I have never been a big fan of the venue, The Garage Attic, but tonight’s line-up is more than enough to convince me to give it another shot.
Having heard a lot about opening band A Sudden Burst of Colour over the last few months, I was extremely excited to finally get to see them live.
The four-piece signed to Good Grief Records describe themselves as “instrumental rock music with ambient and atmospheric influences” and certainly live up to this claim.
Instrumental music is not always to everyone’s taste (including my own) as it can quickly become repetitive, but when done well it can be extremely enjoyable and engaging.
A Sudden Burst of Colour fit the latter offering a number stunningly uplifting, melodic and varied post-rock tracks.
The band shows clear musical talent and skill throughout their set, with precisely picked guitars and some truly phenomenal drumming.
Each track is extremely imaginative, playing with song structure and creating a dynamic atmosphere.
The tracks continue to rise and fall, soaking the audience in a rich breath-taking sound.
Next up are Glasgow’s own So Many Animal Calls, who have managed to draw quite a crowd, but that is no surprise after receiving attention from the likes of BBC Introducing, The List and Rock Sound Magazine.
The band often referred to as SMAC have an extremely different vibe from A Sudden Burst of Colour, treating the crowd to a number of upbeat, catchy pop-rock tunes, which have me hooked from the start.
However, SMAC offer more than your average pop-rock idioms alongside some highly emotionally charged lyrics, which showcase Sean McKenna’s vocal ability.
SMAC continually show impressive technical skill and enthusiasm throughout their set, making them an entertaining and much-welcomed addition to tonight’s line-up.
Headliner’s Tellison open their set with crowd pleaser ‘Edith’, which encourages the crowd to get involved from the start.
Having taken a break from playing live for a while, I am both surprised and extremely pleased to see how tight their set is, as they treat the crowd to a mix of wonderful harmonies and charming melodies.
Even when disaster strikes three songs in, when they lose power on one side of the stage, the band manages to stay calm and keep the audience distracted with a number of funny anecdotes and some terrible jokes.
Once power returns they continue seemingly unphased to play a mix of old and new tracks including personal favourites ‘Vermont, ‘Collarbone’ and the softer ‘Freud Links The Teeth And The Heart,’ which serves as an enchanting interlude during their energetic set.
New tracks ‘Boy,’ ‘Hell Hole’ and ‘Tact Is Dead’ have a much heavier sound that channels the band’s frustration of being a self-proclaimed “catastrophe.”
However, Tellison are harder on themselves than they should be as despite taking a number of strong kicks in their career over the last ten years, they have managed maintain a rather loyal fan-base who have chosen come and show their support during tonight’s show.
The bands strongest attribute is their ability defy genres, ignoring mundane structure, edging between the boundaries of pop, indie, rock, emo and punk, creating the truly unique yet accessible sound displayed during tonight’s set.
Tellison are an extremely genuine band, who have never claimed to be anything they are not, which comes across in both their lyrics and live show encouraging the crowd to relate to them.
Upbeat closer ‘Get On’ gives the band one last chance to give it their all during and its final chords are met loud claps and cheers from a delighted audience.
Words: Jess Lavin
Photos: Bill Gray
Rave Child 