Peter Lee, left, and Tyber Cranstoun of The Dualers on stage (photo by C Brandon/Redferns via Getty Images)
When Tyber Cranstoun was busking in Romford, Essex he could never have envisaged that one day he’d be performing at the London Palladium.
But from humble beginnings busking in towns around the M25, Tyber and his band The Dualers have forged such an incredible reputation that he’ll be doing just that early next year.
Having burst into the charts without even having a record deal in the early Noughties, The Dualers’ infectious brand of ska and reggae has marked them out as a must-see live act.
If you’ve ever tried buying a ticket to see them, you’ll know how quickly they’re snapped up.“We’re completely and utterly grassroots,” said Tyber, who started the band with his brother Si.
“We actually started [busking] in Canterbury, my brother and me, because it’s very pro-busking with its cobbled streets.
“He went out busking with his friend and earnt £17 for a couple of hours and it didn’t take long for him to recruit his little brother. I very nervously joined him and it grew from there.
“In this country we don’t have the best weather and if you’re out on a grey day and you see two guys who are very carefree and obviously love each other because they’re brothers, mucking about, singing and harmonising – our voices, tonally, are very similar – that’s it. It grew and grew and grew.”
Tyber estimates the number of times he and Si left their South London home and went busking in towns around the M25 runs into the thousands.
And he said: “Romford was one of those places we busked regularly, for about 15 years. Right by Romford Market and right by Marks and Spencer and outside MVC were the three places we used to busk.
“There also used to be an amusement arcade – we used to busk outside there as well and they always used to come out and give us coffee.”
Encouraged by the number of CDs they were selling to their audience, Tyber and Si decided to take it to the next level and make a bid for the charts.
They released Kiss On The Lips as a single and it reached No 21. The follow-up, Truly Madly Deeply, got to No 23.
It’s the kind of fearless leap that has characterised The Dualers’ career and got them to where they are today.
“We released a song and we busked it into the charts,” explained Tyber.
“We had HMV, MVC and Virgin stocking the single locally and got it into the charts. We did the same with the next song and that got to No 23.
“The third single [Don’t Go] was disqualified from the charts because they decided it was getting a little bit too much – you can’t have these cavalier buskers who aren’t getting songs played on the radio even just getting into the charts.
“We were a bit crestfallen but we went back, licked our wounds and carried on. We built up a fan base and now we’ve got to the stage where we’re playing the London Palladium in January, Wembley Arena in September and the last album, which came out in July 2019, was No 11 in the charts.”
The rise of The Dualers was a result of hard work and not being frightened of taking the next step.Some bands, figures Tyber, are guilty of playing it too safe and suffering as a result.Where others see risks, he sees opportunities.
“I think the fear is that people can be so proud of what they’ve achieved,” he said, “and they look at that next level up.
“As a creative musician you’re laying your heart out on a plate and the worry is that if it doesn’t sell out, how do you then explain that to people?
“If you’re playing venues that are packed out with about 200 people, you feel great about that. But have you go the tenacity, the strength, to go ‘let’s go to this level – 500-600’?
“If you’re in it to win it, you’ve got to keep pushing. Some bands don’t want that. It’s not for everyone, playing on the big stage.”
That tenacity Tyber talks of was also evident in 2010 when Si left the band to carve out a solo career for himself.
“A lot of the success had been built around my brother, what he’d achieved, his songs,” he said.
“And he got a record deal within a year of leaving so that was a massive wake-up call.“I couldn’t even busk on the high street because I only had about half a dozen songs without him.
“It was a massive wake-up call but it was one of those moments – you’re only going to go up or down here and if you don’t dig deep, you’re going to go down. I dug deep and believed in myself.“
I had to reinvent myself a little bit, I had to reinvent my sound but I was ready for it. I am one of those people that really believe in journeys in life. I really think that a lot of the answers to our problems and our anxieties are in front of us – we’re just not believing in the journey.
“Everything happens for a reason – the significant things, not things like dropping your pen – all you have to do is open your eyes and look in front of you.”
January’s socially-distanced show at the Palladium is a particularly big thrill for Tyber, and another step along the journey of what can be possible.“I had a look at the people who have played there,” he said, adding: “and one of my singing idols is Dean Martin.
“The fact that I’m playing a venue that Dean Martin has sung in is huge for me because it’s the first venue I’ve played in, that I’m aware of, that he’s played in. “It’s so inspiring and nostalgic.”
The Dualers play London Palladium on January 29.
The gig is part of a series of Covid-safe, socially-distanced shows at the iconic West End venue promoted by Europa Concerts.
The others are: The House and Garage Orchestra on January 30; Hawkwind ‘Arrival In Dystopia’ on February 2; Midge Ure ‘The 1980 Tour, Visage And Vienna’ on February 3 and Ministry of Sound Classical featuring Brandon Block on February 12.
Tickets are available here.
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