Live Review: Twin Atlantic @ Manchester Roadhouse

26 November 2008

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With Support from Haunts

When you hear your favourite band (who you thought was totally individual) have another band who sound like them, you have to go check them out right? So I find myself in Manchester Roadhouse waiting for Twin Atlantic more out of curiosity (and their fit MySpace pictures) than anything else.

As Haunts play to a crowd of about 50 people, in what is possibly the smallest venue I have ever seen; I don’t hold out much hope for the forthcoming events. The surprising thing is August Burns Red managed to pack this place out but four hot guys from Scotland have insofar only managed to accommodate the scene kids with nowhere else to go on a Sunday night in Manchester.

So Haunts, well they are your typical Indie band really, thick (Vera Duckworth) glasses, skinny fit jeans, more hairspray than kids in Grease, backcombed locks that you can hang your washing on and an air of arrogance that’s lost on a ‘rock chick’ like myself.

However, the 15 year old kids seem to be enjoying themselves and as a result, singer Banks ( I wonder if that is a ‘quirky’ nickname) can’t wipe the cheeky smile of his pristine face and his sideways glances admittedly make me go just a little bit weak at the knees.

Regardless of their ever-so-slightly catchy songs, the crowd seems thoroughly unwilling to dance which baffles me as the music even makes the most cynical kids (myself and my photographer Danny) dance around just a little bit.

With that said, they were a good opener and I might even pop down my local HMV and pick up a copy of whatever they have to offer me Haunts-wise. I reckon they are a great example of a fine English band filling a gap in the industry where so many others have tried and failed.

Anyway, that out of the way and it’s time for the main event; Twin Atlantic… and a barrel more fans seems to have rolled in from nowhere and pushed their way to the front in the short time it took me to go for a wee and sort my lipstick out. Bizarre.

Apart from this monster next to me screeching ‘Barry I Love You’ every time he came remotely close to her, it was a pretty good show regardless of the endless technical glitches; but that comes with any touring band who can’t count on the luxurious, heated merch trailers that the likes of Girls Aloud can.

But we’re not talking about singing Barbies now are we? These are four, rough and rowdy lads from Glasgow with bizarre ideas that they can drink us Yorkshire folk under the table… bring it on.

The set comprises of all the songs from their EP with a couple from their forthcoming album thrown in for good measure. What's more, there is no getting away from the fact that they have very similar qualities to my favourite band Biffy Clyro, and for me to appreciate someone as much as I do the good old Simon Neil and Co; it takes a hell of a lot, but these guys do it. Plus some.

I was literally blown away by the skills of these guys and the passion with which they perform their tracks, throwing their whole bodies into the act… and the topless effort from drummer Craig scores big points with me. Forget drummers being hidden at the back; I had to restrain myself from clamouring across the stage and stuffing him into my oversized bag! Delicious.

The vocals were a little too quiet and you couldn’t fully appreciate Sam’s bloody amazing voice as well as I would have liked - but that could have something to do with the kid screaming in my ear or the fact that I was stood beside the biggest speaker on the planet… who knows?

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