LIVE REVIEW: Twin Atlantic @ The Roundhouse, London

TWIN ATLANTIC took to the iconic The Roundhouse in Camden to celebrate over a decade since breakout sophomore album Free was released back in 2011. Accompanied by a fully Scottish touring party, as well as a helping heap of tartan clad audience members. Playing the record in full alongside a second act compiled of greatest hits, the Glaswegian rockers showed why Free is so highly revered across the course of “our longest set ever”.

Opening proceedings were the punky DEAD PONY, and despite the early hour, they were in fine form. Rattling through a sharp eight song set, the band sounded pitch perfect and as energetic as if they were the headline act. Whilst mostly unknown to the audience, they definitely left the capital with a few new fans after a great set. Highlights included War Boys, Bullet Farm, and closer 23, Never Me.

Rating: 6/10

After the briefest of changeovers then it was the turn of DECLAN WELSH & THE DECADENT WEST. Whilst admittedly THE DECADENT WEST is a great band name, it’s a shame that the music itself was no more decadent than the Radio X playlist. Definitely a more accessible act than the openers, Declan and his band however appealed more to fans of TWIN ATLANTIC’s more recent, watered-down material, rather than the exciting young band they were when Free was released. They’ll certainly have their fans, but they quite simply weren’t that interesting.

Rating: 5/10

Then for the course of about 45 minutes, without any chatter whatsoever, TWIN ATLANTIC played Free front to back for possibly the first time in their career. Later revealing that they intentionally didn’t stop to speak once as to sound as similar to the album as possible, this actually had the opposite effect and felt like the band might not have been that excited about this anniversary. However nothing could distract from the brilliance of said record. One of the finest rock albums of the 2010s, hearing deep cuts such as Serious Underground Dance Vibes, and The Ghost of Eddie in the flesh was a true experience.

Obviously hits such as the title track, Yes, I was Drunk and Edit Me went down a storm, but it was that experience of hearing the often overlooked tracks getting their day in the sun that really made the show such a special night. Crash Land still remains a beautiful song, especially with live cello, and that audience singalong of “we’re fucked” always provides goosebump-inducing moments, but the first half of the set was proof that TWIN ATLANTIC still have those amazing songs tucked away.

The second half of proceedings was a bit more of a mixed bag. Huge singalongs like No Sleep off of GLA and Hold On from Free’s follow-up The Great Divide were excellent as always, but newer tracks such as 2021’s Bang on the Gong from Transparency had a much more tepid reaction. Hopefully the warm reception of their older material on this tour will give the Scottish lads a blast of inspiration and revitalise their song-writing for whatever comes next. Of course closer Heart & Soul is still TWIN ATLANTIC’s biggest song, and is an absolute banger with an iconic chorus. Faux Scottish accent and all – everyone in the room was singing those lines.

Overall, a great night for TWIN ATLANTIC, with a few dud moments interspersed throughout the second half of the set. It was cathartic to see Free given the huge treatment it deserved a decade ago, and absence has certainly made the heart grow stronger for some of those songs which had disappeared from setlists in recent years. While the newer material doesn’t hold up as well, this tour still showed that TWIN ATLANTIC have written some phenomenal songs in their career, and if nothing else, have one perfect album.

Rating: 8/10

Check out out our photo gallery of the night’s action in London from Abbi Draper-Scott here: 

Like TWIN ATLANTIC on Facebook.