Proto-shoegaze lynchpins The Telescopes delivered, if punchy is a word, a right hook of a performance at McChuill’s on September 24th. Cliches such as ‘blown away’ come to mind, yet it was only thanks to my earbuds that my ear drums were not. Those lucky enough to experience the end of a My Bloody Valentine show will understand the feeling; this felt more powerful, more shimmering.
My prior knowledge of The Telescopes’ music consisted singularly of their top-streamed song on Spotify, The Perfect Needle. I must admit that this didn’t change following the concert – it felt like a coherent sense of sonic spirituality enforced through the immense vibrations myself and a friend felt running through our bones, rather than a track-by-track playthrough of a back catalogue.
Their performance felt polished in its contrarily warm, gritty sound, and their stage presence oozed class and real musicianship. Despite appearing in the backroom of a pub on a Tuesday evening and our tickets feeling more like a password than a proof of purchase, The Telescopes commanded the room with a powerful grace.
The band, as musicians, felt like a more weathered Black Midi. Nomads who find their home in front of a crowd, unlocking a door with a guitar or drumstick shaped key. To a newcomer such as myself, their grinding songs alongside their post-rock blues brought to mind the sonic qualities of John Cale fronted by Iggy Pop, with even more psychedelics involved (if possible).
Others have attributed their sound to that of a permeation between melody and noise. My contention was that The Telescopes’ intent was to create a hazy wave of sound, which served to amplify the impact of beers guzzled during the set.
Headrush inducing numbers like the 15-minute performance of ‘This Train’ brought the distortion-laden sermon to a ‘face-melting’ end. To some, this could be taken as indulgent, but I found a distinct loyalty to their sound.
We spoke with Telescopes frontman Stephen Lawrie for a short while outside the venue. He mused about the industry, songwriting, performing and dispersed a mantra of non-conformance – a philosophy which I don’t think many listeners would have missed on the basis of their sonic qualities. Lawrie let us privy to the who’s-who’s and what’s-what’s of what seemed to be the past 35 years of alternative music.
He casually dropped colossal names such as Kevin Shields and Anton Newcombe as in a manner reminiscent of the Chewin’ The Fat sketch where Greg Hemphill makes clear who is a good guy or a ….
He stressed the importance of remaining true to yourself and made his point by explaining the Telescope’s process of naming their band, a tribute to his grandfather’s wartime telescope. This brings me to the impact that the Telescopes had on us. Alongside their support act, three-piece local outfit Hicks, my friend and I came away from the gig invigorated with a creative anticipation. We repeated several times afterwards the importance of going to things whether you are an established fan, or if you know one track. Go to a local concert soon, you may find a hidden gem or a vast well of inspiration.
As far as hidden gems go, Hicks are the epitome. Uber-creative Glaswegians fronted by a long-haired figure in a “FCK NZS” shirt, with a voice which could be summated as ‘scary’. A fun group who, at the end of their set, offered the crowd a chance to play their DIY slide guitar (built on the deck of a skateboard). We also spoke to members of Hicks afterwards, whose passion for playing presented itself easily. I cannot recommend enough checking out their stuff on YouTube if you get a chance.
McChuills, the venue, was the perfect landscape for such a night. It felt symbolic that on the bar was a notice which read ‘want to play a gig?’. McChuills is at the forefront of real grassroots music opportunities. This is a city itching to maintain its reputation as a creative powerhouse, you just need to give it a chance when it arises.
Good for a pint too.
Author: Jude Burns(He/Him)
@ju6eburns
