With dreamy sonic textures, tense reverberations and an intricate guitar-driven sound, Tourists’ brand of shoegaze infused post-punk has garnered attention from the likes of Radio 1, Clash and DIY; leading to the Devon-based group headlining the inaugural Tootopia festival in South London.

Taking to the stage later than planned because of technical issues, the visible tension was soon eliminated once the opening notes were struck to the infectious ‘Cut and Run’- an earlier single produced by James Bragg (Gengahr) which marries shimmering guitar with an enthralling synth line. “She came to me with a tear in her eye / I said to her it's no surprise,” crooned frontman Jamie Giles, as his distressing wordplay juxtaposed perfectly against a backdrop of blissful soundscapes. The four piece are always careful to maintain a distinct attachment to melody though, with each of their elongated, carefully shaped compositions managing to stay within a framework of swirling guitar work and intoxicating 80s synth.

The mood and tempo then altered as they ripped into set highlight ‘Smokescreen’ – a new and unreleased track which the group recently performed for a BBC Introducing live session. Featuring a spoken word sample from critically acclaimed journalist Graham Hancock, the track hints at a stylistic evolution and is a clear nod to their deeper-rooted post-punk influences; the shimmering guitars tussle for supremacy with one another invoking immediate comparisons to Krautrock-influenced bands such as DIIV. The rhythm is driving and the vocals haunting as singer Giles seemingly channels an inner Ian Curtis.

Earlier in the night, proceedings were initiated by the impressive, psychedelic-pop outfit Ghost of You. Hailing from the Czech Republic, the band were in the UK for a string of capital shows and an impressive opener, with their grungey instrumentals a particular highlight. Next up were local alt-pop boys Silent Crowd, firing off 1975-esque pop hooks with jangling guitars, as the vibrant location filled up.

Tourists lived up to their billing as headliners though as the set flowed seamlessly and the diversity among tracks demonstrated an eclectic array of influences. Climaxing gloriously with the epic, psych-infused Masquerade – the track is a welcome tonic for fans longing for the less pop-inclined Kevin Parker. Visually hypnotic, the quintet have used the seclusion of Devon to create their own unique psychedelic organism of dark dream-pop.
Paul Hill

Website: touristsband.com
Facebook: facebook.com/touristsband
Twitter: twitter.com/touristsuk