Simon Rushworth
@ Newcastle The Cluny, October 16 2011
Here is a band that ought to be playing much larger venues than this. But here they are anyway and what a treat for the folk of Tyneside.
After a mammoth four years since their previous release Contact!Contact!, and two years since their last Newcastle show, the boys from Tellison are back following the release of The Wages of Fear in June this year.
Lead singer Stephen Davidson admits that it is with much regret that Newcastle hasn’t been on the band’s radar more often.“We never really knew anyone from Newcastle so it’s always seemed to have slipped through the gaps,” he said.
“It has suffered due to our strong links with Middlesbrough but with this tour we decided we wanted to play some venues we’d not necessarily done before.”
The band dipped into their back catalogue for a few oft-forgotten gems, with Gallery and Tender Is The Night rekindling the initial fervour that surrounded their debut record. Rare B-Side Gibraltar also got an airing, as it was one of the most popular songs fans had requested the band play on this tour.
“With the new album you almost feel like you have to play it because it is new so the old songs become a bit more of a challenge,” said Davidson.
“It felt odd at first playing the new songs live but now that feeling kind of exists towards our old tracks.”
Foot-stomping pop-rock is what the band does best and arguably the two standout tracks from The Wages… , Collarbone and Say Silence, went down a treat.
Closing with latest single Edith, the humble guys who toiled away to get their new album released deliver a fine slice of what the new Tellison is all about.
Jamie Durent