Live Review: Two Door Cinema Club, Lastlings

Fortitude Music Hall had the absolute pleasure of playing host to indie-pop heroes Two Door Cinema Club. The Northern Irish three-piece headed Down Under to celebrate the release of their fourth album False Alarm.

Still creating waves from their 2017 EP Verses, brother-sister duo Lastlings open the night's events and entice the audience with their dreamy pop sounds. Vocalist Amy Dowdle is dripped head to toe in black, giving off a real Matrix-chic vibe, lit by an array of blues and purples. The start of the set takes a slower, more chill approach. Focus now shifts to Joshua Dowdle accompanied by a live drummer and the mood has changed from dreamy electronic tunes to deep bass and synth-drenched bangers. An obvious crowd favourite from the second it starts, Deja Vu carries the set to an end. 

Lastlings @ Fortitude Music Hall. Photo by Bobby Rein.

The crowd waits in anticipation for Two Door Cinema Club to take the stage, turning the Music Hall into a sardine can – there is not a free space in sight. The lights go down and the intro to new track Talk starts, an interactive countdown as the backdrop. “Three, two, one, zero!” and we are off.

Wasting no time and giving the audience exactly what they are here for, Two Door go straight into Undercover Martyn followed by I Can Talk. It’s clear from the beginning that this band knows what we want to hear and boy, do they deliver. Frontman Alex Trimble’s voice echoes throughout the hall, sounding almost exactly as it does on record. 

Songs from False Alarm steer into a more electronic-pop direction, and the energy in the crowd simmers with each new song, compared to the enthusiasm for classics. But hey, that’s to be expected with a band with as many bops as they have under their belt. The chipper guitar melody to What You Know draws everyone back in and the lyrics are chanted word for word.

Two Door Cinema Club @ Fortitude Music Hall. Photo by Bobby Rein.

Ditching his guitar, Trimble, looking dapper in a blue and orange suit, struts along the stage to Satellite, absolutely oozing confidence. As a little something for their loyal fanbase, Something Good Can Work followed by Sun carries the set to a close. Feelings of melancholy are felt leaving the venue, in hopes they will return as chants for “One more song!” are ignored. In saying that, credit where credit's due, the band did perform for a whopping hour-and-a-half.

Holding a special place in the indie music scene, Two Door Cinema Club put on a performance that is strictly for the fans. They know what we want, and they deliver with the upmost flare and funk. Thank you, Northern Ireland!