TELEGRAM | LIVE REVIEW
Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff, Sat 30th May
Gaining popularity during their time supporting bands like Temples, Childhood and Palma Violets, as well as recording a BBC 6Music session, Telegram seem to have fallen into the whole East London garage psych scene along which also houses acts like Toy and Charlie Boyer And The Voyeurs. Personally, I never understood this: maybe it’s easier to lump them into that scene because of their look, but their sound and attitude is completely different.
With their debut single Follow attracting a lot of attention, there have been a few harsh things written by London critics calling their sound “synthetic”, which I couldn’t disagree with more. Although their instrumental sound is quite similar to a lot of bands coming out of London right now, what makes them stand out is Matt Saunders’ distinct vocals, which has the sound of a more accessible version of Dead Kennedys’ Jello Biafra.
The gig itself also featured Tibet and Loaded, who were the perfect musical buildup for the night, with Loaded being particularly impressive. When Telegram finally took the stage, I really wished that Clwb had filled to capacity instead of being a third full, but saying that within a few songs the whole crowd push forward and created that sweaty sold-out atmosphere.
What instantly stood out was the entire band’s charisma, especially guitarist Matt Wood and frontman Matt Saunders – the latter donning what resembled a horse riding helmet, a wise thing to wear when you’re playing to a Welsh crowed. Musically, meanwhile, the strongest songs were Follow, Regatta and Aeons, which brought the room to a swirling heap. The song that surprised me the most was Rule Number One, which was musically and lyrically spot on.
Telegram are doing something very interesting and I look forward to seeing what they do in the next couple of years. Defiantly make an effort to check them out, especially when there are a few Welsh boys mixed into the band.
words and photos JAYDON MARTIN