Having performed to a sold-out crowd at the Esplanade Concert Hall in Aug 2011, Two Door Cinema Club was back again at the same venue 2 years later, bringing us their invigorating electro-rock and synth sounds off their latest sophomore album, Beacon , and their debut album, Tourist History.

The 3-man band consists of Alex Trimble on lead vocals, guitar and synths, Sam Halliday on lead guitar and vocals and Kevin Baird on bass vocals and synths. They were accompanied by an additional touring member, Benjamin Thompson, who played the drums.

2013 started on a good note for the trio as they topped the list of nominees for this year’s Meteor Choice Music Prize – one of Ireland’s most distinguished music prizes, alongside Wallis Bird and Damien Dempsey, both huge in the Irish music scene.

With all the hype surrounding the band and their rave reviews, you’d think that the band members are “scene” hipsters, perhaps with inked-up bodies – surprise surprise, they’re anything but. The trio look more like your average bookish dorks in their preppy Teddy Boy get-up, rather than indie electrockstars. Thankfully looks have nothing to do with their unparalleled talents.

 

The set list for the one-night-only performance on Jan 11 had songs from both albums interspersed throughout, with a few more songs off Tourist History than Beacon.

Even before the 3 lads started performing, the audience stood up to give them a pre-performance standing ovation when they appeared on stage. In the 3-tiered concert hall, those seated back at the bottom deck had the advantage of rushing up to the front as the band members geared up for the night. The fixed seats in the hall might have been a hindrance, but didn’t deter the fans from getting as close as they could to the stage.

With Beacon fresh off the shelves last September, Two Door Cinema Club hit the notes right by kicking off the night with the manic chords of the first single of that album, “Sleep Alone”.

From well-loved favourites off Tourist History like “Do You Want It All” and “This Is The Life”, to newer songs off Beacon like “Sun” and “Next Year”, to the strobe light display, the night was not only one of aural pleasure, but also one of visual euphoria. So much so, it mimicked the ambience of a club, inducing people to groove along to the songs.

 

National Serviceman Gran Ooi, 20, felt the concert could only be saved by songs from Tourist History. He said, “I couldn’t help but move to favourites like “Undercover Martyn” and “What You Know”, but their newer songs like “The World Is Watching” and “Pyramid” fail to impress and seem to suffer from staticity. Only one song (off Beacon) seemed possible of reaching the bar set by their previous efforts; “Sun” with its funky bassline and catchy guitar riff.”

Sid Koh, 20, student, preferred Beacon to Tourist History and felt that they could have performed better ‘live’. “I take to Beacon, which portrays a more lonesome image, but the more upbeat songs from Tourist History such as “Undercover Martyn” and “What You Know” remain favourites. Their vocals were occasionally out-of-tune, drummer went out of pace several times but the band members redeemed themselves through melodic bass and guitar lines, and cool funky beats that are showcased in both albums Beacon and Tourist History,” he added.

The atmosphere was electric that night and fans were constantly on their feet, singing and dancing. But as the saying goes, all good things have to come to an end. Two Door Cinema Club ended their performance with “Eat That Up, That’s Good For You”, leaving about 1600 fans wanting more. Shouts for an encore rang through the audience and within seconds, the chants became deafening as they bounced off the high ceiling of the concert hall. Soon enough, the band reappeared and performed the last 3 songs for the night: “Someday”, “Come Back Home” and “What You Know”.

 

Two Door Cinema Club could very well be a reincarnation of the edgy American band, The Strokes, who started out on the brink of the millennium, with a dash of Bloc Party and a sprinkle of Bombay Bicycle Club. Add synth beats from their Macintosh, and voila, you get Two Door Cinema Club. The trio has also been compared to the likes of Passion Pit, Vampire Weekend and The Vaccines.

They’ve been in the music scene for barely 5 years but have already received critical acclaims from the UK and worldwide. From the warm reception for Tourist History and similar responses for Beacon, UrbanWire sure hopes that Two Door Cinema Club will continue to work on their formula for success and deliver dance floor anthems for indie junkies.

Set list:

Sleep Alone

Undercover Martyn

Do You Want It All

This Is The Life

Wake Up

You’re Not Stubborn

Sun

Pyramid

I Can Talk

Costume Party

The World Is Watching

Next Year

Something Good Can Work

Handshake

Eat That Up, That’s Good For You

Encore:

Someday

Come Back Home

What You Know

 

All photos courtesy of Joanna Kwa.