Gig review: Twin Atlantic, SSE Hydro, Glasgow

IT’S what every band dreams of: an emotional homecoming gig greeted by an ocean of adoring fans. But Twin Atlantic’s largest headline show to date was only a partial triumph.

Twin Atlantic: Custom-made for stadia, for better or worse. Picture: Contributed

Twin Atlantic

Glasgow Hydro

***

The problems were apparent straightaway when they were, alas, upstaged by their own intro tape. An OTT, crowd-pumping twin assault of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody and Richard Strauss’ Also Sprach Zarathustra must’ve seemed like a good idea. But the eventual reveal of four nondescript blokes was an anticlimax.

The fact is, Twin Atlantic are a merely competent pop-rock band. Their heart-on-sleeve anthems are sincere yet monochromatic, with lyrics offering generic empowerment and music from a blandly familiar template. But singer/guitarist Sam McTrusty worked hard, tirelessly exhorting “Glasgow!” to make some noise. Despite several longueurs – Zane Lowe-friendly indie anthems lack sustained dramatic interest – the massed crowd were more than willing to comply. A sweet blast of simple rock theatre occurred when McTrusty ordered hundreds of fans to sit down during an extended tumble through I Am an Animal. I was touched by the spectacle of a band who’ve paid their dues fulfilling their dreams. The communal singalong which greeted Crash Land was certainly an emotional moment.

For better or worse, Twin Atlantic are custom-made for stadia. It’s where they belong.