LIVE REVIEW – The Twang
It’s taken me ages to put this review (written for Orange) up here…spending too much blogging-time on Twitter and over at my tumblelog.
14th February @ Liverpool Guild of Students
It’s a scientifically proven fact that no rom-com has ever featured a Brummie lad-rock band‘s live show as a major plot point. But a sold-out Valentine’s night gig with no shortage of snogging student couples might suggest that Hollywood’s missing out on something.
And just like a screening of the latest J-Lo blockbuster is unlikely to attract hordes of cinephiles waiting to draw comparisons with Citizen Kane, it seems that those who aren’t here with a partner are more interested in throwing pints on each other’s Ben Shermans than admiring some of the baggy cast-offs and U2 “me-toos” from The Twang’s forthcoming second album. Nonetheless, when the band stumble into their second single, 2007′s hit Either Way, early on in the set – a brave move, given that they’ve not exactly got a huge repertoire of anthems to save up for the encore – romancers and beer-boys alike are united in a stirring singalong.
The band’s odd double-lead-singer dynamic does afford them the luxury of being able to show particular onstage energy, but only the most casual gig-goer would be fooled into thinking that running about and shouting “come on Liverpool!” constitutes stagecraft. That doesn’t matter though, as the band know their crowd is more V Festival than All Tomorrow’s Parties, so their polished and competent, yet derivative, dirges are well received. And in a world where Mamma Mia DVDs have sold more copies than The Bible and Bride Wars can top box office charts, perhaps catering to the lowest common denominator with no regards for quality or originality is a recipe for success.
