Twin Atlantic at The Waterfront, Norwich

Seen as an old-hand in the alternative-rock industry, Twin Atlantic from Glasgow in Scotland played an electrified gig at The Waterfront in Norwich on the 30th May. Breaking up their appearances at countless festivals across the UK, the band brought sounds of old and new to an excited crowd. With four albums under their belt, including Top 10 album ‘GLA’ in 2016 behind them, the band were keen to show their spirit was not dead and they are still here to stay. After Annie Mac promoted the band’s track “No Sleep” from “GLA” as the Hottest Record in the World in 2016, it is clear to see just how well Twin Atlantic are working even in a time where rock music is supposedly “dead”. So, after a two year break, a statement from frontman Sam McTrusty mid-performance saying the band are working on their fifth studio album this year came with earth-shattering cheers.

The revelling the band had after “GLA” took the world by storm and it is clear to see in the outstanding stage presence of the entire band. It was almost as if someone had injected them with Red Bull before the performance as not one song came with a lack of energy and raw talent. Sam McTrusty is one hell of a showman and whatever it is that’s made him tick for the last two years is something the crowd did nothing but relish in.

The night kicked off with performances from support ‘Bellevue Days’ and ‘The Pale White’. With a happy-go-lucky presence, ‘Bellevue Days’ got the audience smiling and laughing from ear to ear in between tracks. With a psychedelic rock sound it was interesting to see what the band was going to offer. Energy levels were exceptionally high throughout the entire performance and in all honesty, it looked like it was just a bunch of mates having a laugh, giving it some welly and just trying to sell some merchandise that wasn’t a packet of cigarettes (apparently that’s what it used to be like for the bassist in the old days).  When ‘The Pale White’ took to the stage with a fresh, young feel to their aesthetic it was certainly a contrast to that of ‘Bellevue Days’. It almost felt like they had to put on that cool kid exterior. But, as soon as they got comfortable, and sweaty like the rest of us, it was easy to see that this band had something going for them. With a math rock crossed with new-wave indie rock feel to them, this three-piece band made us all reminiscent of the golden age of indie-rock. With clear inspiration leading from ‘Catfish & The Bottlemen’ staunch DIY sound as well as rock veterans ‘Guns N Roses’ heavy electrics, it was almost like this band’s sound was all of their favourite artists gelled together to make one distinctive new love-child.

With outstanding openers to the show from both bands, the energy of the crowd was only amplified by the appearance of Twin Atlantic as they graced the stage with the scorcher that was “Golden Elephant: Cherry Alligator”.  Jumping straight into involvement with the crowd, asking for more, the presence of the band was the most uplifting seen from Twin yet. With more tunes from “GLA” such as “Valhalla” and “The Chaser” echoing through the floorboards, the electricity from the bass riffs soared through our veins. A seemingly suave looking Twin Atlantic were none to hesitant to chuck in old classics such as the heartfelt, passionate tracks of “Make A Beast Of Myself” and “Hold On”. I didn’t see one member of the crowd not screaming the lyrics to the middle hook of each song as loud as their lungs could carry them. It was clear to see that the audience were the obvious Twin Atlantic fans. Every riff from the electric guitars sent them into a frenzy of jumping, moshing and everything else in between. It even got frontman Sam McTrusty jumping into the crowd with them. Soon to be followed by the comical statement, “this is where I wish I had done more exercise rather than sit on my ass in the studio for the last twelve months”.

We can’t talk about the night without discussing the breakdown to the acoustic guitar that we are all to familiar with Twin Atlantic. As the band left the stage, McTrusty brought the crowd to utter silence with his cover of “My Backwards Walk” by Frightened Rabbit. It was certainly a moment that tugged at the heartstrings. A moment that was followed by the band’s second most listened to track on Spotify, “Crash Land, which was led purely by the audience alone. This sent the biggest smiled across McTrusty’s face. When his vocals carried us back in, you simply could not fault his brilliance. The vocals were unbroken and every note was sent into the high heavens. And it was real, I couldn’t help the tear from rolling from my eye. There’s just something about the raw emotion in that song that no other band can conjure.

And, so the night slowly came to it’s sweaty end through the tracks of “Yes, I Was Drunk”, hottest record of 2016 “No Sleep” and the exceptional finale, “Heart and Soul”. As per, the energy levels had reached their climax. Not one person in the crowd was stood still, hands were high in the air bouncing to every drum beat, and the tired voices of the crowd were still trying to scream every single lyric. I could physically see the sweat pouring off the band, and everyone else in the crowd. This was proof that Twin Atlantic are still on their A game, and if anything the performance alone made us all incredibly excited to hear what they’ve been working on for the past year. Twin Atlantic have more appearances being made this summer at Camden Rocks, 2000 Trees Festival and Summer Sessions in Glasgow. Be sure to get yourself to see them and keep your eyes and ears peeled for new music from them in the future.