The International Tussler Society
Encyclopedia
The International Tussler Society is a Country rock
-band from Trondheim
, Norway
, formed in 1993.
They started out as a side-project of fellow Trondheimers, Motorpsycho
, who decided to record a country-album when their drummer, Håkon Gebhardt, bought a banjo. Their line-up got extended (see below) and the story had its beginning. The first album was released (and subsequently became a rarity, as it was pressed in low amounts) and the band played several concerts.
Later on, the International Tussler Society, as the project was named, developed a life of its own, aside from the Motorpsycho-universe. Despite the long gaps between recordings and tours, the band can still be seen as standing on its own feet. They derive their musical style from Country
/Southern rock
-veterans such as The Byrds
, The Grateful Dead, The International Submarine Band, The Band
, The Allman Brothers Band
, Neil Young
and The Flying Burrito Brothers
. Like the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers Band, they also have two drummers since 2003, when Even Grånas joined them. They are also known for playing very long sets which include intense jamming, most of the 2004 tour-concerts lasted around three hours.
The I.T.S. recorded two albums so far, The Tussler - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
(1994, re-released in 1996 and 2003), and Motorpsycho presents The International Tussler Society
(2004) and have a small, but dedicated fan-base in Europe.
Country rock
Country rock is sub-genre of popular music, formed from the fusion of rock with country. The term is generally used to refer to the wave of rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s, beginning with Bob Dylan and The Byrds; reaching its greatest...
-band from Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, formed in 1993.
They started out as a side-project of fellow Trondheimers, Motorpsycho
Motorpsycho
Motorpsycho is a band from Trondheim, Norway. Their music can generally be defined as psychedelic rock, but they also mix in elements from metal, jazz, rock, pop and many other musical styles. The members of the band are Bent Sæther , Hans Magnus "Snah" Ryan and Kenneth Kapstad...
, who decided to record a country-album when their drummer, Håkon Gebhardt, bought a banjo. Their line-up got extended (see below) and the story had its beginning. The first album was released (and subsequently became a rarity, as it was pressed in low amounts) and the band played several concerts.
Later on, the International Tussler Society, as the project was named, developed a life of its own, aside from the Motorpsycho-universe. Despite the long gaps between recordings and tours, the band can still be seen as standing on its own feet. They derive their musical style from Country
Country rock
Country rock is sub-genre of popular music, formed from the fusion of rock with country. The term is generally used to refer to the wave of rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s, beginning with Bob Dylan and The Byrds; reaching its greatest...
/Southern rock
Southern rock
Southern rock is a subgenre of rock music, and genre of Americana. It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll, country music, and blues, and is focused generally on electric guitar and vocals...
-veterans such as The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
, The Grateful Dead, The International Submarine Band, The Band
The Band
The Band was an acclaimed and influential roots rock group. The original group consisted of Rick Danko , Garth Hudson , Richard Manuel , and Robbie Robertson , and Levon Helm...
, The Allman Brothers Band
The Allman Brothers Band
The Allman Brothers Band is an American rock/blues band once based in Macon, Georgia. The band was formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman and Gregg Allman , who were supported by Dickey Betts , Berry Oakley , Butch Trucks , and Jai Johanny "Jaimoe"...
, Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
and The Flying Burrito Brothers
The Flying Burrito Brothers
The Flying Burrito Brothers was an early country rock band, best known for its influential debut album,The Gilded Palace of Sin . Although the group is most often mentioned in connection with country rock legends Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman, the group underwent many personnel changes.-Original...
. Like the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers Band, they also have two drummers since 2003, when Even Grånas joined them. They are also known for playing very long sets which include intense jamming, most of the 2004 tour-concerts lasted around three hours.
The I.T.S. recorded two albums so far, The Tussler - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
The Tussler - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
The Tussler – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the first album by Motorpsycho & Friends, released in 1994. The album was the soundtrack to a fictional Spaghetti Western by non-existent director Theo Buhara...
(1994, re-released in 1996 and 2003), and Motorpsycho presents The International Tussler Society
Motorpsycho presents The International Tussler Society
Motorpsycho presents The International Tussler Society is an album by The International Tussler Society. It was released on CD and double vinyl, both editions came with a bonus DVD featuring a documentary about the recording process of the album, made by local director Frode Dreier. Also featured...
(2004) and have a small, but dedicated fan-base in Europe.
Members
- Barry "Space" Hillien (Lars Lien): lead vocals, keyboards
- Kjell "K.K." Karlsen: pedal steel guitar, occasional lead vocals
- Duellin' Flint Gebhardt (Håkon Gebhardt): banjo
- Chickenshakin' Lolly Hanks Jr. (Morten Fagervik): drums
- Snakebite Ryan (Hans Magnus Ryan): guitars, vocals
- Charlie Bob Bent (Bent Sæther): bass, guitars, occasional lead vocals
- Ringo "Fire" Karlsen AKA The Kid (Even Grånas): drums (since 2003)