They say the true test of a song’s quality is when you strip away the full band production to leave purely the tune, lyrics and melody. If the song still moves you in these circumstances, then it’s probably a great song. That’s exactly what the boys from Sydney- and Brisbane-based Thousand Needles in Red are about to find out about their songs. The normally loud, powerful band are leaving their electrified instruments behind and going out on a strictly acoustic tour of the country shortly, a tour they have dubbed the No Cities Left tour.
“Throughout the year we’ve trialed it just to test ourselves really,” begins guitarist Tristan ‘Trizo’ Bouillaut. “We went out basically with an acoustic guitar, and played heavy songs. We just really wanted to push ourselves before we recorded the album, and see how the songs would sound. Me and Clint [Boge, TNIR’s vocalist] both think a good song can be played acoustically. And people started showing a bit of interest in it, so we kept going. I never thought I’d be going on an acoustic tour, it was like, ‘What the fuck?!’ But it’s good, we just take a couple of guitars, and get up, and it’s very organic, very natural. None of it’s rehearsed.
“It’s liberating,” he continues, “you can’t hide behind any big lights or big sound or anything, it’s just very vulnerable.”
It is such a different medium, that Tristan experienced a strong degree of trepidation when first playing the tunes in such a stripped back fashion, even though they were essentially the same songs as they were doing with a full band. “I remember the first time we went and did it, I was scared shitless,” he recalls. “It was like, ‘How am I going to pull this off?’ How do you pull a heavy riff off on an acoustic? I’m still trying to work it out,” he laughs. “But a good song will have wings and will fly.”
The fact that Clint and Tristan have tested themselves a few times, but still harbor a degree of fear in performing acoustically, means they are excited about the prospect of the upcoming acoustic tour. “Man, we’re pumped. Other acoustic shows we’ve done it was like, ‘Aww man, we’ve gotta do this acoustic show,’ but this one’s really exciting because it’s a warm up for the album. I suppose there’s a bit more attention on the band now. I’d be lying if I said we weren’t excited. It’s just so different, it’s so intimate…it’s just me playing guitar, and Clint singing. It doesn’t get any more stripped back. It’s exfoliated!”
The name of the tour comes from the fact that the band have played up and down the country in the loud rock manner that they’re renowned for so many times recently, that they’ve kind of ‘run out’ of venues to play and it was time to do something different.
Bouillaut explains, “I know there are a lot of people out there who would disagree with that, who say, ‘Come back to Adelaide’, ‘Come back to Perth’. It’s like, ‘Do you know how much it costs to get a rock’n’roll band to Adelaide and Perth guys?'” He laughs.
“We love Melbourne. It’s such a beautiful city with beautiful people. We’ve got great friends down there, the venues are good, the vibe’s good. If only the rest of the country could have what Melbourne’s got, with the live circuit, it’d be a very healthy scene.”
Hear hear! Thousand Needles In Red’s No Cities Left Tour reaches The East Brunswick Club Friday August 19 (tickets from eastbrunswickclub.com) and Ruby’s Belgrave (moshtix.com.au) Saturday August 20. Mandy Kane and Dancing Heals support.
