year's Canela Party set the tone for the weekend and highlighted the festival's reputation among alternative music festivals. Arguably one of the strongest days, the atmosphere charged with an unmistakable feeling of anticipation for the genre amalgamation the festival is known for. The day featured garage pop, misshapen rock-jazz-fusion, hardcore - an eclectic line-up that seemed extremely off-piste at first glance. Yet, it worked wonders and tickled our group of seasoned festival-goers in all the right places.
Writing this music performance review has proven to be an exceptional challenge. The calibre of bands that played on this particular day was second to none, and selecting a mere three to highlight felt borderline impossible. Nevertheless, twist my elbow if you must, and I can say three acts stood out ahead of the rest: Man/Woman/Chainsaw, Geordie Greep, and Maruja.
Man/Woman/Chainsaw
I will raise my hands and admit I had only listened to these guys a mere day before attending. I'm glad I did, and I'm less glad that I hadn't sooner.
At first glance, the dynamics of a violin and synthesizers clashing against driving guitar progressions seem odd, but lads, it really works. Beneath that initial layer of indie rock lie complex, melodic arrangements that blend seamlessly with carefully forged and emotionally charged lyricism.
Their violinist, Clio Starwood, stole the show. Rather than sitting politely in the background, she added an edge to their set that pushed it to new heights. Her stage presence mirrored her frantic yet fluid melodies, delivering an energy that was hard to ignore.
They finished off with their biggest song 'Nosedive', telling the crowd, “We want to see you guys dance to this one.” And dance the crowd did as the band beautifully capped off a stellar performance. I came in with high expectations, and I left with those expectations exceeded. Possibly my favorite of the day. The only minor criticism of this performance was the unforgivable lack of chainsaw. There were men, there were women, but where was the chainsaw?
Geordie Greep
I change my mind; the exceptional challenge of this review has been describing what a Geordie Greep set actually is or how he pulls it off.
Seventy-five percent of his show was unadulterated improvisation, yet, to a casual listener, it would be hard to tell. If I had to use one word to describe Geordie's set, it would be 'tight.' They weren't just musicians or artists; they were masters of their craft.
The band was the brush, Geordie was the hand, and their performance was, if you squinted hard enough, an abstract piece of art reminiscent of some masterpiece you might find in a French museum.
Complex fusion chord progressions and shifting time signatures persisted throughout. Could you dance to their set? Maybe. Would it look a bit weird from a distance? Also maybe.
I think his set, and by extension his music, offered an unapologetic push against musical boundaries that encouraged an Ian Curtis-esque boogie. The crowd never drifted away from their music; they leaned in. It felt like a live experiment that demanded your undivided attention.
'Holy, Holy' was a highlight and an instant mosh initiator. This set was a baseline for what was to come the rest of the weekend.
Maruja
Maruja can be best described as genre-transient. Post-punk, jazz, rock, prog – all are clear influences, but none alone capture their essence. They were intense on all fronts and always finished big, even when starting small. Songs like 'The Invisible Man' showcased this perfectly.
The distinctive element of their show was their saxophonist. His driving, abrasive trills injected the set with a raw intensity, synergizing perfectly with the rest of the band. The alto sax allows the band to carve out a distinctive yet varied sound, giving their set a relentless energy that he encouraged as he paraded up and down the opened mosh pit.
The boys showed passion on a political level as well as on the playing field. Canela Party provides the perfect platform for this. A 3-minute, politically charged monologue by frontman Harry Wilkinson towards the end of their set put us in a trance. As he spoke bluntly and profoundly about injustice on the world stage, you could almost hear a pin drop. I say almost, because I swear you could hear Farage gargling disapprovingly in the distance.
Nevertheless, these guys delivered a performance on all levels.
Day 1 of Canela Party delivered on its promise. It set up the weekend perfectly and, in my opinion, made the days that followed feel like they had a lot to live up to. The sheer variety and quality of each performance made it feel like the day was never trying to fit into a box. A special mention goes to Basement and Baiuca who, despite offering contrasting atmospheres, were able to keep the crowd moving. This was Canela Party's opening statement for the weekend, and man, it was a good one.