In the Brudenell Social Club, Twin Atlantic took their well-earned place on this stage after support from Life and Creeper. Even after playing Reading and Leeds festival main stage, T in the Park and numerous headline tours, the Glaswegian four piece still exhibited excitement and anticipation as they blasted through their eleven song set list, flaunting their catalogue of rock hits.
Lead man, Sam McTrusty, littered his flawless vocals with occasional classic rock screams during their set of their best and most popular songs, opening with ‘Edit Me’ to get the crowd jumping. Others included their first big single ‘What Is Light? Where Is Laughter?’ and ‘Brothers and Sisters’, playing a range of hits from all of their albums and EP’s to please both old and new fans. People rarely took their eyes off the stage, and only then would it be to repulse crowd surfers or moshers.
In the middle of the set, slower anthems ‘Oceans’ and ‘Crash Land’ created a sombre atmosphere after hints of a long break from the band and devastatingly, a potential break up.
A woman who was at her 100th Twin Atlantic show was invited onstage as the band displayed their “soppier side”. During ‘Free’, another excited fan was invited to scream the chorus as he’d apparently sang it with such passion the band had “not seen before”.
McTrusty, McKenna, McNae and Kneale still looked at each other with pride as the crowd sang back whatever was asked of them. ‘What Is Light? Where Is Laughter?’ was dedicated to those in Leeds that had seen them at the Cockpit, graciously thanking the venue for being one of the first places in the UK to accept and embrace their music when they first began.
After genuine connection with the crowd, flawless performances of hits that wouldn’t feel out of place in a stadium, this tiny Leeds venue has seen some incredible performances, but this was undeniably one of Brudenell’s and Twin Atlantics best.
Beth Keyes