Teleman, Gorilla Manchester

After the success of their debut album 'Breakfast', Teleman (the reincarnated form of jaunty indie-pop merchants Pete and The Pirates) are out on their biggest UK headline tour to date. Their retro sound has echoes of the best of Britpop, with a touch of nostalgic psychedelia adding to their melancholy melodies. Tonight, they play Manchester’s Gorilla venue to a delightfully enthusiastic crowd.

Support comes from Boxed In, purveyors of piano-driven electro pop. Their style varies from Bloc Party-meets-Gang of Four on 'Foot Of The Hill' to a more repetitive, mellow sound that would give Hot Chip a run for their money. The band, centred around frontman Oli Bayston, have some catchy tracks and bags of potential, but are yet to find a defining sound. No doubt this live stint will help Bayston figure out where their strengths lie and weed out the more forgettable songs.

Next up, Teleman grace the stage, decked in matching shirts of their album’s colours, to open with 'Mainline'. The lush, rising chorus lifts the previously subdued crowd into a roaring frenzy. Recent single 'Skeleton Dance' keeps the momentum going as the audience bobs along. Singer Thomas Sanders’ distinctive vocals are absolutely on point, never wavering throughout the harmonious highs of their set. After welcoming the Manchester audience to tonight’s gig, he mentions their recent show in Oldham Library: “It was very quiet…and there were lots of books.” The atmosphere tonight couldn’t be more different, as their burgeoning fanbase are pretty vocal in their appreciation.

It seems that in the last year the band have been a little too busy with touring to write many new songs, but the audience is treated to one unnamed new track. Diehard fans will have also appreciated Teleman dropping the delightful b-side 'Please Kill It' – billed as ‘quite rare’ by Sanders – swiftly followed by the a-side, 'Steam Train Girl', its vocoder melody sounding as mesmerising live as it does on record.

'Cristina' is one of the band’s standout tracks, followed by single '23 Floors Up', which is lush and atmospheric even when stripped of its Bernard Butler-produced string section. Teleman close their gig with a frenetic rendition of 'Not in Control' and Sanders thanks the Manchester audience for making them feel so welcome. Rapt applause means it’s not long before the band are back on stage for their encore for which they play two of their slower tracks, including 'Redhead Saturday'. It’s a strange choice for an encore (acknowledged by the band themselves), but successfully winds down the evening after a fantastic set.

Teleman perform with the confidence and prowess of a far more established group, and the members gel together perfectly thanks to their years of touring together. The songs may be new but the talent is well-honed, resulting in a charming and captivating performance. As they look toward writing and touring new material over the coming months, let’s hope they match up to their perfect debut and prove they have the longevity where their previous ventures did not.

20th October 2014, Gorilla Manchester

Thanks to Kemptation