Music Review: Two Door Cinema Club

12/12/12

Osaka- Namba Hatch

Two Door Cinema Club are a three piece indie band that flew all the way from Northern Ireland to perform at Osaka’s very own Namba Hatch. They consist of 2 parts grammar school nerd to 1 part cool kid; Alex Trimble (vocals, rhythm guitar, beats, synths & more) Sam Halliday (lead guitar and backing vocals), and Kevin Baird (bass and backing vocals). Listing Alex’s qualifications alone allows us to imagine the full scope of their melodic genre.

If the Two Door sound waves have yet to reach you, think: catchy beats, elongated vowel sounds, jittering limbs, the urge to dance using a shoulder/ head nod combination and of course there are those mellower tunes that balance out any indie record. All in all they’re an inoffensive, easy-going, honest band that can be enjoyed on any public transport, night out or a quiet night under the kotatsu.

With two albums under their young belts, the twenty-somethings ventured to Japan to showcase their proud new album Beacon (and to remind everyone of the joys of their debut, Tourist History).

The nerd:cool kid ratio of the band reflected on their audience; Japanese geek-chic hipsters sporting over-sized thick-framed glasses and cat-eared winter hats, plus those eager fans fashioning their newly bought band T-shirts. The rowdy nature expected of these indie scenesters was nowhere to be seen; instead a polite, patient crowd was stood before the stage.

As three silhouettes emerged, the near-silent audience soon vanished, taken over by an army of synchronized clapping, whooping and fist-pumping fans. A well placed crescendo of appreciation welcomed the stars of the show. The pyrotechnics kicked in, vibrantly supporting the sound of the fairytale-like intro of the newly released Sleep Alone.

The boys were allowing their Northern Irish charm to lead the show, adding periodic hair-flicking and just the one, shy, “Arigotou”. You can just imagine what the girls were like. Alex exuded a playful arrogance with questionable hand movements the audience were just eating up- oishii desu ne!

The sensibly rocked-out performance was fired up by the release of a dozen large, white balloons, volleyed by the crowd and band alike. This is Two Door Cinema Club summed up in one action; light-hearted, innocently young and prioritising the happiness of their audience.

Cue What You Know for a winning encore and we’re outta here, balloon in hand.