Glasgow band Twin Atlantic played a triumphant homecoming show at T in the Park this summer. Tom Hall was there to capture the blood, sweat and copious facial hair of a band making the jump from respected underdogs to conquering heroes.
The rounded bricks and eroded sandstone found all over leafy Queen’s Park in Glasgow’s Southside begin to tell a tale that the clouds are already promising to finish. In Glasgow, it rains – a lot. But the force of today’s downpour seems to have taken even the locals by surprise. Four skinny figures in their early 20s dart across wide streets, under awnings and into doorways. Hoods and leather jackets go up around dishevelled hair and the full beards that cover two of their number. Combined with Ray-Bans cruelly cheated of a useful purpose, Twin Atlantic resemble some kind of indie secret agent squad under heavy disguise, dodging bullets – albeit a comically inept one. It’s not the start to our whistlestop tour of Glasgow that we’d planned, but it’s probably the one we should’ve expected.
“It’s not a style thing. Having a beard keeps you warm in the Glasgow weather,” says guitarist Barry McKenna, half-jokingly. Surly and bearlike, he’s a foil to languid, stick-thin lead singer Sam McTrusty, who’s all coiffured hair and thoughtful stares. Ducking out of the rain and into the local greasy spoon café, the two are joined by bass player Ross McNae and drummer Craig Neale. McNae is quietly-spoken, peering out from straggly locks and that aforementioned beard. Neale has a self-deprecating humour that’s at odds with the ferocious beats he pummelled out of a drum kit at T in the Park.
© Red Bull Records
Rewind two days earlier to that appearance at T in the Park, and the band are sprawled out on uncharacteristically dry meadows in Balado, near Kinross, Scotland. Framed by looming hills that anyone who spends most of their time in a city would describe as mountainous (we didn’t bring a tape measure), the beautiful landscape under fine weather is a breathtaking setting in which to party until you puke.
“T in the Park kind of resembles a refugee camp. But all the refugees are pissed and spending loads of money,” says a sleepy McNae. The band have just driven 450 miles from Guildford in a cramped mini-van in one night. Needless to say, not everyone’s quite awake. But then, not everyone’s Craig Neale.
“They’re giving free haircuts and massages in the artists’ area. Let’s do it!” he says, beaming with enthusiasm. Trappings of rock stardom are available in teasing glimpses to a band like Twin Atlantic, a band on the cusp of mainstream notoriety. They’re not quite there yet, but on days like today, it’s close enough to snatch and run.
Their hardcore-infused, thinking man’s punk pop achieves that crucial element for a widespread following, balancing big choruses with lyrical content that takes a few listens to crack. Inventive yet familiar, the accessible sound delivered in a defiantly Scottish drawl means that, as they stroll around the festival, they’re greeted more like homecoming heroes.
McTrusty is the poster boy that the small groups of fans get all giggly over. Teenagers in Twin Atlantic T-shirts come and high-five him over the crowd barriers while he watches fellow Scots Sucioperro from the side of the stage. Boys want to know who his all-time favourite Scottish act is.
“Somewhere between Mogwai and Biffy…” he answers. Girls sing back his own lyrics and make requests for the show. “Give a shout out to Aberdeen,” they beg over the fence. McTrusty humours them politely, but you can tell the adulation ritual is as bizarre and depressing to him as it is ticklishly novel. “I hope this never gets normal. I hope I’m always…”
“Shitting yourself?” offers McNae.
“No! I hope I’m always this excited,” he says, in reference to the band’s 7.45pm slot on the Red Bull Bedroom Jam Futures Stage this evening. So, is tonight a more special gig than most?
“Well, when you’re surrounded by so many Scottish people at T in the Park, that kind of national gathering rarely happens. That’s why it’s such a party atmosphere and everybody’s so wrecked. It’s like the one time of year where everyone comes to our turf.”
The artists’ area couldn’t be further away from a home crowd. Filing into the catering tent is a who’s who of pop’s high table. Veterans The Specials sit circled like an impenetrable gang, the impression heightened by matching ‘Specials’ embroidered tracksuit tops. An aloof Brandon Flowers of The Killers shuffles in with the masses, like a kid wary of having his lunch money stolen. Katy Perry takes time out from an alleged onsite ego war with Lady Gaga to grab some food. Everybody has to eat. Catfights can resume later.
