When
we arrived at Bristol 02 we heard Charlie Simpson
playing, having started his set 15 minutes early.
Sadly this meant that we missed a large part of
his set. The acoustic folk rock of Charlie's solo
project went down pretty well. And it seemed like
quite a few people were familiar with his debut
album "Young Pilgrim". As much as I
dislike Busted, Charlie's talent is undeniable
and this shows his versatility after the heavier
"Fightstar".
The
Lights went down and there was a big applause
as the sound of "Bohemian Rhapsody"
played over the speakers while the members of
the Scottish alternative rock band Twin Atlantic
took their places on stage. The lights Illuminate
the stage as Barry Mckenna's gritty guitar sound
kicks in with the opening chord of "Time
For You To Stand Up" of the bands second
studio album "Free" Craig Kneale's heavy
drum beats provide a driving force that matches
Sam McTrusty's powerful rocky vocals.
The
crowd responded well as the band worked though
"Apocalyptic Renegade", "Light
Speed", "Dreamember" and "The
Ghost Of Eddie" before mixing in some of
older tracks from "Vivarium". The older
songs didn't get quite the welcome, with a lot
less people singing along, and not as much movement
giving the middle of the set a bit of a lull.
The boys on stage were moving around engulfed
in light, and as always with Twin Atlantic they
seemed to cherish every moment. Whilst the atmosphere
might have died down slightly the sound was still
phenomenal. With only two studio albums out, it
can be difficult to find the right set, even more
so for a band like this who want to give their
fans all they can. Playing twenty tracks including
the encore, including the B-side "Sparkly
Touch" and "A Guidance From Colour"
of their 2008 ep of the same name. Twin Atlantic
even performed a new song "Brothers &
Sisters" teasing the possibility of a new
release and fantastic follow up to "Free".
The
set exploded on the bands last track "Free"
in which Barry showcases his talent on the keyboard,
an instrument that Ross McNae also played a few
times during the night. The entire room was singing
along and Sam even let them take the last chorus.
With almost the entire room singing along word
for word with their hands in the air shows just
how far they've come since I saw them a few years
ago. They won over the smaller crowds and they're
finally getting the breakthrough they deserve.
The
crowd didn't waste any time cheering for more,
and they were rewarded with Sam coming out by
with his acoustic guitar and performing a moving
version of The Beatles "All My Loving".
The crowd still on a high from "Free"
set up perfectly for "Crash Land". With
Barry coming on stage with his Cello, similar
to the Pro-record acoustic version. From the very
beginning to the very end the entire crowd sung
at the top of their lungs without missing a word.
Nearly drowning out Sam and one of the most incredible
moments I've ever experienced, I can hardly imagine
what it was like for the band. They followed up
with "Yes, I Was Drunk" before finishing
off with "Make A Beast Of Myself" with
Ross's fun bass fills. The crowd continued to
sing the songs line for line but not quite to
the magnitude of "Crash Land" which
was on a completely different level but none the
less an absolutely incredible end to an incredible
show.
Twin
Atlantic are extremely talented and always put
on a great show, and tonight was probably the
best I've ever seen them perform. I thought a
lot about what to rate this, but the show, the
end of it was out of this world and a definite
five, but they don't quite have the songs behind
them to carry that energy and atmosphere though
the entire set. I can't wait for them to release
a follow up to "Free" and I would recommend
that everyone who hasn't seen these go check them
out as soon as you can.
Charlie Simpson 3/5
Twin Atlantic 4/5
Review By Marc Rich
Photos By Kirsty Rich
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