This Is Guernsey

By by Colin Leach

Elysium at L’Ancresse Lodge Hotel last Saturday. Left to right: Gordon Liu, Gary Murchie, Steve Collenette. On drums (obscured) is Paul Taylor. Inset, Mark Guillou recipient of the Jack Black Award for contribution to local music which was presented on the night (Picture by Jason Le Page, 0555721)

Elysium played to a packed house at L’Ancresse Lodge on Saturday night.

And the response to their Rush tribute at the soon-to-be-closed venue took the four-piece aback.

‘None of us has played a gig like that before,’ said drummer Paul Taylor, still coming to terms with the success of the night a few day later.

‘Our first number was an instrumental and as we finished Gary [Murchie, singer] jumped up on stage to a massive roar from the crowd.

‘We realised then that this was going to be a special night,’ said Paul.

Many in the audience included local musicians.

‘If a bomb dropped on the Lodge that night the island would have lost most of it rock music fraternity,’ he said.

The night was also made notable as it included an award ceremony.

‘We decided it was high time we recognised the hard work and commitment that Mark Guillou [soundman on the night] has put into the local music scene,’ said Paul.

The band had a trophy made and presented it to Mark as the The Jack Black award.

‘I think it was the first time I’ve ever seen him speechless,’ he said.

Thanks also was given to lighting man Steve Lajoie, who even researched Rush’s live shows on video and online to work out the timing and direction needed.

‘It all made for a fantastic night,’ said the enthused drummer.

‘So is this a one-off, as has been mooted?’, I asked him.

‘We had a get together this week and decided that as it was so well received we’ll do another Rush show.

‘We said we’d only do it once but figured we could do one more show, then move on to playing gigs which will include a variety of progressive rock songs from the likes of Genesis and maybe Dream Theatre,’ he said.

But at which island venue?

‘It will have to be someone big as we use loads equipment.

‘It took two vans to get our gear to the Lodge, said Paul.

‘And that wasn’t including the PA system,’

Watch this space.