It’s exciting and a novelty, but Twin Atlantic are used to stepping up a level when the situation requires it. Formed in March 2007, the band quickly became favourites on the Glasgow live music scene and released a debut single by Christmas that year. Tour support slots followed with the Subways and Biffy Clyro, resulting in the band being hand-picked by Smashing Pumpkins to support them at Glasgow SECC. In February 2009, the band signed to Red Bull Records and headed to LA to record their debut mini-album Vivarium. Sam explains that the title refers to an artificially-created, yet natural, environment, like being in a fishtank or greenhouse.
“We just thought it was a really cool word, but it also had some meaning to us as a band because we’ve sort of built that environment ourselves in the sanctuary of the music. The artwork shows a vivarium smashed to bits, as the record is meant to be kind of a fresh start for us. We’ve been trying to move away from just songs about girlfriends or whatever and writing more tunes that have a story or a universal theme.”
A look down the track listing reveals some heavier topics and even stranger titles. Human After All is a rant at the degradation of women, while You’re Turning Into John Wayne tackles the Americanisation of pop culture. So, what’s Caribbean War Syndrome all about?
“Um, well, actually, a lot of our songs just grow from jokes into something more serious. We had a guitar rhythm that Barry was struggling to remember, and I’d started randomly singing, ‘If you like the Caribbean,’ which fitted with the rhythm to remind him. From that point on, I just found it really funny and wrote this whole song around it. I was reading that Ernest Hemingway book A Farewell To Arms at the time, and it’s all about going to war. I never finished it… I kind of do that with books.”
As showtime nears, the band adopt green facepaint for the gig, in reference to the greenery of their forthcoming album cover.
“If it looks like we’ve just thrown this idea together, it’s because we have,” says Barry.
“Why not, eh?” quips McNae.
“We’ll soon see why not,” deadpans McTrusty, the whole band now resembling a psychedelic crew of nerve-shredded Braveheart extras. By the time they reach the Red Bull stage, fears of a deserted tent are quickly replaced by the sheer terror of 3,000 raging fans who’ve turned up especially. It’s packed out.
© Red Bull Records
“T in the Park… SCOTLAND!... This is pretty f***ing terrifying,” bellows McTrusty and they launch into first song, Lightspeed. What follows is a gloriously messy and triumphant victory lap, with the crowd seemingly singing along to every word. The band play hard, with blood splattered from busted fingernails over McTrusty’s white guitar, and jeans and sweat-dissolved face paint running into bloodshot eyes. During the acoustic Crash Land, McKenna switches to cello, showing they can do more than big, dumb thrills. The gig ends in chaos as McNae jumps into the crowd but is mistaken by security for a fan. A scuffle in the photographers’ pit ensues, while the last notes of final song Audience and Audio are being played. It’s not the ending the band would’ve preferred, but the fans get a pantomime-style kick out of seeing their heroes standing up to security.
The vibe afterwards is edgy. Different members are self-critical to extremes. But it’s a debate that five ‘Ts’ out of five in a national tabloid the next morning does a lot to calm down.
© Red Bull Records
On the Monday evening, back in Glasgow, the band huddle in a booth at local musicians’ Mecca, Nicensleazy. Members of fellow Glasgow band Frightened Rabbit stop over and catch up on the weekend. It’s a communal vibe that’s seen McTrusty sportingly play an acoustic spot earlier for some Twin Atlantic fans attending the venue’s open mic night. But Saturday’s performance is still a topic of debate.
“Can I be brutally honest? I thought it went terribly. It’s the worst gig we’ve ever played,” laughs Neale. “See, I thought it was the best show we’ve ever played,” says McTrusty. Barry compares their disagreements to T in the Park headliners Blur. “Blur stopped being a band for nine years because they couldn’t get on. They hated each other’s guts to the point where they kind of failed at being a band. That’s not what we’re about. It’s not what being in any band is about. You’ve just got to pick each other up.”
After last orders, the guys once again don hoods and leathers to resume service against the Glasgow elements. Neale concedes he’s always going to pick holes.
“We might disagree, but we always look to the horizon,” he says optimistically on his way out.
And then the rain came down.
Vivarium will be available to download from September 14. Go to www.twinatlantic.com
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