An energetic rock show: Twin Atlantic live in Birmingham

On 4 November, Glaswegian alternative rock four-piece Twin Atlantic took to the stage of Birmingham’s 15,800 capacity arena to support indie-rock band, Catfish and the Bottlemen as part of their UK arena tour. Twin Atlantic are to support the headline band at several other gigs around the UK this month, as they are set to make appearances at their Newcastle, Liverpool and Leeds shows too.

After forming in 2006, as lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Sam McTrusty told the Birmingham crowd, it was the band’s fourth time supporting Catfish and the Bottlemen. It soon became clear why exactly Catfish have invited Twin Atlantic back so many times to tour with them, as they proved to be a very welcome warm-up for what was to come for gig-goers later on.

Although claiming themselves on the night that the two bands come from “opposite ends of the rock music world”, with Twin Atlantic possessing a more heavier rock sound, they undeniably knew how to put on an energetic rock show and so complimented the music to come – achieving exactly what they should as a support act and getting the crowd pumped for the headline set. Many crowd members were singing along to Twin Atlantic’s hits, which is proof of the bands’ close association to one another. This was my first time seeing Twin Atlantic live and so, like many support acts, they would have of course gained their own set of new listeners throughout the tour. 

A very welcome warm-up for what was to come

Favourite songs of mine included the hit ‘No Sleep’, which was in fact premiered by Annie Mac on BBC Radio 1 in 2016 as the Hottest Record in the World. I loved it for its raspy vocals and intense guitar riffs that make it a definite anthem in the realm of rock music. Their song ‘Make A Beast Of Myself’ from their 2011 album Free, was another personal favourite, again for its catchy instrumentals and effortlessly powerful vocals from energetic frontman McTrusty, which is uniquely infused with a strong Scottish accent which I personally very much liked the sound of, as it gave the band a unique sound.

The crowd were also treated to a live debut of the bands newest single ‘Novocaine’ which was released October this year. Performing a song live for the first time is probably a nerve-wracking experience for artists, but it would seem the crowd’s reaction subsided any of the band’s nerves as they remained enthusiastic and receptive to the band’s performance and energy. 

Following Twin Atlantic’s electric rock performance of around 40 minutes, the crowd –predominantly full of young adults – were left buzzing. This was down to the band’s strong stage presence, with frontman McTrusty often interacting with the crowd which added an intimate touch to their performance, despite it taking place in such a large venue. This allowed him to feed off the crowd’s energy, as he occupied the stage, belting out hit after hit. The other band members too possessed relentless energy throughout their set – proving why they have been invited back on tour with the headliners once more, as their passion for performing live was clearly visible. 

Strong instrumentals and effortlessly powerful vocals

Shown by their presence on Catfish and the Bottlemen’s UK arena tour, it seems Twin Atlantic are currently making big moves in the music world. It shouldn’t be forgotten either that their fifth studio album, POWER is set to be released in January 2020 and that they are embarking on a UK tour of their own in March 2020. If you are a fan of rock music, check them out if you haven’t already – for fans of bands such as Fatherson and Fightstar.