Two Door Cinema Club at Crystal Palace Park

In the midst of a red-alert heatwave, Northern Irish rockers Two Door Cinema Club added even more heat with their electric set in Crystal Palace Park. In celebration of the 15^th anniversary of their debut record, Tourist History, the band performed the album in full alongside some of their biggest hits in front of a sold-out crowd.

The group started off strong with Cigarettes in the Theatre. Fast, syncopated rhythms, dynamic guitar licks and gentle vocals from lead vocalist Alex Trimble; as intended, the track served as an immediate reminder of their signature style. With three guitarists at the helm, it’s only natural that the instrument is a focal point in the band’s music whereby varying hooks are superbly layered and crafted to create a rhythmic and identifiable sound. This is especially true for This Is the Life where the riff is so memorable that you don’t need to be a fan to recognise it. Additionally, one of the other endearing qualities about Two Door Cinema Club’s approach to music is their ability to create songs that seamlessly modulate between mellow and lyrical and punchy and upbeat. This was comprehensively displayed in catchy and feel-good tunes like Something Good Can Work and Next Year, which struck this balance perfectly.

During the performance, the stage was illuminated by brightly coloured but slightly random flashing graphics. When done well, concert visuals and motion graphics can enhance the meaning and feel of the music and turn a concert into an immersive experience, but here it presented as more of a distraction. In contrast, a welcome interference came from the amount of camaraderie with the audience; mostly led by bass guitarist Kevin Baird who highlighted the significance of their debut album and humorously recalled that it was released during the year that England crashed out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa (hopefully not a prediction for this year’s chances).

As their set drew nearer to a close, the on-stage energy only seemed to increase, largely helped by the South London crowd who loudly showed their love for the trio’s catalogue. Nearly every song played was met with instantaneous appreciation and excitement, none more so than the hit tracks Sun, Undercover Martyn and What You Know. Despite the intense sunshine, or maybe aided by it, the atmosphere was one of unanimous joy and 15 years on, Two Door Cinema Club have treated their supporters with a nostalgic but refreshing trip down memory lane.