TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB - MANCHESTER, UK.
Two Door Cinema Club at the Castlefield Bowl, Manchester, UK (09/07/2023).
Two Door Cinema Club are indie mainstays at this point; their debut album 'Tourist History' has solidified itself as a must listen for fans of the genre and the band have constantly been spewing out hits for over a decade now. Closing out Manchester's 'Sounds Of The City' concert series, Two Door Cinema Club delivered an indie party full of high energy and a rabid crowd.
The Royston Club were opening the show. I've got a passing familiarity with the band, having seen them last year open for The Snuts, and I'm pleased to say they've massively improved. Lead singer Tom is a dynamic and charismatic performer and tracks from their debut album 'Shaking Hips and Crashing Cars' sounded excellent here. When I last saw them I wasn't the biggest fan, now they're definitely worth checking out.
Sundara Karma were second on the bill - unfortunately unable to carry on the momentum from TRC. A technical issue halted the set before it even started and after it had been fixed, the band simply rattled through a couple of tracks from their upcoming album and some old favorites, failing to capture that same enthusiasm I had felt during The Royston Clubs set.
Two Door Cinema Club took the stage not long after, adorned in a sea of pastel colored suits, gorgeous lighting and incredible imagery on the screens behind them - flowers, kaleidoscopes, landscapes, all truly stunning. Opening with 'This Is The Life', the crowd were immediately bouncing to every funky guitar riff and Alex delivered vocals with an understated delivery that fans have come to expect.
The set here was a simple one from the start: simply play the hits and keep the energy high. 'I Can Talk' and 'Are We Ready' keep the crowd moving before 'Undercover Martyn' delivers one of the loudest crowd reactions and Alex lets the crowd sing the verses. Naturally a few tracks from their recent album 'Keep On Smiling' snuck into the set here, not gaining nearly the same reaction as the old favorites but 'Wonderful Life' is a stellar single and great live.
Fan favorites just kept on coming, 'Changing Of The Seasons' was preceded by 'Talk' before recent single 'Lucky' rounded out the middle of the set. It was here the band decided to play "an old song" (in their words) and the instantly iconic opening to 'What You Know' got the crowd back engaged. I can't quite explain why this track is so addictive, it's incredibly nostalgic while also sounding like it could be released tomorrow and not feel outdated.
A few fans decided that was enough and started to leave the crowd; however the band still had plenty of tracks left to play. 'Sun' is a personal favorite of mine, and the band did it justice live (even if the sun had set by this point). Before the final track of the set 'Something Good Could Work', a high energy crowd pleaser sent the Sunday night crowd home happy. Fans clambered onto shoulders, dancing to the final track of Sounds Of The City 2023.
By now it should go without saying that Two Door Cinema Club delivers a great live show. They've been doing this for over a decade now and with plenty of fan favorites to choose from, their sets are just a big indie party.
You May Also Like:
