DIY On Tour: Tellison
Tellison self-funded their recent UK tour. Top marks for effort - we visited them in various venues to see if it was all worth it.
There aren't not many bands in Britain who, at an average age of 18, would take to the dusty roads in a knackered van and attempt to do a UK tour. But Tellison and 10 Easy Wishes aren't your average bands. Sure, Kinesis have been gigging up and down the country for a good few years now - but they've been signed to a major (ignore the fact that they've been dropped, for the time being), had a few singles and a critically-acclaimed, although desperately unsuccessful album out. Tellison have recorded one split EP (available on Jaws 2 Records) and are currently recording their debut album, to be released on Gravity DIP - home to such illustrious names as Instruction, Capdown and Stapleton. 10 Easy Wishes have already released their debut ('It's A Disaster') and 2 EPs. The most startling thing about this tour, which stretches in one week, from as far north as Aberdeen to as far yonder as Exeter, is that it's completely self-funded. Top marks for effort - we visited them in various venues to see if it was all worth it.
18th August - Bacchus, Kingston
For those of you who don't know Kingston, this is what it's like in a nutshell. About 20 minutes south-west from London Waterloo by train, it's a generally apathetic place. However, the music scene here is relatively vibrant, and far-flung from the cliquey and self-obsessed world of East London. The vibe circulates from Kingston's main venue, The Peel, which is basically a pub, but a damn fine one at that. Recent visitors include Jetplane Landing, Reuben, Lucky Thirteen, Garrison, Stapleton, Douglas, Drive Like You Stole It and thisGIRL, while in the past, bands such as Lostprophets and Hundred Reasons played here on the way to stardom. The most successful nights are those put on by Gravity DIP, which come two or three times a month.
Tonight however, all the action is located in the centre of Kingston, at the considerably smaller Bacchus club. Doors open at 10pm and the bands are on pretty sharpish. 10EW are first up and this being the first time we're acquainted with them, we're suitably impressed by their racket, kindof a shambolic Supergrass meets caP'n Jazz meets Weezer. The music suits the venue perfectly; there's no stage, the crowd are right in their faces, and everyone's having a good time.
Tellison continue in this trend but they're clearly in a different musical league to 10EW. The song structures are a lot more complex and the vocal harmonies are tighter, with a more mature approach to the songwriting. Their 9-song set both is energetic and thoughtful, with their standout tune being their crowd-pleaser 'Reader', the lead track off their split EP. Almost as soon as it started, it's all over for the night, the club night begins and everyone dances away til 2am. Then a certain writer has to walk home for 2 hours in the rain after missing the last train and bus.
21st August - The Railway Inn, Winchester
After much trouble with trains, we arrive at the venue just in time for Tellison's set, sadly having missed 10EW's. We get underway again, and there's something odd going on - bassist Rory appears to have disappeared, and 10EW's bassist is filling in - for a few songs however, Tellison are reduced to a White Stripes-style lo-fi 2-piece. Undeterred by the absence of their cohort, Tellison again show why Gravity DIP were so eager to snap them up, dropping 'Amory' from the set and opening with 'Novel', while the small bonsai tree sitting on the bass amp gets namechecked in 'Bonsai'. A song apparently not about bonsai trees.
Normally on this tour, the night would end here but the promoter has seen fit to book two more bands. Next on, The Usual, want to be The Libertines so much it hurts. Dressed in thoss army jackets that Pete and Carl have made de rigeur, The Usual's joint frontmen too have that not-quite-homosexual bond between them, and their music in general is all made up of riffs nicked straight from 'Up The Bracket'. The drummer even keeps on playing the intro to 'Begging' in between songs. Just when things couldn't possibly get any worse, they commit the most serious musical crime a young band can commit - they cover Bon Jovi. Stephen Tellison is spotted with a look of sheer horror on his face.
Thankfully, final band The Good Time Charlies give us something to smile about. Like The Hives crossed with Iggy Pop, these guys know how to rock and their moniker is apt - the ladies in the venue love them and pretty much everyone is dancing. Although lively, the band choose to concentrate on the music and there's little between-song banter. But what does that matter when they execute a perfect cover of Janie Jones by The Clash? Last pints are supped quickly, it's hometime once again.
23rd August - The Windmill, Brixton
And so, the final date of the tour, in South London's tiny Windmill. Everyone looks tired as hell, but it's almost over. A chat with Stephen brings to light the reason for Rory's disappearance, ie. There actually wasn't one. "He just kinda left after the Kingston gig, he didn't say anything to us, but he's here today and he's playing with us tonight." Given the circumstances, and the events over the past few days (leaving parts of their drumkit in Winchester and having to collect them on the way back from Exeter, the almost complete lack of money, the fact that Tom 10EW has no clean t-shirts and smells like a sewer), you'd forgive Stephen for being a raging young man. However, he's taken it all in his stride, he's calm, collected. You sense that he just wants to get it all over with. His parting words: "Oh, and thanks for buying a t-shirt in Kingston. It meant I could eat in Leicester." Tellison are hardcore.
Tonight's bill again features a few more bands to drag the punters into this shithole of a venue, first up being Mallory. Like Tellison, they're young, but with big ideas, conveyed to the attentive crowd with passion. Good music doesn't necessarily have to be about guerrilla gigs, y'know. If you've got a melody (which Mallory do in abundance), you can go far. They just need to pay attention to their delivery as all to often, bum notes and the singing take the shine off what are essentially well-written songs. Lucky Thirteen man Dave House, who's also been keeping up with the tour, plays an acoustic set which provides one of the few singalong moments of the tour (the other being in Winchester, coming from a large group of Tellison's friends, more of which we'll see tonight).
10 Easy Wishes again do their thang, and Tellison wrap things up for the last time. Then everyone jumps onstage for their last song, grabbing the microphones and dancing manically, before running away and stealing all the equipment. Nah, only joking kids - this ain't East London. Tellison are far too good for that.
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