Two Door Cinema Club @ The Oran Mor (Glasgow)
September 22, 2010 No Comments
Alex Trimble looking furious (C) MDW 2010
At a party in Glasgow last Thursday night, someone informs me Two Door Cinema Club are playing in the vicinity the following day. There’s just one problem – the tickets are sold out. Having never seen them before (which frankly makes me a little less credible as an Editor of a Northern Irish music publication), I utilize every ounce of shameless journalism to get in – from phoning Mojo Fury to texting General Fiasco’s front-man and even cheekily trying the folk at AU Mag.
None of these seem to come to fruition, and then it clicks… hang on, I am an Editor after all. A quick email to Two Door’s press officer and lo and behold, a guest list spot is mine.
Unfortunately with the last minute nature of my guest list permission, I arrive too late for Northern Irish openers, Kowalski, turning up half way through the second support act – ‘We Have Band’ – a London based fusion of hip-hop and indie-electro.
Bass player - Kevin Baird (C) MDW 2010
You could see why Two Door picked them as a support – they carry a similar energetic ‘dancey’ vibe but are more of an acquired taste. They mix catchy percussion with a quirky vocal style that at times sounds like a bizarre collection of animal noises.
In a nutshell, these guys are the sound of the London Olympics – they have that modern street appeal in spades. And while they can sound a little loud and brash, their live performance packs a pretty solid punch.
Next were the homeboys, or at least, even though this was Scotland, that’s how it felt. The teenie-boppers were out in full force, filling the venue with excited chatter, creating immeasurable tension and hype. When the Two Door lads finally entered, every single body in front of me lept in the air and launched a deafening shriek at the stage.
The band broke straight into album opener ‘Cigarettes In The Theatre’ and an electrifying energy flowed around the room, with more than half the bodies present bouncing up and down in utter joy. Frankly, Scottish crowds almost put ours to shame.
Lots of fans hands going wild (C) MDW 2010
This reaction continued throughout most of the night as Two Door smashed through a set of immense songs at jet-propelled pace. Highlights included the hypnotic chorus of ‘Do You Want it All?’ and the catchy hooks of, “Something Good Can Work”, which had both band and audience dancing like lovers.
The encore came around all too quickly but was a fitting climax – you could almost hear the crowd’s collective heart beating along with the thumping rhythm of ‘Come Back Home’ and even though set closer, ‘I Can Talk’, borrows more than a little from The Futurehead’s echoing vocal trick, it’s a tune that works live better than any other, exploding off the stage at a hundred miles per hour.
It seems that Two Door Cinema Club are conquering the world – so much so that you’ll have to wait until Christmas to see them back in Belfast. 7th December folks, mark it in your dairies.
By Matt Wheavil