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Abi Kara-Fernandes

Live Review: Twin Atlantic @ Rough Trade


Alt-rock Scots Twin Atlantic treated fans to a long-awaited set at Rough Trade, filling the room with the perfect balance of hilarity, hysterics and heartful renditions of their new album. Abi Kara-Fernandes stifles her laughter to give insight into their recent local gig. After the band “rescheduled to be humanitarians” - in the words of Twin Atlantic’s frontman Sam McTrusty - the Transparency tour finally came to Nottingham with an acoustic set from the guitar strings of McTrusty and Ross McNae.


Lit up in soft blue lights, Rough Trade provided a setting so intimate it almost felt like we’d just popped out for a quick pint with the band who spontaneously decided to pick up their guitars and dabble at a few songs. And spontaneous is probably be the best word to describe the gig. With no set list prepared, the audience challenged Twin Atlantic with numerous requests, including an attempt at ‘Take Me for a Ride’ that was then quickly given up on, and the first ever acoustic rendition of ‘Mother Tongue’. We were even treated to a little sprinkle of Oasis’s ‘Wonderwall’ before the pair transitioned into ‘Oceans’.



As an acoustic set, I had expected to come away from the night feeling slightly emotional. However, one thing I definitely didn’t expect was to actually spend the concert laughing so much. McTrusty and McNae’s cheeky Scottish charm and their constant back and forth, paired with the true disorganisation of the whole ridiculous situation, kept the crowd constantly chuckling. The band couldn’t even make it through heartfelt tune ‘Keep Your Head Up’ without breaking out into giggles, keeping the night pleasantly light-hearted.



With such an impressive back catalogue, I did inevitably miss out on hearing a few of my top tunes, especially from new album Transparency. Although ‘Bang on the Gong’ and ‘Dirty’ would have made somewhat questionable acoustic choices, I would’ve loved to have heard an attempt at remastered versions. Despite this, Twin Atlantic couldn’t miss my personal favourite and most appropriately acoustic ‘Crash Land’, as well as ending the night with ‘Heart and Soul’, both of which thoroughly made up for my slight disappointment.


Abi Kara- Fernandes

 

Featured image courtesy of Twin Atlantic via Facebook. In article- videos courtesy of Twin Atlantic via YouTube.

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