This Is Guernsey

By Nick Mann

Elysium is, from left, Paul Taylor, Steve Collenette, Gordie Liu and Gary Murchie. (Picture by Daniel Guerin, 0542437)

THEY have previous.

Plenty of previous. Experience in bands, that is.

Now, deep in a bunker in St Martin’s, Gary Murchie, Gordie Liu, Paul Taylor and Steve Collenette are creating something unique in Guernsey – a Rush tribute band.

Calling themselves Elysium, the Roman word for heaven, for anyone keen on prog this will be, well, manna from.

Just one quick point (more a note to myself than anything): when going to interview anyone playing prog, be sure to turn up before they start. A punk band will quickly break off, or have two minutes to burn through a song, when they see you arrive.

But a prog band?

Turn up halfway through a practice session and you find yourself waiting 10 minutes for the introduction to finish.

It was really lush stuff, though. You just have to look at the drum kit and sequencer to know these guys are taking things seriously.

Gary’s involvement in the band was somewhat unexpected.

‘Gordie asked me to come to give my opinion – but instead, I got given some lyrics. Now I’m looking forward to the gig.’

The concept for Elysium was dreamt up after a few beers and stemmed from an urge to do something more technical.

They are almost anorakish about getting the songs spot on, avoiding incorporating anything less complicated just because it’s easier and happens to fit.

‘I’m doing this more because it’s music I want to do rather than feeling I have to,’ said Gary.

‘It’s a passion for all of us.

‘Before, it was “follow the crowd”, but we don’t feel we have anything to prove with this apart from we want to do it.’

There is a sense this could all have just stayed in the bunker,

a feeling that they are happy just to be performing the material.

But it’s had a long gestation – about two years – and as drummer Paul said, it needed to have an audience.

‘If we stayed much longer, I would have gone mad.’

Rush is one of his favourite bands.

‘It’s nice to play music you listen to in the car.

‘I also felt I needed the challenge of playing something that needed a bit of thought,’ he said.

Bassist Steve might be a lot more familiar with the sticks in his hands, but his background has its advantages.

‘The rhythm thing is good – it comes in handy and definitely strengthens things between me and Paul. But the bass-playing has been really hard.’

If anything, their passion for the Canadian band burns deep and is long held, but their set does not look like ending at Rush covers.

‘We said the first set will be entirely Rush material, but in the future we will do some Genesis, Floyd, stuff like that,’ said Gary.

And they might even resurrect some material from local bands if they get permission.

Before all that, it’s time for their debut performance at the L’Ancresse Lodge.

Is there still a crowd for this type of thing?

‘We’ve had an amazing response already – a lot of people asking about it,’ said Paul.

‘Some guy asked his boss for the day off and said if he couldn’t have it, he’d hand his notice in.’

• For more information, go to www.myspace.com/elysiumguernsey.
• Elysium play at the L’Ancresse Lodge next Saturday, with support from Eamon O’Neil. Tickets cost £5, doors open at 7.45pm and all ages are welcome.