Gallery, ReviewDitch This MagazineNovember 28, 2019gallery, live, melbourne, Gallery, review, Sarah Rix, Two Door Cinema Club, Lastlings, forum melbourne, The Forum

Two Door Cinema Club + Lastlings @ The Forum 21-11-19

Gallery, ReviewDitch This MagazineNovember 28, 2019gallery, live, melbourne, Gallery, review, Sarah Rix, Two Door Cinema Club, Lastlings, forum melbourne, The Forum

photos + words: Sarah Rix (@sarahrix)

Review

“…it's clear TDCC have ambitions beyond their laurels.”

Two Door Cinema Club brought their shiny red stage show to Melbourne’s Forum on a Thursday night, kicking off their Australian tour to a sold out audience in support of 2019’s False Alarm.

Hailing from the Gold Coast, opening act Lastlings seem like they’re on to a good thing.

Live, the brother-sister duo of Amy and Josh Dowdle brought in a drummer to help with the beats – a smart addition, given their reliance on them.

Lastlings make music that’s upbeat, festival-ready, and constantly building to that next big drop. It could be overwhelming were it not for the entire band’s collected (but still enthusiastic!) stage presence, belying their young age.

Amy has the kind of voice most electronic DJs grab onto for their own pop hooks – think Chvrches meets Rüfüs Du Sol. And their electronic music is the type that’s easy to get into; bound to soon find its place on an international stage.

I remember when I first heard the blistering, urgent "I Can Talk" off of Two Door Cinema Club's excellent, very of-the-times Tourist History debut. It was back in 2010, when bands seemed to burst onto the scene and then disappear just as quickly. The TDCC crew have managed to avoid that pitfall, however, and proven their staying power over the years thanks to their ability to craft catchy song after catchy song.

In fact, their entire Melbourne performance almost read like a greatest hits performance with the band (made up of Alex Trimble on lead vocals and guitar; Sam Halliday on guitar; Kevin Baird on bass; and touring drummer Benjamin Thompson and all-rounder Jacob Berry) blasting through a 19-song set that kicked off with "Talk" – the lead single from their fourth album, False Alarm – before giving in to the familiar guitar work of "Undercover Martyn".

Trimble's adopted something of a David Byrne-esque stage presence. A big light show, often flashing red and blues, accompanied his shock of a blue suit – Trimble striking poses in front of the huge LED screen behind the band.

"Dirty Air" brought Office Space vibes with fire alarm clip art flashing in bright red, while "Next Year" went 3D with reds and blues meeting the yearning lyrics of "I don't know where I / Am going to rest my head tonight."

It's Trimble's voice that has helped to cement the band's sound – slotting in perfectly next to the clean, angular guitar solos that TDCC's songs are built around. It's a voice that's instantly recognisable, even when they change things up on the falsetto offering of "Bad Decisions" off of 2016's Gameshow – a song well received, no doubt in part due to Australia's love of the Bee Gees.

While the electronic hook of "Do You Want It All?" perhaps hit just a bit too sharply, the band was otherwise note-for-note. Much credit goes to Thompson, whose drumming was a delight to watch. What Two Door Cinema Club does is write big, catchy songs that pack in the hooks. It's unrelenting – and you need a good drummer to be able to handle that.

As they wrapped up their show with "Sun", they promised the crowd they'd return (telling us another album is already in the works.) It's evident the band stirs up a lot of nostalgia – but even with respect for their past work, it's clear TDCC have ambitions beyond their laurels. It's why they're so fun live: they play the crowd favourites. And the crowd has a lot of favourites because they keep writing them.