Twin Atlantic have proven their live qualities to the Berlin crowds more than once. I had the chance to catch them twice at Comet Club while their were touring their 2011 record Free. Twin Atlantic are a rock band at heart coming from a punk background and singing with a signature Scottish accent. While this band certainly knows how to rock, their (semi-)acoustic tracks (Crash Land, Yes, I Was Drunk) really are the ones that need to be heard live to grasp their full potential. It is these tracks that they bring a cello on stage for played by guitarist Barry McKenna. Now that’s not something you get to hear everyday.
Earlier in 2014 Twin Atlantic finally returned to Germany, first as support for 30 Seconds To Mars and then with appearances at Hurricane and Southside Festival. At last, they return to the clubs to promote their new album, Great Divide which sees them turning their attention on stadium sized rock. Stadiums might just be the places they will play in the near future so if you want to catch them in a more intimate environment, this might just be your last chance.
Twin Atlantic formed in 2007 when McTrusty and bassist Ross McNae, a friend from school, joined forces with drummer Craig Kneale and lead guitarist and occasional cello player Barry McKenna. All four had been in previous bands on the Glasgow scene. They bonded over a shared love of alternative rock, punk-pop and the city’s skate and street art scene, as well as a determination to make music their day jobs. Their ferocious shows soon saw them booked to support Smashing Pumpkins, Biffy Clyro and their teen idols Blink 182. Within two years, they had played most major UK festivals and been signed, following a tip-off from Alan McGee, to American label Red Bull Records. A mini album, Vivarium, released in 2009 and saw them tour Europe and the States. Free, their debut proper, followed two years later, boasting three singles playlisted by Radio 1, including the title track, which soundtracked Felix Baumgartner’s historic space jump in 2012.
Most of their new album, Great Divide, was written last year, while Twin Atlantic were still touring Free. “90% of it was written in the back of the tour bus, or a sweltering van in America,” says vocalist Sam McTrusty. “Our adrenaline was through the roof because, for the first time, thousands of people had come to see us. I’d be in the lounge, unable to sleep, recording ideas on my phone, trying to make sense of the reaction we’d had to our songs. You can’t hear 10,000 people singing a chorus back at you and not be changed by it.”
Thanks to the wonderful people of fkpScorpio, Blitzgigs is giving away 2×2 tickets to the show! To grab your free tickets, just email us at winwinwin@blitzgigs.de with your full name and the answer to the following easy question:
Where are Twin Atlantic from?
Competition closes 12:00, Friday November 14th. Good luck!
