When Twin Atlantic sold out the Roundhouse in London late last year, it was questionable as to how they’d ever top that performance. Then they announced a headline show at Brixton Academy and they’ve never looked more comfortable dominating one of the UK’s most respected venues.
The emotional powerhouse that is Lonely The Brave stepped up to kick the night off, David Jakes’ vocal captivating as ever. Overall it wasn’t anything substantially different to the performances we’ve seen previous from Lonely The Brave; then again, you don’t go to see Lonely The Brave for a performance of tricks and exaggerated showmanship. Their music speaks for itself and as soon as ‘The Blue, The Green’ chimed in to bring the set to a close, it’s impossible not to feel a little overwhelmed by the sheer passion of it all.
Eliza and the Bear however deliver a performance on the other end of a spectrum, with their indie-pop guitar melodies sweetening up the crowd. Though more designed for a different taste palette to those in attendance tonight, the band do their best to entertain, interacting with the crowd squeezed at the front and making the performance as enjoyable as possible. ‘Friends’ and ‘Light It Up’ are sure favourites from the set and show that there is a lot more to come from this charming indie band.
Lights begin to flicker and the echoes of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ are heard within the venue and as the Scottish quartet make their way onto the stage, Sam adorning his trademark anorak, they burst into the pack-a-punch anthem ‘Make a Beast of Myself’, blinding half the audience as they go with intense strobes.
Similar to their performance at the Roundhouse last year, Twin Atlantic certainly made the most of their production budget, with dramatic lighting accompanying the stadium-ready anthems, adapting to each mood that each song brought to the stage. Tracks such as the powerful and punchy ‘Fall Into the Party’, ‘Edit Me’ and ‘I Am an Animal’ create an electrifying atmosphere, whilst the slightly more delicate ‘Oceans’ and ‘Crash Land’ trigger hundreds of swaying arms and heartfelt messages from the band. As always, ‘Free’ provokes a reaction unlike any other though, as the crowd bellow back the chorus and the band take a moment to appreciate this career highlight before the encore ensues.
After drummer Craig Kneale flaunts his art with a credible drum solo, the others return to the stage and launch into fiery anthem ‘The Ghost of Eddie’, still one of their heaviest tracks to date it creates an almighty atmosphere. The night is then rounded off triumphantly with ‘Brothers and Sisters’ and ‘Heart and Soul’, the latter of which sees ginormous balloons fall from the balcony. It was like one massive, energetic party from start to finish and the balloons were the icing on the cake, Twin Atlantic take a bow knowing they’ve conquered the stage some only dream of. This is just the beginning though, and they’ll undoubtedly be reaching new heights in a not so distant future.
TAMSYN WILCE
