Posted by KB on August 6, 2010
Fresh-faced and freckled, Two Door Cinema Club’s ginger-haired lead singer Alex Trimble has a look and elegant sonority that sets you up for the full pop experience. Standing up there in angelic purity, you imagine how proud his grandma is of how far he’s come since his days as the church’s head choirboy. So it’s somewhat of a shock to be blasted with the wall of sound that starts their Splendour sideshow at Melbourne venue Billboard. Far from poppy and light, it’s the heavier dance beat that comes through. The balance is good, the sound mix is right. It’s just not that melodious vibe that gets you craving an orange mocha frappuccino.
The Northern Irish trio – plus one with the addition of drum kit on tour – is one of those bands that seems to have appeared out of the ether and, with the help of MySpace and the ever-expanding global festival circuit, blossomed rapidly into a tight, respected outfit with a solid fan base. They fall under that broad, vague category of electro/indie/rock/pop, a term which encompasses a lot of bands these days and rarely expounds much about their sound other than the presence of synthesisers.
Expectations for the live performance are based on radio hits such as the catchy and vocally lithe Something Good Can Work, a pop tune that sparks comparisons with Vampire Weekend; and I Can Talk, with its edgy repetitive vocal percussion adding a dash of Presets flavour.
The intensity and volume of their live delivery is more in line with the ‘mad-as-a-cut-snake’, possibly off-his-head bass guitarist. Although I sense the look is manicured, he is the ‘IRA recruit’ to young Alex’s ‘choirboy’ and everything about him – from the sweat-drenched singlet and sinewy tattooed biceps to the beer-swigging between songs – yells (or at least tries to) hardcore.
The crowd lifted with the energy, singing along in full force to favourites like Undercover Martyn, abovementioned tracks and well-received encore I Can Talk, which had everyone foot-stomping and toe-tapping in approval. A couple of crazy kids even went for a crowd surf, and were undoubtedly among those to join the band at the Cherry Bar for an after-party celebrating their last night in Oz.
I went along to the gig disagreeing with comments I’d heard comparing the acutely boyish Two Door with Death Cab for Cutie and Broken Social Scene. But I left with ears ringing from tinnitus and the feeling of having experienced something grittier and edgier than expected. It would be great to see Alex exploit that awesome voice of his and the band experiment with melodies sans that ever-present dance beat. Nevertheless, just under an hour of pure punch made for a memorable live show. After all, you can always stay home to listen to the CD.
two door cinema club, billboard, alex trimble