Two Door Cinema Club returned to Singapore for the third time at The Star Theatre, with a rousing set of indie anthems and disco-inspired tunes from their recent album, Gameshow
Musical nostalgia packs quite the appeal – how else would you explain the booming biz of ’90s hip-hop parties, #throwback emo nights and our continuous obsession with bands who provided the soundtracks to our youth. Two Door Cinema Club (TDCC) belongs to the latter group; the frisky basslines and anthemic guitar riffs of the Irish trio never fail to remind us of our coming-of-age years. Back for their third concert after a four-year hiatus, the band performed at The Star Theatre last night courtesy of Secret Sounds Asia, to an audience of (late) twenty-somethings and a starry-eyed breed of teen listeners.
Coming on only 30 minutes after their scheduled timing of 8pm, the band was greeted by a make-shift mosh pit of fans from the front stalls who rushed off their seats to the stage as the lights dimmed.
Despite it being a promo tour of their most recent album, Gameshow, the bulk of the 17-song set mostly comprised their debut (and unarguably, most popular) album, Tourist History. Joined by drummer Benjamin Thompson, TDCC kicked off with “Cigarettes in the Theatre” followed by three other tracks from their breakthrough album (“Undercover Martyn” inevitably spurred on a bout of manic dancing and singing). This was a shrewd move by the band, as fans were clearly yearning for past material.
Here’s where I state my disclaimer: I am not the biggest fan of Gameshow. Where past albums like Tourist History (2010) and Beacon (2012) were mainly made up of electrifying, energetic anthems, Gameshow veered completely off-course into disco-esque tunes that are not nearly as catchy.
But hearing the new album live converted me. In between crowd-jumping headbangers and sick guitar riffs, the electronic beats and retro synths from ’80s-inspired Gameshow tracks like “Je Viens de la” brought on major hip-shaking and disco-dancing. Frontman, Alex Trimble, even brought out his falsetto A-game for “Bad decisions” – a peppy, dance-pop track that laments the hashtag generation’s social media addiction.
The gig’s rousing atmosphere couldn’t have been possible without the stunning visuals. Strobe lights and hypnotising images on the seven stage screens formed a trippy visual feast – we were taken on a ride through oceans, galaxies and tropical landscapes to the soundtrack of bouncing basslines, sticky riffs and lofty vocals.
The only downside to TDCC’s gig? The venue. The front stalls had a ton of empty seats, while the circles were completely occupied. While The Star Theatre is perfectly suited to the acoustic stylings of crooners like Ed Sheeran, a far less ornate space with more room for fans to vibe together would have suited the band better.
We’re excited to see what new musical stylings lie in wait for the band – perhaps we’ll find out at a possible fourth show here?